Big Fat Awesome House Party
| Big Fat Awesome House Party | |
|---|---|
| The Big Fat Awesome House Party logo. | |
| Developer(s) | Powerful Robot Games |
| Publisher(s) | Cartoon Network |
| Platform(s) | Windows |
| Release |  United States — May 15, 2006 |
| Genre(s) | Role-playing |
| Mode(s) | 1 Player |
Big Fat Awesome House Party is an online Adobe Shockwave video game created by Cartoon Network's interactive division and Powerful Robot Games featuring the characters of Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends. Availability is limited to the USA and its territories. The game is a "massively-singleplayer online role-playing game." Unlike an MMORPG, in which the players interact with each other, no player in this game can interact with another directly. The game began on May 15, 2006.
Registration for the game is free of charge, only requiring the user to give a screen name and password. The user must also give a state and birthday. The state information gives the game the player's time zone, which supposedly determines the relevant day and night cycles in the game; however, the time is determined from the system clock of the users computer. On the player's birthday, the other residents of the house will throw a party for the player. As a gift, the player's popularity bar is filled and they are given a party hat to wear.
Gameplay mainly revolves around doing adventures with Bloo. To do this, the player must perform chores to build up their citizenship. Doing an adventure with Bloo is their reward for doing enough chores. Additionally, doing favors for other friends and going on adventures with Bloo allows the player to unlock minigames, giving them the ability to win various in-game prizes.
Gameplay
Top-down scrolling makes up the majority of gameplay, with the exception of some of the minigames. Action within the game is limited to interacting with various objects and people. Every task in the main game involves either picking an object up, triggering a specific object, or transporting an object from one point to another. In the bottom lefthand corner are the status bars, which show the player's citizenship level (nine points total), their popularity level (nine points total), and the number of favors they are owed (four total). In the bottom righthand corner, an exclamation mark will appear when the player can interact with something.
Progress in the game is saved each time the player logs off. Premature disconnections do not result in a loss of progress, but require that the player give the system five minutes to recover their progress. Chores and favors in the game are based on a 24-hour clock, and only a few can be done within a given day. The game is reset at 12:00 a.m. EST, allowing the player to repeat these actions and progress further. Minigames offer no progress other than the collection of decorative items, so they are not restricted by this.
Character customization
After creating an account, the first thing the player does is design their imaginary friend. The player can select the head, body, and feet, each of which have six different options. The player can also choose the color of each body part. The game gives four options when creating imaginary friends, the first three of which are customizable. The first option creates a friend with just a head on a body, and nothing else. The second option creates a friend with a head attached to a pair of legs. The third option creates a complete imaginary friend. The fourth option creates a random combination from one of the first three options, and can be used repeatedly until a desirable result is achieved. Each option gives different body parts, but always the same number of total choices for each part (six). Once the friend is completed, it can be named and begin the game. Although they do not appear in the character customization screen, hats and buddies can be used to "enhance" the look of the player's imaginary friend.
Noteworth Bookingham
Noteworth Bookingham (known to his friends as "Notey") is the player's personal assistant. He appears at the beginning of the game to narrate the tutorial. Afterwards, he can be called on at any point to give a player the status of their chores, favors, and adventures. He also allows a player to review tutorials, previous conversations, stores the various items a player collects, and allows the player to sort any photos into their respective albums. Finally, he'll allow a player to change various settings (current music, current buddy, etc.) and redesign their friend if they wish.
The November update added a special code area to Notey, indicated by a lock icon. When the correct six-character code is entered, the player will receive an unspecified gift. The codes are displayed during episodes of Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends on the bottom of the screen and during Foster's podcasts in a similar fashion.
Chores
In Big Fat Awesome House Party, a player's imaginary friend will be assigned three random chores (referred to as duties) daily by Mr. Herriman. Once the chores are done, the player must wait until the next day to do more. Should the player neglect to finish their chores, they are made twice as difficult on the following day. Completing a chore increases a player's citizenship bar by one point, which will allow a player to play with Bloo once it's full. Chores include various gags on the show, such as collecting Scribbles or picking up laundry. During holiday months, chores can also consist of appropriately-themed tasks for the occasion, such as feeding turkeys in the month of November (Thanksgiving).
