MIDI Maze
{{more citations needed|date=June 2021}}
{{Infobox video game
|title = MIDI Maze
|image = Image:MIDI Maze.jpg
|caption =
|developer = Xanth Software F/X
|publisher = Hybrid Arts (ST)
Bullet-Proof Software (GB, SNES)
Riverhillsoft (GG)
|released= Atari ST{{vgrelease|NA|1987}}Game Boy{{vgrelease|NA|December 1991}}Super NES{{vgrelease|NA|September 1992}}Super CD-ROM²{{vgrelease|JP|November 26, 1993}}Game Gear{{vgrelease|JP|December 17, 1993}}
|genre = First-person shooter, maze
|modes = Multiplayer
|platforms = Atari ST, Game Boy, Game Gear, Super NES, Super CD-ROM²
}}
MIDI Maze, also known as Faceball 2000, is a networked first-person shooter maze video game 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 ports on the Atari ST, the game is said to have introduced deathmatch combat to gaming in 1987. It also predated the LAN party concept by several years. The game found a wider audience when it was converted to Faceball 2000 on the Game Boy.
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 avatars in various colors.{{cite web|title=25 years of Pac-Man|publisher=MeriStation|date=July 4, 2005|url=http://www.meristation.com/v3/des_articulo.php?pic=DC&id=cw42b7458f0dfc7&idj=&idp=&tipo=art&c=1&pos=7|access-date=2011-05-06|archive-date=2011-09-29|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110929150234/http://www.meristation.com/v3/des_articulo.php?pic=DC&id=cw42b7458f0dfc7&idj=&idp=&tipo=art&c=1&pos=7|url-status=dead}} ([https://translate.google.com/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.meristation.com%2Fv3%2Fdes_articulo.php%3Fpic%3DDC%26id%3Dcw42b7458f0dfc7%26idj%3D%26idp%3D%26tipo%3Dart%26c%3D1%26pos%3D7&sl=es&tl=en&hl=&ie=UTF-8 Translation]){{cite web|url=http://www.gamesradar.com/f/gamings-most-important-evolutions/a-20101008102331322035/p-5|title=Gaming's Most Important Evolutions|page=5|publisher=GamesRadar|date=October 8, 2010|access-date=2011-04-27}} 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.{{Citation needed|date=October 2019}}
Ports
A Game Boy version was developed by Xanth, and published in 1991 by Bullet-Proof Software, with the title Faceball 2000.Schiffmann, William. "In your Face! New toy will wow Game Boy owners." Chicago Sun-Times. 1992-05-22. Retrieved 2012-10-21 via HighBeam Research [https://web.archive.org/web/20140611135346/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-4111554.html URL]. 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.{{citation needed|date=June 2018}} This version allows two players with a Game Link Cable, or up to four players with the Four Player Adapter.
It is often rumored{{By whom|date=April 2025}} 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 original game's code does contain a 16-player mode, but it required a special adapter that was planned to be bundled with the game, to create a "chain" of link cables. The 16-player mode and the adapter were announced in the April 1991 issue of Nintendo Power;{{cite magazine |author= |date=April 1991 |title=Now Playing |url=https://archive.org/details/nintendo-power-issue-023-april-1991/page/68/mode/2up |magazine=Nintendo Power |publisher=Nintendo of America |access-date=10 April 2025}} however, Nintendo did not allow the adapter's release, so the 16-player mode cannot be enabled using original Game Boy systems.{{cite web |last1=Komarechka |first1=Don |title=Interview with Robert Champagne |url=http://fb2k.retro-spect.ca/rchampagne.html |website=Faceball 2000 GB |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100509163809/http://fb2k.retro-spect.ca/rchampagne.html |access-date=22 November 2020|archive-date=2010-05-09 }} Later, it a method was discovered to daisy-chain Game Boy Advance link cables to allow up to 15 players.{{cite web |title=Faceball 2000 - The 3D First Person Shooter for the original Game Boy that supported 16 players! |url=https://redd.it/x6y87z |website=Reddit |access-date=6 September 2022 }} In 2024, electrical engineer Zarithya was able to produce a 16-player adapter that replicated the functionality of the original adapter intended for the game, discovering that due to an off-by-one error, more than 15 players would never have been possible in the original release of the game even with compatible hardware. She was then able to modify the ROM to support up to 16 simultaneous players, and successfully start a 16-player match. She and others created two patches for the game, one to fix the 16-player functionality only, and another to upgrade the game to include Super Game Boy and Game Boy Color support (called "Faceball 2000 DX"), and released them on GitHub.{{cite web |title=Mythical 16-Player Game Boy Game Fixed |url=https://www.retronews.com/mythical-16-player-game-boy-game-fixed/ |website=RetroNews|access-date=8 April 2025 }}{{cite web |title=Faceball2000DX |website=GitHub |url=https://github.com/Zarithya/Faceball2000DX |language=en |access-date=2025-04-10}}
A Super NES 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.{{Citation |title=City Zone - Faceball 2000 (SNES Music) By George Sanger |url=https://soundcloud.com/slugsnail/city-zone-faceball-2000-snes-music-by-george-sanger |language=en |access-date=2022-06-03}}
A Game Gear version, also titled Faceball 2000, was released to the Japanese market by Riverhill Soft.Komarechka, Don. "[http://www.electricpickleonline.com/?p=22 Interview: EPO talks to Darren Stone about Faceball 2000] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100108053904/http://www.electricpickleonline.com/?p=22 |date=2010-01-08 }}." Electric Pickle Online. 2006-03-19. Retrieved 2012-10-21. It is a colorized version of the monochrome Game Boy version, supporting two players with two handheld consoles connected by the Gear-to-Gear Cable.
