Kiss: Psycho Circus: The Nightmare Child
Kiss: Psycho Circus: The Nightmare Child is a first-person shooter video game developed by American studio Third Law Interactive and published by Gathering of Developers for Microsoft Windows in July 2000. It was also released later that year for Dreamcast (using Windows CE) following a port by Tremor Entertainment.
Kiss: Psycho Circus: The Nightmare Child | |
---|---|
Developer(s) | Third Law Interactive (PC) Tremor Entertainment (DC conversion) |
Publisher(s) | Gathering of Developers (PC) Take-Two Interactive (DC) |
Engine | Lithtech 1.5 |
Platform(s) | Windows Dreamcast |
Release | Windows Dreamcast |
Genre(s) | First-person shooter |
Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer (PC version only) |
Gameplay
The game is based on Todd McFarlane's Kiss: Psycho Circus series of comic books, themselves inspired by the rock band Kiss.
The game's story revolves around a Kiss tribute band, who suddenly receive superhuman powers.
Publication history
Kiss: Psycho Circus was the first game to be developed by Third Law Interactive, themselves having recently formed in December 1998 after a widely publicized mass walkout from Ion Storm.[1] Versions for PlayStation[2] and Game Boy Color[3] were planned, but were later canceled. The PC version of the game was done on an enhanced version of the Lithtech engine, licensed from Monolith Productions. The PC version was also distributed with the November edition of Computer Buyer in 2000.
Reception
Aggregator | Score | |
---|---|---|
Dreamcast | PC | |
Metacritic | 59/100[4] | 71/100[5] |
Publication | Score | |
---|---|---|
Dreamcast | PC | |
AllGame | [6] | [7] |
CGSP | N/A | [8] |
CGW | N/A | [9] |
Edge | N/A | 3/10[10] |
EGM | 2/10[11] | N/A |
Eurogamer | N/A | 9/10[12] |
Game Informer | 4.5/10[13] | N/A |
GamePro | N/A | [14] |
GameRevolution | N/A | C[15] |
GameSpot | 4.5/10[16] | 6.6/10[17] |
GameSpy | N/A | 70%[18] |
GameZone | N/A | 9/10[19] |
IGN | 6.2/10[20] | 7/10[21] |
Next Generation | N/A | [22] |
PC Gamer (US) | N/A | 70%[23] |
Jeff Lundrigan reviewed the PC version of the game for Next Generation, rating it two stars out of five, and stated that "To be fair, this title accomplished what it set its sights to do. Trouble is, those sights weren't set very high. This will seem interesting only if the last game you ever played was Doom."[22]
The game received "mixed or average reviews" on both platforms according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[4][5]
In the United States, The Nightmare Child and its "Collector's Edition" together sold 42,000 copies by October 2001.[24]
References
- IGN staff (1998-11-19). "Eight Quit Ion Storm". IGN. Ziff Davis. Retrieved 2018-11-26.
- "KISS Psycho Circus: The Nightmare Child - PlayStation". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on 2016-04-02. Retrieved 2018-11-26.
- "KISS Psycho Circus: The Nightmare Child - Game Boy Color". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on 2016-04-02. Retrieved 2018-11-26.
- "KISS: Psycho Circus Critic Reviews for Dreamcast". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 2014-02-07.
- "KISS: Psycho Circus - The Nightmare Child Critic Reviews for PC". Metacritic. CBS interactive. Retrieved 2014-02-07.
- Thompson, Jon. "Kiss Psycho Circus: The Nightmare Child (DC) - Review". AllGame. All Media Network. Archived from the original on 2014-11-13. Retrieved 2014-12-09.
- House, Matthew. "Kiss Psycho Circus: The Nightmare Child (PC) - Review". AllGame. All Media Network. Archived from the original on 2014-11-13. Retrieved 2014-12-09.
- Cross, Jason (2000-08-02). "KISS Psycho Circus: The Nightmare Child". Computer Games Strategy Plus. Strategy Plus, Inc. Archived from the original on 2003-03-04. Retrieved 2018-11-26.
- Babler, Jason (October 2000). "It's Not Part of My Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy (KISS Psycho Circus: The Nightmare Child Review)" (PDF). Computer Gaming World. No. 195. Ziff Davis. pp. 130–31. Retrieved 2018-11-26.
- Edge staff (September 2000). "KISS Psycho Circus: The Nightmare Child (PC)". Edge. No. 88. Future plc.
- "KISS: Psycho Circus (DC)". Electronic Gaming Monthly. Ziff Davis. February 2001.
- Bye, John "Gestalt" (2000-07-22). "KISS: Psycho Circus - The Nightmare Child Review (PC)". Eurogamer. Gamer Network. Archived from the original on 2001-03-30. Retrieved 2014-02-07.
- "KISS: Psycho Circus (DC)". Game Informer. No. 94. FuncoLand. February 2001.
- Wight, Brian (2000-07-29). "KISS Psycho Circus: The Nightmare Child Review for PC on GamePro.com". GamePro. IDG Entertainment. Archived from the original on 2005-02-19. Retrieved 2014-02-07.
- Archer, Erik (August 2000). "KISS: Psycho Circus Review (PC)". Game Revolution. CraveOnline. Archived from the original on 2015-09-19. Retrieved 2018-11-26.
- Wolpaw, Erik (2000-11-16). "KISS: Psycho Circus Review (DC)". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 2014-02-07.
- Wolpaw, Erik (2000-07-28). "KISS: Psycho Circus Review (PC)". GameSpot. CBS interactive. Retrieved 2014-02-07.
- Law, Caryn "Hellchick" (2000-07-25). "Kiss: Psycho Circus (PC)". GameSpy. IGN Entertainment. Archived from the original on 2002-04-02. Retrieved 2014-02-07.
- Giacobbi, Kevin "BIFF" (2000-07-25). "KISS Psycho Circus: The Nightmare Child (PC)". GameZone. Archived from the original on 2001-04-18. Retrieved 2014-02-07.
- Nix, Marc (2000-11-03). "KISS Psycho Circus: The Nightmare Child (DC)". IGN. Ziff Davis. Retrieved 2014-02-07.
- Lopez, Vincent (2000-07-27). "KISS Psycho Circus: The Nightmare Child (PC)". IGN. Ziff Davis. Retrieved 2014-02-07.
- Lundrigan, Jeff (October 2000). "Finals". Next Generation. Vol. 3 no. 10. Imagine Media. p. 125.
- "KISS: Psycho Circus - The Nightmare Child". PC Gamer. Vol. 7 no. 10. Future US. October 2000. p. 114.
- Keighley, Geoff (October 2001). "G.O.D.'s Fall from Grace" (PDF). Computer Gaming World. No. 207. Ziff Davis. pp. 30–32. Retrieved 2018-11-26.
External links
- KISS: Psycho Circus - The Nightmare Child official website at the Wayback Machine (archived January 3, 2005)
- Kiss: Psycho Circus: The Nightmare Child at MobyGames