Oddworld Adventures (Euro, USA)
Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee is a platform video game developed by Oddworld Inhabitants and published by GT Interactive. It was released in 1997 for the PlayStation video game console, DOS and Microsoft Windows in North America, Australia and Europe. The game was released under the title Abe a GoGo (（エイブ・ア・ゴーゴー, Eibu A Gōgō) in Japan for the PlayStation by publisher SoftBank, with a PC version following in 2001. The Game Boy port of Abe's Oddysee, retitled as Oddworld Adventures, was developed by Saffire Corporation and published by GT Interactive in 1998.
The game centers on the titular Abe, a Mudokon slave working at the RuptureFarms meat processing factory on Oddworld. When he discovers that he and his fellow Mudokons are to be slaughtered and processed into the corporation's new product line-up he decides to escape and liberate as many enslaved Mudokons as he can along the way. The player assumes the role of Abe as he attempts escape from the factory in a perilous quest to emancipate his downtrodden people.
Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee was widely acclaimed for having innovative gameplay, good graphics and engaging cut-scenes; however, its steep learning curve and system of saving only at checkpoints received criticism. It was the first game in the planned five-part Oddworld series, which also includes its direct sequels, Oddworld: Abe's Exoddus and Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee.
An HD remake, titled Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee New N' Tasty!, is currently in development by Just Add Water for digital distribution. It will be available on Xbox Live Arcade, PlayStation Network and Steam at launch.
Abe's Oddysee is a two-dimensional platform game in which player's take control of a Mudokon named Abe, who must escape from a factory plotting to use his kind as food products. Abe must travel across the game, which is split off into separate screens, solving puzzles, navigating obstacles and avoiding enemies to make it out alive. Abe is particularly vulnerable and he will die if he is attacked by an enemy, killed by an obstacle or falls from too great a height, respawning at the last checkpoint. As well as jumping to navigate areas and crouch to roll under obstacles, Abe can break into a run to jump over large gaps or escape enemies, or tiptoe to avoid disturbing enemies.
Abe has the ability to use possession to possess enemies and control them. Whilst chanting, enemies will be alerted, requiring Abe to be in a safe area to avoid being attacked whilst chanting. Certain areas will also prevent Abe from chanting. Once Abe successfully possesses an enemy, Abe can freely control them, using them to attack other enemies and activate mechanisms that are dangerous to reach by himself and can then self-destruct them to return to his body. Abe's body is immobile and vulnerable whilst possessing someone else, though if his host is killed, control will return to Abe's body.
Along the way, the player will encounter many other Mudokons that he can attempt to rescue. Abe can communicate with these Mudokons using a system called "GameSpeak". By holding down the GameSpeak button and pressing various commands, Abe can command them to follow him, stay put and activate mechanisms, as well as praise or scold them. Sometimes Abe will have to go through certain procedures to get a certain Mudokon, such as a native, to listen to him, such as responding to whistles. Mudokons can be rescued by safely leading them past traps and enemies to bird portals, which can be activated by chanting to allow them to escape. If the player rescues at least 50 Mudokons during the course of the game, he will receive the good ending upon completion.
Throughout the game, Abe will encounter many different aliens such as armed Sligs, Scrabs and Paramites, each with their own characteristics. Sligs will shoot on sight, but can't see through dark areas, Scrabs will attack anyone in their territory whilst Paramites will attack in packs and become shy when on their own. Elums are bipedal creatures that Abe can ride and communicate with GameSpeak, although they will be distracted by dripping honey. Late in the game, Abe gains the ability to transform into a demigod called a Shrykull, which can eviscerate all on-screen enemies. Abe can use this ability once after rescuing a certain amount of Mudokons at the same time.
The game centers on the titular Abe, a Mudokon slave working at the RuptureFarms meat processing factory on Oddworld. When he discovers that he and his fellow Mudokons are to be slaughtered and processed into the corporation's new product line-up he decides to escape and liberate as many enslaved Mudokons as he can along the way. The player assumes the role of Abe as he attempts escape from the factory in a perilous quest to emancipate his downtrodden people.
Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee was widely acclaimed for having innovative gameplay, good graphics and engaging cut-scenes; however, its steep learning curve and system of saving only at checkpoints received criticism. It was the first game in the planned five-part Oddworld series, which also includes its direct sequels, Oddworld: Abe's Exoddus and Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee.
