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Commander Keen: Ten Years On!
Yesterday we were made aware of one of the best fan things ever created for one of our games. It's the life story of Commander Keen done in the style of A&E's Biography, or E!'s True Hollywood Story. It's called "Commander Keen: 10 years on". It was done by a fan named Andrew (don't know his last name). It's quite awesome, and includes several pices of original art, and has a fictional history of Billy Blaze (aka Commander Keen). Don't know how else to intro it, so just go and check it out. If you're a fan of Keen, and old Apogee games, then you will most definitely enjoy this!
Also, while you're at it, check out our "real life" Keen 10 year retrospective, published last year. This tells the real life story of the creation of Keen with input from the original id team responsible for bringing the game to life.
Posted by Joe Siegler at 6:15 PM
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Max Payne Demo Updated
To go along with the v1.05 Max Payne patches that were released a couple of days ago, we now have a full build of the Max Payne demo updated to v1.05 available for download as well.
There is no new content in this demo build, it's the same as the already existing demo. This brings the demo up to functional parity with the 1.05 patches - basically you won't have to download the 1.02 demo as well as the 1.05 patch to bring yourself up to speed - you can just download the new demo.
You can grab the demo at Max Payne downloads page.
Posted by Joe Siegler at 4:55 PM
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Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project Info
A small update with a few tidbits about the forthcoming game "Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project". The ARUSH Website (the folks creating the game) updated their site with some screenshots. There's also some larger versions of some of these screenshots available over at Blue's News.
In addition, there is a small interview with Jim Perkins of ARUSH where he talks about the game.
Told you it was a small update. Once the game gets closer to completion, we'll have more info available here.
Posted by Joe Siegler at 4:55 PM
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Max Payne Walkthrough
Today we were sent a very cool file by Max Payne fan Ashwin Cowsik. It's a Max Payne walkthrough. Now, we've had an online Max Payne Walkthrough available already, but this new one is a Microsoft Word text based walkthrough that you can download and print out and have handy if you are playing the game.
Ashwin's walkthrough is geared towards the PC version, but will work for the PS2 & Xbox versions too, as they're essentially the same game and level structure (the console versions have minor changes due to the various limitations of the console formats).
Anyway, the zip file for Ashwin's walkthrough is small - only about 25k, so check it out today!
Posted by Joe Siegler at 12:00 PM
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Action Vault's Game of the Year
...is none other than Max Payne! On their awards page, Max received the game of the year award from Action Vault with these words..
Although many gamers were eagerly anticipating its release for quite some time, Remedy's and 3D Realms' Max Payne proved to be a title that was worth the wait. Set in the gritty, urban environments of New York City, it casts players as a hard-boiled cop seeking revenge against those responsible for his family's murder. One of the most prominent aspects that set Max Payne apart from other titles was its use of bullet time and other slow-motion effects. This made possible a style and finesse of shooting never before seen in a game. On top of this, it featured a story-driven adventure cleverly highlighted by graphic novel cutscenes, stellar graphics that were at times photorealistic, and a strong protagonist. It all adds up to an experience that makes Max Payne worthy of Action Game of the Year.
Action Vault also gave Max the character of the year award to Max Payne (the character). Winning this award is cool too, as it shows that character and plot are important issues in games. Action Vault had this to say about the character award:
Borrowing certain qualities from influential action movies of the recent past, Max Payne is a character that was carefully designed from the ground up. Remedy and 3D Realms meant for him to stand alongside popular icons such as Duke Nukem and Lara Croft, which he does. Due to the loss of his family, Max is naturally a hard-nosed, edgy character who places little value on life. He has the appearance of a modern anti-hero, with a gun in each hand, dark razor-like hair, stern facial expression and trench coat billowing behind him. His future has also been well mapped, as a sequel seems a certainty and a movie starring the cop turned vigilante is in the works. Above all, there was something intangibly cool about the character and his style of action that made him and the game the success they were in 2001.
Posted by Joe Siegler at 10:20 AM
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Max Payne Daily Review
GamePro magazine (No. 2001)
Rating: 95%
[Bullet-time] looks amazing and works surprisingly well. Coolest of all is when you're diving across a room, spraying bullets at your enemies, and sending sparks and blood flying--all in dramatic slow motion. Expect many imitators. Even without bullet-time, Max Payne would be a first-rate title. The gritty New York environments are among the most detailed and realistic ever created.
