Crate Expectations: Difference between revisions

 

See also [[Die, Chair, Die!]], [[Exploding Barrels]], [[Inexplicable Treasure Chests]], or [[Rewarding Vandalism]].

 

* Crates in ''[[Star Fox Adventures]]'' tend to be of the "contains one food item" variety. A couple are completely empty.

* Link comes across randomly located crates in ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess|The Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess]]'', which he can destroy with his sword (or, if you're a wolf, your claws) to reveal hearts and Rupees. These crates are found all over the place; there are even crates, for no discernible in-game reason, on small islands in the middle of Lake Hylia. In ''Ocarina of Time'', one crate in Kakariko contains a Cucco. And then there's the boxes [[Womb Level|''inside'' Lord Jabu Jabu]] (the giant whale-god of the Zoras in ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time|The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time]]'') that you can break open to get hearts and other items.

* Skip the fancy book opening animation and moody cutscenes at the start of ''[[Castlevania: Lords of Shadow]]'', and you'll be whipping boxes within two minutes of game start. For shame, Mercury Steam!

 

* ''[[Halo Zero]]'' has many crates, all with a use. Namely, jumping on them.

* [[Lampshade Hanging|Lampshaded]] in ''[[The Matrix|The Matrix: Path of Neo]]'' during a training level in which Neo remarks: "Crates, how original"

* The main objective of ''[[Super Crate Box]]'' is to collect wooden crates.

 

* In ''[[Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People|Strong Bads Cool Game for Attractive People]], Episode Five: Eight-Bit Is Enough'', Marzipan goes totally Lady Crate-Ape and starts throwing crates around. In the next screen over, there's a whole pile of crates, one of which you have to smash to get at a plot-critical item. Later, if you smash it again, there's that same plot-critical item you already have. Strong Bad rejects it on the basis that he has the original, and doesn't need any lousy respawned copy version.

 

* Like most games there are vases and other breakables but crates are the first you run into in ''[[God Hand]]''. Amusing because the game is in a desert.

 

* Crates in the ''[[Super Smash Bros.]]'' series show up in order to be broken to get the items inside (or to throw at the other players). One must be careful though as some of them explode. Also in ''Brawl'' the crates and barrels are themed to the level and some come with wheels. Brawl also has a specific explosion crate that can be triggered early by fire attacks. Fire-based characters might want to keep their distance...

 

* The ''[[Half-Life]]'' series features several crates, mostly empty, although some have items. As of ''Half-Life 2'', the ones containing stuff have a distinct appearance (and are much smaller), and both kinds (among other items) can also be thrown at enemies with the Gravity Gun, not to mention be used as platforms to float on. Thanks, Source engine!

** ''Half-Life'''s copious amounts of crates make sense, considering the game's signature weapon is a crowbar. Which you use to ''bludgeon'' the crates open, Gordon being a busy man. Interestingly, ''Half-Life 2'' also features a lot of pallets, but the crates are never actually placed ''on'' the pallets - suggesting the designers realize crates and pallets have something to do with each other, but aren't familiar with their exact relationship.

* In ''[[Team Fortress 2]]'', Supply Crates that contain a random weapon or item drop sometimes for players randomly. You need a key to open these crates, and frustratingly enough the keys can only be bought from the [[Revenue Enhancing Devices|Mann Co. Store]] for $2.49 a pop (Frustrating because unlike any of the items that are potentially inside the crates, the keys cannot be acquired from the random drop system or crafted). Of course in the normal game itself, there are also plenty of crates and boxes visible in the official maps, most of which are just a part of the scenery.

 

* Both the ''[[Dynasty Warriors]]'' and ''[[Samurai Warriors]]'' series hide money, powerups, and weapons in crates. Which are often just standing in the middle of an open field or mountain path for no apparent reason.

* ''[[Diablo|Diablo 2]]'' is unique in the gaming world for having precisely one real interactive crate in its entire length - in the Countess' Tower Cellar, in the left-hand treasure trove, at the base of the tower, lies a single, lonely, breakable treasure crate. There are plenty of other crate-type objects in the game, including several dozen that are simple environment objects, but only one real crate. Alas, poor crate, we hardly knew ye...

It's how they get the souls around. An unholy soul-shipping company. }}

 

* Most villain lair types in ''[[City of Heroes]]'' come liberally furnished with crates, the style of which inevitably matches the flavor of the lair (high-tech, warehouse, neo-Fascist base...). The default [[MacGuffin]] when on a "find X" mission is a [[Notice This|glowing crate]] most of the time, at least at the lower levels. Unlike their counterparts in many other games, though, COH crates are invulnerable to all damage and superglued to the floor. ''[[City of Heroes]]'' used to give several [[Cosmetic Award]]s depending on the number of times a character [[Notice This|clicked on]] or [[Rewarding Vandalism|destroyed]] a glowing crate (or barrel, or computer, etc) in its [[Game Mod|Mission Architect]]. As of issue 15, this was downgraded to giving one badge per type of action (clicking/destroying).