An HD remake, titled Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee New N' Tasty!, is currently in development by Just Add Water for digital distribution. It will be available on Xbox Live Arcade, PlayStation Network and Steam at launch.
Abe's Oddysee is a two-dimensional platform game in which player's take control of a Mudokon named Abe, who must escape from a factory plotting to use his kind as food products. Abe must travel across the game, which is split off into separate screens, solving puzzles, navigating obstacles and avoiding enemies to make it out alive. Abe is particularly vulnerable and he will die if he is attacked by an enemy, killed by an obstacle or falls from too great a height, respawning at the last checkpoint. As well as jumping to navigate areas and crouch to roll under obstacles, Abe can break into a run to jump over large gaps or escape enemies, or tiptoe to avoid disturbing enemies.
Abe has the ability to use possession to possess enemies and control them. Whilst chanting, enemies will be alerted, requiring Abe to be in a safe area to avoid being attacked whilst chanting. Certain areas will also prevent Abe from chanting. Once Abe successfully possesses an enemy, Abe can freely control them, using them to attack other enemies and activate mechanisms that are dangerous to reach by himself and can then self-destruct them to return to his body. Abe's body is immobile and vulnerable whilst possessing someone else, though if his host is killed, control will return to Abe's body.
Along the way, the player will encounter many other Mudokons that he can attempt to rescue. Abe can communicate with these Mudokons using a system called "GameSpeak". By holding down the GameSpeak button and pressing various commands, Abe can command them to follow him, stay put and activate mechanisms, as well as praise or scold them. Sometimes Abe will have to go through certain procedures to get a certain Mudokon, such as a native, to listen to him, such as responding to whistles. Mudokons can be rescued by safely leading them past traps and enemies to bird portals, which can be activated by chanting to allow them to escape. If the player rescues at least 50 Mudokons during the course of the game, he will receive the good ending upon completion.
Throughout the game, Abe will encounter many different aliens such as armed Sligs, Scrabs and Paramites, each with their own characteristics. Sligs will shoot on sight, but can't see through dark areas, Scrabs will attack anyone in their territory whilst Paramites will attack in packs and become shy when on their own. Elums are bipedal creatures that Abe can ride and communicate with GameSpeak, although they will be distracted by dripping honey. Late in the game, Abe gains the ability to transform into a demigod called a Shrykull, which can eviscerate all on-screen enemies. Abe can use this ability once after rescuing a certain amount of Mudokons at the same time.
Oddworld Adventures (Euro, USA)
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Télécharger Oddworld Adventures (Euro, USA)
Contenu de la ROM :
Technique
CPU
- maincpu LR35902 (@ 4 Mhz)
Chipset
- LR35902
Affichage
- Orientation Yoko
- Résolution 160 x 144
- Fréquence 59.732155 Hz
Contrôles
- Nombre de joueurs 1
- Nombre de boutons 2
- Type de contrôle joy (8 ways)
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Screenshots de Oddworld Adventures (Euro, USA)
Plot
Characters
Abe's Oddysee includes only four named characters, though there are many anonymous slaves and guards. The protagonist of the game is Abe, a Mudokon slave worker born into captivity and ignorant of his people's rich history and culture. Abe is often described as a "klutz" for his clumsy and simple nature. He is also different from the rest of the Mudokons, being the only one to have his lips sewn shut. Reportedly, because of his constant crying in his childhood, they sew his mouth shut to keep him quiet. It didn't do any good though.
Midpoint through his adventure, Abe is joined by the Elum, a stubborn, yet loyal mule creature. "Elum" is the English word "Mule" spelled backwards; and the creature is described as one in the enclosed instruction book. It is unclear whether "Elum" is the name of the species, or merely of the individual. Abe and Elum were originally envisioned as beginning Abe's Oddysee together, living off the land and being thrust into an industrialized factory slave environment. The developers came to the conclusion that the story was stronger should Abe come from a factory existence and later reveal one of self-sustenance, and as such the concept was changed.
A guiding leader figure enters the story in Big Face, the pre-eminent Shaman of the Mudokon people, who wears a large wooden mask, crafted by native Mudokons, from which his name is derived. Big Face is a character whose spiritual power and knowledge remains a mystery; he saves Abe from death and sets him on a quest to rescue his brothers and face the trials of the Monsaic Lines, before acting in a more traditional leader's role to the eventual dozens of freed slaves.
