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Let's Play - Monster Manor

Posted: Mon Sep 24, 2012 8:43 pm
by ewhac
Let's Play - Monster Manor (3DO, 1993) - Levels 1-2

I guess this is the appropriate forum for these, so here's the first episode of our latest effort: Escape from Monster Manor. Since the game is too long to creatively edit down to even a gargantuan two hours, we're doing this one in episodic form as we work our way through the entire game. I'll post links in this thread to new episodes as they become available.

In addition to the fact that my co-host and I both used to work at 3DO, I also wrote (most of) Monster Manor in a blur back in 1993, and thus can hopefully lend a genuinely unique perspective on the game and its creation.

We hope you all enjoy it. Thanks for watching!

Posted: Mon Sep 24, 2012 9:45 pm
by Trev
I'm glad you guys are making more videos. I really enjoyed the Burning Soldier one. :)

Posted: Tue Sep 25, 2012 4:28 am
by bitrate
I'll have to wait until this weekend to check this out, but I am really looking forward to it!

Posted: Tue Sep 25, 2012 6:19 pm
by BryWI
Just watched it! It was a very Entertaining 49 and a half minutes! Thanks for continuing to do these. :)

Posted: Tue Sep 25, 2012 9:08 pm
by Scarlettkitten
Yay, love it. Keep 'em coming :)

Posted: Thu Sep 27, 2012 12:55 am
by 3DO Experience
This is awesome, I'm glad you are doing these! And this is one of my fav games!

PS. Yes, this is the right place for them. Sorry I didn't respond the last time.

Posted: Mon Oct 01, 2012 5:39 pm
by ewhac
Episode 2 is up!

Let's Play - Monster Manor (3DO, 1993) - Level 3

A couple pieces of 3DO tech goodness are discussed, gammadev reminisces about P.O'ed, and I get killed.

Posted: Mon Oct 01, 2012 11:39 pm
by 3DO Experience
YES!

Posted: Mon Oct 01, 2012 11:48 pm
by BryWI
watched and liked! :)

Posted: Mon Oct 08, 2012 9:11 pm
by ewhac
Episode 3 is up!

Let's Play - Monster Manor (3DO, 1993) - Levels 4-5

In which we go slightly over an hour (sorry), NTG's role in the development of the 3DO is discussed, and ewhac's greed receives immediate karmic feedback.

I'll be traveling next week, so there won't be another episode for at least another two weeks. Hopefully, I will be able to make it worth the wait...

Posted: Mon Oct 08, 2012 10:29 pm
by 3DOKid
I am (breaching Youtubes T&C's apparently) and burning the Mp3 to CD and listening to these in the car. :) It's not like I need to see the video having played the game to death.

This is fantastic stuff. Hugely appreciated. Thank you :)

Posted: Tue Oct 09, 2012 4:14 am
by 3DO Experience
I play it on my iPhone and just listen to it myself.

Posted: Sun Oct 21, 2012 7:17 am
by ewhac
This post is somewhat off-topic, but for the last couple weeks I've been working on a GIMP plugin to load 3DO cel files. I just got it working this evening:

Image

Using my plugin, I loaded the original 3DO cel file, stripped the alpha channel, and then saved it back out as the above PNG.

Please excuse my self-indulgent happy dance...

Posted: Sun Oct 21, 2012 2:17 pm
by 3DO Experience
I'm doing my own happy dance! I'm still waiting to here the story behind that opening logo, and happy you dumped the data.

Posted: Wed Oct 24, 2012 3:39 pm
by Martin III
I've been commenting on these videos on YouTube, but let me add here that I'm really enjoying the behind-the-scenes insights offered in these.

Posted: Sat Oct 27, 2012 12:59 am
by ewhac
Episode 4 is up!

Let's Play - Monster Manor (3DO, 1993) - Level 6

In which we go way over an hour (largely because I died again), gammadev speculates on Monster Manor's possible place in console gaming history, and I get to show off the fruits of my 3DO cel plugin for the GIMP.