Max Payne is a well-polished gem. Everything is done perfectly, from the graphics to the gameplay to the voice-acting to the story.
~~~
Gone Blind Gaming
http://www.goneblindgaming.com/reviews_detail.asp?review_id=51
Rating: 9/10
One of the things that dropped my jaw, was a scene where I was in a warehouse, and I shot (by accident) a propane tank. The nozzle flew off, and a gassy flame was flowing out the top. That was very cool looking in and of itself, but when that thing blew up, I nearly wet myself. It didn't just "explode", like we'd see in many other games that don't go for the micro-detail this game does. This tank shot across the room, like a rocket, and blew up on impact. To see this tank flying across the room, like a giant rocket - took my breath away.
Whoever they hired to be the concept/visuals designer for this game should have earned their weight in gold in directing this game, they did an excellent job immersing you in the atmosphere.
~~~
Geek.com
http://www.geek.com/gaming/gamerevs/maxpayne/
Rating: 91%
Part Matrix, part Dirty Harry, part John Woo, Max Payne is the future of gaming--and the future looks good.
~~~
Game Critic
http://www.game-critic.com/Reviews/PC/MaxPayne/review.htm
Rating: 5 of 5 Stars
[T]his game is driven by genius rendering and lighting, innovative motion techniques and uncannily perfect graphics. It is raised to the nth degree by movie quality sound effects and voice acting, then nudged over the top by a storyline, the likes of which the gaming world has never seen before. Max Payne firmly grasps five star perfection!
~~~
Game Gal
http://www.gamegal.com/maxpayne_pc.htm
(no rating)
Remedy Entertainment's third-person action title rings in the start of 21st century gaming with its new, innovative game engine, the use of new technology for superior lighting and graphics, and an absorbing storyline.
Max Payne's gameplay is revolutionary. Remedy has stocked what could have been a regular Joe of a third-person title with John Woo-style side jumping, two-handed shooting action that never grows tiresome. [O]nce you taste the Payne, you'll never want it to end. This game is so enjoyable that 16 hours is not enough time to fully savor its flavor.
As for women, there aren't many in the game. The few you meet are hard-boiled babes who aren't afraid to wield a piece and run large, covert operations. Better yet, they wear normal clothes and aren't portrayed as silicone-filled sex objects. Be still my bleeding heart. If Max Payne is the future of gaming, consider me cemented in for the ride.
Posted by Joe Siegler at 11:30 AM
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More Max Payne Awards!
Max has been given some more awards, and we're here to bring you a short summary of them. First off is the best PC game of the year award given to Max by Gamezone. Gamezone's award, they say this about Max:
�The game is absolutely and genuinely unique. Its only major shortcoming is in its bathetic presentation: it comes off as a B-movie at times when it seems the developers wanted it to come off as an A-movie. If you think about it, though, that�s hardly a shortcoming: it�s a game that comes off as a B-movie among a multitude of games that only wish they could come off as any kind of movie at all. It�s really quite an achievement; it�s a mixture of standard story-art qualities (plot/momentum, story, scene balance, character) and standard computer game qualities (bug-free technological excellence, top-notch graphics, compelling sound production, gameplay and interface innovations, editor tools, replayability).�
In other awards, Max was given several Reader's choice awards over at IGN.com. The IGN awards are:
1. Best use of sound - Reader's Choice
2. Best Graphics - Reader's Choice
3. Best Storyline - Reader's Choice
4. PC Game of the Year - Reader's Choice
You can check out all the major awards that Max Payne has won on our Max Payne awards page!
Posted by Joe Siegler at 11:30 AM
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Max Payne Patch v1.05 Released!
Today we are releasing two new patches for Max Payne. One is for the retail version, and one is for the demo. The v1.05 patch fixes the following issues with the game:
* Game exits with the error message "Out of memory vertex buffer".
* Game exits when loading a new level.
The following issues were addressed in earlier patches:
* The clock and other desktop icons are no longer randomly flashing when playing the game
* The issues with the game crashing into Windows' desktop when loading a new map have been addressed
* Game doesn't start with some CD-Rom drives; a newer version of SafeDisc protection has been used.
