Hypnotix

Credits

Descriptions by
Dison

Video captures courtesy of
Broken Saw, Digital media resources and Chris L.

Background

Hypnotix was an American video game developer that was founded in 1993 and located in Little Falls, New Jersey. In July 2005, the company was acquired by Electronic Arts and folded into EA Tiburon.

1st Logo (November 1, 1995)

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Logo: We see a strange cross of three 3D-esque black bars with a green hue around them, two leaning to the right and one leaning to the left. "HYPNOTIX" in a white bar is seen below the logo, which rotates clockwise.

Technique: Simple computer-generated animation.

Music/Sounds: A stuttered rotating sound with computer noises in the background.

Availability: Only seen on Wetlands.

2nd Logo (April 30, 1997)

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Logo: A strong light moves from left to right and illuminates a metal bar with a red hue from behind. "HYPNOTIX" is carved out of the bar, with a red line above and below it.

Technique: Live-action.

Music/Sounds: A short rock riff.

Availability: Only seen on Soldier Boyz.

3rd Logo (October 6, 1998-August 8, 2000)

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Logo: The cross figure from the 1st logo is seen in 2D with a blue-orange gradient to it. "HYPNOTIX" is once again seen below the logo in a color-filled bar.

Variant: On some games, the logo is full black with a slight lavender hue around it. Multiple copies of the "HYPNOTIX" text are seen moving in the background.

Technique: None.

Music/Sounds:

• A happy-go-lucky guitar theme, continuing from the Simon & Schuster Interactive logo, with a redneck laughing over the music.
• A techno tune, with a crowd cheering in the background.

Music/Sounds Variants:

• On the PC version of Who Wants to Beat Up a Millionare?, a suspenseful theme with chimes is heard.
• On Miss Spider's Tea Party, the game's opening theme is heard.

Availability: Uncommon.

• The blue-orange version is seen on Deer Avenger and its sequel, Bass Avenger and the PC version of Who Wants to Beat Up a Millionare?.
• The black version is seen on Miss Spider's Tea Party, Deer Avenger 3D, the Dreamcast version of Who Wants to Beat Up a Millionare? and Daria's Inferno.

4th Logo (September 10, 2000)

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Logo: Continuing from the custom Simon & Schuster Interactive variant, we see particles of that logo come together on a moving space background to form a different cross figure on a white circle. The bars appear to be spikier, and the one leaning to the left is styled in 3D. Then the letters of "HYPNOTIX" zoom out below the logo and glow.

Technique: 2D animation.

Music/Sounds: A rising synth note, followed by a woman gasping and a ding as the letters glow

Availability: Only seen on Panty Raider: From Here to Immaturity.

5th Logo (April 13, 2001-August 26, 2005)

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Logo: On a black background, a striped ball appears spinning and zooming out in static, then it gets hit with a thunderbolt. The bolt's energy lights up the word "HYPNOTIX" with a blue and orange border (the ball replaces the "O"), which then all zooms in fast and disappears.

Variants:

• On The $100,000 Pyramid (the first game with this logo), the logo zooms out and stops in the center, then glows and shines from left to right.
• On Deer Avenger 4, the logo is seen with a shadow copy of the "O" spinning in the background.
• On Outlaw Golf and Math Missions, the logo pulsates and releases shadow copies of itself.
• On BMX Trick Rider for the Game Boy Advance, the logo is still.

Technique: 2D animation.

Music/Sounds: A deep synth hum with a wipe sound and two ding notes.

Music/Sounds Variants:

• On The $100,000 Pyramid, the opening theme of the game is heard.
• On Deer Avenger 4, the techno variant of the 3rd logo is heard.

Availability: Uncommon. Seen on games released by Hypnotix at the time.