A game that never was: Mutant Monkey

Started by Privateer Puddin', Wed 25/06/2008 00:53:24

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Privateer Puddin'

Gather round childen, for I have a tale to tell!

On the last night of Brittens 2004, we sat in our tent and created!


Petteri, Magintz, Creed, Pessi and myself. Photo by m0ds.

It was intense.

The plan was to go around the circle, each saying one word for a title of a game, obviously we didn't get very far before we stumbled on Mutant Monkey. After racking our brains and studying photography from that very night, we're pretty certain that Magintz came up with Mutant and I said Monkey (which will surely come as of no surprise :D)

Next in line was Pessi and rather than adding any more words, he started drawing oh so pretty pictures.


Click for full size!

A storyboard for the game, in which you controlled a mastermind. Literally a mind, he was a pretty much just a brain in a bowl stuck on to a remote control car. The game had you help our troubled mastermind with his ultimate goal - world domination. World domination, but how? He's just a brain! Hence his master plan to capture a monkey, make it mutant somehow and use it to take over the world. You would have to upgrade his buggy, capture the monkey, find some nuclear material, and then battle the monkey in a city as the plan went horribly wrong. It would have been brilliant!


A couple of upgrades to the vehicle, the first one being used in the end battle. The second one being totally cute.

We decided to keep it secret, for the most part, and develop it after returning from Brittens. Ofcourse 4 years later not much happened, but we did get some pretty art from Pessi out of it, plus a funky tune from Petteri!

Firstly, the tune by Petteri, listen to it while reading the rest of this thread, it will make you happy.

Two versions of the title screen, I think we preferred the first:



Again, click for full size.

Some more concept art Pessi made:


Monkey before capture, our hero pre upgrades, the computer where the monkey is spotted, and I think someone guarding nuclear material spilt up at the beach, either that or a guard at the supermarket.

There were more detailed notes made, which I once typed up and I think I still have, if there's any interest I might find them again and see what else was in store. One thing I remember, we were going to have agser cameos, all the people who had attended Brittens that year, sitting around a campfire on the beach near the nuclear material.

Last, but by no means, a piece of art that is one of my all time favourites, seen until now by only a few people. (Or anyone that has played TF2 with me in the last few days :D)



Made this thread because otherwise this stuff would never have seen the light of day, and it's too good for that. I hope you enjoy and that it's brought back some memories for those of us at Brittens :D Maybe just maybe we will see the return of Pessi!



I'll probably end up editing this as I remember more or I get corrected on stuff.

Shane 'ProgZmax' Stevens


ThreeOhFour

I would play it twice! :D

(possibly more than twice, but twice as a minimum ;))

Ghost

I would play it THRICE, and I don't even know if thrice is a word! This looks TOO GOOD, make it come real!

Pet Terry

Quote from: Privateer Puddin' on Wed 25/06/2008 00:53:24
Pessi, Magintz, Creed, Pessi and myself. Photo by m0ds.

Pessi and Pessi, eh? ;)

(also, hah! if I didn't know that's me in the pic I probably wouldn't recognize myself!!)

It's indeed almost exactly 4 years since the first Brittens and the birth of Mutant Monkey. I still remember the enthusiasm in everyone involved and how it seemed like it was going to be the best game ever, too bad the project died for various reasons shortly after Brittens. Something that has happened to (nearly) every AGS project started at a meet ever since!

I had actually forgotten how the title  for the game was born, so thanks for reminding, Tom! I remember we went around the full circle and everyone mentioned a thing that was to be in the game. If I recall right, I said the word "banana", inspired by CJ's now famous explanation how to peel a banana the correct way from the night before. It was a very unimaginative choice I must admit, seeing that Tom had already said "monkey", but it made it to the game nevertheless.

Pessi started drawing concept art and storyboard almost immediately and it was great fun just watching him doodling. As the images in the first post show he was a really talented fellow, it's a shame he is not around anymore. Older members also remember his helpful advice from CL.

As for the tune I composed... that was possibly some of the best stuff I composed at the time. Influence of m0ds' early music is evident, but my own style can be heard too. I never bothered to finish the piece because the production of the game halted, but it's still very nice and indeed funky, as Tom said. Nowadays I would probably remake it completely and go for a more orchestrated style, but this could work nicely during the end credits, for example!

If you can find the original design doc pages, please do post them, Tom! I'm sure there's lots of stuff in there that I can't remember anymore. The idea was fun and would have worked well, I would still play it too!
<SSH> heavy pettering
Screen 7

magintz

Wow I remember that.  I think the plan was to develop it in secret and release it under the alias of Burnt Sausage (as a result of the BBQ the night before).  I think the whole humour of the game was going to be similar to an ACME Wiley Coyote atmosphere, which would have been fun.  I'd love to make the game at some point but I don't think any of us have the time.
When I was a little kid we had a sand box. It was a quicksand box. I was an only child... eventually.

Privateer Puddin'

I forgot about Burnt Sausage, yes we were going to release it as Burnt Sausage. I wish we had the time and that Pessi was still here to make it. I'll try and find the notes and see what interesting things are there.

m0ds

Yep, that was gonna be a fantastic game! It's a shame it all kind of tailed off after Pessi seemingly dissapeared or lost interest after that Brittens :( But it was very fun to plan, and to see some art be made :D We did come up with some great puzzles but I really can't remember them anymore! And the intro idea was quite hillarious too! It's been a while since I've heard Petteri's lovely theme for that game too. Anyway, I'm sure, if Pessi or another artist wants to take it on board ,the game could be made easily - because that's all its missing really. An artiste! Thanks for reminding and re-sharing though, Tom :)

Creed Malay

 I remember this! That was a fun night. Also, four years ago!  :o

THe puzzles revolved round the brain-buggy progressivley getting modified to overcome obtacles - it needed monster truck wheels in order to get over the step just outside the lab, and a propeller hat to fall gently down a cliff, if I remember right. Oh, how delightfull it would have all been.
  :)
Mobile Meat Machines - Comics of Animals and Education! - http://meatmachines.livejournal.com/

Dualnames

FFS, why not make this.. dare I wonder. Oh, well life.
loathe it or ignore it, you can't like it.
Worked on Strangeland, Primordia, Hob's Barrow, The Cat Lady, Mage's Initiation, Until I Have You, Downfall, Hunie Pop, and every game in the Wadjet Eye Games catalogue (porting)

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