Mercury Meltdown

Last updated

Mercury Meltdown
MercuryMeltdown-boxart.jpg
North American PlayStation Portable box art
Developer(s) Ignition Banbury
Publisher(s) Ignition Entertainment
Designer(s) Rich Hancock
Mark Walden
Platform(s) PlayStation Portable, PlayStation 2, Wii
ReleasePSP
  • AU: September 28, 2006
  • NA: October 3, 2006
  • EU: October 6, 2006
PlayStation 2
  • EU: November 30, 2006
  • NA: December 4, 2006
Wii
  • AU: March 26, 2007
  • EU: June 8, 2007
  • NA: October 17, 2007
Genre(s) Puzzle-platform
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer

Mercury Meltdown is a puzzle-platform game for the PlayStation Portable (PSP). It is the sequel to Archer Maclean's Mercury . Like the first game, the goal is to tilt the stage to navigate one or more blobs of mercury to the destination. In contrast to the original, Ignition Banbury had more time and experience developing the game and listened to player feedback, allowing the game to be easier and providing players with more freedom to choose levels. The game has new hazards, enemies, and minigames.

Contents

The game received a port to the PlayStation 2 (PS2) titled Mercury Meltdown Remix released a month after the original, with improved graphics, new levels, and optimized for the PS2's controller. A second port for the Wii titled Mercury Meltdown Revolution was released in 2007 and also changed the levels, improving the graphics further from the Remix version and making use of Wii's motion controls.

All versions of Mercury Meltdown were well-received by critics. The game was praised for being an overall improvement from the original in terms of difficulty and art style. Mercury Meltdown Remix received mixed reviews in regards to the PS2 controls with some criticism of removing multiplayer. Mercury Meltdown Revolution was also criticized for its lack of multiplayer, but was praised for its motion controls.

Gameplay

Gameplay of Mercury Meltdown. The mercury in a solid state allows it to be moved on rails. A new color-mixing chart is featured in the top right corner. Mercury Meltdown screenshot.jpg
Gameplay of Mercury Meltdown. The mercury in a solid state allows it to be moved on rails. A new color-mixing chart is featured in the top right corner.

Similar to its predecessor, Mercury Meltdown is a puzzle-platform game. The goal is to navigate one or more blobs of mercury to one or more finish posts in the level by tilting the stage using the analog stick of the PSP. Players automatically lose the stage if all mercury is lost, or unable to meet the requirements to complete the level. The mercury can be split into multiple blobs by using sharp objects or obstacles. The mercury color can be changed using a Paintshop or merging with other blobs of different colors. Color mixing is based on the RGB color model. [1] [2] The game is made up of worlds referred to as "Laboratories" that are split into 16 stages represented as test tubes. Stages have achievements for completing with 100% remaining mercury, obtaining the top score, and obtaining all bonus stars. An additional achievement is granted for obtaining all three in a single stage and can all be obtained individually via multiple playthroughs. Laboratories are unlocked after accumulating enough mercury after each stage completion. If players do exceptionally well in a particular laboratory, a secret 17th stage in that laboratory is unlocked. [1] [2]

Mercury Meltdown introduces the Playground; a circular arena, with most of the items found in stages to play and test with. Another new mechanic is the ability to change the mercury into 3 new states: Cold, Hot, and Solid. The Hot state makes the mercury an easily splittable liquid that travels quickly. The Cold state makes the mercury a semi-solid blob that moves slowly and is harder to split. The Solid state turns the mercury into a solid ball that can't be split, allowing it to traverse over rails. [1] Multiplayer is accessible between two PSPs via Ad-Hoc wireless mode or online network infrastructure mode. In multiplayer mode, players can participate in battle mode in which players can race each other from previously unlocked single-player levels. Bonus stars are replaced with battle pick-ups that can assist players or hinder their opponents. [1]

