Interview with: Robert Champagne Interviewed by: Don Komarechka Credited as: System Programmer/Artist, Faceball 2000 Currently: Vice President, Nintendo Software Technology
Q
What role did you take in the development of Faceball 2000?
A
I was the lead-programmer (and artist!) of the project. We also had another in-house programmer do the bot-AI.
Q
Faceball 2000 being your first project, how does it compare to things that you have done since then?
A
Each project has something special about it, and Faceball was my first "professional" production so it will always have a special place. The positive response that I have gotten from the game (even today, 15 years later, I meet people that know the game and have good things to say about it! That hasn't happen with all the projects that I have worked on!
Q
What were some of the design limitations of creating a First Person game on a 1.05mhz Z80 processor with 64kbit of RAM, and how easy were the ports in various consoles?
A
I came-up with a simple algorithm that is used to draw the walls and objects (based on the original Midi-Maze engine). Everything was done in assembly language and optimized several times over. The wall-drawing routine, for example, consumes the most CPU cycles to do it's work and was re-written several times to accommodate various features of the Gameboy system. Of course, even though the system is limited in RAM, we used ROM as much as possible to access look-up tables and other pre-computed data (the "faces", for example, are pre-rendered images. I wrote a program on my development machine to texture-map an image on several different "symmetrical" shapes and then rendered each face to a bitmap). Obviously, the biggest limitation of the game is that it is really taking place in "2D" (you cannot "jump" over the walls or other players-- all movement happens in the X-Y plane). Also, we took as much advantage of symmetry as possible-- the faces mirror when turing to one side, the top and bottom of the walls are mirrored, etc.
Q
How long did the development process take?
A
As I remember, the project took about 6 months to get the core-engine up and running. Then at least that much time was spent developing levels.
Q
Using multiplayer links it has been observed that the game can handle up to 16 players. How was this accomplished? (keeping in mind that every other Gameboy game was limited to a maximum of 4 players)
A
When we developed the game, there was no "4-player adapter" available (yet) from Nintendo (and they didn't tell us it was coming). We wanted more than 2 people to be able to play the game simultaneously, so looked at the hardware specification and came-up with a simple way to connect as many Gameboys as we wanted (essentially a daisy-chain of systems). I built a connector and wrote some code-- and couldn't believe how well it worked! The original idea was to pack-in this "special" connector (which would use the standard 2-player cable to connect to the "next" system in the chain) with the cartridge. The cost was low and it was a great feature for the game, but Nintendo would not allow it. Anyway, the project was almost ready to ship at this point, and that is when we found-out about the 4-player adapter. Our only choice was to support it, but I was able to leave the original "16-player" code in the game (it will auto-detect 2-player "cable," 4-player adapter, or the special daisy-chain connector for up to 16-players). Oh, we limited it to 16-players, but it could have easily been more. Quite honestly, it was hard to find more than 10 people to test the game at the time of development! I remember holding two Gameboys (one in each hand) to playtest the game. I'm not sure that we EVER had a "real" 16-player game going!
Q
Any secrets in the game that have yet to be uncovered?
A
I doubt it, although I really don't remember everything that was put in the game-- it has been 15 years! I know that most of the cheats were activated by entering a "special" name at the start of the game... "SHOWCREDITS" comes to mind as an example. I know that BPS planned to publish the cheats in Nintendo Power Magazine.
Q
How many versions of the game were produced, both released and unreleased?
A
Probably more than I know. The license to the game was sold to the publisher in 1993 and I lost track of any developments that happened after that point. We (Xanth) created the Gameboy, SNES, GameGear, and PCEngine versions of the game. These were all released. There was also a version worked on the the original NES, a PC version, as well as a few for systems that never were released.
Q
Were there any other projects in the works before the company disbanded?
A
There were several very cool projects being worked on. Unfortunately, since I was only an employee of the company I cannot say what they were.
Q
After your work with Xanth Software F/X, where has your career taken you?
A
I left Vancouver B.C. (where Xanth was based) in 1993 and moved back to my hometown of Seattle. I started doing contract-work in the game industry (working with BPS again, as well as Activision, Spectrum Holobyte, and Lucas Arts just to name a few) and eventually formed a small company of my own (in late 1994). In 1999, I was given an offer that I couldn't refuse and moved to my current position as the VP of a development studio wholly owned by Nintendo. It's somewhat ironic that I started my career with a Nintendo system, worked on just about every other system out there, and seem to have come full-circle!
Q
Have any other Xanth alumni made any waves in the video game industry?
A
They certainly have, but again, I don't want to mention anybody's name without their permission. Several of them I still see on a regular basis and others I haven't talked to in years.
Q
What are you impressions on the game, your favourite aspects or things you would have liked to have changed?
A
To be honest, when I first started programming the game I didn't really like it. Remember, FPS's didn't really exist yet, and I was a huge fan of side-scrolling games. I think that the multiplayer aspect is what really got me caught-up in the game. It was just too much fun to have a "death-match" (we, of course, did not call them that at the time!) with friends. When the initial version of the game was working I remember playing long into the night with other guys in the group. There really isn't much that I would change. More time to optimize the 3-D stuff, maybe (heck, if I knew then what I know now! :)
Quarth is a classic Game Boy game from 1990, developed by Konami. This puzzle game reminds Space Invaders mixed with Tetris. I has very simple gameplay but that only rises the appeal of game.
