We are nearing the end of the Ultimate Beastmaster Gaming Edition season, based on the Netflix reality show produced by Sylvester Stallone, The Ultimate Beastmaster, where competitors from around the world tackle the most vicious of challenge courses, the Beast. Only 2 more weeks after this and then the grand finale pitting all our beastmasters on a beefed up version of The Beast for the title of Ultimate Beastmaster.
In our gaming edition, there are no coins, rupees or souls to be won, but there is a certain kind of prestige, where one characters steps out of the ruins of the Beast, confident they are the Ultimate Gaming Beastmaster.
New challengers for this week are: Lara Croft (Core Design) (Tomb Raider), Miles “Tails” Prower (Sonic), Sly Cooper (Sly Cooper), Sephiroth (Final Fantasy), Cecil (Final Fantasy), Albert Wesker (Resident Evil), Michael Vick (Madden), Pit (Kid Icarus), Michelangelo (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), Marcus Phoenix (Gears of War), Lu Bu (Dynasty Warriors) and Sackboy (Little Big Planet). These new contestants, like those last week, come with sponsors: Drakulus, OverThinkerY, Hurricane Thought Process and joining us for the first time, The Shameful Narcissist
For the competitors, I took note of their skills from across all their videogame appearances, including crossovers such as Super Smash Bros. and other such games, matching these skills to the ones required to best the four levels of The Beast. I also took note of their individual styles, their restrictions and sometimes even clothing. Unlike competitors on The Ultimate Beastmaster, video game competitors bring their own clothing to the table, though they’re forbidden from using the many tools of their trade. Since this episode features the first competitors from fighting and point & click adventure game series, some conversion rules were necessary.
In addition to the above factors, body type, hair, fur, or any other realistic elements were also taken into consideration, as well as the characters’ overall level of athleticism.
For the Beast, the skills required are:
- Climbing: Vertical movement while hanging.
- Ledge Shimmying: Horizontal movement while hanging.
- Running.
- Jumping.
In addition to this, there are advanced skills such as Wall Climbing and Rope Swinging which grant the competitors an edge.
Below is an example of a skill set:
Tails Skill Set: Running, Jumping, Climbing. Tails Restrictions: Short stature. Tails advantages: Very fast, spin-up roll dash, helicopter tail (limited hover, limited glide, vertical jump boost).
Having this in mind, I ran Mr. Miles “Tails” Prower and his competitors through the course, noting the obstacles completed, the ones failed, whether they’d go for point thrusters or not and noting the final results. Below is an example of this, Tails’ Level 1 run:
Note, starting this week, the highlighted run will include the point breakdown!
Tails – Level 1:
Tails dashes up Bite Force (5), climbs the chain (5) and crosses the Grinder without issue, using his helicopter tail when needed for a little distance (15). Thanks to his tail he avoids falling off Faceplant and not only grabs the chain but makes it to the Energy Coils, where he jumps to the coil holding the point thruster (5) and using his boosted jump he presses the button (10) before making his way back, his tail giving him an edge on the long jumps (10). Carefully using his tail, he crosses the deadbolts (20) and gets the thruster (10), but his wall movement speed is too slow and the mag wall catches up to him.
Course Points 70. Thrusters: 2, 20 points. Level 1 Score: 90. Time: 4.5 minutes.
For the sake of brevity, considering the amount of competitors going through the levels, below are the rankings at the end of each level. Twelve (12) competitors start the competitions, then the top eight (8) make it to Level 2. After that it’s the top five (5) who make it to level 3 and the last two then advance to Level 4.
If you wish to know how a specific character’s run went to understand their score, let me know and I’ll relate their experience in the comments.
Competitors – Week 7:
Course breakdown:
Level 1 – Bite Force, 5 points. Chain to Grinder, 5 points. Grinder, 5 points each, 15 total. Faceplant, 5 points. Chain to Coil, 5 points. Energy Coils, 5 points each, 15 total. Deadbolts, 5 points each, 20 total. Mag-Wall, 5 points each section, 15 total. 3 Point Thrusters, 10 points each. Max Points, 115.
