Chainsaw the Children

Chainsaw the Children is an Flash game created by Tom Fulp and Dan Paladin in 2002. You play as a large purple humanoid creature (retroactively named 'Dad') who kills children using his chainsaw. 
Though they are different gameplay-wise, it is often seen as a precursor to Dad n' Me, where the titular Dad appears alongside his son. 
==Design==
Chainsaw the Children is very simple design-wise. It is set on an endless scrolling beach filled with palm trees. The player character's chainsaw, which has a limited gas meter, can be used to cut down pink-skinned children, who will attempt to escape by running away and even climb trees. When they're hit, the children will fly up into the air when hit. If they land on the chainsaw blade, they can be juggled to build up more points. The trees can also be cut down to collect gasoline, which refuels the gas meter. The game ends once the gas meter runs out.
==Gameplay==
The controls are fairly simple, using only the left and right arrow keys, the A key, and the SHIFT key. 
The arrow keys are used to to move left and right, the A key can either be pressed to swing Dad's blade, or held to hold out your blade, SHIFT is used to control turbo, which speeds up the player. The turbo meter recharges when not in use.
==Presentation==
Chainsaw the Children uses Dan Paladin's traditional cartoony style. The only non-human character is Dad, a purple biped with a white mask.
The game's only song consists of a short loop taken from the Nutcracker Suite, by Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. There is no menu music, instead using the sound of a chainsaw motor.
== Reception ==
Chainsaw the Children, though not as popular as Tom Fulp and Dan Paladin's other games, Alien Hominid, or CtC's direct follow-up, Dad n' Me, it's still very well received, being featured as part of Flash Portal History. It won Daily Feature, and as of March 2024, it has 4.3 million views and an average score of 4.47/5.
Chainsaw the Children is also often compared to Tom and Dan's other games, especially in later years. It was noted by some players for its lack of content, primitive gameplay and sometimes its sound quality.
Following the release of Dad n' Me, Dad, as well as his son, became iconic Newgrounds characters. They were made part of The Gang in 2007. Dad frequently makes cameos in other Newgrounds projects, such as Toss the Turtle.
== Links ==
Play it here:
Category:Flash games
Category:Action Games
Category:The Behemoth
Category:First Party Games
Category:2002
Category:Mature