Worms Armageddon

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Worms Armageddon
System(s): Sega Dreamcast
Publisher: Hasbro Interactive (Under MicroProse brand)
Developer: Team 17
Peripherals supported: Jump Pack, Visual Memory Unit
Genre: Simulation
Number of players: 1-4
Official in-game languages: English Français Deutsch Español Nederlands Svenska Norsk Dansk
Release Date RRP Code US 1999-12-08 $49.9549.95 T-40601N DE 1999-12-10 T-40601D-29 ES 1999-12-22 T-40601D-79 FR 1999-12-10 T-40601D-09 UK 1999-12-10 £39.9939.99 T-40601D-05 DK/FI/NO/SE 1999-12-10 T-40601D-78 ES/FR/NL/IT 1999-12-10 T-40601D-79 AU 1999-12-22
Non-Sega versions Game Boy Color Nintendo 64 PlayStation Windows PC

Worms Armageddon is an entry in Team 17's Worms series of games, and was released among other platforms for the Sega Dreamcast in 1999. It uses an enhanced version of the engine seen in Worms 2, though the gameplay differences are not significant. It was followed by Worms World Party in 2001, which added a few more features, including online multiplayer.

Gameplay

Like its predecessors, Worms Armageddon has the player control a team of worms and use a collection of weaponry to exterminate the other team(s). The worms can walk and jump around and use tools such as the Ninja Rope and Parachute to move to otherwise unreachable locations.

All kinds of weapons are available for the player to use, from basic weapons like the Bazooka, Grenade, Shotgun and Fire Punch to rarer, more powerful "Super Weapons" like the Armageddon and the infamous Concrete Donkey. Weapons can not only injure and kill worms, but can also deform the landscape, creating less land for worms to travel on as well as creating more movement obstacles. More weapons and additional health can be collected from crates dropped on the battlefield, but worms must be mindful of landmines that will detonate upon close proximity, and oil drums that will explode when exposed to other explosions.

In addition to local hotseat multiplayer for up to four players, Worms Armageddon also offers a variety of single player content. The player can start a quick one-on-one match against a computer team, or take part in six training disciplines. A total of 33 single-player missions can also be attempted, however the player is required to achieve medals in Basic Training before they are allowed to attempt the missions. There is also a Deathmatch mode, where the player plays a series of matches against increasingly tougher computer teams, with victory and defeat affecting the player's rank.

Weapons

The weapons in this list are listed by type. "Special Weapons" refer to weapons that are set as signature weapons for teams to have with certain weapon schemes but are otherwise treated as regular weapons. "Super Weapons" refer to rarer, more powerful weapons that are typically only available via crates but are sometimes part of a team's arsenal on some weapon schemes. "Utilities" refer to weapons found in blue utility crates.