Favors
When not doing an adventure, the player can speak to Frankie, Wilt, Eduardo, or Mac and do a favor for them. Favors follow the same pattern as chores, but only consist of two actions at the most. After completing the favor, the person the player did the favor for will owe the player a favor. The player will also gain a popularity point. Calling on a favor will allow the player to skip half (rounded up on uneven numbers) of the total amount of one of their regular chores. For example, if the chore was to collect five snails, calling in a favor would collect three of them, regardless of whether or not some of the snails had been collected previously. If a chore only has one goal, calling in a favor will complete it instantly. One favor can be done by the player per day. Only four favors can be owed at one time, but they can be from any character in any order.
Adventures with Bloo
After completing nine chores (three days' worth), a player's citizenship bar will be full and they can go on an adventure with Bloo. The adventures are usually based on episodes from the series. Favors can't be done during an adventure, so any exclamation point will specifically relate to the adventure. The adventures follow the same pattern as Mr. Herriman's duties, but take longer to complete. Once an adventure is complete, the player receives a photo commemorating the event and earns six popularity points. Some adventures can also have an actual purpose, such as repairing the elevator. The elevator remains out of order until the particular adventure associated with it is completed. The player's citizenship is reset to zero after the adventure.
Each month adds the same number of adventures as there are new minigame levels (two new minigames means six adventures, for example). Once the player completes every available adventure (57 as of latest update), they can no longer go on adventures until the next update. When the adventures for a given update are completed, the game allows the player to make up any adventures they might have missed in previous months, starting with the earliest. The characters are also moved to the locations they were at during that time.
The Mansion
The Foster's mansion consists of five floors, the roof and the basement. Of these, all but the roof are accessible. Additionally, the front and back yards can be accessed. Originally, only the first and second floors were accessible. New areas are usually unlocked each month. During holiday months, the house is redecorated with appropriate items, such as pumpkins and orange rugs for Halloween.
Each area has various features taken from the show, such as the library or the unicorn stables. The various tasks the player can perform take place in these areas. On the third floor is the player's personal room. With the exception of the front and back yards, each floor has both a staircase and an elevator to access other floors. The main characters can be found in various rooms in the house. They remain in specific rooms, but their locations change depending on how many adventures with Bloo the player has completed. The secondary characters from the series make appearances in random areas of the house. They can be spoken to, as well, but offer nothing other than amusing dialogue.
Outside
The outside of the Foster's mansion holds several notable locations, but no main or recurring characters. Many of the chores take place out here. It's not possible to pass the Foster's gate, but both the back and front yards can be accessed. To either side of the house are pathways between the two yards. The left-hand pathway also allows access to the basement. The backyard holds many notable locations: the unicorn stables, the forest, the Extreme-a-saur cage, Cyrus the Sea Serpent's lake, the greenhouse, and the pool. Cyrus and the Extreme-a-saur are usually hidden within their respective locations, but the player will occasionally be assigned chores that allow them to see the characters.
Basement
The basement is the smallest area of the mansion, consisting of only three rooms. A staircase and a ladder are near the top-left corner, allowing access to the backyard and kitchen, respectively. The boiler room is located past the right-hand door. A combination kitchen and study can be found past the bottom-left door. The newspaper room is located past the bottom-left door.
Lobby
The first floor is the starting point of the game. When a player first creates their character or logs in to continue playing, they end up in the lobby section of this floor (new players have a short animated sequence of their friend leaving a bus and walking into the house). From the lobby, the other floors can be accessed by taking the stairs or the elevator. The basement can be accessed through a trapdoor in the kitchen. The outside of the mansion can be accessed from the front doors and a rear door in the lounge. Notable rooms on this floor include the lobby, the kitchen, the dining room, Mr. Herriman's office, the lounge, and the arcade room. The arcade room holds all the minigames that a player can access. The dining room is used for the player's birthday party.
