"Mutant Bash TV" is a quest in RAGE given to the protagonist by J.K. Stiles in Mutant Bash TV. It is available after completing the mini quest "Visit the Sheriff" and making a minimum progress in the quests "Cuprino Needed" and "Dusty 8 Sponsorship".
Summary[]
- Let me guess. You need a sponsor?
- Sure I'll sponsor you. You just need to make it through my show alive. The game is simple, kill or be killed. Make it to the end of my little arena and you win.
- Give me a good show, and I'll give you a Sponsorship Letter.
Objectives[]
- Make it through Mutant Bash TV alive
Walkthrough[]
- Tips: Consider preparing enough Sentry Turrets and/or Sentry Bots to protect you and assist them when it's needed. This will make this quest (and — optionally — "The Re-Run") much easier and also will help you to advance towards getting the Achievements/Trophies "Arts and Crafts", "Tinkerer", as well as "Keep 'em Coming" / "Passive Aggressive" and "Mechanocide". Note that if you choose this way, you're also likely to have a higher accuracy rate, which means more money and most likely the Achievement/Trophy "Bringin' Home the Bacon" even without succeeding in the minigame at the third arena and using the Dopefish Easter egg. Otherwise, it is advised to stock up on Bandages and ammo, especially for the Combat Shotgun and/or automatic weapons.
Once you arrive in the Mutant Bash TV studio, J.K. Stiles greets you and immediately agrees to give you the Sponsorship Letter needed, in exchange for a good show. It's the only way to get the letter, so accept the mission, and you'll be taken to the Arenas area.
The show is a carnival-like minigame in which you must make your way through an area while killing waves of mutants and shooting targets. The rewards for completing the given tasks depend on the time spent, kills made and accuracy demonstrated. The area consists of 4 arenas where the action takes place, connected by corridors with doors that will be opened to let you through and then closed behind you.
When you enter the first corridor, a mutant mannequin with a mark painted on its chest will suddenly appear from a wall right front of you. Spend a bullet if you like to, though this apparently won't have any effect on the game. Anyway, keep going and enter the first arena, the Chamber of Laughs. The show will begin after you position yourself in the center of the arena.
Mutants will start spawning from the pipes near the ground and from above, and also a useful information will appear in the upper right corner of the screen, namely the time, phase money and par time. When you're done with the muties, some decorated pipes will come from above to bring in the second wave. After the end of this wave J.K. will "turn up the challenge", and four platforms with Scoop Mutants throwing Molotovs will rise. Use them as cover, deal with the mutants, and be prepared for the third wave. Now the mutants will spawn from beneath the platforms, so be prepared and keep looking around if you're in the center of the room, or sneak to a niche in the wall opposite the entrance though this place might become a trap if you miss the mutants few times. Anyway, when you're done with them, the next arena will be ready for you, so leave through the passage that will open and be sure to pick up ammo available — Buckshot, Steel AR Rounds, and Pistol Rounds along with Fatboys — and Bandages before using the elevator.
When you use the elevator, it will take you to the center of the next arena, the Monkey Business. You might like to have a look around while the rails are in place, because after they're gone, mutants will appear. Note the pipes above — that's where they will come from. The revolving gorilla figure will literally splash the mutants, easily, so you might like to stay close to it and use it's help whenever possible (but be careful with it), although it might be easier to stay in the corner that faces the exit. The first wave will come from one direction, basically, and when you're done with it, J.K. will send in the second wave, with a "It'll look painful!" remark. This time mutants will come from multiple directions. When done, head through the gate that will open and to the next arena.
No pickups this time.
Once in the center of the next arena, the One Armed Mutant, a mini-game will be announced. You must shoot the target that will move below the wheels to stop each wheel on a prize — $$$ — for a jackpot ($200), otherwise it will be a "jackpot of mutants", and watch for the time running out. The task is a real challenge since each time the wheels will be moving faster and faster, and if you hit a skull, the hatches on the sides of the giant "one-armed mutant" will open and mutants rush you. There will be only one wave before this stage of the show is over.
When done, head back through the passage that led you here and to the left, and don't forget to pick up some Buckshot and a few Bandages.
The last arena, the Shipwreck Cove, is the place where the Dopefish Easter egg can be found. But first, fight a wave of mutants coming from hatches that will emerge in every corner, though it's not mutants that are the real danger, it's the floor spikes activated by the lights that track around the arena. The lights turn red if they target you (or an enemy) and the spikes will appear where the light is. However, if you stand near the mutant entry points, you can stay stationary and be in an easily defensible position, just watch the mutants that come up next to you.
But that's not all: after you deal with the wave mutants, prepare to meet the Kraken. This mutant is a toughie but moves slower than you do, and the best strategy is to stay out of range and keep moving and shooting, also the HE Grenades help. If you have the Rocket Launcher, use it as it does high amounts of damage on a Kraken on all difficulty levels. When you're done, J.K. will open a gate for you and start commercials, so take your time to play with the Dopefish. The task is simple. Shoot the three lights above the ship (the legs of octopus) from right to left, and the Dopefish will emerge three times from the waves below. Shoot it each time, and you win.
Head through the gate. Take the Scoop Mutant card waiting for you in the corridor and leave the area (the exit is at the same point as the entrance). Use the rare opportunity to look at Nicholas Raine, and then speak to J.K. to be rewarded the Certificate of Sponsorship a.k.a the Sponsorship Letter and the J.K. Stiles card.
It'll turn out that he enjoyed making the show with you and is willing to repeat it all right away. You might try "The Re-Run", a repeat of the last quest, or just head out to continue with the "Cuprino Needed" and "Dusty 8 Sponsorship".
Notes[]
- Defeating the Kraken and completing "Mutant Bash TV" gets the player the "Gladiator" Achievement/Trophy.
- Every Collector Card picked up counts towards getting the Achievement/Trophy "Gotta have 'em All".
- This quest, as well as "The Re-Run", is a great opportunity to earn money.
- Wingsticks are a perfect weapon to improve time and accuracy for earning the "Bringin' Home the Bacon". Three firearms best for accuracy and one hit kills (and since the certain ammo types' consumption is offset, to a certain degree, by the pickups) are:
- Combat Shotgun in close quarters, with Buckshot (stages 1, 3) and Pop Rockets (all stages).
- Settler Pistol loaded with Fatboys and Fat Mammas for ranged attacks (stages 2, 4).
- Rocket Launchers loaded with HE Rockets (all stages) if acquired from one of the Wasteland Sewer Missions DLC locations, Kvasir's Sewers.
- At no point during this quest is the player able to save the game. If at any time the character dies, the player must restart the quest from the first round. It's recommended to keep this helpful hint in mind: Save the Defibrillator for the last round.
Trivia[]
- The show itself is clearly a parody of the cult classic arcade game Smash TV, with the host having aged somewhat unfavorably.
- On November 18, 2010, id released the "Mutant Bash TV" gameplay as a standalone product for iOS devices, Rage HD. The game is an on-rails shooter that lets the player control the camera and weapons.
Gallery[]