Dan Forden | |
---|---|
Born | Daniel Warner Forden September 28, 1963 |
Occupation(s) | Musician, sound programmer |
Years active | 1985−present |
Spouse | Ann Mazza (m. 1994) |
Children | 2 |
Daniel Warner Forden (born September 28, 1963) is an American sound programmer and music composer. He has worked on video games developed by Midway and its successor NetherRealm Studios since 1989. Forden achieved recognition for his audio work on the Mortal Kombat fighting game series where he was part of the original design team. He is also recognized for his Easter egg appearances in the series. Outside of video games, Forden played bass guitar in the progressive rock band Cheer-Accident from 1992 to 1993. [1]
Forden is the youngest of their four children to Sara Forden (née Mazza) and Michael Forden.
Forden is a graduate of the Oberlin Conservatory of Music in the TIMARA program (or Technology in Music and Related Arts). He graduated in 1985 from the Conservatory and has since produced sounds for many Williams Electronics games. Forden's musical style, particularly for the Mortal Kombat series, is often a mixture of synthetic and organic sounds. A typical composition usually incorporates ethnic drumming with synthetic basses, synthetic leads and/or pads, and sometimes exotic instruments. [1]
In the Mortal Kombat series, he is credited as Dan "Toasty" Forden. The nickname derives from an Easter egg that first appeared in Mortal Kombat II , where Forden's head would appear in the bottom-right corner of the screen and shout "Toasty!" in a falsetto when an uppercut was performed. After being retained for Mortal Kombat 3 , the Easter egg would not be used again until the 2011 reboot. It also appears in the "Tournament" stage of Mortal Kombat 11 , using the Mortal Kombat 3 graphic of Forden. The "Toasty!" sound effect would be featured frequently in the series after its introduction, often in reference to fatalities performed by Scorpion. [2]
Two additional Easter eggs were created featuring Forden in Mortal Kombat 3 and Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 ; freezing an opponent in "danger mode" with Sub-Zero would make him shout "Frosty!" and both players holding down the "High Punch" button after a Stage Fatality in Scorpion's Lair would make him shout "Crispy!" [2]
Forden also included the "toasty" quote in the pinball machine Medieval Madness. When the player hits the right ramp, one of the quotes that is played is "toasty!".
The "Toasty!" Easter egg is attributed in the dance simulator StepMania : whenever a player gets 250 consecutive Perfects or better (Excellents or better in the 4.0 CVS version), a "toasty" appears. The PopCap game Peggle also features a tribute, as does the Aerosmith-themed rail shooter Revolution X , where singer Steven Tyler shouts "Toasty!" in reaction to explosions.
Several songs that he composed for the Mortal Kombat 3 soundtrack were used in the precursor to South Park , Jesus vs. Santa .
Year | Game | Role(s) | System(s) | Notes | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Audio director | Sound and/or Music | Other | ||||
1989 | Arch Rivals | No | Yes | No | Arcade | Uncredited |
1991 | Super High Impact | No | Yes | No | Arcade | |
1992 | Mortal Kombat | No | Yes | No | Arcade | |
1993 | Mortal Kombat II | No | Yes | No | Arcade | |
1995 | Mortal Kombat 3 | No | Yes | No | Arcade | |
Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 | No | Yes | Yes | Arcade | Grunts, Screams, Groans and Gibberish | |
1996 | Mortal Kombat Trilogy | No | Yes | Yes | PlayStation | Graphics |
1997 | Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero | No | Yes | No | PlayStation | |
Mortal Kombat 4 | No | Yes | No | Arcade | Only credited in MK4 Design Team | |
2000 | Mortal Kombat: Special Forces | No | Yes | No | PlayStation | |
CART Fury | No | Yes | No | Arcade | ||
2002 | WWF Raw | No | Yes | No | Xbox | Sound effects recording |
NFL Blitz 20-02 | No | Yes | No | GameCube PlayStation 2 Xbox | Sound effects only | |
Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance | No | Yes | No | GameCube PlayStation 2 Xbox | ||
MLB SlugFest 20-03 | No | Yes | No | GameCube PlayStation 2 Xbox | Sound effects only | |
2003 | MLB SlugFest 20-04 | No | Yes | No | GameCube PlayStation 2 | Sound effects only |
2004 | Psi-Ops: The Mindgate Conspiracy | No | Yes | No | PlayStation 2 Xbox | Additional audio |
NBA Ballers | No | No | Yes | PlayStation 2 | Commentary design | |
Mortal Kombat: Deception | Yes | No | No | PlayStation 2 Xbox | ||
MLG Slugfest Loaded | Yes | No | No | PlayStation 2 Xbox | ||
2005 | Unreal Championship 2: The Liandri Conflict | No | No | Yes | Xbox | Voice Production |
Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks | Yes | No | No | PlayStation 2 Xbox | ||
Blitz: The League | No | No | Yes | PlayStation 2 Xbox | Additional audio support | |
NBA Ballers: Phenom | Yes | No | No | PlayStation 2 Xbox | ||
2006 | Mortal Kombat: Armageddon | Yes | No | No | PlayStation 2 Xbox | |
MLB Slugfest 2006 | No | No | Yes | PlayStation 2 Xbox | ||
2011 | Mortal Kombat | No | Yes | Yes | PlayStation 3 Xbox 360 | Lead sound designer |
Batman: Arkham City Lockdown | No | No | Yes | iOS Android | Senior sound designer | |
2013 | Injustice: Gods Among Us | Yes | Yes | No | PlayStation 3 Wii U Xbox 360 | 3 tracks in album [3] |
2015 | WWE Immortals | No | Yes | No | iOS Android | |
Mortal Kombat X | Yes | No | No | iOS Android PlayStation 4 Xbox One | ||
2017 | Injustice 2 | Yes | Yes | No | iOS Android PlayStation 4 Xbox One | 3 tracks in album [4] |
2019 | Mortal Kombat 11 | Yes | Yes | No | PlayStation 4 Xbox One Nintendo Switch Microsoft Windows | Music for the stage "Sea of Blood" |
Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance is a 2002 fighting game developed and published by Midway for the Xbox, PlayStation 2, GameCube, and Game Boy Advance. It was the first all-new Mortal Kombat fighting game produced exclusively for home consoles, with no preceding arcade release. It is the fifth main installment in the Mortal Kombat franchise and a sequel to 1997's Mortal Kombat 4. Its story focuses on the eponymous alliance between sorcerers Quan Chi and Shang Tsung and their schemes to revive an ancient army to conquer Outworld and Earthrealm. The game is the only main installment not to feature series protagonist Liu Kang as a playable character. It is also the first game in the canon series to not have the involvement of co-creator John Tobias, as he left Midway in 1999 to pursue other interests.
Sub-Zero is a fictional character in the Mortal Kombat fighting game franchise by Midway Games and NetherRealm Studios. A warrior from the fictional Lin Kuei clan, he possesses ability to control ice in many forms. He is the only fighter to appear in every main installment of the series, along with the action-adventure spin-off Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero (1997).
Ermac is a character in the Mortal Kombat fighting game franchise by Midway Games and NetherRealm Studios. Debuting as an unlockable character in Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 (1995), he is an amalgam of the souls of deceased warriors and possesses telekinetic abilities.
This is a list of playable and boss characters from the Mortal Kombat fighting game franchise and the games in which they appear. Created by Ed Boon and John Tobias, the series depicts conflicts between various realms. Most characters fight on behalf of their realm, with the primary heroes defending Earthrealm against conquering villains from Outworld and the Netherrealm. Early installments feature the characters participating in the eponymous Mortal Kombat tournament to decide their realm's fate. In later installments, Earthrealm is often invaded by force.
Kitana is a fictional character in the Mortal Kombat media franchise originally by Midway Games and later by NetherRealm Studios. Debuting in Mortal Kombat II (1993) as a player character and as a royal from the fictional realm of Edenia. She uses steel fans as her primary weapon. In the series, Kitana is aligned with multiple characters, especially Mileena who originally served as her clone, however, as the series evolves, Mileena suddenly becomes the older sister of Kitana and takes her place being the empress of Outworld. Kitana also shares the relationship as the love interest for the series' protagonist Liu Kang.
Mortal Kombat is a 1995 American martial arts fantasy film directed by Paul W. S. Anderson. Based on the video game franchise of the same name, it is the first installment in the Mortal Kombat film series. Starring Linden Ashby, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Robin Shou, Bridgette Wilson, Talisa Soto, and Christopher Lambert, the film follows a group of heroes who participate in the eponymous Mortal Kombat tournament to protect Earth from being conquered by malevolent forces. Its story primarily adapts the original 1992 game, while also using elements from the game Mortal Kombat II (1993).
Scorpion is a character in the Mortal Kombat fighting game franchise by Midway Games and NetherRealm Studios. A ninja dressed in yellow, his primary weapon is a kunai rope dart, which he uses to harpoon opponents. Since his debut in the original 1992 game, Scorpion has appeared as a playable character in every main installment except Mortal Kombat 3 (1995).
