Mario Spy

From Mario Fan Games Galaxy Wiki
 Custom redblock.png This article is about a fangame that has ceased production.

No further work is being done on this project, and a release is not likely.

Mario Spy
Logo.png
Developer(s) Yoshiman
Announce Date Summer 2000
Release Date N/A
Genre Stealth Platform Online
Players 1
Input Standard keyboard
Medium The Games Factory, Multimedia Fusion, C++
Platform Windows
Status Canned

Mario Spy was a stealth platformer that eventually ceased development by Yoshiman.

History

Mario Spy was not even considered until 2002. In the summer of 2000, Yoshiman had declared to few people a new game called Yoshi 2002, which starred Yoshi falling into a military base and escaping. Due to no hype towards this game and the poor quality of the original Yoshi sprite (though fluently animated), the game was canned. In 2002, Mario Spy was announced on the Mario Fan Games Galaxy Forums. It was connected to Yoshi 2002 for the reason that it used the same engine.

Production

Initiation

Yoshi 2002 started in 2000, and was titled so as to reference it's release in 2002. Unfortunately, the game was canned, and a month passed before making a few development tests of the same engine, but applying Xander's Mario SSBM sprite onto it. This was a different step for Yoshiman, considering the past games all starred Yoshi. After doing three tests, it was time to advance these tests into an actual game. After contemplating the fact that Mario was trying to get through a government building, it was assumed a spy game. However, it had no elements of stealth at all. You could run through the game, punch out guards, and jump often. There was a plot forming, but it had no thoughts after the second level. All in all, the game was formed, and started many years of production.

Due to the deletion of a favoured folder by accident, this is all that was recovered from Yoshi 2002.

Engine

Mario Spy was one of the first games on MFGG to use a static engine, as they were starting to become more familiar to all Clickteam product users. Though the static engine was smooth, it presented many bugs, and it's gravity would prove to pull the player down too quickly. The game featured two bosses with an advanced AI for that time. It wouldn't move on a path movement, but actually react to what you would do, and required you to do more that just attack it first hand. Two levels were finished, two bosses were completed, and a menu was set up, along with 2D cut-scenes. However, the game had too many glitches with sound and programming, one particular one due to glitches in The Games Factory. It was ultimately canned, while Yoshiman moved on to another project, Yoshi 3d (which was inevitably canned due to limitations of collisions with the DarkBasic programming).

After realizing Yoshi 3d wouldn't go far enough, Yoshiman decided that Mario Spy was the right path to be continued on. Instead of trying to fix the glitches and get it working, the old Mario Spy was safely kept in another directory. A new Mario Spy was to come in, with every aspect of the engine, and the whole concept of the game itself, re-done.

Many, MANY developmental tests were done, ranging from tries of Sonic Advance 2 programmed rotating limb animations, to Mario's static engine, and the AI of common enemies. The game was re-focused into what it's name suggested - being a spy, being stealthy. Levels were created, and the new Mario Spy was being developed into a whole new game in contrast to the old version.

Glitches came, too many, and tries at different gameplay came into view. A Mode 7 3rd person, an 8 directional over-top view, and even a 3D game with 2D gameplay (much like Super Smash Bros) were taken into consideration. After each try was attempted, it was finally decided that the original 2D Multimedia Fusion concept was the best one to do. Determination allowed for all the errors and bugs in the engine to be fixed, and the game had a somewhat solid engine, in both the static engine, and the enemy's AI, the two most important engines in the game.

Later, an online engine was created, tested and performed correctly. Unfortunately, it ended up having issues with multiplayer aspects when it came to testing real online. The game was finally laid to rest.

Late 2005 - Construction Platform Level

Graphics

The graphics on the old version used Xander's SSBM Mario and ripped Megaman Zero guards, and some original backgrounds. On the new version, the graphics were re-done, an original Mario created exclusively for Mario Spy was inserted, and no graphics were ripped. Many of the sprites were created by Dr. Wario and others used from site resources, and also used the sprite talents of the other spriters for the team.

Level Design

In the old version, Yoshiman created the levels, and failed to create fun levels. He hired two people to re-create his first level, and chose the winner as the level designer for his game. Mario Gamer won the mini-contest, and became the level designer for Mario Spy. He created the levels for the new version, and made the levels appropriate for their setting.

Music

The old version consisted of music composed by Yoshiman in [1]Modplug Tracker. The samples were not good quality, and the music lacked any feeling to it. The new version contained music by Yoshiman (who has increased the quality of his music through better programs and actual instruments and keyboards) and varieties of music created by others.

Story

The story for Mario Spy was eventually realized by Yoshiman to be too dramatic for a Mario game, and generally out of the realm as Mario (he even retorted to one of his friends, "I'm making a fanfic here, this story has absolutely nothing to do with Mario, except for the fact that it conveniently stars the characters"). The plot was finally left where they were - on the pile of Mario Spy papers, and a faster, easier concept was born. Online.

Online

Mario Spy was a multiplayer game online. It was to feature two different modes, co-op or versus. In co-op, you worked with another player online to accomplish a goal or mission. In versus, you would be in two different teams, either the Stealth, or Guard, where you would either use stealth to your advantage to complete a mission with other stealth players, or be a guard, working with other guards to stop these intruders.

Mods

It is also envisioned that the game would be customizable to the point where "mods" could be created for the game, either to create levels, characters, etc.

Mid-2005 - First Stealth Level

Levels

The levels were as followed:

  • Construction Site (Platform)
  • Government Building (Stealth)
  • Motorcycle Madness (Motorcycle Chase/Tricks)
  • Jungle Snipe (Stealth/Sniping)
  • River Rafting (Waterfall/Rapids Chase)
  • Mountain Climbing (Stealth/Platform)
  • Hang-gliding (Hang-gliding Sky)
  • Volcano (Platform)
  • Military Base (Stealth)
  • Mushroom Kingdom (Stealth/Platform)
  • Bowser's Castle (Stealth)
  • Final Infinite Vortex (Mix)

Gameplay

Mario Spy's main gameplay was stealth. However, other levels had varying gameplay, such as platforming, chase, sniping and hang-gliding. Mario had a variety of moves, some involving close combat, while others focus on the aspects of stealth.

The other factor of gameplay involved the guard's duty. They had an assortment of weapons on hand, as well as a flashlight to add light to dark areas. While the stealth players have only a short range, the guards had both short and long range weaponry.

Future Plans

This game has been canned by Yoshiman, due to loss of interest and pain-staking pointless production for the length of time it already has taken. A release of some of the programming and engines (movement, A.I.) to be released has been put into thought.

Team Members

Team members (and members who have submitted to the game) are as follows: