what things were the weapons (and other stuff) in worms based on?

banana: because they also come in clusters (like a cluster bomb)
mb bomb: martyn 'spadge' brown
mad cows: from the -->bovine spongiform (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bovine_spongiform_encephalopathy) encephalopathy that was heavily present in the 90s in britain
cloned sheep (worms 2): -->dolly the sheep (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolly_the_Sheep) that was born in 1996 in britain
holy handgrenade: based on the -->holy handgrenade of antioch (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_Hand_Grenade_of_Antioch) in monty python & the holy grail (complete with it's 3sec fuse; check my sig)
french nuclear test (worms 2): based on the -->french underground nuclear tests (http://www.ga.gov.au/bin/htsqr?file=oracle%2Fnukexp_query.htsqr&testby=FRA&start_date=1990&end_date=2001) in the mid 90s at the mururoa atoll
indian nuclear test: based on the 1998 indian underground nuclear tests (pakistan didn't quite like that)
homing pigeon: a joke about the word "homing" as in homing missile
patsy's magic bullet: based on the patsy's (lee harvey oswald) magic bullet, which shot john f. kennedy
mike's carpet bomb: based on the term -->carpet bombing (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carpet_bombing) (don't know where the mike comes from though)
ninja rope: based on batman. originally called "bat rope" in early worms 1 versions. ninjas also use such ropes.
prod (worms dc): in worms dc it isn't a selectable weapon, instead you had to activate it by standing next to a worm and press the cursor keys "back, back, forward, forward". kind of a tribute to fighting games like mortal kombat.
skip go: a joke about the word "skip" and "skipping rope".
firepunch & dragonball: based on streetfighter moves; called fireball & dragonpunch in early versions of worms 1. the original soundbank still has the correct japanese words for the two.
scales of justice: based on the -->goddess justitia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Themis) (in the roman mythology; themis in the greek), goddess of justice & law, whose symbol was a pair of scales.
concrete donkey: based on a -->concrete donkey (http://www.strategyplanet.com/worms/index.asp?content=vintage-donkeyfaq) supposedly standing in andy davidson's parents' garden
suicide bomber: probably based on -->suicide bombing (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suicide_bombing); popular throughout the world.
kenny-on-a-rope (worms dc): based on -->kenny magnusson (http://forum.team17.co.uk/showpost.php?p=345230&postcount=36), an ex-team17 artist
teleport: obviously based on star trek; the handheld device looks like the communication device used in star trek to me though.
salvation army: based on the -->salvation army (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salvation_Army), a protestant christian organisation. the words "blood & fire" in their standard make this even funnier after all these years.
red bull (worms 3d): based on -->austria's famous energy drink (http://www.redbull.at), which gives you wings.
sticky bomb (worms 3d): obviously based on the -->british no 74 st grenade (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sticky_bomb) issued in world war 2.

know anything else? :D

double post edit

skipping weapons along the water: based on the -->wallis dambusting bouncing bomb (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bouncing_bomb)

Wasn't the banana bomb 'borrowed' from another game?

The Mike in Mike's carpet bomb is probably just a generic name for a company that sells carpets. I.E Mike's carpets.

There's a fair few carpet stores run by people called mike.

http://www.upmystreet.com/UK/findmynearest/home-and-garden/carpets-and-flooring/results/in/Batley.html

Also, what version of worms 1 have you been playing?

The prod is a selectable weapon.
It's icon is 2 outstreatched arms.

There's a fair few carpet stores run by people called mike.
maybe this one?
Michael Fox Carpet Services
11 Ashmore Drive
Ossett West Yorkshire WF5 9SF
Tel: (01924 278987)

double post edit

Also, what version of worms 1 have you been playing?
The prod is a selectable weapon.
It's icon is 2 outstreatched arms.
oh, my error.
just checked, it's in w:dc.
and it's back, back, forward, forward.

maybe this one?
Michael Fox Carpet Services
11 Ashmore Drive
Ossett West Yorkshire WF5 9SF
Tel: (01924 278987)
Terribly amusing: Mike's Carpets didn't want their name in Worms, and it was removed -- it's not in WWP; it's just called "Carpet Bomb". Despite this their adverts used to refer to them as "The Famous Mike's Carpets" when in fact nobody had ever heard of them outside Yorkshire except through Worms.

