E.V.O.: Search for Eden: Difference between revisions

'''The Sun:''' My dear Gaia! Please listen to me. From this time forward, every 1 billion years, you will have children called "Life". One of them will be able to help you to build a new era. Each child will must endure a difficult trial. You might think it's too severe, but it is necessary. The trial is a test of Nature: "The survival of the fittest". If he passes, I will allow him to be your partner and to enter Eden. }}

The game received little attention upon its release, but has since become a cult classic and a pioneer of the evolution gaming genre. It is noted for its unique gameplay system, sprawling world and its epic, eon-spanning scale.

'''Related Tropes:'''

* [[Alluring Anglerfish]]: You, with the Angler Horn evolution.

* [[Ancient Astronauts]]: A throwaway line early on mentions some kind of alien interference in seeding the crystals. {{spoiler|Later on they apologize for screwing evolution up by doing so.}}

* [[Anime Hair]]: Gaia, and how. Not much because of the odd shape, but rather because it's ''the ocean itself''. The rippling light underwater is used on her hair. You can take a look [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8m4EfmTIQak&feature=related#t=01m54s here]. Oh, and extra points for them [[You Gotta Have Blue Hair|being blue]].

* [[Death Is a Slap on The Wrist]]: Dying in the game only results Gaia resurrecting you at the cost of half of your saved up EVO points. Not much of a penalty when you don't have very many saved up.

* [[Degraded Boss]]: The Kuraselach Leader, boss of Chapter 1, reappears in Chapter 5 as a regular (but rare) enemy.

* [[Everything's Better with Dinosaurs]]: {{spoiler|Even after the Dinosaur Age chapter.}}

** When you get a new body, you'll even find your previous fish form to be better than the base amphibian, and the same for each evolution afterwards.

* [[Interspecies Romance]]: You and Gaia (especially if you're not {{spoiler|human}}). {{spoiler|Bolbox}} also has an interest in Gaia, for a more extreme example.

** Consider that some proponents of the Gaia hypothesis think humanity is supposed to be the ecosystem's reproductive system.

* [[Irony]]: {{spoiler|Bolbox}} proclaims itself to be the pinnacle of evolution. When you finally see it, it turns out to be {{spoiler|something resembling a giant amoeba. Single-celled organisms being the ''beginning'' of life/evolution}}.

** {{spoiler|Bolbox was "Volvox" in the original Japanese, and volvox is an extremely basic green algae. Algae is trying to kill you!}}

* [[Lego Genetics]]: E.V.O. runs on this trope. Every time you add or remove a part, the change is done instantly. This can be exploitable in boss battles by changing one's neck from short to long or vice-versa whenever you get low on health, completely refilling your health. The neck is the cheapest part to change, but you can substitute any part and do the same thing.

** A better tactic - and an even stranger example of this trope - was to grow a cheap horn, which would also refill your health. The horn would 'break' after attacking with it 3 times... and this would somehow count as an evolutionary change, which would refill your health again.

* [[Level Grinding]], until you get the necessary jaw/attack.

* [[Magnet Hands|Magnet Mouth]]

** The Cro-Maine miniboss may count, since his attack will knock you out of the level.

* [[Mother Earth]]: Gaia

** The top fins in the Amphibian Age.

* [[Never Say "Die"]]: You don't kill anyone. You "defeat" them. Especially funny when the bosses declare that "I'm going to defeat you!"

** Averted in other cases. "''Kill'' only for survival and for food."

* [[Ninja Pirate Zombie Robot]]: Comes naturally with the ability to [[Mix-and-Match Critters|mix and match the body parts of different animals]]. Tiger head with bull horns on a rhino's body, anyone?

* [[One-Winged Angel]]: The well-hidden {{spoiler|[[Dinosaurs Are Dragons|dragon form]]}}.

* [[Our Mermaids Are Different]]: The secret mermaid evolution seems to be a human head and arms on a fish body. And you attack by ''sneezing''... or, depending on your interpretation of the animation, kissing.

* [[Parabolic Power Curve]]: Some upgrade paths are a bit more unwieldly (e.g. humans may have trouble in the [[Boss Rush]]); and one path entirely loses {{spoiler|the ability to heal using evolutions until you complete that section}}.

* [[Point of No Return]]

* [[Schizo-Tech]]: Early humans use stone-age [[Bamboo Technology]], but certain crystal-powered species (Bird-Men, the Rogons, {{spoiler|the Martians}}) have access to [[Crystal Spires and Togas]].

* [[Schmuck Bait]]: Go ahead, try jumping onto dry land before you've beaten the first boss and evolved lungs.

{{quote|'''Debustega:''' You make me very angry! I am going to [[Never Say "Die"|defeat]] you!}}

* [[Unmoving Plaid]]: Gaia's hair, which resembles shimmering waves.

** The Queen Bee also counts, as she's furious with you for defeating her husband.

* [[Voluntary Shapeshifting]]: The whole gimmick of the game.