Second floor
The second floor consists of a long hall. This is the floor on which Bloo can be found, so many of the activities in the game center around it. Madame Foster's room is located past the top-middle door on the left side of the hall. Frankie's room is located past the top-right door on the left side. The laundry room can be found past the bottom-left door on the right side. Finally, the library can be found by passing through the double doors in the middle of the hall. The remaining rooms are simply maintenance closets, bedrooms, or bathrooms.
Third floor
The third floor is where the player's personal room is located. It is past the top-left door on the left side of the hall, marked with a large "My Room" sign. While the room itself is originally undecorated to the point where even the wallpaper is peeling off, it can be decorated with items won by playing the minigames. The furniture themes vary between minigames. Different furniture from different themes can be mixed and matched. The wardrobe room is past the top-right door on the left side of the hall. The file room is past the bottom-right door on the right side of the hall. Like the other floors, lower floors can be accessed through either the elevator or the stairs. In between the smaller halls, there is a larger hall full of pillars. The double doors at the top of the hall lead to the tea room while the door at the bottom leads to a nap room.bloos room is also in this floor
Fourth floor
The fourth floor consists of a hall similar to the second floor. The left side of the hall consists of a medical ward, with two rooms of sick beds to the far left, a padded psychiatric room and a pharmacy in the middle, and an examination room and medical lounge to the right. The north hall consists of a snack room, a periodicals room, and a bathroom. The south hall consists of a laboratory, an x-ray room, and another bathroom. The right side of the hall makes up a school, with a toy room past the upper-left door, a music room past the middle-top door, classrooms of varying color in the bottom three rooms, and a computer lab behind the door to the far right. Bathrooms can be found past the top and bottom doors in the north and south halls, respectively.
Fifth Floor
The Fifth floor consists of one hallway shorter than the other floors, and seems to follow a theater theme. The top-left door leads to a janitorial closet, the bottom-left leads to a generator room, the middle leads to a computer room, and the bottom-right door leads to an auditioning room complete with a small stage with a trapdoor on it. A bathroom sits at the end of the hallway. The middle of the hall also features a theater and ticket booth, but it is closed.
Minigames
In the arcade room, there are twenty minigames available to the player. Two or three minigames are usually added each month. Each minigame has three different modes, referred to as "levels." Only two of the minigames, Bloo's Brothers and Curse of the Bloo Pearl, are unlocked to begin with. The former has two modes unlocked while the latter has one. To unlock more modes and other minigames, the player must do favors and complete adventures with Bloo to fill their popularity bar. When their popularity bar is full, the player can either unlock a new minigame or unlock a new mode on an active one. In either case, only one mode can be unlocked at a time.
Every game has no ending, only an ever-increasing difficulty level as the player progresses. Each level is also timed. The player's overall score is mostly based on how long they can play before losing. Various in-game elements can be also exploited for additional points, such as repeatedly killing a single, regenerating enemy (time permitting). The levels on each minigame mode tend to remain the same, albeit it with more enemies or distractions, but the higher game modes have extra elements added to make them more challenging.
Each minigame mode has a list of high scores by other imaginary friends from the show. Next to certain scores is an image of a present, indicating a reward should the player beat that score. Rewards can include pictures, extra clothing for the player, furniture for their room, and even background music. The buddies Goo is consistently seen with can also be earned through minigames. Players can also try to beat the high scores of other players, which are recorded by the site and updated weekly; however, this has no reward.
Unlike the normal gameplay, gameplay styles between each minigame vary. Some use the same style as the regular game, while others involve point-and-click actions using the mouse. On a side note, Bloo is in almost every game and tends to hinder the player when he appears. Like many online games, some of the minigames are based on other popular arcade games.
List of minigames
This is a list of minigames in Big Fat Awesome House Party, sorted by the date they were added. The type of furniture and buddies that can be won from the game are listed (if either exists in the game). Pictures, hats, and music are not listed.