A PC-Engine CD-ROM version, titled only Faceball (フェイスボール), was released in Japan by Riverhill Soft.{{citation needed|date=June 2018}}
=Unreleased ports=
A port of MIDI Maze for Atari 8-bit computers was developed by Xanth, but cancelled circa 1989. A prototype was eventually found and the ROM was released.{{cite web |last=Reichert |first=Matt |title=MIDI Maze |website=AtariProtos.com |url=http://www.atariprotos.com/8bit/software/midimaze/midimaze.htm |access-date = 2007-11-27}}{{cite web |url=http://www.atarimania.com/game-atari-400-800-xl-xe-midi-maze_3380.html |website=Atari Mania |access-date=12 December 2020|title=Atari 400 800 XL XE MIDI Maze : Scans, dump, download, screenshots, ads, videos, catalog, instructions, roms }}
According to Robert Champagne, other unreleased ports were worked on at Xanth, including IBM PC and NES.{{cite web |last1=Komarechka |first1=Don |title=Interview with Robert Champagne |url=http://fb2k.retro-spect.ca/rchampagne.html |website=Faceball 2000 GB |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100509163809/http://fb2k.retro-spect.ca/rchampagne.html |access-date=22 November 2020|archive-date=2010-05-09 }}
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.{{cite web |title=NikoChan Battle for Virtual Boy |url=https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/virtualboy/189285-nikochan-battle |website=GameFAQs |access-date=22 November 2020}} A prototype was found in 2013, and the ROM was subsequently released.{{cite web |last1=Suszek |first1=Mike |title=Lost Virtual Boy game NikoChan Battle found and being re-released |url=https://www.engadget.com/2013-01-06-lost-virtual-boy-game-nikochan-battle-found-and-being-re-release.html |website=Engadget |date=6 January 2013 |access-date=22 November 2020}}{{cite web |title=Niko-Chan Battle (Prototype) |url=https://hiddenpalace.org/Niko-Chan_Battle_%28Prototype%29 |website=Hidden Palace |access-date=22 November 2020}}
Reception
{{Video game reviews
| GR = 51.67% (SNES){{cite web|url=https://www.gamerankings.com/snes/588319-faceball-2000/index.html|title=Faceball 2000 SNEA Review Score|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190513171252/https://www.gamerankings.com/snes/588319-faceball-2000/index.html|archive-date=2019-05-13}}
73.75 (GB){{cite web|url= https://www.gamerankings.com/gameboy/585702-faceball-2000/index.html|title=Faceball 2000 Game Boy Review Score|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190522084019/https://www.gamerankings.com/gameboy/585702-faceball-2000/index.html|archive-date=2019-05-22}}
| CVG = 35/100 (SNES){{cite magazine|url=https://archive.org/details/Computer_and_Video_Games_Issue_0138/page/94/mode/2up?q=%22Harley%27s+Humongous+Adventure%22|title=Faceball 2000|magazine=Computer and Video Games|date=May 1993|issue=138|page=95|access-date=July 16, 2021}}
| VGS = 59% (SNES){{cite magazine|last=Paul|first=Michael|url=https://archive.org/details/video-games-de-1992-12/page/54/mode/2up?q=%22Faceball+2000+%22|title=Faceball 2000|date=December 1992|language=de|magazine=Video Games|page=55|access-date=July 16, 2021}}
}}
In 1994, Sandy Petersen reviewed the game for Dragon magazine, giving it 2 out of 5 stars.{{cite magazine
|title=Eye of the Monitor
|author=Petersen, Sandy
|magazine=Dragon
|issue=201
|date=January 1994
|pages=57–62
|author-link=Sandy Petersen}} 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."{{Cite journal|date=May 1994|title=Faceball 2000 SNES Review|url=https://archive.org/details/super-gamer-02/page/122/mode/2up|journal=Super Gamer|location=United Kingdom|publisher=Paragon Publishing|issue=2|pages=122|access-date=March 13, 2021}}
Entertainment Weekly 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{{snd}}or HAPPYFACE{{snd}}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."[https://ew.com/article/1991/11/22/video-games-guide/ Video Games Guide], Bob Strauss, November 22, 1991, EW.com CNET Gamecenter called MIDI Maze one of the 10 most innovative computer games of all time.[https://web.archive.org/web/20000615070900/http://www.gamecenter.com/Features/Exclusives/Hallofgame/ss04.html Features - The Hall of Game Innovation], GAMECENTER.COM, ...Midi Maze...Hybrid Arts...Derivatives: Doom and its countless clones... In 2018, Den of Geek ranked the game 25th on their "25 Underrated Game Boy Games."{{Cite web|last=Freiburg|first=Chris|date=2018-08-27|title=25 Underrated Game Boy Games|url=https://www.denofgeek.com/games/25-underrated-game-boy-games/|access-date=2022-01-09|website=Den of Geek|language=en-US}}