	Bazooka
	Type: Weapon
	A basic projectile weapon that fires an explosive shell with variable firing power at any angle, dealing up to 50 points of damage. The shell is affected by wind, so players will need to take the wind into account when using this weapon. The shell is also capable of skimming across water if it is fired at full force while being aimed just above being level with the surface.
	Homing Missile
	Type: Weapon
	A projectile weapon fired like the Bazooka, however it can lock on to a designated target and will fly directly towards it in an arching path even if there are obstructions in the way. If it doesn't collide with something, it will orbit its target then lose its lock-on and fly off in a direction. It is also capable of travelling underwater in some situations.
	Mortar
	Type: Weapon
	A projectile weapon fired like the Bazooka, however it is always fired at maximum force. When the shell hits something, it will have a weak explosion, but will release multiple cluster bomblets. The shell and its clusters do 15 damage each, and the best way to maximise damage is to have all the clusters hit the same target.
	Homing Pigeon
	Type: Special Weapon
	The Homing Pigeon is similar to the Homing Missile, however it is always fired at a fixed force, and will make some attempt at navigating obstructions to reach its target. It has a stronger blast than the Homing Missile, dealing up to 75 damage. Unlike the Homing Missile, the Homing Pigeon cannot travel underwater.
	Sheep Launcher
	Type: Special Weapon
	A Bazooka-like weapon that fires a Sheep at half-maximum power. Once the Sheep lands, it will behave like any other Sheep and will explode after a while or upon pressing the fire button again, dealing up to 75 damage.
	Grenade
	Type: Weapon
	A basic throwing weapon that can be thrown with variable power at any angle, dealing up to 50 damage. Before throwing, the user can set the fuse time between 1 and 5 seconds, and how strong the Grenade's bounces should be. Unlike the Bazooka, it is not affected by wind.
	Cluster Bomb
	Type: Weapon
	A Grenade-like weapon that is used in the same way, including setting the fuse time and bounce setting. The Cluster Bomb differs from the Grenade in that the explosion is weaker, however releases several clusters that explode upon contact. The amount of damage depends on how many clusters hit the target.
	Banana Bomb
	Type: Weapon
	A throwing weapon similar to the Cluster Bomb, however the initial explosion and the banana clusters are much more powerful, having the same power as Dynamite and dealing 75 damage per explosion. The user can set the fuse time, however the bounce setting will always be at maximum bounce.
	Battle Axe
	Type: Weapon
	A close-combat weapon that will strike any worm that is directly in front of the user, cutting their health in half, so is typically more effective on worms with a lot of health. It cannot kill unless the target only has 1 point of health left.
	Earthquake
	Type: Super Weapon
	Triggers an earthquake that makes all worms, mines, oil drums and crates shuffle about for several seconds. This is best used if the user's worms are in relatively safe locations, and enemy worms are near mines or water.
	Shotgun
	Type: Weapon
	A firearm that shoots in a straight line and has two shots. After firing the first shot, the user can use their remaining turn time to move around and take the second shot. Each shot does up to 25 damage.
	Handgun
	Type: Weapon
	A firearm that fires six weak bullets that deal 5 damage each, up to a maximum of 30 damage. Shooting the same worm with multiple bullets will also push them.
	Uzi
	Type: Weapon
	A firearm that fires 10 bullets at a faster rate than the Handgun, each bullet dealing 5 damage up to a maximum of 50.
	Minigun
	Type: Weapon
	A firearm that fires 20 bullets at a faster rate than the Uzi, and can deal up to 100 damage if all of the bullets hit the same target.
	Fire Punch
	Type: Weapon
	A close-combat weapon that makes the user leap into the air with a punch, cutting through terrain and hitting any worm or mine, dealing 30 points of fixed damage. The user can also use this at the apex of their jump for greater punching height.
	Dragon Ball
	Type: Weapon
	A close-combat weapon that makes the user launch a fireball directly in front that will send any worm or mine flying in the fireball's direction, dealing 30 points of fixed damage. It can also be used in the middle of a jump.
	Kamikaze
	Type: Weapon
	Makes the user fly in a straight line in one of 8 directions, knocking any worm or mine out of the way for 30 damage. For the first few seconds of flight, the user can even cut through the terrain, however they will eventually explode, instantly killing the user. As worms will die from using this weapon, it is best used with worms who are at low health.
	Suicide Bomber
	Type: Super Weapon
	Makes the user detonate on the spot, instantly killing them. The explosion deals up to 30 damage while also releasing a poisonous gas cloud that is affected by wind. The gas will poison any worm it touches, reducing their health by 5 each turn.
	Prod
	Type: Weapon
	A close-combat weapon that makes the user poke any worm or mind standing in front. This weapon does no damage by itself and is merely for humiliation, however can be used to push an enemy into water or a mine.
	Dynamite
	Type: Weapon
	A stick of Dynamite that is simply dropped in front of the user and has a fuse time of 5 seconds. It has a powerful explosion that sends worms flying, dealing up to 75 damage.
	Mine
	Type: Weapon
	An explosive that is dropped in front of the user. It can be placed as a hazard to protect tunnels, or placed directly on top of a worm as a less powerful substitute for the Dynamite. It can deal up to 50 damage.
	Sheep
	Type: Weapon
	A farmland animal that will run and jump around the landscape once deployed. The user can manually detonate the sheep after deploying it, but will detonate by itself after 20 seconds. It is as powerful as the Dynamite, dealing up to 75 damage.