The primary antagonist of the game is Molluck the Glukkon, the ruthless chief executive officer of the meat-packing factory titled RuptureFarms. Reportedly attractive by Glukkon standards, and having terrible cigar breath, Molluck is obsessed with success, doing anything within his power and cunning to achieve ever more wealth. Despite this, Molluck's business empire is failing due to decline of the wildlife whose meat he sells. Desperate to revive his trade, Molluck decides to use his Mudokon slave population in his food products to offset the declining profits.
Story
Abe's Oddysee begins with the titular protagonist as a prisoner in RuptureFarms, from which point he narrates his story. He and many other Mudokons have been slaves all their life to Molluck the Glukkon, who owns RuptureFarms, which is known as the biggest meat-processing plant on Oddworld. Abe is a contented floor-waxer First Class and currently Employee of the Year.
RuptureFarms is undergoing difficulties: the ingredients of their three major products: Scrab Cakes, Paramite Pies, and Meech Munchies, are quickly running out, with the Meeches already extinct. While working late one night, Abe chances upon the Board Room, where the various Glukkons are discussing their dilemma. After reviewing the situation, Molluck announces his plan to use the Mudokon slaves as new meat products called "Mudokon Pops!", frightening Abe into a resolution of escaping from the factory.
Abe proceeds to elude the authorities and escape from RuptureFarms; immediately out, Abe sees a large moon in the sky, with its face in the shape of a Mudokon handprint, signifying the Mudokons as the "chosen people". Abe suddenly falls down a cliff, smashing his head; as he lies on the ground, BigFace appears before him in a vision. BigFace sends Abe towards his quest: to rescue his enslaved brethren and "restore the lost land". He cannot accomplish this feat without first completing the spiritual trials of the Monsaic Lines and Mudokon temples. Abe journeys into the Monsaic Lines, from where he travels to the forests of Paramonia and the deserts of Scrabania. In each land, Abe completes the tests of the respective temple; after each one, BigFace gives Abe hand scars, one representing the Paramites and one representing the Scrabs. Once Abe has both scars, he can become the Shrykull, an all-powerful demigod creature. The Shrykull stands outside life as a dualistic god, of creation and destruction, and of fear and love.
With this divine power, Abe returns to RuptureFarms, rescues his Mudokon brethren and manages to find the switch to turn off most of the power to the factory. At this point, Mullock finds out what happened and decides to flood the entire factory with poisonous gas in a last-ditch attempt to do away with Abe, who eventually finds himself in the Board Room and chants to invoke the Shrykull to eliminate the Glukkons there before pulling a switch to turn off the gas, only afterwards, he is surprised, captured, and bound. It is at this point that he first appears in captivity at the start of the game. As Molluck enters the prison cell and prepares to drop Abe into a meat grinder, BigFace holds a meeting with freed Mudokons at the Monsaic Sanctum.
Here, there are two endings. The good ending is triggered by the player rescuing at least 50 Mudokon slaves throughout the game, sees the Mudokons resolve to save Abe, and sees them chant together and invoke a powerful lightning bolt upon Molluck's pointy head. With Molluck incapacitated, BigFace teleports to Abe, frees him, and teleports him out to a cheering crowd. Should Abe have failed to rescue at least 50 Mudokons throughout the game, the bad ending is invoked, wherein the few freed Mudokon slaves refuse to give aid to him. Molluck is given free rein to release Abe into a meat grinder, where he is instantly killed. Subsequent games and media treat the good ending as canonical.
In the initial PlayStation version of the game, upon "perfect" completion of the game — completion with all 99 Mudokon slaves rescued — an extra full motion video (FMV) "Guardian Angel" can be viewed, via a cutscene viewer. The video depicts a captured Abe being harassed by "The Shrink", a mechanical creature with a sophisticated artificial intelligence. The FMV is notable due to its absence from the PC version and later PlayStation releases of the game, and its introduction of a new character to the Oddworld mythos. The character was reputedly part of an early advertising campaign, which included television commercials, but was eventually abandoned.
Development
Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee began production in January 1995 under the working title of Soul Storm. After GT Interactive acquired publishing rights on September 12, 1996, the title was changed, first to Epic and eventually to Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee. The game had a private showing at E3 '96, but it was not until E3 '97 that journalists took note of the game and it was generally well received. The version of the game shown at E3 '97 was remarkably similar to the release version, and Abe's Oddysee had a reportedly smooth development cycle with few late changes.
The first footage creator Lorne Lanning saw of Abe's Oddysee involved a pack of meeches chasing Abe. He said he was happy with the animation at the time but when development was nearing completion, the studio discovered that there was not enough disk space to include all of the species features in the game. The meeches were removed from the final game and explained in the story as being extinct.