Possibly it meant Mike was famous. I never found out his surname, so possibly he is Michael Douglas, in which case he is quite famous.

Terribly amusing: Mike's Carpets didn't want their name in Worms, and it was removed -- it's not in WWP; it's just called "Carpet Bomb". Despite this their adverts used to refer to them as "The Famous Mike's Carpets" when in fact nobody had ever heard of them outside Yorkshire except through Worms.
nice little anecdote. :D
where did you get that from?

i just checked:
in w:a it's just "carpet bomb" too.
also, "nuclear test", not indian nuclear test.
(though you see a maharadsha palace as weapon icon & hear some indidan style sitar music when activated)

nice little anecdote. :D
where did you get that from?
Pieced it together bit by bit from posts here, mostly.

what things were the weapons (and other stuff) in worms based on?

banana: because they also come in clusters (like a cluster bomb)
homing pigeon: a joke about the word "homing" as in homing missile

The banana bomb is likely to be inspired by the old qbasic game Gorillas (http://jugendserver.spinnenwerk.de/static/spinnix/files/haretuerk/gorilla.gif), where you try to hit your opponent with a banana.

Homing Pigeons are no joke at all bonz! (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homing_pigeon)

The banana bomb is likely to be inspired by the old qbasic game Gorillas (http://jugendserver.spinnenwerk.de/static/spinnix/files/haretuerk/gorilla.gif), where you try to hit your opponent with a banana.]
oh, yeah! microsoft's gorilla! i often played that.

Homing Pigeons are no joke at all bonz! (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homing_pigeon)
i know, i know.
though i think the term "homing" as used in homing missiles was derived from the homing pigeon,
where it just means flying home to the dovecot.
well, english is not my native language...

Maybe the word homing was used with pigeons first, I don't really know. But now I understand what you meant about the homing pigeon joke, because the homing pigeon in Worms is acting like a homing missile. It flies to the target, and not to its home like a real homing pigeon! :D

Well, i totally agree with the red bull, but what is the kenny on a rope? Can you take a screenshot of that one?

but what is the kenny on a rope? Can you take a screenshot of that one?
Probably the most obscure worms weapon ever (apart from the mole-bomb in worms reinforcements, which requires some hex editing to make it apear in game at all).

Kenny on a rope was from a cheat mode in W: DC. By entering the code you translate all the weapon names into sweedish and replace the 'sheep on a rope' (which only apeared in W: DC) with 'kenny on a rope'.

Basicaly a weapon Icon and sprite change.

skipping weapons along the water: based on the -->wallis dambusting bouncing bomb (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bouncing_bomb) Are you quite sure they didnt just think it would be funny to make weapons skim across water, like flat stones do.

Are you quite sure they didnt just think it would be funny to make weapons skim across water, like flat stones do.
no, in one of the bazooka training mission in w:a (where you have to hit a very low far away target)
the info text even mentions the world war 2 weapon connection.
what is the kenny on a rope? Can you take a screenshot of that one?
-->sheep-on-a-rope (http://forum.team17.co.uk/attachment.php?attachmentid=19109)
-->kenny-on-a-rope (http://forum.team17.co.uk/attachment.php?attachmentid=19111)
-->kenny-on-a-rope icon (http://forum.team17.co.uk/attachment.php?attachmentid=19110)
check the weapon names being all swedish due to the monkey mode activated by the cheat KARTONG APA (meaning cardboard monkey).

double post edit

sheep: according to andrew taylor in -->this post (http://forum.team17.co.uk/showpost.php?p=409357&postcount=12), it was based on lots of radioactive sheep after the 1986 chernobyl accident.
super sheep: maybe some of the radioactive sheep got superpowers... :D obviously a hint at superman.

no, in one of the bazooka training mission in w:a (where you have to hit a very low far away target)
the info text even mentions the world war 2 weapon connection.