The two patch files are available for download right now - you can grab them from our FTP server by clicking on the links below. Other download links will be added once we're made aware of them. There was no v1.03 or v1.04 patch released for the game. The v1.05 patch will update any current version of Max Payne, you do not need the older patches first (in other words, this is an all inclusive patch).
Full version v1.05 patch (maxpayne1-05patch.exe - 4.87Mb)
* Fileplanet
* Blue's News Fileserver
* Shacknews Fileserver
* 3D Gamers
* Filefront
* Gib Games (Italy)
* 3D Realms FTP Server
Demo version 1.05 patch (maxpaynedemo1-05patch.exe - 4.54Mb)
* Fileplanet
* Blue's News Fileserver
* Shacknews Fileserver
* 3D Gamers
* 3D Gamers
* Gib Games (Italy)
* 3D Realms FTP Server
Posted by Joe Siegler at 11:30 AM
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More Fan Stuff
It's been awhile since we last updated our fan submissions, so we decided to reach into the mailbag and pull out the latest batch of items. Leading the pack this time is a very cool fan made live action video done as a tribute to Max Payne. It's a pretty high quality video file which you can download here. You can also download a slightly smaller, lower quality version of the same video here if you don't want to download the big one. It's a very cool little video - we think Max Payne fans will get a kick out of it. The video does require the latest DiVx codec to watch, though.)
However, that's not all we have this time around. We have several other items, including a kick ass DNF file called "11th Anniversary" which you can see here, as well as an original piece of Duke Nukem art called "Release me I'm all out of gum!" that you will not want to miss. Make sure and check out the fan stuff page,, there's new stuff to see!
Posted by Joe Siegler at 3:30 PM
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Max Payne Daily Review
Armchair Empire
http://www.armchairempire.com/Reviews/PC%20Games/max_payne.htm
Rating: 91%
Max Payne (MP) attempts to take gaming to a more mature, sophisticated level. Granted, there�s a lot of twitchy gunplay but there�s a definite story propelling everything along. It all starts off darkly with the wholesale slaughter of Max�s wife and baby. The events that follow resemble a bunch of contortionists playing Twister � you never know what�s going to happen next even though you know the eventual outcome.
MP is the game that has come closest to achieving that action movie feel � like you�re playing in a movie. Aside from the plot, the meat and potatoes is the unending action. (Even with all this action there is humor at many turns. One of my all time favorite gaming moments comes from MP.)
There�s been much said about the length of the game � namely, it�s too short. I beg to differ. MP is shooting for that action movie feel and what action movie runs 20 hours? Max Payne will surely spawn a number of clones. It�s slick, entertaining, and fun to watch � just like any good action movie. I recommend it, especially for John Woo, Matrix fans, and those that want a mouse pad that comes with a game!
Posted by Joe Siegler at 9:30 AM
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Max Payne Daily Review
Wrestlecar PC
http://www.wrestlecar.com/pc/games/00051/
Rating: 97%
Every so often a game comes around of such magnitude, such brilliance, that it changes the PC gaming community as a whole. Developed by Remedy Games and Published by Gathering of Developers and 3DRealms, Max Payne is the most brilliant game since Half-Life, and that is a very hefty achievement. Never before has a game provoked such emotion in a character. Many games advertise to put you into the setting of a movie, but Max Payne actually accomplishes it. This game is one of the best of the best, and it is damn fun to play as well.
Never before have I become so compelled to play a game, and complete it again and again. Although its overall storyline is short, it does an excellent job of portraying a character's personality, and placing you in the scene of a Hollywood movie. This storyline is so cunning and clever that Dimension Films have purchased the rights, and are planning on releasing a movie of Max Payne in the future.
Max Payne delivers a graphics package that is second to none. Everything can be destroyed; vehicles, furniture, and everything in between. The character motion and appearances are photo realistic, and Max Payne includes outstanding cinematic effects.
The gameplay in Max Payne is outstanding, bar none. This is the absolute best third-person shooter I have ever played, and that is simply an understatement. Bullet-time makes this section of the game, and is something that sets Max Payne well ahead of other titles.