In addition to the main game, Mercury Meltdown introduces five unlockable party games: Rodeo, Race, Metrix, Shove, and Paint. In Rodeo, players tilt the stage to prevent the mercury from falling off. In Race, players race mercury around a track. Metrix is a match 3 puzzle minigame requiring one to make a group of three or more colored blobs that fit inside a pre-defined grid. In Shove, players aim the mercury for the center spot of a target, avoiding hazards; similar to curling. In Paint, players move the mercury to paint the tray in their respective colors before the opponent does. These can be unlocked by collecting the bonus stars in the main game. All the party games can be played in single-player and multiplayer. [1]

Development and release

Mercury Meltdown was developed by Ignition Banbury (formerly Awesome Studios). Early in the production stages Archer Maclean who originally coined the concept of the first game, had resigned from Ignition Banbury. His resignation was early enough in development to not have hindered the game's production. [3] The first game, Mercury , was released in a tight production schedule to match the launch of the PlayStation Portable, resulting in a lack of refinements. Mercury Meltdown was closer to what the development team originally wanted in the first game due to them becoming more experienced with PSP development. [3] [4] Ignition Banbury chose to use a cel-shaded style to differentiate it from its predecessor and to appeal to a wider audience. [5] One of the criticisms of the original game that the developers made note of was the difficulty. Ignition Banbury focused on making it easier and less linear. [4] It was intended to be released in Europe by September 2006 with plans of having downloadable content (DLC), however, the game was delayed and no DLC was released. [6] Mercury Meltdown was released in North America on October 3, 2006, and in Europe on October 6, 2006. [7] [8] A limited edition bundle was released with its predecessor, Archer Maclean's Mercury on October 19, 2010. [9] An iOS version was announced in E3 2011, however, no new information has since been released. [10]

A month before the release of the PSP version, Ignition Banbury announced a revised version for the PlayStation 2 titled Mercury Meltdown Remix. This version makes use of the DualShock controller's second analog stick and rumble feature as opposed to the PSP's singular analog. It added new levels, making the total over 200 levels. [11] Mercury Meltdown Remix was released in Europe on November 24, 2006, and in North America on December 4, 2006. [12] [13] The PS2 version was revised once more and ported onto the Wii under the title, Mercury Meltdown Revolution. Ignition Banbury began development when Nintendo announced the Wii under the code name: Revolution and was inspired by the Wii's motion controls. Ignition Banbury then pitched the concept to Nintendo in E3 2006, which resulted in it being approved by Nintendo. [14] Ignition Banbury produced the game using an unfinished Gamecube engine and the tilt sensor mechanics that were intended to be used for the original Mercury game. [15] Ignition Banbury further improved graphics from Mercury Meltdown Remix, added in new levels, and refined the difficulty curve. [16] In addition to utilizing the Wii Remote's tilt control, Ignition Banbury also implemented the option to play Revolution with a Classic Controller and also attempted to add GameCube controller support, but this feature did not make the final release. [14] Mercury Meltdown Revolution was released in Europe on June 8, 2007, and in North America on October 17, 2007. [17] [18]

Reception

All versions of Mercury Meltdown have been well received by critics. The PSP, PS2, and Wii versions hold an aggregated score of 78, 73, and 77 out of 100 respectively. [20] [19] [21] Both the PSP and Wii versions were featured in 1001 Video Games You Must Play Before You Die . [38] In regards to the original PSP version, critics gave praise on the improvements it made from the difficult and new visual style. Eurogamer praised the difficulty curves being more consistent and the variety of the level designs. [39] IGN complimented the new cel-shaded design and bright colors as opposed to the cold-steel design of its predecessor, stating that it brightens the game and makes it more fun. IGN further elaborated that the new cel-shaded design of the mercury blob makes it easier to define the shape of the blob and when it dissipates. [31] GameSpot also praised the stages being more pleasing to the eye due to the bright and colorful. [27] PALGN noted that the environments didn't feel as epic, however, did feel more lively. [34] Pocket Gamer stated it was an improvement from its predecessor in nearly every way. [37]