-->sheep-on-a-rope (http://forum.team17.co.uk/attachment.php?attachmentid=19109)
-->kenny-on-a-rope (http://forum.team17.co.uk/attachment.php?attachmentid=19111)
-->kenny-on-a-rope icon (http://forum.team17.co.uk/attachment.php?attachmentid=19110)
check the weapon names being all swedish due to the monkey mode activated by the cheat KARTONG APA (meaning cardboard monkey).

double post edit

sheep: according to andrew taylor in -->this post (http://forum.team17.co.uk/showpost.php?p=409357&postcount=12), it was based on lots of radioactive sheep after the 1986 chernobyl accident.
super sheep: maybe some of the radioactive sheep got superpowers... :D obviously a hint at superman.


Got any more screenshots for worms dc, I like them

You missed a few fairly obvious ones:

Mail Strike: Exactly what it says on the tin.
Armageddon: Based off the Biblical battle by the same name.
Kamikaze: Divine Wind in Japanese. Also, name given to the Japanese suicide pilots in WWII.

Nice catch glenn ;) also you missed a whole lot of them, there are signifigance for every weapon I think...

Mail Strike: Exactly what it says on the tin.
That's hardly descriptive. It's a pun -- there was a postal workers' strike.

And what of lottery strike?

The national lottery?

Or lotto as it's now called, because the general public can't handle more than 2 sylables. :p

So why change Post Office to 'Concygnia'? Or however you spell it. Hell, i'm having difficulty saying it

You missed a few fairly obvious ones
yeah, you're right, but a few are too obvious...
Mail Strike: Exactly what it says on the tin.
Armageddon: Based off the Biblical battle by the same name.
mail strike: the explosive letters also refer to various letter bombings that occured in the nineties,
for example -->franz fuchs (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franz_Fuchs) here in styria where i live.
('twas damn funny to make fun about a schoolmate with the same family name :D "oh, they didn't catch you yet?" damn, that is morbid)

armageddon: was probably also based on the -->movie (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120591/) that came out in 1998.
Got any more screenshots for worms dc, I like them
get an amiga emulator (winuae) & download the game from www.dream17.co.uk!

So why change Post Office to 'Concygnia'? Or however you spell it. Hell, i'm having difficulty saying it
To waste however many millions of pounds for the free advertising they produced when they chnaged it back again.

Coincidentally, bonz, the movie Armageddon made in 1998 is based off the concept of Armageddon (ie: end of the world) found in the Bible. So, through substitution, you still end up with the Armageddon weapon being based off of the Armageddon in the Bible. ;)

Coincidentally, bonz, the movie Armageddon made in 1998 is based off the concept of Armageddon (ie: end of the world) found in the Bible. So, through substitution, you still end up with the Armageddon weapon being based off of the Armageddon in the Bible. ;)
sure, but they were mostly inspired by stuff around the time they were making the game.
(mad cow disesase, sheep dolly)
don't think they were reading the bible all the time back then. ;)

double post edit

donor card: the -->donor card in w:a & wwp (http://www.yoda.arachsys.com/worms/wa/anims/gfx/donor.gif) was obviuosly a joke on this -->NHS organ donor card (http://www.thurcroft-surgery.org.uk/donor%20card%20logo.gif).

sure, but they were mostly inspired by stuff around the time they were making the game.
(mad cow disesase, sheep dolly)
don't think they were reading the bible all the time back then. ;)

They dont have to. The armaggedon is a concept that most people know about. Just like things like the 5 (is it?) horsemen of the apocolypse, or Jesus, God, the romans etc. You dont need to have read the bible or many history books to have an idea of what they are.

The armaggedon is a concept that most people know about. Just like things like the 5 (is it?) horsemen of the apocolypse
Aye, five.

Death, War, Famine, Pestilence, and People Who Say "Guesstimate".

Wasn't the French Sheep Strike based on something to do with French farmers burning sheep? I'm sure I read something like that somewhere... I dunno. :confused:

Wasn't the French Sheep Strike based on something to do with French farmers burning sheep? I'm sure I read something like that somewhere... I dunno. :confused:
I thought that was just another joke at the French farmers who seem to strike about anything.

