''MIDI Maze'' is a networked
first-person shooter
First-person shooter (FPS) is a sub-genre of shooter video games centered on gun and other weapon-based combat in a first-person perspective, with the player experiencing the action through the eyes of the protagonist and controlling the pl ...
maze game
A maze is a path or collection of paths, typically from an entrance to a goal. The word is used to refer both to branching tour puzzles through which the solver must find a route, and to simpler non-branching ("unicursal") patterns that le ...
for the
Atari ST developed by Xanth Software F/X and released in 1987 by Hybrid Arts. The game takes place in a maze of untextured walls. The world animates smoothly as the player turns, much like the earlier ''
Wayout'', instead of only permitting 90 degree changes of direction. Using the
MIDI
MIDI (; Musical Instrument Digital Interface) is a technical standard that describes a communications protocol, digital interface, and electrical connectors that connect a wide variety of electronic musical instruments, computers, an ...
ports on the Atari ST, the game is said to have introduced
deathmatch
Deathmatch, also known as free-for-all, is a gameplay mode integrated into many shooter games, including first-person shooter (FPS), and real-time strategy (RTS) video games, where the goal is to kill (or "frag") the other players' characters a ...
combat to gaming in 1987. It also predated the
LAN party
A LAN party is a gathering of people with personal computers or compatible game consoles, where a local area network (LAN) connection is established between the devices using a router or switch, primarily for the purpose of playing multiplaye ...
concept by several years. The game found a wider audience when it was converted to ''Faceball 2000'' on the
Game Boy
The is an 8-bit fourth generation handheld game console developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan on April 21, 1989, in North America later the same year, and in Europe in late 1990. It was designed by the same te ...
.
Gameplay
Up to 16 computers can be networked in a "MIDI Ring" by
daisy chaining MIDI ports that are built into the Atari ST series.
The game area occupies only roughly a quarter of the screen and consists of a
first-person view of a flat-shaded maze with a crosshair in the middle. All players are shown as ''Pac-Man''-like
smiley
A smiley, sometimes referred to as a smiley face, is a basic ideogram that represents a smiling face. Since the 1950s it has become part of popular culture worldwide, used either as a standalone ideogram, or as a form of communication, such a ...
avatars in various colors. Bullets are represented as small spheres.
The game is started by a designated master machine, which sets rules, divides players into teams, and selects a maze. A number of mazes come with the game, and additional mazes can be constructed using a text-editor.
Development
The original ''MIDI Maze'' team at Xanth Software F/X consisted of James Yee as the business manager, Michael Park as the graphic and networking programmer, and George Miller writing the AI and drone logic.
Ports
A
Game Boy
The is an 8-bit fourth generation handheld game console developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan on April 21, 1989, in North America later the same year, and in Europe in late 1990. It was designed by the same te ...
version was developed by Xanth, and published in 1991 by
Bullet-Proof Software, with the title ''Faceball 2000''. James Yee, owner of Xanth, had the idea of porting the 520ST application to the Game Boy. George Miller was hired to rewrite the AI-based drone logic, giving each drone a unique personality trait. This version allows two players with a
Game Link Cable
The Nintendo Game Link Cable is an accessory for the Game Boy line of handheld video game systems, allowing players to connect Game Boys of all types for multiplayer gaming. Depending on the games, a Game Link Cable can be used to link two ga ...
, or up to four players with the Four Player Adapter.
It is often rumored that the Game Boy version would allow up to 16 players by daisy-chaining Four Player Adapters, which is not the case. According to programmer Robert Champagne, the game does contain a 16-player mode; however, it requires a special connector that would be bundled with the game, to create a "chain" of Game Link Cables. As Nintendo did not allow them to do so, that connector was never released, so the 16-player mode cannot be enabled.
A
Super Nintendo version, also titled ''Faceball 2000'', was released in 1992, supporting two players in split-screen mode. This version features completely different graphics and levels from the earlier Game Boy version. A variety of in-game music for this version was composed by
George "The Fat Man" Sanger.
A
Game Gear
The is an 8-bit Fourth generation of video game consoles, fourth generation handheld game console released by Sega on October 6, 1990, in Japan, in April 1991 throughout North America and Europe, and during 1992 in Australia. The Game Gear pri ...
version, also titled ''Faceball 2000'', was released to the
Japanese market by Riverhill Soft. It is a colorized version of the monochrome Game Boy version, supporting two players with two handheld consoles connected by a cable.
A
PC-Engine CD-ROM version, titled only ''Faceball'' (フェイスボール), was released in Japan by Riverhill Soft.