In Quarth instead of arranging blocks player must shoot them. Various shapes fall from sky like a cuboidal alien lifeform. Lifeform that annihilates itself only if it is shaped as rectangle. Every shape can be destroyed with 4 shots or grown larger as long as it doesn't form a rectangle.
There are 6 different looking Blockbuster ships you can choose to battle through 9 levels or randomized stage. Actually those ships are all the same but it doesn't change the fact that Quarth is the most intense and addictive puzzle game ever created. Ability to shoot as fast as you can while changing the speed of the ship gives player unique shoot 'em up feel.
Despite there are no typical space monsters tripping around the game is frantic. Player is facing up to much more dangerous enemy - the greed! You can combine alien shapes by growing them with shots to clear larger junks at a time. This strategy gives you more points and power-ups. But be careful, if even a tip of shape collides into the boundary of Quarthdome your ship will be quarthed!
As Quarth was released at early years of classic Game Boy the magazine "Game Boy - Nintendo Player's Guide" has some pages devoted to Quarth strategy and level maps. This strategy guide adds nothing you already know about playing Quarth, but at least it confirms that those 6 different looking ships are not different at all.
Quarth has also two player mode with Game Boy Link Cable. So if you have friend with another copy of the game be sure to have some head to head space matches.
Quarth looks fantastic on both the tiny Game Boy screen and on large TV screen. Find Quarth game cartridge and Super Game Boy, hook up your TV set with Super Nintendo and enjoy this amazing pearl!
Quarth is really amazing game and deserves much more attention than it has got so far. Absolutely fantastic game!
Snoopy's Magic Show is a very cool puzzle game on Game Boy from 1991. Game features dog Snoopy from Peanuts comic strips, his best friend Woodstock and his cousin Spike.
Discovering this game was a positive surprise for me. It's a very good puzzle game and Peanuts franchise adds even more personality here.
The prolog of the game is bit wierd. Usually bonzer and friendly cousin Spike is under the spell of mystical Wizard. Enchanted Spike has kidnapped Woodstock (and hundreds of his identical friends) so Snoopy has no choice but to brake into wizards castle to save his friends..
How exactly is it related to happy Snoopy you see on the label of game cartridge is unknown fact.
PS. Peanuts is a very cool and warmhearted comics ever created. Thank You, Charles Monroe Schulz!
The carton box of Nindendo Wii is one of the most comfortable and durable packages video game consoles ever used to have. Its extremely durable drawers have labels printed on that helps us remember where exactly each specific component securely fits.
Wii box is extremely valuable if you drive around different places and always have to re-pack and un-pack your console for playing your precious Virtual Console games.
But I am sure many Wii owners have noticed there is a problem when carrying your Wii around. To be more specific although Wii box itself looks like a suitcase it has no handle.
This problem has a solution if you like drinking lots of beer. Those people who buy beer in 24-pack suitcases are saved now.
It's not known if it was the foresightedness of Nintendo or if they listened the word of proud owners of previous consoles but fortunately Nintendo has designed Wii box with dimensions that fit exactly into European box of 24 x 0.33 litre beers.
As extra feature this beer case works as a protective cover that keeps your beautiful Wii box free from scratches that may happen in trunk while driving around.
In conclusion, if you want to carry your Wii around with comfort and care just leave that 4-pack to liquor store and allow yourself one 24-pack of beers. Empty it and travel around with joy and happiness. At least as happily as with Virtual Boy Blockbuster case.
Super Smash Bros. Brawl (2008) is long waited third part of Smash Bros. series. The first one was released in 1999. on the Nintendo 64, and its sequel Super Smash Bros. Melee (2001) was one of the best selling title on Game Cube.
The Smash Bros. series is bit different form other fighting games. In the game wins the last player on stage. But instead of health meter there is damage percent. The higher it is the more far it is thrown when hit by opponent. For KO you must throw enemy far over the edge. That means even unharmed character may loose the match.
The main innovation of current game is developed single player adventure game that was minuscule in previous Smash Bros. games. And ofcourse this game has online capability.
Adventure game Adventure Mode: The Subspace Emissary is quite cool. That is also playable by two players as used to in action and fighting games. The gameplay reminds classic platformer that is beautified by decent video clips. All characters in game are predefined and change after each level as story goes on. Within the game it is possible to earn stickers that help you to enchance attributes of characters joined with you. It is complicated system. To manage all 700 stickers the Super Smash Bros. Brawl Official Game Guide Premiere Edition book uses 20 of its 208 pages.
The Classic Mode of Super Smash Bros. Brawl contains 12 different arenas ja 2 Target Smash levels. Classic Mode is played from start to the end with chosen character. Levels have different complexity. For example sometimes a match may end in the first seconds as stupid enemy decides himself to jump over the edge. But some levels may offer the fighting action that seem endless.
If you are too lazy to play online you can always spend your hard earned game coins in Spectator mode. It gives you chance to bet on a player and watch if your chosen one wins you more or loses everything you have.
Super Smash Bros. Brawl's totalisator reminds me that Nintendo have always been quite fond of gambling minigames. For example in Super Mario Land (1989) of Game Boy player could try his luck on catching power-ups at the end of every stage.
And Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins (1992) contained special casino on world map to bet your coins on power-ups and lives.
Also Nintendo DS game New Super Mario Bros. (2006) is not free from gambling games. My personal favorite Picture Poker is very addicting.