Legacy
Personal Computer World said that in 1987, MIDI Maze introduced the concept of deathmatch combat, using the built-in MIDI ports of the Atari ST for networking.{{cite magazine | magazine=Personal Computer World | date=February 21, 2008 | first=Iain | last=Thomson | title=Gaming Timeline | url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-175206283.html | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140629100106/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-175206283.html | archive-date=June 29, 2014 | access-date=June 14, 2020}} TheGamer listed it as among ten games that revolutionized first-person shooters,{{cite web|url=https://www.thegamer.com/games-that-revolutionized-first-person-shooters/|title=10 Games That Revolutionized First-Person Shooters|first=Jason|last=Wojnar|date=2019-07-26|access-date=2024-06-26}} which was also noted by Nostalgia Nerd{{cite web|url=https://www.nostalgianerd.com/fps-shooter-evolution/|first=Peter|last=Leigh|title=FPS Shooter Evolution|website=Nostalgia Nerd|access-date=2024-06-26|date=2016-02-26}} and VG247.{{cite web|url=https://www.vg247.com/blast-from-the-past-the-dawn-of-the-first-person-shooter|title=Blast from the Past: The Dawn of the First-Person Shooter|website=VG247|first=Pete|last=Davison|date=2013-07-17|access-date=2024-06-30}} Ask.Audio marveled at how it used the Atari ST's MIDI port for multiplayer gaming,{{cite web|url=https://ask.audio/articles/this-1987-first-person-shooter-video-game-used-midi-for-multiplayer-mode|title=This 1987 First Person Shooter Video Game Used MIDI For Multiplayer Mode|first=Rounik|last=Sethi|website=Ask.Audio|date=2017-02-10|access-date=2024-06-26}} also noted by Paleotronic.{{cite web|url=https://paleotronic.com/2020/09/28/kill-a-happy-face-the-mayhem-of-midi-maze-the-first-fps/|title=Kill a Happy Face: The Mayhem of MIDI Maze, the first FPS|date=2020-09-28|website=Paleotronic|access-date=2024-06-26}} Nomad's Reviews listed it as among the original first-person shooters,{{cite web|url=https://www.nomadsreviews.co.uk/post/influential-fps-games-1-what-was-the-first-fps|first=Iain|last=Baker|date=2020-06-13|access-date=2024-06-26|title=Influential FPS Games #1: What was the First FPS?|website=Nomad's Reviews}} as did GamesRadar.{{cite web|url=https://www.gamesradar.com/bullets-bombs-history-first-person-shooters/|title=A 43-year history of first-person shooters - from Maze War to Destiny 2|date=2017-05-01|access-date=2024-06-26}}
MIDI-Maze II was later developed by Markus Fritze for Sigma-Soft and released as shareware.{{Citation needed|date=October 2019}}
iMaze is an open source clone of the game for Unix-like systems.{{cite web |last=Wilson |first=Hamish | date=2023-01-23 | title=Building a Retro Linux Gaming Computer - Part 26: Coming to You Live | url=https://www.gamingonlinux.com/2023/02/building-a-retro-linux-gaming-computer-part-26-coming-to-you-live/ | website=GamingOnLinux | access-date=2023-02-20}}
See also
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{atarimania|id=9972}}
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20040820221008/http://www.1up.com/do/feature?cId=3133741 Faceball 2000], #25 of 1UP's Essential 50
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20120210183432/http://www.electricpickleonline.com/?p=22 Darren Stone (Xanth Programmer) talks about Faceball 2000], at EPO
Category:Blue Planet Software games
Category:Cancelled Atari 8-bit computer games
Category:Super Nintendo Entertainment System games
Category:Cancelled Virtual Boy games
Category:Split-screen multiplayer games
Category:First-person maze games
Category:Multiplayer null modem games
Category:First-person shooters
Category:Video games scored by David Whittaker
Category:Video games scored by George Sanger