Mario Spy

Mario Spy Logo

Mario Spy
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Developer(s)	Yoshiman
Announce Date	Summer 2000
Release Date	TBA
Genre	Stealth Platform
Players	1
Input	Standard keyboard
Medium	The Games Factory, Multimedia Fusion, C++
Platform	Windows
Status	Hiatus due to work on Mario Kart: Beanbean Circuit. Demo completion estimation: 68%

Mario Spy is a stealth platformer currently in 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 now has a solid engine, in both the static engine, and the enemy's AI, the two most important engines in the game.

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's created the levels for the new version, and has made the levels appropriate for their setting. He continues to do so as the game is in development.

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 contains 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 such as Davidus and other non-digital music.

Story

Unlike past games, Yoshiman has carefully thought out and planned the plot for this game, from mere beginning, to the last possible minute of the game, and even onto a plot forming if ever there is a sequel.

Game Info

Modes

Currently planned are:

• 1 Player Story
• 2 Player Cooperative Story
• 2 Player Battle
• Multiplayer Online Battle
• Mini-Games

Mid-2005 - First Stealth Level

Levels

The levels will be as followed, in order (there will be some additions as more development continues):

• 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 is stealth. However, other levels have varying gameplay, such as platforming, chase, sniping and hang-gliding. Mario has a variety of moves, some involving close combat, while others focus on the aspects of stealth.

Features

Mario Spy will have many, many unlockables, which all can be obtained through collection of items, playing the game in a different way or route, and other methods. Unlockables will include items of developing Mario Spy, costumes, levels and assortments of others.

Future Plans

This game has no release date for it's demo, and is currently on hold for production of Mario Kart: Beanbean Circuit. However, once enough time is available, development on Mario Spy will be increased, and hopefully, a demo will come within the next year, or even perhaps this year.

Team Members

Current Team members (and members who have submitted to the game) are as follows(more will be added as info is obtained):

• Yoshiman
• Mario Gamer
• Dr. Wario
• Eno
• Fanguy
• Parakarry
• SonicProject
• Chris the Hedgehog
• Davidus
• Nite Shadow
• Zeldafreak
• Citrusponge
• Anther
• MSonic
• Weirdestchild
• MysticalDragonIX
• Rage Mario
• Wicked Orin

Links

For more information on this game, please visit [2] The Mario Spy site, or, when the demo is released, [3] Mario Fan Games Galaxy