Here's an interesting free game you might want to check out:

http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/15007

It's a bit of a Super Mario rip-off, with a penguin instead of an italian plumber. It gets a lot of things right, like nice graphics, parallax scrolling, a map screen, and a number of details from the mario games. But to me, it's the "little" things, like the exact mechanics of how the guy "feels" when he runs and jumps, that make me like/dislike a game, and I think those mechanics could use some improving. Oh, and a number of the levels are also VERY hard.

I've thought about the possibility of doing a Mario-type game sometime, although I'd want to make mine a bit more original in certain ways... some of the levels in Tux are almost exact copies of the original Mario. It would be a fun project at least. But I hope to use Torque, and right now Torque doesn't have, built-in, what I need for basic platformers, meaning I'd have to modify the core engine if I were to do a platformer in the near future, which I'd rather not do.

Thanks for the tip, Vern.

I just downloaded Super Tux and will try it later.
I'm so happy when a new 'platformer' game arrives.... I find it strange that there's nothing out there that really can compete w/ MM.  There's too much 3D-stuff, and most of it is plain boring, w/ terrible graphics.

The only other Mac game, besides MM, that -IMHO- is fun for an extended period of time, is 'Bud Red Head'.
(But of course, there are no 'custom levels' for Bud Red Head, so once you've completed the original levels you're done...!!

I sincerely hope one day you'll make another game like MM..... ;)

MM is sorta like a Mario rip-off but not quite. For one, you can't jump on baddies to kill them, for two, there's no pipes, for three, you're main character is Jack not Mario!  ;D

Anyways it would be great if you made a mario rip-off game! Make sure it has some humor!  ;)

aquaMat wrote on 30.12.2006 at 22:06:18:

I'm so happy when a new 'platformer' game arrives.... I find it strange that there's nothing out there that really can compete w/ MM.  There's too much 3D-stuff, and most of it is plain boring, w/ terrible graphics.

I think part of the reason there aren't really other games like MM is that MM took a TON of work to create. Even just the level editor alone was a huge project. Even though the game appears simple, creating the infrastructure for managing save points, suspend game, global item collection, a map system, and so on is a lot more tricky than it may seem. Heck, even just getting things like moving platforms was way harder than I initially thought it would be. Plus the pseudo-3D look added a lot of challenges, like getting the lava bubbling or zapper beams to work correctly.

I agree with you about most 3D stuff being plain boring. Although, I just found a game that is definitely NOT boring -- one of the *first* 3D games in a LONG time that has held my attention for several hours, and really made me want to come back to it: God of War, for PlayStation II. It's not a familiy-friendly game, but definitely one that will hold your attention! I'm very impressed.

But yeah, for shareware games, what most authors do it think about what will make them money, OR they think about what they would have fun *making*, so they make another Asteroids/Minesweeper/Pacman/Breakout/[fill-in-the-blank], rather than thinking about what *players* might want to play. When I make a game, I try to fill a void -- something that either hasn't been done for my target platform, or hasn't been done well.

I do hope to make more platformers in the future, even if my next game project or two won't be that type of game. They're definitely the most fun type of game for me to work on, personally.

Well when you make another, Vern, make sure it's for the PS3! Then lots of people will buy it!  ;)

VernJensen wrote on 31.12.2006 at 03:58:57:

I think part of the reason there aren't really other games like MM is that MM took a TON of work to create. Even just the level editor alone was a huge project. Even though the game appears simple, creating the infrastructure for managing save points, suspend game, global item collection, a map system, and so on is a lot more tricky than it may seem. Heck, even just getting things like moving platforms was way harder than I initially thought it would be. Plus the pseudo-3D look added a lot of challenges, like getting the lava bubbling or zapper beams to work correctly. I agree with you about most 3D stuff being plain boring. Although, I just found a game that is definitely NOT boring -- one of the *first* 3D games in a LONG time that has held my attention for several hours, and really made me want to come back to it: God of War, for PlayStation II. It's not a familiy-friendly game, but definitely one that will hold your attention! I'm very impressed.

Sounds good, Vern.
Unfortunately I don't have a PS.

I can believe that writing MM from scratch was way way more complicated than we imagine (while we're fooling around with your level-editor). There are so many little details that you never see in other games, like Jack having a real sense of gravity when he jumps, or how he burns in the lava etc. It's these details that make a big difference, I think....!!

Happy New Year (around me Berlin is blowing up in a civil (firecracker) war....).

Here's a little game that I helped make. Click the link to download. Its a two player game, 1 vs 1. Hopefully in later versions I'll make a solo-play.

http://server1.yellowdns.com/~staron/antsarts/laser_blaster_v1.1.zip

8-)

I just (briefly) checked out torque. Unity (http://www.unity3d.com) looks more powerful to me.

Speaking of 3D...mmm...3D Midnight Mansion!  ;D j/k

It could work though. Look at how well Prince of Persia transitioned to 3D. A 3D MM would be similar in some ways to PoP.