	Super Sheep/Aqua Sheep
	Type: Special Weapon
	A Sheep-type weapon that will jump around at first, but will put on a cape and start flying once the fire button has been pressed again. The user can then fly the Super Sheep around the sky for as long as the fuse time lasts, and will immediately detonate upon colliding with anything, dealing up to 75 damage. The Super Sheep's flight can also be stopped by pressing the fire button mid-flight, causing the Sheep to fall and explode upon collision or after pressing the fire button again. Some schemes will change the Super Sheep into the Aqua Sheep, which functions the same but has the ability to travel underwater.
	Mole Bomb
	Type: Special Weapon
	An animal weapon that will run and jump when deployed, and after 10 seconds or by pressing the fire button again will jump high in an arc and dig through any terrain it collides with. It will explode after either manual detonation, 20 seconds of digging, colliding with a worm or object, or colliding with anything after it has dug through some ground. The explosion deals up to 30 damage.
	Air Strike
	Type: Weapon
	A remote weapon that drops a group of missiles from the sky on a designated target, each missile dealing up to 30 damage. The user can choose which direction the strike will come from before deploying. This weapon, as well as other similar weapons, is not available in cavern maps.
	Mail Strike
	Type: Super Weapon
	An Air Strike-type weapon that drops five letters that float gently downward and are affected by wind. Each letter does up to 50 damage.
	Mine Strike
	Type: Super Weapon
	An Air Strike-type weapon that drops five mines that bounce around the landscape, activating when they come close to any worms. Each mine does up to 50 damage.
	Mole Squadron
	Type: Super Weapon
	An Air Strike-type weapon that drops five Mole Bombs that will immediately begin digging through the terrain, making it useful for reaching players who focus on Darkside play. Each Mole Bomb does up to 30 damage.
	Blow Torch
	Type: Weapon
	A digging weapon that can be used to make tunnels through the landscape, making it a useful tool for Darkside play. It can also burn any worms that are in the way, with diminishing returns for each hit.
	Pneumatic Drill
	Type: Weapon
	A digging weapon that can be used to dig directly downwards, drilling a hole into the landscape. It can also hurt any worms that are in the way, with diminishing returns for each hit, and can be used in mid-jump.
	Girder
	Type: Weapon
	Allows the user to build a Girder nearby, which can be used either as a defensive barrier, a makeshift bridge or an aid in Grenade bouncing. The Girder's size and angle can be adjusted.
	Baseball Bat
	Type: Weapon
	A close-combat weapon that will knock worms flying over a long distance in a specified direction, with the initial swing dealing 30 points of fixed damage. When combined with Low Gravity, the launching distance will be even greater.
	Girder Starter Pack
	Type: Super Weapon
	Allows the user to build up to five Girders in one turn. After placing the first Girder, the user can select the "No" symbol to cancel placing more Girders.
	Ninja Rope
	Type: Weapon
	This weapon can be fired into the terrain, after which the user can then swing around. The user can also fire another rope in the middle of a swing, with the number of swings either being limited or unlimited depending on the weapon scheme. Some weapons like the Bazooka, Grenade and Dynamite can even be deployed while swinging from a Ninja Rope.
	Bungee
	Type: Weapon
	When selected, the Bungee will be used when the user walks off a ledge and the falling distance is high enough. The user can then swing around and can cut the rope at any time by pressing the fire button to make a safe landing or to fly in a direction. Like the Ninja Rope, some weapons can be deployed while using the Bungee.
	Parachute
	Type: Weapon
	When selected, the Parachute will be used when the user jumps from a high place or presses the fire button in the middle of a jump. The user will then slowly drift down, with their direction being heavily influenced by the wind. Like the Ninja Rope, some weapons can be deployed while using the Parachute.
	Teleport
	Type: Weapon
	The Teleport allows the user to teleport to any empty space they can fit into, however ends their turn. It is best used if a worm is in serious trouble and isn't worth using any other utility (or doesn't have one) to escape with.
	Scales of Justice
	Type: Super Weapon
	Once activated, this weapon will balance the remaining health of all teams. For example, if used when one team has four worms at 100 health each and another team has only two worms with 100 health each, the four-worm team will be reduced to 75 health each while the two-worm team will have 150 health each.
	Super Banana Bomb
	Type: Super Weapon
	A weapon similar to the Banana Bomb and is thrown in the same way, however the user can manually detonate both the initial bomb and the clusters with the fire button.
	Holy Hand Grenade
	Type: Special Weapon
	A Grenade-type weapon that is fixed to a fuse time of 3 seconds with minimum bounce. Once it has stopped and run out its timer, it will play a "Hallelujah!" and explode. The blast is much more powerful, capable of doing up to 100 damage.
	Sally Army
	Type: Super Weapon
	A tambourine player who is deployed like a Sheep and will walk foward and explode after 10 seconds or manual detonation, dealing up to 75 damage as well as scattering tambourines. The tambourines will explode upon contact with anything, dealing up to 60 damage each.
	MB Bomb
	Type: Super Weapon
	A large bomb in the likeness of then-head of development and production at Team17, Martyn Brown. It is deployed like an Air Strike, and will slowly floats down from the sky and detonate upon impact, dealing up to 100 damage. It is also affected by wind.
	Skunk
	Type: Weapon