Mercury Meltdown Remix received mixed reviews from critics. Both GameZone and PALGN complimented the camera controls for improving the game. [29] [33] GameSpot criticized the new controls for controlling the camera, stating the sensitivity was too high and allowing more mistakes to be made. Another criticism was the lack of a multiplayer option, causing the Party games to become dull without it. [26] IGN was also critical of it, feeling that the PlayStation 2 controller did not feel right. [30]

Mercury Meltdown Revolution received a more positive reception, in particular for the motion controls. PALGN complimented how well the motion controls work. [35] Eurogamer felt that the controls were more well-realized than other Wii games at the time and were accessible to all players. [25] IGN UK gave it an editor's choice award, although they said that the sound could be better and a lack of multiplayer is disappointing, especially on the Wii. [32] GamePro stated the motion controls were fresh and a lot of fun, however also criticized the lack of multiplayer option. [40] Play was very critical of the Wii version due to similar titles in the Wii's library and the art style not being as appealing as other titles such as Kororinpa. [36]

Related Research Articles

<i>Lumines: Puzzle Fusion</i> 2004 puzzle video game

Lumines: Puzzle Fusion is a 2004 puzzle game developed by Q Entertainment and published for the PlayStation Portable by Bandai in Japan and by Ubisoft elsewhere. The gameplay tasks players to arrange descending two-colored 2×2 blocks to create 2×2 squares of matching color. A vertical line called the "time line" sweeps across the field, erases completed squares, and awards points. Each stage has a skin that affects the background, block colors, music, and the speed of the time line.

<i>WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006</i> 2005 professional wrestling video game

WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 is a professional wrestling video game and developed by Yuke's that was released on the PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable by THQ in 2005. It is part of the WWE SmackDown vs. Raw video game series based on the professional wrestling promotion World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), and is the successor to the 2004 game of the same name. SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 was also the first game in the series to be released on PlayStation Portable and the last game in the SmackDown!/SmackDown! vs. Raw series that was PlayStation exclusive.

<i>Archer Macleans Mercury</i> 2005 video game

Archer Maclean's Mercury is a 2005 puzzle-platform game for the PlayStation Portable developed by the eponymous British game programmer, Archer Maclean and Awesome Studios. In Mercury, the goal is to guide a drop of mercury to its appointed destination by tilting the stage, in a similar fashion to Super Monkey Ball. Levels come in different varieties that prioritize different methods of completing each level. The game was conceived when Archer Maclean used a previous minigame from Jimmy White's Cueball World and added a liquid metal physics. It was originally designed to have motion controls by using a tilt sensor peripheral for the PSP, but this version was never released due to technical constraints.

<i>Urban Reign</i> 2005 video game

Urban Reign is a multiplayer beat 'em up game developed and published by Namco in 2005 exclusively for the PlayStation 2.

<i>Ridge Racer</i> (2004 video game) 2004 video game for PSP

Ridge Racer, released in Japan as Ridge Racers, is a 2004 arcade-style racing video game developed by Namco for the PlayStation Portable, named after the eponymous Ridge Racer video game series to which it belongs. The game was released as a global launch title for the system, on 11 December 2004 in Japan and overseas in 2005. Ridge Racer has been described as a 'compilation' of the series, featuring tracks, cars and remixed soundtrack from previous titles of the 1990s. Gameplay-wise, it marked the change from the "classic" style last seen in Ridge Racer V to the new drifting mechanic and nitrous boost that the series would incorporate from there on, including on Ridge Racer 6 and Ridge Racer 7.

<i>Madden NFL 07</i> 2006 American football video game

Madden NFL 07 is an American football video game based on the NFL that was published by EA Sports and developed by EA Tiburon. It is the first in the video game series to debut for the PlayStation 3 and Wii consoles as launch titles and the last Madden game to be released on the Game Boy Advance. Former Seattle Seahawks running back Shaun Alexander is on the cover.

<i>Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Mans Chest</i> (video game) 2006 video game

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest is a 2006 action-adventure game based on the film of the same name developed by Griptonite Games and Amaze Entertainment for the Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, PlayStation Portable, and mobile phones.

