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| MIDI Maze | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer | Xanth Software F/X |
| Publishers | Hybrid Arts (ST) Bullet-Proof Software (GB, SNES) Riverhillsoft (SCDROM2, GG) |
| Platforms | Atari ST,Game Boy,Game Gear,Super NES,Super CD-ROM² |
| Release | Atari ST
|
| Genres | First-person shooter,maze |
| Mode | Multiplayer |
MIDI Maze, also known asFaceball 2000, is a networkedfirst-person shootermaze video game for theAtari ST developed by Xanth Software F/X and released in 1987 by Hybrid Arts. The game takes place in a maze of untextured walls. The world animates smoothly as the player turns, much like the earlierWayout, instead of only permitting 90 degree changes of direction.
Using theMIDI ports on the Atari ST, the game is said to have introduceddeathmatch combat to gaming in 1987. It also predated theLAN party concept by several years. The game found a wider audience when it was converted toFaceball 2000 on theGame Boy.
Up to 16 computers can be networked in a "MIDI Ring" bydaisy chaining MIDI ports that are built into the Atari ST series.
The game area occupies only roughly a quarter of the screen and consists of afirst-person view of a flat-shaded maze with a crosshair in the middle. All players are shown asPac-Man-likesmileyavatars in various colors.[1][2] Bullets are represented as small spheres.
The game is started by a designated master machine, which sets rules, divides players into teams, and selects a maze. A number of mazes come with the game, and additional mazes can be constructed using a text-editor.
The originalMIDI Maze team at Xanth Software F/X consisted of James Yee as the business manager, Michael Park as the graphic and networking programmer, and George Miller writing the AI and drone logic.[3]
AGame Boy version was developed by Xanth, and published in 1991 byBullet-Proof Software, with the titleFaceball 2000.[4] James Yee, owner of Xanth, had the idea of porting the 520ST application to the Game Boy. George Miller was hired to rewrite the AI-based drone logic, giving each drone a unique personality trait.[citation needed] This version allows two players with aGame Link Cable, or up to four players with the Four Player Adapter.
It is often rumored[by whom?] that the Game Boy version would allow up to 16 players by daisy-chaining Four Player Adapters, which is not the case. According to programmer Robert Champagne, the original game's code does contain a 16-player mode, but it required a special adapter that was planned to be bundled with the game, to create a "chain" of link cables. The 16-player mode and the adapter were announced in the April 1991 issue ofNintendo Power;[5] however, Nintendo did not allow the adapter's release, so the 16-player mode cannot be enabled using original Game Boy systems.[6] Later, a method was discovered to daisy-chain Game Boy Advance link cables to allow up to 15 players.[7] In 2024, electrical engineer Zarithya was able to produce a 16-player adapter that replicated the functionality of the original adapter intended for the game, discovering that due to anoff-by-one error, more than 15 players would never have been possible in the original release of the game even with compatible hardware. She was then able to modify the ROM to support up to 16 simultaneous players, and successfully start a 16-player match. She and others created two patches for the game, one to fix the 16-player functionality only, and another to upgrade the game to include Super Game Boy and Game Boy Color support (called "Faceball 2000 DX"), and released them on GitHub.[8][9]
ASuper NES version, also titledFaceball 2000, was released in 1992, supporting two players in split-screen mode. This version features completely different graphics and levels from the earlier Game Boy version. A variety of in-game music for this version was composed byGeorge "The Fat Man" Sanger.[10]
AGame Gear version, also titledFaceball 2000, was released to theJapanese market byRiverhill Soft.[11] It is a colorized version of the monochrome Game Boy version, supporting two players with two handheld consoles connected by the Gear-to-Gear Cable.
APC Engine CD-ROM version, titled onlyFaceball (フェイスボール), was released in Japan by Riverhill Soft.[citation needed]
A port ofMIDI Maze forAtari 8-bit computers was developed by Xanth, but cancelled circa 1989. A prototype was eventually found and the ROM was released.[12][13]
According to Robert Champagne, other unreleased ports were worked on at Xanth, including IBM PC and NES.[14]
A port for Nintendo'sVirtual Boy console, to be titledNikoChan Battle (ニコちゃんバトル) in Japan, was almost completed, but canceled as the system was discontinued in late 1995.[15] A prototype was found in 2013, and the ROM was subsequently released.[16][17]
| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| GameRankings | 51.67% (SNES)[18] 73.75 (GB)[19] |
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| Computer and Video Games | 35/100 (SNES)[20] |
| Electronic Gaming Monthly | 6/10, 8/10, 6/10, 7/10 (GB)[21] |
| Video Games (DE) | 59% (SNES)[22] |
In 1994,Sandy Petersen reviewed the game forDragon magazine, giving it 2 out of 5 stars.[23]Super Gamer magazine gave an overall review score of 82% writing: "Ultra successful on the little Game Boy, this 3-D maze shoot-'em-up has been totally uprated for the SNES."[24]
Entertainment Weekly pickedFaceball 2000 as the #5 greatest game available in 1991, saying: "The Game Boy meets virtual reality (i.e., artificial, computer-enhanced, first-person perspective). InFaceball 2000, you assume the identity of a Holographically Assisted Physical Pattern Yielded for Active Computerized Embarkation – or HAPPYFACE – and hunt down your opponents. You can play alone or link up with as many as three additional players. More fun than real-life tag, and much more stimulating."[25]CNET Gamecenter calledMIDI Maze one of the 10 most innovative computer games of all time.[26] In 2018,Den of Geek ranked the game 25th on their "25 Underrated Game Boy Games."[27]
Personal Computer World said that in 1987,MIDI Maze introduced the concept ofdeathmatch combat, using the built-inMIDI ports of the Atari ST for networking.[28]TheGamer listed it as among ten games that revolutionizedfirst-person shooters,[29] which was also noted byNostalgia Nerd[30] andVG247.[31] Ask.Audio marveled at how it used the Atari ST'sMIDI port for multiplayer gaming,[32] also noted by Paleotronic.[33] Nomad's Reviews listed it as among the original first-person shooters,[34] as didGamesRadar.[35]
MIDI-Maze II was later developed by Markus Fritze for Sigma-Soft and released asshareware.[citation needed]
iMaze is anopen sourceclone of the game forUnix-like systems.[36]