	An animal weapon that will run and jump forward, releasing a cloud of toxic gas after 5 seconds that will poison worms and gradually make them lose health. It will automatically explode after a while but can be manually detonated, with the explosion dealing up to 30 damage.
	Priceless Ming Vase
	Type: Super Weapon
	A weapon that is dropped in front of the user in the same way as Dynamite. When it explodes, it will scatter shards that will cause more destruction similar to a Banana Bomb. The initial explosion those caused by the shards deal up to 75 damage each.
	French Sheep Strike
	Type: Super Weapon
	An Air Strike-type weapon that drops five flaming Sheep. Each Sheep will explode and bounce off the terrain once, and disappear after the second explosion, with each explosion dealing up to 50 damage.
	Mike's Carpet Bomb
	Type: Super Weapon
	An Air Strike-type weapon that drops five rolls of carpet that will bounce around wildly, causing explosions with each bounce that each deal up to 30 damage. The carpets will disappear after five bounces each.
	Mad Cows
	Type: Special Weapon
	An animal weapon that will deploy up to five cows in the direction the user is facing, and the user is able to change directions during deployment to have cows travel both ways. The cows will rush forward and explode on anything they come in contact with, with each cow dealing up to 75 damage.
	Old Woman
	Type: Special Weapon
	An old woman who is deployed similar to a Sheep, but will slowly walk forward and grumble for 5 seconds, after which she will explode, dealing up to 75 damage.
	Concrete Donkey
	Type: Super Weapon
	An Air Strike-type weapon that will drop the Concrete Donkey from the sky. The Donkey will continuously plough downwards through the land until it sinks into the water, dealing severe damage to any worms caught underneath it.
	Indian Nuclear Test
	Type: Super Weapon
	This weapon sets off a nuclear bomb that will cause the water level to rise, sinking any worm or object that is too close. The radiation caused by the nuke will poison all worms on the landscape. This weapon is best used if the user's worms are safe from the rising tide, and a health crate is nearby to immediately cure the poisoning, especially if deployed from a Ninja Rope or Jet Pack.
	Armageddon
	Type: Super Weapon
	The most destructive weapon in the game. Activating this weapon causes a meteor shower to rain down on the landscape, destroying massive chunks of land and potentially killing many worms. It is strongly recommended to dig in deep to protect the user's worms before using this. This cannot be used in caverns, much like other Air Strike-based weapons.
	Skip Go
	Type: Weapon
	Simply ends the user's turn without attacking.
	Surrender
	Type: Weapon
	Using this makes the user's team forfeit the match.
	Select Worm
	Type: Weapon
	When activated, the user can select which worm to control before moving at the press of a button ( or depending on the control settings).
	Freeze
	Type: Super Weapon
	This weapon not only ends the user's turn, but will encase all worms on the team in impenetrable blocks of ice. This makes them unable to be damaged or poisoned, however they can still be affected by Scales of Justice, Earthquake and the 1-HP Sudden Death, and can still drown in water if the terrain beneath them is destroyed. On schemes that trigger a nuke upon Sudden Death, this can be used to avoid radiation poisoning.
	Patsy's Magic Bullet
	Type: Super Weapon
	This weapon is similar to the Homing Missile, except it locks on to its target immediately after firing and is much smarter at finding its way around obstructions than the Homing Pigeon. Its explosion is much more powerful, dealing up to 100 damage. It will not travel underwater to reach its target, however it can still be fired into the water for it to do so.
	Jet Pack
	Type: Utility
	This utility allows the user to fly around, pressing for an upward thrust or or to thrust in those directions. The Jet Pack only has a limited amount of fuel to fly with, after which the worm will begin to fall. Like the Ninja Rope, some weapons can be deployed while flying with the Jet Pack, and using weapons this wall will give the Jet Pack unlimited fuel for the duration of the player's retreat time.
	Low Gravity
	Type: Utility
	Selecting and activating this utility reduces the gravity for the rest of the user's turn, which allows the user to jump higher and farther, and causes worms and weapons to fly farther than usual. This can be combined with a variety of weapons to make it easier to send worms flying into the water.
	Fast Walk
	Type: Utility
	Selecting and activating this utility will increase the user's walking speed for the remainder of their turn, allowing them to cover ground more quickly or to escape from danger more easily.
	Laser Sight
	Type: Utility
	Selecting and activating this utility will add a laser sight to the Shotgun, Handgun, Uzi, Minigun and Kamikaze, making it easier to aim with those weapons from long distances. The effect wears off at the end of the user's turn.
	Crate Spy
	Type: Utility
	Collecting this from a utility crate will reveal the contents of all crates to the team. This utility's effects lasts for the entire round.
	Crate Shower
	Type: Utility
	This utility is instantly triggered as soon as it is picked up. When activated, five weapon and utility crates will be teleported onto the map during the user's turn. The contents of these crates will be completely random regardless of crate probabilities, even including weapons normally unobtainable via crates such as Skip Go and Surrender.
	Damage x2
	Type: Utility
	This utility will double the power of the user's weapons for the current turn only, and is instantly activated the moment the user collects it.
	Double Turn Time
	Type: Utility
	This utility will double the player's remaining turn time as soon as it's collected. It is a good idea to collect this utility as early as possible to get the biggest time increase.