Level 2 – Spinal Ascent, 5 points each, 25 total. Spinal Descent, 5 points. Stomach Churn, 5 points each, 15 total. Digestive Track, 5 points. Jump from Digestive Track, 5 points. Dreadmills, 5 points each, 10 points total. Jump to Chain Reaction, 5 points. Chain Reaction, 5 points each, 20 total. Vertibrace, 5 points each, 25 total. 4 Point Thrusters, 10 points each. Max Points, 155.
Level 3 – Ejector, 5 points. Prism Strike, 5 points each, 10 total. Coil Crawl, 5 points each, 15 total. Hangman, 5 points each, 75 total. Pipeline, 5 points. Wall, 5 points. 4 Point Thrusters, 10 points each. Max Points, 155.
Level 4 – Individual points ignored. Reaching the top is worth 200. If no competitor reaches, then furthest along competitor wins.
Level 1 – Max Points 115 – Rankings. Ties broken by faster times.
- Sly Cooper – 105 points.
- Sackboy – 95 points.
- Lara Croft – 95 points.
- Michelangelo – 95 points.
- Albert Wesker – 95 points.
- Tails – 90 points.
- Sephiroth – 90 points.
- Lu Bu – 80 points.
- Michael Vick – 70 points.
- Pit – 60 points.
- Cecil – 50 points.
- Marcus Phoenix – 50 points.
Level 2 – Max Points 155 – Rankings. Ties broken by faster times. Scores are cumulative. Now including Level Score between parentheses.
- Sly Cooper (145) – 250 points.
- Lara Croft (135) – 230 points.
- Tails (105) – 195 points.
- Sephiroth (95) – 185 points.
- Albert Wesker (90) – 185 points.
- Michelangelo (80) – 175 points.
- Sackboy (60) – 155 points.
- Lu Bu (60) – 140 points.
Level 3 – Max Points 155 – Rankings. Ties broken by faster times. Scores are cumulative. Now including Level Score between parentheses.
- Lara Croft (125) – 355 points
- Tails (105) – 300 points.
- Sly Cooper (45) – 295 points.
- Sephiroth (90) – 275 points.
- Albert Wesker (70) – 255 points.
Level 4 – Winner – Tails, sponsored by OverThinkerY
Two gaming classics faced each other on Level 4 this week, the very original Lara Croft in her polygonal glory, straight from the early titles of the series, made by creator studio Core Design; and Sonic’s partner and super-genius speedster, Miles “Tails” Prower.
Both competitors made it up Ricochet, with Lara taking an early lead here and across Full Tilt. On the Motherboard, Tails’ eponymous appendages help him not only catch up but overtake the original Tomb Raider, as her climbing speed is steady but slow, as she lacks the fast movement abilities of her Crystal Dynamics-created counterparts, which have both competed on early editions of this competition.
Bot competitors then make it across skyhook with a degree of difficulty, before facing off on Ventilator. Tails adopts a lift & hold strategy, using the entirety of his small frame to hold his position in between short lifts with his tails, while Lara goes for a traditional climb, back to one side of the vertical shaft and both supporting and pushing herself with arms and legs. Tails unusual strategy hits his stamina hard and Lara’s slow movement makes progress difficult.
In the end, for the first time in this competition, time runs out for the competitors, so their positions are by climb height, with Tails coming ahead by only a few meters.
The new Beastmaster to join the others in the finale is Miles “Tails” Prower!
That’s it for this week then, we’ll see you on the next edition of The Ultimate Beastmaster – Gaming Edition!
Shouldn’t of given Mikey that pizza pre show hahaha one week team hurricane will make it
You still have 2 weeks more to get a beastmaster into the finals. Think carefully and then add your picks to the spreadsheet.