- Bloo's Brothers: Based on the episode of the same name, the goal is to find the real Bloo among the clones. The first two levels of this minigame are automatically unlocked.
- Cracking Up: The objective of this game is to destroy Coco's plastic eggs, which are bouncing around the house. The gameplay is similar to the game Bubble Struggle.
- Potatoes Calientes: In this game, Eduardo is juggling potatoes, which must be speared with forks. At the same time, anything else he's juggling must be avoided, as well as Eduardo himself.
- Curse of the Bloo Pearl: Based on the episode "Squeeze the Day" and an obvious reference to Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, this game involves searching for treasure buried beneath the mansion. The gameplay is similar to the arcade game Dig Dug. The first level of this minigame is automatically unlocked.
- Library Panic: In this game, players must get books off of the library shelves for the residents of the house before they get bored and leave.
- Bite Night: Players must help Eduardo get a good night's sleep by swating away the mosquitoes trying to bite him. Rickety-themed furniture for the player's room can be won from this game.
- What's Cooking?: Players need to help Bloo and friends by serving steak, water, and ice cream. Ocean-themed furniture can be won from this game.
- Go Pogo!: Players guide their imaginary friend on a pogo stick in the Foster's attic, collecting letters to spell out "FOSTER" whilst avoiding the insects. Island-themed furniture and a bat buddy (level 3) can be won from this game.
- Shutterbug: In this game, players take pictures of various characters, making sure to avoid those who will break the camera. Western-themed furniture can be won from this game, as well as a butterfly buddy (level 2) and a Pterodactyl buddy (level 3).
- Something Fishy: Players paddle a buoy or boat, attempting to catch fish and treasure, while avoiding trash, electric eels, rainclouds, and even Bloo. Space-themed furniture can be won from this game, as well as a fuzzball buddy (level 2) and a hummingbird buddy (level 3).
- Balloon Attack: Players try to pop alligators' balloons while keeping their own balloons intact. Egyptian-themed furniture can be won from this game, as well as a skeleton buddy (level 2) and a zombie buddy (level 3). The gameplay is similar to the arcade game Joust.
- Go With the Flow: Players must make a pipeline connecting a water source to a drain without droping any water. Halloween-themed furniture can be won from this game, as well as a vampire buddy (level 2) and a witch buddy (level 3).
- All Washed Up: Players throw bubbles to catch dirty clothes and then pop the bubble to collect them. Sports-themed furniture, a turkey buddy (level 1), and a sequoia buddy (level 2) can be won from this game. The gameplay is similar to the arcade game Bubble Bobble.
- Jet Car Jump: Players must race against various characters in jet cars while avoiding obstacles and collecting coins. Thanksgiving-themed furniture can be won from this game, as well as a helicopter buddy (level 1) and a cloud buddy (level 2).
- Bedtime Bedlam: Players need to walk over blankets to drop them and cover up the imaginary friends. Gameplay is similar to the classic arcade game "Burgertime." Christmas themed furniture can be won from this game, as well as a snowman buddy (level 2) and a reindeer buddy (level 3).
- Spoiled Rotten: Players must use icecubes to freeze rotten food. Rock 'n Roll furniture can be won from this game, as well as an elf buddy (level 1) and an iguana buddy (level 3).
- Kung Fu Forest: Players must kill "ninja" plants then raise flags. Fishing-themed furniture can be won from this game, as well as a robot buddy (level 2) and a shoe buddy (level 3).
- Schooled: Players must jump from desk to desk opening books while avoiding the monsters that come from the chalkboard. Japanese-themed furniture can be won from this game, as well as a flea buddy (level 2) and a mummy buddy (level 3). The gameplay is similar to the arcade game Q-Bert.
- Snowbound: Players must defend a fortress from attacking snowmen and penguins. Forest-themed furniture can be won from this game, as well as a flying hearts buddy (level 1) and a cupid buddy (level 2).
- Scribbles on the Loose: Player must collect Scribbles and store them in the forbidden door while avoiding metallic monsters. Dessert-themed furniture can be won from this game, as well as a blimp buddy (level 3).