Training

	Basic Training
	This discipline teaches the player the basic functions of a few of the basic weapons, and completion of this discipline is required to be able to attempt the single-player missions. Completing each set of disciplines will award the player with a medal, and the better the medal received the more missions will become available.
	Super Sheep Racing
	In this discipline, the player has infinite Super Sheep, and the objective is to fly a Super Sheep around the landscape for as long as possible. Collecting the crates that spawn around the terrain will add extra time.
	Rifle Training
	From the highest point of the terrain, the objective is to shoot as many targets as possible using the Shotgun to increase the timer. The discipline ends if the timer is allowed to reach zero or if the player kills their worm.
	Crazy Crates Training
	This discipline has the player swing around a cavern using the Ninja Rope, and the objective is to collect as many crates as possible to add more seconds to the timer. The discipline ends if the timer is allowed to reach zero.
	Artillery Training
	In this discipline, the player's worm is anchored to a single spot in the center of the landscape, and must use Grenades to destroy as many targets as possible to get extra time. The discipline ends if the timer is allowed to reach zero or if the player kills their worm.
	Advanced Weapon Training
	In this discipline, the player has an assortment of weapons at their disposal, and must use these weapons to take out as many old women as possible from a fixed position on the landscape. The discipline ends if the timer is allowed to reach zero or if the player kills their worm. This discipline is known as "Euthanasia" in the 1999 PC release.