Mortal Kombat Trilogy is a fighting game released by Midway in 1996 as the second and final update to Mortal Kombat 3 for the PlayStation, Nintendo 64, Sega Saturn and PCs. Further versions were also released for the Game.com and R-Zone. It features a similar basic gameplay system and the same story as Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, but adds characters and stages restored from Mortal Kombat and Mortal Kombat II. New additions to the game included the "Aggressor" bar. The Brutality mechanic was introduced with this installment. The game was met with positive to mixed reviews upon release.
Mortal Kombat II is a fighting game originally produced by Midway for the arcades in 1993. It was ported to multiple home systems, including MS-DOS, Amiga, Game Boy, Game Gear, Sega Genesis, 32X, Sega Saturn, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, and PlayStation only in Japan, mostly in licensed versions developed by Probe Software and Sculptured Software and published by Acclaim Entertainment.
Fatality is the name given to a gameplay feature in the Mortal Kombat series of fighting video games, in which the victor of the final round in a match inflicts a brutal and gruesome finishing move onto their defeated opponent. Prompted by the announcer saying "Finish Him/Her", players have a short time window to execute a Fatality by entering a specific button and joystick or D-Pad combination, while positioned at a specific distance from the opponent. The Fatality and its derivations are notable features of the Mortal Kombat series and have caused a large cultural impact and controversies.
Reptile is a character in the Mortal Kombat fighting game franchise by Midway Games and NetherRealm Studios. He debuted in the original 1992 game as a hidden opponent, establishing him as the first secret character in fighting game history. Reptile became playable in the follow-up Mortal Kombat II (1993) and has remained a mainstay of the franchise. As implied by his name, he is a Saurian, a fictional species of reptilian humanoids. One of the last surviving members of his race, he aligns himself with the series' primary villains in the hope his service will lead to the Saurians' revival.
Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 is a fighting game in the Mortal Kombat series, developed and released by Midway to arcades in 1995. It is a standalone update of 1995's earlier Mortal Kombat 3 with an altered gameplay system, additional characters like the returning favorites Reptile, Kitana, Jade and Scorpion who were missing from Mortal Kombat 3, and some new features.
Edward "Ed" Boon is an American video game programmer, voice actor, and director. Boon was employed for over 15 years at Midway Games. Since 2011, he has worked for Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment for one of its Subsidiaries, NetherRealm Studios.
Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks is a 2005 action-adventure beat 'em up video game developed and published by Midway for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox. A spin-off of the Mortal Kombat franchise, it is a retelling of the events of Mortal Kombat II (1993). Players control the eponymous Shaolin monks Liu Kang and Kung Lao in either single player or cooperative play as they protect Earthrealm from the forces of Outworld.
Mortal Kombat is an American media franchise centered on a series of fighting video games originally developed by Midway Games in 1992.
Steven Scott Ritchie is an American pinball and video game designer. His career began in the 1970s. Ritchie holds the record for best-selling pinball designer in history. He has been called "The Master of Flow" due to the emphasis in his designs on ball speed, loops, and long smooth shots. Ritchie was also the original voice of Shao Kahn in the Mortal Kombat fighting game series, serving as the announcer of Mortal Kombat II (1993), Mortal Kombat 3 (1995), and the updates to Mortal Kombat 3. He is the older brother of fellow pinball designer Mark Ritchie.
Digital Compression System, or DCS, is a sound system developed by Williams Electronics. This advanced sound board was used in Williams and Bally pinball games, coin-op arcade video games by Midway Manufacturing, and mechanical and video slot machines by Williams Gaming. This sound system became the standard for these game platforms.
Mortal Kombat is a 2011 fighting game developed by NetherRealm Studios and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. It is the ninth main installment in the Mortal Kombat series and a soft reboot of the series. The game was released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 systems in April 2011, and a PlayStation Vita port was released in May 2012. An expanded version of the game, titled Mortal Kombat: Komplete Edition, was released for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in February 2012 and for Microsoft Windows in July 2013.
Mortal Kombat is a 1992 fighting game developed and published by Midway. It is the first entry in the Mortal Kombat series and was subsequently released by Acclaim Entertainment for nearly every home platform at that time. The game focuses on several characters of various intentions who enter a martial arts tournament with worldly consequences. It introduced many key aspects of the Mortal Kombat series, including the unique five-button control scheme and gory finishing moves called Fatalities.
Liu Kang is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the Mortal Kombat fighting game franchise by Midway Games and NetherRealm Studios. Depicted as Earthrealm's greatest warrior and champion, he debuted in the original 1992 game as a Shaolin monk with special moves, which were intended to be the easiest for players to perform. Since his introduction, Liu Kang has appeared as playable in every main installment except Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance (2002). He is also one of the protagonists of the action-adventure spin-off Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks (2005).