Unreleased ports
A port of ''MIDI Maze'' for the
Atari 8-bit family
The Atari 8-bit family is a series of 8-bit home computers introduced by Atari, Inc. in 1979 as the Atari 400 and Atari 800. The series was successively upgraded to Atari 1200XL , Atari 600XL, Atari 800XL, Atari 65XE, Atari 130XE, Atari 800XE ...
was developed by Xanth, but cancelled around 1989. A prototype was eventually found and the ROM was released.
According to Robert Champagne, other unreleased ports were worked on at Xanth, including IBM PC and NES.
A port for Nintendo's
Virtual Boy console, to be titled ''NikoChan Battle'' (ニコちゃんバトル) in Japan, was almost completed, but canceled as the system was discontinued in late 1995. A prototype was found in 2013, and the ROM was subsequently released.
Reception
In 1994,
Sandy Petersen
Carl Sanford Joslyn "Sandy" Petersen (born September 16, 1955) is an American game designer. He worked at Chaosium, contributing to the development of '' RuneQuest'' and later creating the acclaimed and influential horror role-playing game ''Cal ...
reviewed the game for ''
Dragon'' magazine, giving it 2 out of 5 stars.
Super Gamer magazine gave an overall review score of 82% writing: "Ultra successful on the little Game Boy, this 3-D maze shoot-'em-up has been totally uprated for the SNES."
''
Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cult ...
'' picked ''Faceball 2000'' as the #5 greatest game available in 1991, saying: "The Game Boy meets virtual reality (i.e., artificial, computer-enhanced, first-person perspective). In ''Faceball 2000'', you assume the identity of a Holographically Assisted Physical Pattern Yielded for Active Computerized Embarkation — or HAPPYFACE — and hunt down your opponents. You can play alone or link up with as many as three additional players. More fun than real-life tag, and much more stimulating."
CNET Gamecenter
''CNET'' (short for "Computer Network") is an American media website that publishes reviews, news, articles, blogs, podcasts, and videos on technology and consumer electronics globally. ''CNET'' originally produced content for radio and televi ...
called ''MIDI Maze'' one of the 10 most innovative computer games of all time. In 2018,
Den of Geek
''Den of Geek'' is a US and UK-based website covering entertainment with a focus on pop culture. The website also issues a bi-annual magazine.
History
''Den of Geek'' was founded in 2007 by Simon Brew in London. In 2012, DoG Tech LLC licensed ...
ranked the game 25th on their "25 Underrated Game Boy Games."
Legacy
''
Personal Computer World
''Personal Computer World'' (''PCW'') (February 1978 - June 2009) was the first British computer magazine.
Although for at least the last decade it contained a high proportion of Windows PC content (reflecting the state of the IT field), the m ...
'' said that in 1987, ''MIDI Maze'' introduced the concept of
deathmatch
Deathmatch, also known as free-for-all, is a gameplay mode integrated into many shooter games, including first-person shooter (FPS), and real-time strategy (RTS) video games, where the goal is to kill (or "frag") the other players' characters a ...
combat, using the built-in
MIDI
MIDI (; Musical Instrument Digital Interface) is a technical standard that describes a communications protocol, digital interface, and electrical connectors that connect a wide variety of electronic musical instruments, computers, an ...
ports of the Atari ST for networking.
''MIDI-Maze II'' was later developed by Markus Fritze for Sigma-Soft and released as
shareware
Shareware is a type of proprietary software that is initially shared by the owner for trial use at little or no cost. Often the software has limited functionality or incomplete documentation until the user sends payment to the software developer ...
.
See also
*''
Maze War
''Maze'', also known as ''Maze War'', is a 3D multiplayer first-person shooter maze game originally developed in 1973 and expanded in 1974. The first version was developed by high school students Steve Colley, Greg Thompson, and Howard Palmer fo ...
''
*''
Wayout''
References
External links
''MIDI Maze''at Atari Mania
''Faceball 2000'' #25 of
1UP's Essential 50
''Darren Stone (Xanth Programmer) talks about Faceball 2000'' at EPO
{{DEFAULTSORT:Midi Maze
1987 video games
1991 video games
1992 video games
1993 video games
Atari ST games
TurboGrafx-CD games
Blue Planet Software games
Cancelled Atari 8-bit family games
Game Boy games
Game Gear games
Super Nintendo Entertainment System games
Cancelled Virtual Boy games
Split-screen multiplayer games
Maze games
Multiplayer null modem games
First-person shooters
Video games scored by David Whittaker
Video games scored by George Sanger
Video games developed in the United States
Riverhillsoft games