* [[Lampshade Hanging|Lampshaded]] in ''[[Kingdom of Loathing]]'', with a reference to the Start-to-Crate review system. One of the first areas encountered by a new player, Noob Cave, is a zone full of "combats" with crates for you to smash (while they do count as combats, the crates can't touch you, since they're, well, crates):

* In ''[[Second Life]]'' the default primitive is a cube with a wood texture on it—not precisely a crate, but close enough. Also, in the all-water sim ANWR ([[Take That]]!) there is an oil rig that produces the wood cubes.

 

* All of the games in the ''[[Ratchet and Clank]]'' series had dozens of crates that were usually there to be broken for [[Global Currency|bolts]]. The game also featured red exploding crates, that counted down when Ratchet so much as touched them, and metal crates, which could only be broken by explosives. The third game introduced the multiplier crate, which for a short while doubled the amount of bolts Ratchet got from other crates, enemies, and the environment in general, and the Inferno crate, which turned Ratchet into an unstoppable dual-wrench-wielding engine of destruction.

** There's also the ammo crate, and in ''[[Ratchet and Clank|Ratchet and Clank Future: A Crack in Time]]'', the camo crate, which was almost invisible, and had more bolts than average crates. It should be noted that crates went through a huge graphical update during the transfer to HD, especially the rubble they leave around, so this is hardly due to laziness on the part of the graphic developers.

* From the 8-bit, 2-D era, the ''[[Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers (video game)|Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers]]'' NES game had crates as a primary means of defeating enemies (either by throwing them, or hiding inside and waiting for an enemy to trip over it). They came in two varieties—disposable wooden crates and stackable metal ones. All small enough for a chipmunk to lift.

* Supply crates are the most reliable way of getting useful items throughout ''[[Spelunky]]'', as shop prices are exorbitant and [[Easily Angered Shopkeeper|their owners are well-armed crack shots]].

** Made even funnier when objects such as robots and ancient stone towers can be taken down with a simple wooden crate.

** Hell, even ''[[Sonic Adventure]]'' had some. There were a few at the very beginning of Red Mountain, though they weren't really used for anything other than somewhere to put a couple of [[Mecha Mook|robot monkeys]].

* ''[[Banjo-Kazooie]]'' succumbs to the inevitable and has a living crate as a ''boss''. It's an [[Asteroids Monster]] to boot.

* ''[[Trine]]'' goes so far as to have ''a spell to summon crates''. They don't contain anything, but they're useful to step on, and if you're feeling violent you can drop them on the baddies' heads.

* In the ''[[Donkey Kong Country]]'' games, it's barrels.

* ''The Jetsons: Cogswell's Caper'' sort of justifies this by setting its first level in a "Packing Factory," but crates are prevalent throughout the game, and throwing them is your principal attack.

 

* ''[[Scribblenauts]]'' has a merit called "Old School." The requirement to get it is to make an object commonly used in classic video games. Its icon is a crate.

* The test chambers of ''[[Portal (series)|Portal]]'' usually had dispensers to give you crates as you needed them for [[Block Puzzle]]s, though the game's love of [[Expospeak Gag]]s meant that these weren't just crates but "Aperture Science Weighted Storage Cubes". This particular Valve hero didn't get a crowbar, so we don't know what what was in them - except that [[Companion Cube|one of them]] was probably full of love for you.

* ''[[Limbo]]'' has quite a few crates. Mostly for climbing on.

 

* In ''[[Achron]]'' the resources are kept in highly advanced containment devices that can safely store materials which should by rights destroy the continent by a teleporter mechanism that [[Techno Babble|continuously teleports its contents back into the center of the container faster than they can leak out]]. [[Our Weapons Will Be Boxy in the Future|They still look like crates though]].

* Crates are a mainstay in ''[[Command & Conquer]]'', although they aren't very common. When moving a unit over it, the owner receives money or bonus units, or other effects such as improving the units speed, defense or level (after ''Tiberian Sun''). However, there is also a chance for them to explode.

* ''[[Dawn of War|Dawn Of War 2]]'' has crates that if shot at with highly penetrating and explosive bolts by the heroes reveal supplies of bombs, grenades, mines and other munition. [[Fridge Logic|Wait]].

 

* ''[[Dwarf Fortress]]''. You get barrels, bins and bags with items you buy in the expedition planner, or just get barrels for the sake of getting barrels, and part of the game's [[Refining Resources|recursive]] [[Inventory Management Puzzle]] involves the construction of barrels, bins, and bags to organize the endless clutter you will produce.

