Butt-Ugly Martians : B.K.M. Battles

Butt-Ugly Martians: B.K.M. Battles for Game Boy Advance is a 2002 single-player action shooter developed by Runecraft and published by Vivendi Universal Games. Based on the animated Butt-Ugly Martians property, it gives the license a distinct 2D, side-view adventure rather than the racing approach used by the separately released Zoom or Doom. Emperor Bog has sent another alien force to take Earth, leaving the three Martian heroes to turn their B.K.M. suits against his invasion.

Players choose among B-Bop A-Luna, 2T Fru-T, and Do-Wah Diddy before heading into the campaign. Each character has a different balance of attack power, defence, and speed, so the selection affects how the mission feels even though the larger goal remains the same. In their B.K.M., or Butt Kicking Mode, suits, the Martians fire at hostile aliens and machines while navigating scrolling science-fiction stages. The game is built around direct, arcade-like action for one player rather than a cooperative or competitive multiplayer mode.

Stages ask the player to clear threats and search for the keys that open locked routes forward. Reaching the end leads to a boss encounter, making exploration and combat part of the same loop. Collectable power-ups can strengthen firepower or armour, add a burst of speed, or provide temporary invincibility. Secret rooms and bonus items give players reasons to look beyond the obvious path, while three difficulty settings let the campaign be approached at different challenge levels.

The adventure spans 28 levels across seven themed worlds, moving the Martians through a range of alien environments on the way to confront Bog's forces. Stoat Muldoon, the alien hunter from the series, is an added hazard when he appears during a mission. Rather than simply treating him as another target, the game makes the player look for a memory-erasing crystal to deal with him. A password system records progress between sessions, an important convenience for a sizeable handheld campaign of its era.

Butt-Ugly Martians: B.K.M. Battles also has a platform-specific connection to Butt Ugly Martians: Zoom or Doom on Nintendo GameCube. Finding five coloured gems in the Game Boy Advance game can unlock special material when the handheld is linked to that console game. That feature underlines how this release stands apart within the small group of Butt-Ugly Martians games: it is the portable shoot-'em-up entry, centred on B-Bop, 2T, and Do-Wah's battle suits, keys, upgrades, bosses, and defence of Earth.