<i>Heatseeker</i> (video game) 2007 video game

Heatseeker is a combat flight simulator video game for the Wii, PlayStation 2, and PlayStation Portable game systems developed by IR Gurus and published by Codemasters.

<i>Little Britain: The Video Game</i> 2007 video game

Little Britain: The Video Game is a collection of mini-games by British studios Gamerholix and Gamesauce and published by Mastertronic Group under their Blast! Entertainment label. It is presented in the format of an episode from the TV show. Players can interact with the sketch show characters in a series of seven mini-games featuring Lou and Andy, Vicky Pollard, Emily and Florence, Marjorie Dawes, Daffyd Thomas, Judy & Maggie and Letty. Each mini game plays like a sketch from the TV show and to win the game, the player must progress through all the sketches to the end of the show, where the credits will roll. The game's reception was generally negative.

<i>TMNT</i> (video game) 2007 video game

TMNT is an action video game featuring the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. It was developed by Ubisoft Montreal and published by Ubisoft for Xbox 360, Wii, PlayStation 2, GameCube, Nintendo DS, and PlayStation Portable, as well as for Microsoft Windows on March 20, 2007. It is based on the 2007 film of the same name.

<i>The Bigs</i> 2007 video game

The Bigs is an arcade-style baseball video game for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, Wii and PlayStation Portable. It was released in June 2007 in North America, and in October in the PAL region. A sequel, The Bigs 2, was released on July 7, 2009.

<i>Ratatouille</i> (video game) 2007 movie video game

Ratatouille is a 2007 platform video game developed by Heavy Iron Studios and published by THQ. It is based on the Pixar animation film of same name.

Zynga Eugene is an American video game developer based in Eugene, Oregon. The company was founded as Buzz Monkey Software in late 2001 by four former Dynamix employees: senior producer Randy Thompson, senior engineers Jon Milnes and Steve Cordon, and lead artist Barry Drew.

<i>Medal of Honor: Heroes 2</i> 2007 video game

Medal of Honor Heroes 2 is a first-person shooter video game for the Wii and the PlayStation Portable. It is the 12th installment in the long-running Medal of Honor series of World War II games, and a direct sequel to the PSP-exclusive Medal of Honor: Heroes, released a year prior. Each version was built from the ground up for its respective system. The Wii version was announced at Nintendo's E3 2007 Press Conference on July 11, 2007. Medal of Honor: Heroes 2 is set in World War II, starting on the Normandy beaches trying to control German bunkers and then move on to secure a village in France.

<i>The Sims 2: Castaway</i> 2007 video game

The Sims 2: Castaway is the third console spin-off of the life simulation video game The Sims 2 for the Wii, Nintendo DS (NDS), PlayStation 2 (PS2) and PlayStation Portable (PSP). It is also available on mobile phones; Nokia offered Castaway on the Ovi Store. A roughly similar game, The Sims Castaway Stories, is available for personal computers, but is not a direct port of Castaway.

<i>Thrillville: Off the Rails</i> 2007 video game

Thrillville: Off the Rails is a theme park simulation video game developed by Frontier Developments and published by LucasArts. It is the sequel to the 2006 game Thrillville. The game was released worldwide in October 2007. DC Studios developed the Nintendo DS version, which is a completely different game.

<i>Mercury Hg</i> 2011 puzzle-platform video game

Mercury Hg is a puzzle-platform game developed by British studio Eiconic Games and published by UTV Ignition Games. It is the third entry in the Mercury series. The goal is to navigate a blob of mercury to a goalpost by tilting the stage without losing all of the mercury. The mercury can be split apart into multiple blobs, change colors using Paintshops, and be remerged into a new color. In addition, the game utilizes an online leaderboard, ghost sharing, and the ability to insert music into the levels.