Posted by Joe Siegler at 1:30 PM
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Max Payne Daily Review
Game Informer (Oct. 2001 magazine)
Rating: 9.5 (Second opinion: 9.25)
[Max Payne delivers] the non-stop, pulse-pounded, spine-tingling, ass-kicking kind of action the likes of which I haven't seen since DOOM. There's just no escaping it -- this title will have you in its clutches until you've finished it.
Some games have it and some games don't. Max Payne definitely has it. Beautiful animations and impeccable realism puts you in the middle of the action. Add to the great [bullet-time] gameplay a gangland epic delivered in a comic book graphic novel style, and Max Payne is a winner through and through.
Posted by Joe Siegler at 1:30 PM
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Official DNF FAQ Updated!
The Official Duke Nukem Forever FAQ maintained by Abe Rahey over at PlanetDuke has been updated with some new information. Gleaned mostly from posts and information taken from our forums, the new update covers such questions as:
* Will DNF support demo recordings?
* Who did the E3 2001 Trailer music, and can I download it?
* Does DNF have bot support?
* How will 3DR handle beta testing?
Just about any question you might have about Duke Nukem Forever is answered here (except for the release date, of course ). If it's not been answered in this FAQ, then it hasn't been answered, and isn't likely to be. However, have a read, there's lots of goodness in here!
Posted by Joe Siegler at 1:30 PM
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Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project Update
Here's an update on what's going on with Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project (courtesy of Avault):
We here at the Adrenaline Vault have always counted on our heroes. You know, the ones who come through in a clutch when all seems lost? For this reason, we�re not ashamed to admit the wait for a new Duke Nukem PC game has been agonizing. The hit-or-miss console titles starring Duke haven�t slaked our thirst for more of his super-charged, alien-blasting antics, nor has our culture�s call for political correctness diminished our desire for more of his over-the-top lechery. As the wait for the first original title in the series since Duke Nukem 3D extends into 2002 with no firm release date, perhaps another Duke Nukem title will provide the thrills we seek.
In development at Sunstorm Interactive and produced by 3D Realms, Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project is a fast action 3D platformer featuring eight missions set in a gritty New York. As game players explore the Big Apple�s underbelly, they�ll blow up bad guys, collect power-ups, and acquire ammunition and new weapons. Sounds like a walk in Central Park for our muscle-bound champion.
The third-person gameplay is viewed from a predominantly side view, although the camera often rotates so players can see Duke coming at them, leaving them, and as he turns corners and curved areas; in other words, the action takes place from many different views, not just a side perspective. Manhattan Project should garner an M rating, as publisher ARUSH is staying true to Duke�s no-holds-barred personality. This means plenty of babes to save, mutants to blow into bloody chunks, and smart-ass lines to toss around.
ARUSH says it�s combining this libidinous fun with a richness and depth seldom seen in platform games. Duke first battles mutants, including PigCops, on skyscraper rooftops where he fights off a helicopter boss, and then moves through the subways to reach Chinatown. Following Chinatown, Duke hits the sewers to fight alligator mutants, and then makes his way to an abandoned factory. Once he finishes that area, he boards a tanker enroute to an oilrig in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. With seven weapons and 15 new enemies, he�s got his work cut out for him. Also, the game features a green-glowing substance called G.L.O.P.P. that mutates and de-mutates creatures. One of Duke�s weapons is a GLOPP Gun that fires bursts of the goo at mutated roaches and other monsters in order to return them to their former selves. Duke can promptly crush the roaches under the heel of his boot; hasta lavista, Raid pest control!
ARUSH isn�t ready to release screenshots of Manhattan Project, although we�ve seen beta images of the first mission, Rooftop Rebellion, and can report that the 3D environment is unlike any other platform game we�ve seen on the PC or a console. The environments are large, the textures are detailed, and the visuals sport all the right bells and whistles, including character shadows, colored lighting, and awesome weapon effects -- we�d love to show you the screenshot of Duke showering a monstrous roach with G.L.O.P.P., but ARUSH is holding out until the game�s models and textures are closer to completion.