Abe's Oddysee was the first major GT title that the UK development team, that had been taken in by GT following the acquisition of Warner Interactive, became involved with. The testing process of the game was unusual for GT Interactive as the British team did game play testing whilst normally American games were only tested in Europe for language and other compatibility issues. The soundtrack features mostly ambient music composed by Ellen Meijers.
When Abe's Oddysee was in production, the developers found that a male executive at publisher GT Interactive tried to sabotage production because he didn't like the game being made. He took footage of the game to his boss, who loved the direction the game had, and chose to provide more funding at the expense of the executive that wanted to shut it down. Lanning later said explained that in 1997 during Oddysee's production, men in the video game industry were seen as making toys, and not taken seriously. Men were "happy to make a living, but they weren’t necessarily going out and bragging about it" Games began to be more about shooting and violence and blood, but Oddworld Inhabitants was "the antithesis to that" and said "we can make people feel better rather than just feel like they won."
The first footage creator Lorne Lanning saw of Abe's Oddysee involved a pack of meeches chasing Abe. He said he was happy with the animation at the time but when development was nearing completion, the studio discovered that there was not enough disk space to include all of the species features in the game. The meeches were removed from the final game and explained in the story as being extinct.
Abe's Oddysee was the first major GT title that the UK development team, that had been taken in by GT following the acquisition of Warner Interactive, became involved with. The testing process of the game was unusual for GT Interactive as the British team did game play testing whilst normally American games were only tested in Europe for language and other compatibility issues. The soundtrack features mostly ambient music composed by Ellen Meijers.
When Abe's Oddysee was in production, the developers found that a male executive at publisher GT Interactive tried to sabotage production because he didn't like the game being made. He took footage of the game to his boss, who loved the direction the game had, and chose to provide more funding at the expense of the executive that wanted to shut it down. Lanning later said explained that in 1997 during Oddysee's production, men in the video game industry were seen as making toys, and not taken seriously. Men were "happy to make a living, but they weren’t necessarily going out and bragging about it" Games began to be more about shooting and violence and blood, but Oddworld Inhabitants was "the antithesis to that" and said "we can make people feel better rather than just feel like they won."
Release
The game saw its first release on the PlayStation, DOS and Windows on September 19, 1997, on a day dubbed as "Odd Friday" by the developer and publisher; over 500,000 units were originally released worldwide. The Japanese version followed in October. A Sega Saturn version was also announced by GT Interactive, but it was never released.
For the release in Japan, the title of Abe's Oddysee was changed to Abe a GoGo by the publisher SoftBank. Other changes included the art for the "Mudokon Pops!" packaging, which originally consisted of a Mudokon head speared on a stick. Due to undisclosed current events in Japan, the design was changed to a more ambiguous, "happier" image. The design for the protagonist Abe and other Mudokons was also significantly altered. Certain Japanese pressure groups were offended by the Mudokons having four fingers and most of them working in a meat-packing factory, due to a historic Japanese subclass of meat packers who were looked down upon in society. Four fingers, or showing four fingers to another person, came to insinuate the other was a member of the subclass, because it had become symbolic of the meat packers who frequently had work-related accidents. Oddworld Inhabitants had to alter the design of Mudokons to having only three fingers, or else face legal battles and large fines.
Oddworld Inhabitants made the altered designs a permanent feature; subsequent versions of Abe's Oddysee released outside Japan included both the changed packaging and changed Mudokon hand. Future games and media also recognise these changes as canon, although Abe's Exoddus oddly features four-fingered Mudokon sprites, and scenes from Abe's Oddysee shown in the game were not altered.
The Game Boy port was released as Oddworld Adventures; it was developed by Saffire Corporation and published by GT Interactive in 1998. The game is a significantly cut-down version of Abe's Oddysee, with only a few similar levels and a condensed plot (Abe starts out as a native Mudokon, so the opening levels in RuptureFarms are absent from this version).