Guilty Gear X2 is a 2D fighting video game developed by Arc System Works, and published by Sammy Studios. It was first released on May 23, 2002 for Japanese arcades, and later ported to the PlayStation 2 for North America in 2003. The game received updated versions for several platforms, each containing various adjustments: Guilty Gear X2 #Reload (2003), Guilty Gear XX Slash (2005), Guilty Gear XX Accent Core (2006), Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus (2008), and Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus R (2012).

<i>Off Road</i> (video game) 2008 video game

Off Road is a 2008 racing video game developed by Razorworks and published by Xplosiv. It is the seventh and final game of the Ford Racing series. It is also the only game in the series to feature vehicles by Land Rover, which was owned by Ford Motor Company at the time. The game was released for the personal computer (PC), PlayStation 2 (PS2), PlayStation Portable (PSP), and the Nintendo Wii. The game received mostly negative reviews.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Mercury Meltdown Manual. Ignition Entertainment. October 3, 2006.
  2. 1 2 Cocker, Guy (June 23, 2006). "Mercury Meltdown Hands-On". GameSpot . Archived from the original on August 9, 2019. Retrieved August 9, 2019.
  3. 1 2 Orry, Tom (June 27, 2006). "Mercury Meltdown Interview". Videogamer.com. Archived from the original on June 22, 2019. Retrieved June 23, 2019.
  4. 1 2 Cundy, Matt (June 23, 2006). "Mercury Meltdown: Developer Interview". GamesRadar+. p. 1. Archived from the original on June 23, 2019. Retrieved June 23, 2019.
  5. ↑ Cundy, Matt (June 23, 2006). "Mercury Meltdown: Developer Interview". GamesRadar+. p. 2. Archived from the original on June 23, 2019. Retrieved June 23, 2019.
  6. ↑ Kombo (May 2006). "Mercury Meltdown dated". GameZone. Archived from the original on August 15, 2019. Retrieved August 11, 2019.
  7. ↑ "The PSP Games of Fall 2006". IGN . September 1, 2006. Archived from the original on August 9, 2019. Retrieved August 8, 2019.
  8. ↑ "Mercury Meltdown at games retailers". Pocket Gamer . October 6, 2006. Archived from the original on August 15, 2019. Retrieved August 15, 2019.
  9. ↑ "Archer Maclean's Mercury & Mercury Meltdown -- 2 Games in 1!". GameSpy . Archived from the original on July 8, 2019. Retrieved July 8, 2019.
  10. ↑ "E3 2011: UTV Ignition Games Announces Mercury Meltdown and Mercury Hg". IGN . June 28, 2011. Archived from the original on September 5, 2013. Retrieved June 20, 2019.
  11. ↑ "Ignition Entertainment Announces Mercury Meltdown Remix for the Playstation 2". Ignition Entertainment. September 15, 2006. Archived from the original on July 24, 2007. Retrieved August 16, 2019.
  12. ↑ "Mercury Meltdown Remix". Eurogamer . November 24, 2006. Archived from the original on August 10, 2019. Retrieved August 10, 2019.
  13. ↑ "PS3 game releases for the week of December 4th". engadget . December 3, 2006. Archived from the original on February 4, 2023. Retrieved August 10, 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  14. 1 2 Bramwell, Tom (January 15, 2007). "Mercury Meltdown Revolution Interview". Eurogamer . Archived from the original on July 14, 2019. Retrieved June 23, 2019.
  15. ↑ Kombo (May 4, 2012). "Mercury Meltdown Revolution Interview". Game Zone. Archived from the original on June 23, 2019. Retrieved June 23, 2019.
  16. ↑ Jackson, Mike (January 8, 2007). "Mercury Meltdown Revolution Interview". Computer and Video Games . Archived from the original on February 8, 2007. Retrieved June 23, 2019.
