Maabus
{{Short description|1995 video game}}
{{Infobox VG
|title=Maabus
|image= Maabus cover.jpg
|caption=
|developer=Microforum International
|publisher=Monolith
|released=1995
|genre=Action-adventure
|modes=Single-player
|platforms=MS-DOS, Windows 3.1x
}}
Maabus is an action-adventure game developed by Canadian studio Microforum International and published by Monolith Productions in 1994.
Gameplay
The player is in control of a weaponized probe sent to a remote tropical island where strange dangerous radiation has been detected, and must fight giant creatures, solve puzzles and find the source of the radiation.
Development
Maabus was developed by Microforum International. Since its 1987 founding the Canadian studio had primarily manufactured and duplicated compact discs. The decision was made to transition into game production in 1992.{{cite magazine | author=Vale, Allison | date=October 10, 1994 | title=Microforum taps the budding edutainment market | url=https://playbackonline.ca/1994/10/10/3887-19941010/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180907150207/https://playbackonline.ca/1994/10/10/3887-19941010/ | archive-date=September 7, 2018 | website=Playback | accessdate=March 9, 2025}}{{cite magazine | author=Hyams, Philip | date=October 1995 | title=Interview: Good CD-ROM producers wear many hats | url=https://archive.org/details/issuu_dougalder_1995-10_canadian_computer_wholesale/page/n52/mode/1up | magazine=Canadian Computer Wholesaler | publisher=OCP Publications | issn=1203-3138 | volume=1 | issue=5 | pages=54–5}} Maabus was produced by the company's vice president Claudio Baiocchi, who also served as one of the story writers.{{cite magazine | author=Maddever, Mary | date=February 13, 1995 | title=SGI’s new Webforce and reality pricing | url=https://playbackonline.ca/1995/02/13/4129-19950213/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180907120429/https://playbackonline.ca/1995/02/13/4129-19950213/ | archive-date=September 7, 2018 | website=Playback | accessdate=March 9, 2025}} Freelance writer Robin Rowland said that Microforum approached him about penning the game's scenario in the winter of 1993.{{cite web | author=Rowland, Robin | date=February 23, 2008 | title=My microcareer in videogames | url=http://robinrowland.com/garret/2008/02/my-microcareer-in-videogames.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241117170243/http://robinrowland.com/garret/2008/02/my-microcareer-in-videogames.html | archive-date=November 17, 2024 | website=The Garrett Tree | accessdate=March 9, 2025}} Baiocchi described it as a "classic good-versus-evil plot." Development allegedly took 25,000 man-hours by 15 senior staff members. Its trailer, set to the song Think About the Way by Ice MC, claimed that the game required 9,800 hours of 3D animation rendering; 5,320 hours of programming; 3,000 hours of drawing; 1,000 hours of sound effects recording; 710 hours of music selections; 400 hours of video and audio recording; and 2,000 hours of testing.{{cite web | title=Maabus Game Trailer | date=1995 | url=https://archive.org/details/maabus-game-trailer/DEMO.AVI | publisher=Microforum International | via=Archive.org | accessdate=March 8, 2025}} Microforum promoted Maabus at COMDEX in late 1994.{{cite magazine | author=Rimer, Rom | date=December 5, 1994 | title=Comdex: pitching a virtual city | url=https://playbackonline.ca/1994/12/05/3975-19941205/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180908011210/https://playbackonline.ca/1994/12/05/3975-19941205/ | archive-date=September 8, 2018 | website=Playback | accessdate=March 9, 2025}} Coming on three discs, the game utilized the Multimedia PC configuration. Microforum planned to release a full-screen MPEG version.
Reception
{{VG Reviews
| CGR = 65/100{{cite magazine | author1=Perry, Kevin | author2=Chapman, Ted | author3=Kaiafas, Tasos | date=June 1995 | title=Reviews: Evil Mutants in the South Pacific | url=https://archive.org/details/computer-game-review-and-cd-rom-entertainment-june-1995/page/n39/mode/1up | magazine=Computer Game Review | publisher=Sendai Publishing | issn=1062-113X | volume=4 | issue=11 | page=40}}
| NGen = {{rating|1|5}}{{cite magazine|title=Finals|magazine=Next Generation|issue=7|publisher=Imagine Media|date=July 1995|page=74 | issn=1078-9693 | author=Next Generation staff | url=https://archive.org/details/nextgen-issue-007/page/n77/mode/1up}}
| PCGUS = 55%{{cite magazine | author=PC Gamer staff | date=June 1995 | title=Reviews: Maabus | url=https://web.archive.org/web/19961022192752fw_/http://www.pcgamer.com/reviews_m.html | magazine=PC Gamer | publisher=Future plc | issn=1080-4471}}
| rev1 = CD-ROM Today
| rev1Score = {{rating|2|5}}{{cite magazine | author=West, Allie | date=September 1995 | title=Games Scene: Name of the game | url=https://archive.org/details/cd-rom-today-issue-17-1995-09/page/88/mode/1up | magazine=CD-ROM Today | publisher=Imagine Publishing | issn=1069-4099 | issue=17 | page=88}}
| rev2 = CD-ROM Magazine
| rev3 = Electronic Entertainment
| rev3Score = {{rating|4|5}}{{cite magazine | author=Olafson, Peter | date=June 1995 | title=Adventure Games: Maabus | url=https://archive.org/details/electronic-entertainment-vol.-2-no.-06-june-1995/page/72/mode/1up | magazine=Electronic Entertainment | publisher=IDG | volume=2 | issue=6 | page=72}}
| rev4 = Entertainment Weekly