I encoded this one as 720p, in the vague hope that some of the imagery -- particularly the original cel artwork -- would be clearer. Success? Failure? Let me know!

Posted: Sat Oct 27, 2012 5:12 am
by 3DO Experience
Awesome! And I can watch it being the weekend. (as opposed to listening to the video at work)

Posted: Mon Oct 29, 2012 3:47 am
by JohnnyDude
Thanks ewhac! :)

Also, check your forum private messages!

Posted: Mon Oct 29, 2012 10:20 am
by ewhac
And now my GIMP plugin is loading animated cel images. Here's the blue gem from Monster Manor, saved back out as an animated GIF:

Image

Posted: Tue Oct 30, 2012 7:02 am
by ewhac
Wow. I had totally forgotten about this.

On the "source code" disc I burned nearly two decades ago are all the art assets we created for the game, including stuff we didn't use. Understandably, there isn't much of it -- we threw very little away.

In the finished game, the "extra life" object appears as a rotating, beating heart. But apparently there was an earlier version of that:

Image

I'm glad we used the one we did.

Posted: Tue Oct 30, 2012 5:32 pm
by 3DO Experience
I love this thread!

Posted: Tue Oct 30, 2012 5:33 pm
by 3DOKid
ewhac wrote:Wow. I had totally forgotten about this.

On the "source code" disc I burned nearly two decades ago are all the art assets we created for the game, including stuff we didn't use. Understandably, there isn't much of it -- we threw very little away.

In the finished game, the "extra life" object appears as a rotating, beating heart. But apparently there was an earlier version of that:

Image

I'm glad we used the one we did.
That is awesome.

Posted: Mon Nov 05, 2012 9:46 pm
by ewhac
Episode 5 is up!

Let's Play - Monster Manor (3DO, 1993) - Level 7

We keep it well under an hour this time, I give an incomplete description of the game's level file format, and gammadev relates a tale of when a stranger came to the door...

Posted: Mon Nov 05, 2012 11:47 pm
by 3DO Experience
Gaming Gold!

Posted: Thu Nov 08, 2012 11:05 pm
by 3DOKid
Hold on. Maps are 64x64 ascii text?

We can sign 3do disks...

New fan maps for monster manor...?

Edit: getting carried away...

Posted: Thu Nov 08, 2012 11:33 pm
by Austin
3DOKid wrote:Hold on. Maps are 64x64 ascii text?

We can sign 3do disks...

New fan maps for monster manor...?

Edit: getting carried away...
I've got dibs on the Wolf 3D mod! ;) :lol:

Posted: Thu Nov 08, 2012 11:46 pm
by 3DOKid
People have to listen to this one, it really is cracking.

The shocking truth (a truth) about Trip Hawkins.
A deal with Sega and 3DO.
A nice story about Need for Speed 3DO vs Ridge Racer PS1. Two games I really like (unlike Nights ;) ) and yes, they dumbed down 3DO games for the PS1.
And that story about the chipset for the M2 is kind of cool too.

I really enjoyed this one chaps. Thank you.

Posted: Tue Nov 13, 2012 7:02 pm
by Martin III
ewhac wrote:Episode 5 is up!

Let's Play - Monster Manor (3DO, 1993) - Level 7

We keep it well under an hour this time, I give an incomplete description of the game's level file format, and gammadev relates a tale of when a stranger came to the door...
Another great one!

And LOL, Sewer Shark for president? I'd vote for him if I knew more about his economic policies...

Posted: Tue Nov 13, 2012 10:32 pm
by Scarlettkitten
Another great video folks 8)

@Ewhac Here's a pic of the 3DO software you loved so much :D
Image

http://s22.beta.photobucket.com/user/sc ... 3DO/3dodev

Posted: Wed Nov 14, 2012 7:29 pm
by BryWI
Yeah I watched it the other day. Lovin it!