Missions

	Pumpkin Problems
	Operation Market Garden
	All Quiet In The Library
	Do The Locomotion
	Cool As Ice
	Sand In Your Eye
	Not Mushroom Out There
	Big Shot
	Water Surprise
	Jurassic Worm
	Chemical Warfare
	No Substitute
	Flood Zone
	Super Sheep Rescue
	Trouble On Mt Wormore
	Hot Stuff
	The Drop Zone
	Mad Cows
	Horny Nuke
	Rumble In The Farmyard
	Wooden Ambush
	Go Bananas
	Chateau Assassin
	Countdown To Armageddon
	A Crate Too Far
	Rescue Agent Dennis
	Bazooka On The Rocks
	Stolen Goods
	Sinking Ice Cap
	Aim Long, Aim True
	Goody Two Shoes
	Trouble In Toystore
	Spectral Recovery

Versions

Worms Armageddon was originally released for Windows PCs for Europe in January 1999, with the Dreamcast version being released later alongside versions for the PlayStation, Nintendo 64 and Game Boy Color.

The Dreamcast port is lacking in some areas, however. It shares the distinction with the PlayStation version that less teams and worms are allowed on the battlefield at one time (four teams with four worms each), as well as the removal of the Longbow, Petrol Bomb, Napalm Strike, Flamethrower and Invisibility. It can also take longer for computer players to make a decision.

However, the Dreamcast port still retains a higher resolution and some of the graphical effects from the PC version, such as the debris in the background, which the PlayStation version lacks. Some objects, such as crates, are still animated, though other objects like oil drums are not animated.

Magazine articles

Main article: Worms Armageddon/Magazine articles.

Promotional material

Print advert in Consoles + (FR) #95: "Décembre 1999" (1999-1x-xx)

Print advert in Dreamcast: Le Magazine Officiel (FR) #2: "Décembre 1999/Janvier 2000" (1999-12-xx)

Print advert in MAN!AC (DE) #1999-11: "11/99" (1999-10-06)

Print advert in Hyper (AU) #75: "January 2000" (1999-12-01)

Physical scans

Sega Retro Average
Publication Score Source

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Sega Retro Average

Publication Version Score Ação Games (BR) 65 Dreamcast Monthly (UK) PAL 80 DC-UK (UK) PAL 80 Dreamcast: Le Magazine Officiel (FR) PAL 80 Dreamcast: Das Offizielle Magazin (DE) PAL 50 Dreamcast Magazine (UK) PAL 73 Dreamzone (FR) PAL 86 Entsiklopediya igr dlya Dreamcast (RU) 80 Fun Generation (DE) PAL 90 GameFan (US) NTSC-U 93 Gamers' Republic (US) NTSC-U 83 MAN!AC (DE) PAL 78 Official Dreamcast Magazine (UK) PAL 80 Official Dreamcast Magazine (US) NTSC-U 70 Player One (FR) PAL 77 Revista Oficial Dreamcast (ES) PAL 60 Video Games (DE) PAL 82

	77
Based on 17 reviews

Worms Armageddon

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Dreamcast, FR/NL/IT/ES
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Dreamcast, NO/DK/FI/SE
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Technical information

Main article: Worms Armageddon/Technical information.