| rev4Score = A−{{cite news|url=https://ew.com/article/1995/07/21/maabus/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151120093814/https://ew.com/article/1995/07/21/maabus/|archive-date=November 20, 2015|title=Maabus|author=Strauss, Bob|date=July 21, 1995|website=Entertainment Weekly|access-date=November 3, 2018|language=en}}
| rev5 = Génération 4
| rev5Score = 💣 (less than 50%){{cite magazine | author=Génération 4 staff | date=December 1995 | title=Test Express: Maabus | url=https://archive.org/details/generation4-magazine-083/page/n169/mode/1up | magazine=Génération 4 | publisher=Pressimage | language=fr | issn=1624-1088 | issue=83 | page=170}}
| rev6 = Joystick
| rev6Score = 110/200{{cite magazine | author=Lord Casque Indigo | date=June 1995 | title=Maabus: Trop court, trop vague | trans-title=Maabus: Too short, too vague | url=https://archive.org/details/joystick_061/page/n112/mode/1up | magazine=Joystick | publisher=Hachette Filipacchi Médias | language=fr | issn=1145-4806 | issue=61 | page=113}}
| rev7 = PC Games
| rev7Score = 47%{{cite magazine | author=Jansohn, Udo | date=June 1995 | title=Review: Maabus – Expedition | url=https://archive.org/details/PC.Games.N033.1995.06-fl0n/page/n101/mode/1up | magazine=PC Games | publisher=Computec | language=de | issn=0946-6304 | issue=33 | page=102}}
| rev8 = PC Joker
| rev8Score = 32%{{cite magazine | author=Schnelle, Martin | date=August 1995 | title=Maabus | url=https://archive.org/details/pc_joker_1995_08/page/n21/mode/1up | magazine=PC Joker | publisher=Joker-Verlag | language=de | page=22}}
| rev9 = PC Player
| rev9Score = 36/100{{cite magazine | author=Stangl, Florian | date=June 1995 | title=Maabus | url=https://archive.org/details/PC-Player-German-Magazine-1995-06/page/n69/mode/1up | magazine=PC Player | publisher=Future Verlag | language=de | issn=0943-6693 | page=70}}
| rev10 = Play Time
| rev10Score = 53%{{cite magazine | author=Wiesner, Thomas | date=July 1995 | title=PC CD-ROM Review: Maabus | url=https://archive.org/details/play-time-1995-06/page/n56/mode/1up | magazine=Play Time | publisher=Computec | language=de | pages=89–90}}
| rev11 = Power Play
| rev11Score = 39%{{cite magazine | author=Heukemes, Frank | date=June 1995 | title=Reif für die Insel: Maabus | trans-title=Ready for the Island: Maabus | url=https://archive.org/details/powerplaymagazine-1995-06/page/n88/mode/1up | magazine=Power Play | publisher=Future Verlag | language=de | issn=0937-9754 | page=89}}
| rev12 = Secret Service
| rev12Score = 80%{{cite magazine | author=Jama | date=May 1995 | title=Maabus | url=https://archive.org/details/secretservicemagazine-1995-05/page/44/mode/1up | magazine=Secret Service | publisher=Proscript | language=pl | issn=1230-7726 | page=44}}
}}
Next Generation reviewed the PC version of the game, rating it one star out of five, and stated that "unless looking at a handful of pretty pictures and dying in countlessly unpredictable ways is your idea of fun, spend your money on something else."
Bob Strauss of Entertainment Weekly gave the game an A− and described the game as a combination of Myst, Doom, and The 7th Guest. He wrote that the game is as addictive as any of the games from which it draws inspiration.
Trish Murphy for The Sydney Morning Herald said, "Despite its quirks, I found Maabus imaginative, challenging and great to play."{{cite news | author=Murphy, Trish | url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/118553147/the-sydney-morning-herald/ | title=Exploring by Proxy: Maabus | newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald | via=Newspapers.com | date=May 9, 1995 | page=39 | accessdate=March 9, 2025}}
Allie West for CD-ROM Today felt that the time limit "adds a certain tension", but noted that "the overall drifting nature makes this ultimately monotonous".{{Cite journal |date=September 1995 |title=Name of the Game |url=https://archive.org/details/cd-rom-today-issue-17-1995-09/page/88/mode/2up |journal=CD-ROM Today |issue=17 |pages=88 |via=Internet Archive}}
CD-ROM Review rated the game a 4 out of 5 and called it an "exotic, compelling adventure game".{{Cite book |last=Princeton Media Group |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/33078851 |title=CD-ROM review : the only guide you need to make informed CD-ROM purchases |publisher=HarperPerennial |year=1995 |isbn=0-06-273382-6 |editor-last=Philip Lief Group |edition=1996 |location=New York, NY |pages=301 |oclc=33078851 |archive-url=https://archive.org/details/cdromreviewonly00prin/page/300/mode/2up |archive-date=2012-05-24}}
The game sold more than 100,000 copies.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/national-post/154386454/|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20240831221747/https://www.newspapers.com/article/national-post/154386454/|title=Microforum Inc.|newspaper=National Post|page=130|archivedate=August 31, 2024|date=March 27, 1997|accessdate=September 1, 2024|via=Newspapers.com}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/19970329184643/http://www.microforum.com/products/entrtain/games/Maabus/Default.htm Official website] (archived)
- [https://www.mobygames.com/game/2772/maabus/ Maabus] at MobyGames
Category:Action-adventure games
Category:First-person video games
Category:Full motion video based games
Category:Microforum International games
Category:Monolith Productions games
Category:Science fiction video games
Category:Single-player video games
Category:Video games set in 1999
Category:Video games set on uninhabited islands