** Chests and bins are simply very useful, but barrels are ''essential'' for a fortress. Any player who does not take getting barrels [[Serious Business|seriously]] is in for a world of [[Game Over|Fun]]. Without enough barrels, no excess food will be stockpiled (and what ''is'' stored, will be readily accessible for any vermin), and no [[Booze-Based Buff|alcohol can be brewed]]. A lack of either can literally mean the death of your fortress.

 

* ''[[The Elder Scrolls]] [[Morrowind|III: Morrowind]]'' doesn't give you time to orient yourself before you see your first crate; you wake up in a ship's cargo hold. The game also [[But Thou Must!|But Thou Musts]] you into interacting with a barrel just a few seconds later.

** The Market District of ''[[Oblivion]]'''s Imperial City is ''packed'' with crates.

* ''[[Dragon Age]]'' has crates everywhere (as well as barrels). Usually they're just there as scenery (in storehouses, warehouses, caravans, etc.) but sometimes they're lootable. They may serve as cover against missiles, but they aren't climbable or movable.

* ''[[Freedroid RPG]]'' has whole walls of lootable (but with low-level loot, which often is empty) crates and barrels starting from the tutorial. They also [[Container Maze|both block the way and provide cover]].

 

* The standardized crates from ''[[Startopia]]''. All the same size and shape, but their texture maps indicate their contents. Their complete interchangeability is important when it comes to animation and game mechanics, since it's about as big as a Scuzzer droid could hope to carry, and fills one slot in the standard cargo hold.

* ''[[Naval Ops]]'' - Crates containing ship parts, cash, or ammunition may float up from sunken enemy ships. Other drops are also generally crate-like in appearance.

* Crates turn up in a few missions in ''[[Armored Core]] 3'' (and maybe other titles in the series). They generally contain nothing the player can use, but your employers may pay a bounty for destruction.

 

* ''[[Dead Space (video game)|Dead Space]]'': Lying around the Ishimura are glowing metal boxes filled with goodies great for healing or blasting necromorph ass. Unfortunately, the [[Dead Space: Extraction|Extraction]] version doesn't give the player enough time to use his levitating weapons to break all the boxes.

 

* The first level of ''[[Oni]]'' takes place in a warehouse full of crates.

* Used and [[Lampshade Hanging|lampshaded]], of course, in ''[[Eat Lead: The Return of Matt Hazard]]''. Later in the game, you even go to the warehouse where they make the crates.

* The first ''[[Destroy All Humans!]]'' video game had crates appear quite late into the game, and if you have the opportunity to read the mind of a dockworker, one might be thinking, "I hate my job! Climb crates, push crates, jump on crates, destroy crates...that's not fun!"

 

* Crates are parachuted into the battleground in ''[[Worms|Worms 2]]'', presumably by the same air force responsible for the air strikes, napalm strikes, mail strikes and concrete donkeys. They give weapons or health, and [[Made of Explodium|explode if you shoot them.]]

* ''[[Odium]]'' has a lot of small crates strewn around the city, which usually inexplicably contain military-grade weaponry. Crates are also sometimes found on battlefields and can be used as cover; they can also be moved around, one square at a time, but it's pretty much a waste of turns usually.

* These have been present in the ''Disgaea'' series starting from the third game. They're most frequently used to make steps to get over walls with, but they can also be attacked and destroyed for the purpose of filling the bonus gauge. The Thief class is able to generate them at will to be used for either purpose.

 

* In ''[[The Godfather (video game)|The Godfather]]: The Game'' you have both destructible and indestructible crates lying around, as well as [[Exploding Barrels|explosive-filled ones]]. Sometimes the destructible ones may contain cash.

 

 

== [[Web Comics]] ==

* In ''[[Sluggy Freelance]]'' there's [http://www.sluggy.com/comics/archives/daily/030421 this comment] from the hungry hungry alien Aylee:

{{quote|I'm just here to eat the background crates.}}

 

== [[Web Original]] ==

* ''[[The Onion]]'' has an article about the fictional video game ''[http://www.theonion.com/articles/new-video-game-designed-to-have-no-influence-on-ki,1857/ Crate Stacker]'', which is designed to have no impact whatsoever on kids' behavior. Gameplay is entirely limited to stacking crates in an otherwise featureless room.

* As discussed under the ''[[Serious Sam]]'' example, Old Man Murray considered crates to be lazy game design, and created "[http://www.oldmanmurray.com/features/39.html Start to Crate]" as an unbiased review method. The longer one went before seeing the game's first crate meant the more ideas the designers actually had.

 

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[[Category:Just for Pun]]

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