  17. ↑ "Mercury Wii gets solid date". Eurogamer . May 11, 2007. Archived from the original on August 28, 2011. Retrieved August 9, 2019.
  18. ↑ "Break Open the Thermometer: Mercury Meltdown Revolution Launches on the Wii Today!". Gameindustry.biz. October 17, 2007. Archived from the original on August 10, 2019. Retrieved August 9, 2019.
  19. 1 2 "Mercury Meltdown Remix for PlayStation 2 reviews". Metacritic . Archived from the original on February 14, 2019. Retrieved June 22, 2019.
  20. 1 2 "Mercury Meltdown for PSP reviews". Metacritic . Archived from the original on March 16, 2019. Retrieved June 22, 2019.
  21. 1 2 "Mercury Meltdown Revolution for Wii". Metacritic . Archived from the original on February 16, 2019. Retrieved June 22, 2019.
  22. ↑ "Mercury Meltdown". Edge . No. 168. November 2006. p. 88. Retrieved July 5, 2024.
  23. ↑ "Mercury Meltdown Revolution". Edge . No. 177. July 2007. p. 92. Retrieved July 5, 2024.
  24. ↑ Bramwell, Tom (October 31, 2006). "Mercury Meltdown: Hot". Eurogamer . Archived from the original on July 4, 2022. Retrieved July 4, 2024.
  25. 1 2 "Mercury Meltdown Revolution review". Eurogamer . June 7, 2007. Archived from the original on July 14, 2019. Retrieved June 7, 2007.
  26. 1 2 Navarro, Alex (December 13, 2006). "Mercury Meltdown Remix Review". GameSpot . Archived from the original on August 11, 2019. Retrieved August 16, 2019.
  27. 1 2 Navarro, Alex (October 10, 2006). "Mercury Meltdown Review". GameSpot . Archived from the original on August 11, 2019. Retrieved August 11, 2019.
  28. ↑ Cocker, Guy (June 22, 2007). "Mercury Meltdown Revolution". Archived from the original on June 27, 2007. Retrieved July 4, 2024.
  29. 1 2 Jkdmedia (May 4, 2012). "Mercury Meltdown Remix – PS2 – Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on August 16, 2019. Retrieved August 16, 2019.
  30. 1 2 Nix (December 11, 2006). "Mercury Meltdown Remix". IGN . Archived from the original on September 6, 2019. Retrieved August 16, 2019.
  31. 1 2 Nix (October 9, 2006). "Mercury Meltdown". IGN . Archived from the original on August 11, 2019. Retrieved August 11, 2019.
  32. 1 2 Wales, Matt (May 30, 2007). "Mercury Meltdown Revolution UK Review". IGN . Archived from the original on June 3, 2007. Retrieved June 7, 2007.
  33. 1 2 Low, David (May 4, 2012). "Mercury Meltdown Remix Review". PALGN. Archived from the original on January 29, 2007. Retrieved August 16, 2019.
  34. 1 2 Van Leuveren, Luke (October 3, 2006). "Mercury Meltdown Review: Keeping the Temperature Hot?". PALGN. Archived from the original on December 31, 2007. Retrieved August 11, 2019.
  35. 1 2 Van Leuveren, Luke (June 12, 2007). "Mercury Meltdown Revolution Review: The temperature is rising". PALGN. Archived from the original on June 13, 2007. Retrieved August 16, 2019.
  36. 1 2 Campbell, Heather (October 2007). "Mercury Meltdown Revolution: Not how i roll". Play . p. 90. Retrieved August 11, 2019.
  37. 1 2 Bennallack, Owain (October 19, 2006). "Mercury Meltdown review". Pocket Gamer . Archived from the original on August 11, 2019. Retrieved August 11, 2019.
  38. ↑ Tony Mott, ed. (2013). 1001 Video Games You Must Play Before You Die. Universe Publishing. ISBN   978-1844037667.
  39. ↑ Bramwell, Tom (June 14, 2006). "Mercury Meltdown: The sequel. Butter whole lot better". Eurogamer . Archived from the original on August 10, 2019. Retrieved August 11, 2019.
  40. ↑ Balistrieri, Emily (March 4, 2008). "Mercury Meltdown Revolution". GamePro . Archived from the original on September 9, 2008. Retrieved June 7, 2007.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.