Kammizazzi, from the japanese kammikazzi suicide pilots of the second world war .

Suicide Bomber, do you really need me to explain it.

Napalm strike, from actual napalm strikes, where napalm, which is sort of fire-ish crap or something, is droppd over an area of land.

Grenades, based on the hand held explosive devise of the same name.

And there are some which are downright obvious.

Look at this. I gift a fish to anyone that know who is him and where can you find the statue :) .

Look at this. I gift a fish to anyone that know who is him and where can you find the statue.
that's some emperor (don't know which though) holding a -->globus cruciger (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Globus_cruciger), a christian symbol of authority.
i guess that's where monty python came up with the (holy) hand grenade connection in the first place. :)

french sheep strike: a joke on the foot-and-mouth disease, where french farmers had to burn lots of (especially) sheep in the 90s.
longbow: the famous -->english or welsh longbow (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Longbow) used in the middleage.
mole: in worms reinforcements, the mole bomb was added (a cluster bomb with digging clusters). the concept of a real mole digging & exploding seemed to be funnier and perfect for the worms concept.

you're right with the kamikaze, though the term is used for 'suicide' only outside of japan.
napalm was actually dropped in large barrels, which detonated on impact.

that's some emperor (don't know which though) holding a -->globus cruciger (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Globus_cruciger), a christian symbol of authority.
i guess that's where monty python came up with the (holy) hand grenade connection in the first place. :)

Yes, its an emperor. A famous one. Think a little more (nah, if you havent seen the statue, its almost impossible to know who he is)

im sure worms2 was out well before foot and mouth came about. (admittedly flames were only added with WA, but i think that was out too...)

The donorcard was added in WWP too, but if i enable donor cards in wwp it doesn't seem to get in anywhere... never saw it in wpp, in the years i enable it and play wwp.

Only in wa you can see it much...

flames were only added with WA
yes, in w2 it was named confused sheep strike.

I thought that was just another joke at the French farmers who seem to strike about anything.

Game manual says: "Unleash the wrath of stubborn French farmers with the Sheep Strike !"

I've seen the concrete donkey in Andy Davidson's parents garden. My friends bus to school used to pass it every day. It's in Bournemouth, Dorset.

I've seen the concrete donkey in Andy Davidson's parents garden. My friends bus to school used to pass it every day. It's in Bournemouth, Dorset.
Photograph!

I've seen the concrete donkey in Andy Davidson's parents garden. My friends bus to school used to pass it every day. It's in Bournemouth, Dorset.


Yeah get a photo please.

Isn't there a photo in the WWP Wormopedia?

I think they want me to prove it. I haven't got one. I'll take one at some point in the next six weeks.

Isn't there a photo in the WWP Wormopedia?

Yes, that one. http://img208.imageshack.us/img208/6716/dktt9.jpg

BuffaloKid could also photograph the part where Andy D. was once chipping away the concrete to free the donkey.

Oh yes, because I'm sure that the people who own the house won't mind me coming into their garden, looking for the chips in their donkey statue, and taking photos.:rolleyes:

Well, I find it quite attractive in a person.

guys, who can open the meaning of mole, mole squadron, and sheep, sheep luncher, super sheep?

Moles:
Moles are members of the mammal family. They live underground and burrow holes. Some species are aquatic or semi-aquatic. Moles have cylindrical bodies covered in fur with small or covered eyes; the ears are generally not visible. They are known for tunnelling or burrowing underground.

Mole Squadron:
Squadron means a small unit or group usually consisting of five people. As far as I remember there are five moles that fall from the sky so this is probably where the name comes from.

Sheep:
An animal that is known for having a limited intelligence, which is probably why it was chosen as the sheep can often be difficult to use due to its somewhat unpredictable nature.

Sheep luncher or "launcher"
A weapon that launches a sheep
It is probably not based on anything. Just something Team-17 added to create a more tactical element to the sheep.

Super Sheep:
Another variation of the sheep. Undoubtedly based from super man, which would explain the name, red cape and ability to fly.