For the release in Japan, the title of Abe's Oddysee was changed to Abe a GoGo by the publisher SoftBank. Other changes included the art for the "Mudokon Pops!" packaging, which originally consisted of a Mudokon head speared on a stick. Due to undisclosed current events in Japan, the design was changed to a more ambiguous, "happier" image. The design for the protagonist Abe and other Mudokons was also significantly altered. Certain Japanese pressure groups were offended by the Mudokons having four fingers and most of them working in a meat-packing factory, due to a historic Japanese subclass of meat packers who were looked down upon in society. Four fingers, or showing four fingers to another person, came to insinuate the other was a member of the subclass, because it had become symbolic of the meat packers who frequently had work-related accidents. Oddworld Inhabitants had to alter the design of Mudokons to having only three fingers, or else face legal battles and large fines.
Oddworld Inhabitants made the altered designs a permanent feature; subsequent versions of Abe's Oddysee released outside Japan included both the changed packaging and changed Mudokon hand. Future games and media also recognise these changes as canon, although Abe's Exoddus oddly features four-fingered Mudokon sprites, and scenes from Abe's Oddysee shown in the game were not altered.
The Game Boy port was released as Oddworld Adventures; it was developed by Saffire Corporation and published by GT Interactive in 1998. The game is a significantly cut-down version of Abe's Oddysee, with only a few similar levels and a condensed plot (Abe starts out as a native Mudokon, so the opening levels in RuptureFarms are absent from this version).
Reception
Upon its release in 1997, Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee received mostly positive reviews. Edge described the game as "a tight 2D platformer that's packed with great innovative touches and some great character design".GameSpot gave the PlayStation version 8.4 out of 10 and praised the game as "the ideal platformer, balancing its action and puzzle elements perfectly to make the game intelligent, engaging, and, best yet, fun".Animation World Magazine applauded multiple aspects of the game, saying it "features some of the best graphics and animation we've ever seen" and commenting on the "sophisticated gameplay". The graphics struck many reviewers as being excellent, as while the game is two-dimensional, all elements were rendered in 3D programs. PC Zone remarked that "the developers have created an outstanding visual environment for Abe to leap around in," while GamePro described the graphics as "eye-popping". The game's audio was often singled out for praise. GameSpot gave the music a score of nine out of ten.
Most criticism toward the game was directed at the save system.Edge said that "Oddworld demands a certain level of commitment to progress", while Science Fiction Weekly claimed the game's "innovative game play makes for a steep learning curve. This initial difficulty in figuring out how to play is aggravated by a save feature that often forces players to redo difficult sections."PC Zone stated that "progress does seem to rely on trial and error, which involves much replaying of levels and gnashing of teeth. All this can be frustrating at times, especially when Abe is plonked right back at the start of a level when he dies". The game's follow-up, Abe's Exoddus, notably implemented a suspend save feature that did not require the reaching of checkpoints.
The game won many awards, including the Nobel Prize from PC Computing Magazine in December 1997, E3 Showstopper 1997 from GamePro in August 1997 and the "Best Director" award from the World Animation Festival in 1997. In the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences' first annual Interactive Achievement Awards it was nominated in the categories "Console Adventure Game of the Year" and "Outstanding Achievement in Sound and Music".
Most criticism toward the game was directed at the save system.Edge said that "Oddworld demands a certain level of commitment to progress", while Science Fiction Weekly claimed the game's "innovative game play makes for a steep learning curve. This initial difficulty in figuring out how to play is aggravated by a save feature that often forces players to redo difficult sections."PC Zone stated that "progress does seem to rely on trial and error, which involves much replaying of levels and gnashing of teeth. All this can be frustrating at times, especially when Abe is plonked right back at the start of a level when he dies". The game's follow-up, Abe's Exoddus, notably implemented a suspend save feature that did not require the reaching of checkpoints.
Awards
The game won many awards, including the Nobel Prize from PC Computing Magazine in December 1997, E3 Showstopper 1997 from GamePro in August 1997 and the "Best Director" award from the World Animation Festival in 1997. In the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences' first annual Interactive Achievement Awards it was nominated in the categories "Console Adventure Game of the Year" and "Outstanding Achievement in Sound and Music".
Legacy
Sequels
Abe's Oddysee received two direct sequels. Oddworld: Abe's Exoddus was released for PlayStation in November 1998, taking place directly after Oddysee. The game continues the style of gameplay from the previous game with several improvements, such as the ability to use GameSpeak with different species and possess explosive clouds of wind. Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee was released for Xbox in 2001, bringing the gameplay into 3D environments as well as allowing players to play as another alien, Munch.
Remake
Main article: Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee New N' Tasty!
An video game remake of Abe's Oddysee is being developed by UK studio Just Add Water. The game is slated for a release during the autumn of 2013 for the PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, PC and Xbox 360. 