All of the characters, including Duke, are large 3D models that appear to interact seamlessly with an animated environment; one screenshot shows Duke dangling from a platform while hoisting himself up to greater heights, while another shows Duke ogling a Fem-Mech, a girl enemy who uses a lightning whip on Duke. Ouch! A shot of Duke wasting a PigCop shows the hoggish foe exploding in a shower of blood-red gibs, and in our favorite image, a helicopter looms center-screen as the force of an explosion blows Duke back.
Manhattan Project will not be distributed via the Internet, as other ARUSH offerings such as Hunting Unlimited and Primal Prey were -- it�s strictly a retail product. ARUSH, who licensed and are publishing the game, says Manhattan Project should be on store shelves in April or May.
Can ARUSH make a splash with the title? Manhattan Project isn�t Duke Nukem Forever, but it promises genuine Duke Nukem attitude in a fun, mid-ranged priced offering. �It�s my way or� Hell, it�s MY way!� Duke sneers in the Manhattan Project. But if game players had their way, ARUSH�s Duke couldn�t barrel onto PCs fast enough.
Posted by Joe Siegler at 1:30 PM
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Max Payne Awards
We've got another award to lead off today's coverage for Max Payne. This time the award comes from the gaming site elited.net. They have given Max Payne their Best Action game of the year award award. Here's a bit of what they had to say:
Best of 2001, this says a lot for the developers that took the risk of making a single player game that has third person view only. Max Payne is a pseudo-realistic type game, with the attention to each minute detail. Click a button on the soda machine and a soda falls out, shoot the can and it spews soda and flips around. Things like that add to the realism. Bullet time (slo-mo) and bullet dodge were unique features added to this incredible game. The game learns your ability and adjusts accordingly, how many games do that? Max Payne is worthy of Best action game of the year hands down.
In other Max Payne awards news, we've started a new page on the site. It lists the awards that Max Payne has been given (not game reviews, but awards). You can check out the page here - more will be added as they are discovered.
Posted by Joe Siegler at 1:30 PM
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Max Payne Daily Review
Computer Gaming World (Nov. 2001)
Rating: 4.5 of 5 Stars (Editor's Choice award)
Max Payne is like a big summer blockbuster movie. And when it comes to special effects, Max Payne sports some of the most mouth-watering eye candy ever seen in a computer game. Remedy's 3D engine does an amazing job of rendering a world that not only looks photo realistic at times but also evokes the grittiness of a noir action-thriller on the big screen. The extreme detail of the world, even the cleaner environments you encounter later on, really help in the suspension of disbelief.
Posted by Joe Siegler at 11:30 AM
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Duke Nukem Forever is the Most Anticipated
...according to the gaming news site Gaming Groove. In their article on most anticipated games for 2002, Duke Nukem Forever comes in as the most anticipated. Here's what they had to say about it..
Duke, Duke, Duke. We just had to stick him in first place - even if this title was Super Mario Brothers the hype for this puppy alone would slip it into the first place slot. Personally, we are surprised all the hype still exists after 3Drealms' time-consuming development process. Perhaps the hype still does exist because the people know that hype isn't the only thing this game has going for it. The graphics are looking great and as visually pleasing as far as blowing someone's head off can go. The gameplay itself is guaranteed to be an absolute blast and the multiplayer is sure to be one of the best things in the game. Those reasons plus more is why we crowned DNF with the most anticipated game for 2002. We know these are certainly the sentiments of the GamingGroove staff as well as most of you reading this too!
Gaming Groove isn't the only one who rated DNF at the top of their list of most anticipated. Voodoo Extreme also published their list, and they rated DNF at the top. Here's what VE had to say..
Was there really any doubt that Duke would be number one? No way, Jose! If Duke Nukem Forever lives up to half of the expections people have for it (and what's been boasted on various forums), I think we could have a new FPS king crowned this year. 3D Realms is walking a very tight rope with the long development cycle however, as the FPS scene is very picky when it comes to visuals & technology. With other first person shooters coming out this year boasting insane poly counts, 3D Realms has a window to either release the game, or suffer the Daikatana syndrome of "we should've released it two years ago". I hate to add to the hype, but I think that Duke Nukem Forever is going to be all that, plus much more.
The release date for Duke Nukem Forever remains, as always, "When it's done".
Posted by Joe Siegler at 11:30 AM
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