Edit: I have just noticed this thread has been revived from over a year ago... my bad

In Worms Reinforcement there was a rare weapon called "mole bomb", which was basically a cluster bomb with digging clustlets that detonated.
The term "mole" is used synonymously with "digging".

I guess in Worms 2 the teamsters took it literally and made it a real mole, which actually fits the wacky world of Worms much better.

I don't care if someone resurrects a thread to ask something relevant. At least it shows they used the search function for a change.

Although that said, I'd rather people didn't just post nonsense as fact...

Moles:
Moles are members of the mammal family. They live underground and burrow holes. Some species are aquatic or semi-aquatic. Moles have cylindrical bodies covered in fur with small or covered eyes; the ears are generally not visible. They are known for tunnelling or burrowing underground.

See above.

Sheep:
An animal that is known for having a limited intelligence, which is probably why it was chosen as the sheep can often be difficult to use due to its somewhat unpredictable nature.

The Incredible Exploding Sheep was a reference to the aftermath of Chernobyl.

Bazooka - Based on The Missle Launcher (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bazooka), mainly used in the Korean and Great War.
Minigun - Minigun, a Gatling Gun type of Machine Gun (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minigun).

Wow, who would've known that the bazooka and minigun would've been based off of... the bazooka and minigun!
Now if only I knew what the shotgun and pistol were based off of...

Surrender: Based on the french.

Surrender: Based on the french.
...you suck at jokes.




It was obviously based on the British, after surrendering in the American and Irish war of independences! Yar!
...
Wait, the Irish didn't win the Irish War of Independence... crap...

Ming vase: After the (rare and expensive?) Ming dynasty vases from China. Cause devastation when dropped.

Most of the weapons we are discussing now are just plain obvious. I was interested in the origins of Mike's Carpet Bomb, The MB bomb, the Concrete Donkey, Patsy's Magic bullet (and especially where the names Mike and Patsy came from) but all of those were answered in the first page of this thread.

Most of the weapons we are discussing now are just plain obvious. I was interested in the origins of Mike's Carpet Bomb, The MB bomb, the Concrete Donkey, Patsy's Magic bullet (and especially where the names Mike and Patsy came from) but all of those were answered in the first page of this thread.
Mike's Carpet Bomb:
The term carpet bombing (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carpet_bombing) comes from the method of massively and extensively bombarding enemy cities and regions with conventional (and incendary) bombs, just like the Allies did over German cities in World War II.

Also, there is a carpet fitter called Michael Fox (http://www.accessplace.com/carpet-fitter/west-yorkshire/ossett.htm) based in Ossett. :)
(The "Mike" part of the weapon's name was removed in WA.)

MB Bomb:
Named after Martyn "Spadge" Brown, creative director of Team17.
The weapon's sprite is obviously a caricature of his face.

Concrete Donkey:
Andy Davidson's parents had a concrete donkey statue in their garden.
As a child Andy was chipping away the concrete trying to free the donkey cemented in it.
Check the Wormopedia for additional info.
(Buffalo Kid has sent me the coordinates of said house and garden, and has once promised to take a photograph of the donkey.)

Patsy's Magic Bullet:
Is called after the patsy (=scapegoat) Lee Harvey Oswald's "magic bullet (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Single_bullet_theory)" that he used to shoot multiple persons at once from different angles in the 1969 John F. Kennedy assassination.

Yes, you said all that in your first post. :p

(The "Mike" part of the weapon's name was removed in WA.)

oh! I believe it still remains in the spanish translation... I should check it back. Since my laptop's last hard drive crashed, I never had the time to reinstall it.

oh! I believe it still remains in the spanish translation... I should check it back. Since my laptop's last hard drive crashed, I never had the time to reinstall it.

It does .

It does .

Thanks for the time saver :D

By the way, in case anyone's wondering, all the weapons in W:ASO are based on regular Worms weapons, but with general Sci-Fi related names. Such as the Impact Frag for the Bazooka, Defense Shield for the Girder, and Teleporter for the- wait, that's already Sci-Fi.