Mark Essen | |
---|---|
Nationality | American |
Other names | Messhof |
Occupation | Video game designer and artist |
Known for | Nidhogg |
Mark Essen, better known as Messhof, is an American video game designer and artist best known for Nidhogg , its sequel, and Flywrench .
In college, Messhof made games with GameMaker and Microsoft Paint software. An early game, Punishment 1, began as a group assignment in an advanced, experimental class. His other early games included Wally, Bool, Booloid, Punishment 2, and Flywrench , uploaded on his website. [1] His work was profiled in The Creators Project [2] and the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art, [3] and shown in the New York New Museum, Toronto Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art, [4] and Liverpool Foundation for Art and Creative Technology. [5] He was cited by a Savannah College of Art and Design instructor as a successful example of blending arts aesthetics and video games. [6]
Messhof developed Nidhogg , a fast-paced, side-scrolling sword fighting game between 2010 and 2014. Its first prototype, Raging Hadron, was expanded over four years to include online multiplayer, new environments, and new gameplay modes. Messhof balanced development as the sole programmer with development on other games and both teaching and student commitments in graduate school. [7] He taught classes on intermediate game design and experimental mobile games at University of Southern California's Interactive Media & Games program. [8] Nidhogg's production's pace increased when he formed a studio, also known as Messhof, with Kristy Norindr, who found other collaborators for finishing the project. [7] An expanded version of the game, Nidhogg 2 , was illustrated by artist Toby Dixon and includes new levels, music, and weapons. [9]
Year | Title | Platform |
---|---|---|
2014 | Nidhogg | Windows, macOS, PS4, PSVita |
2015 | Flywrench | Windows, macOS, PS4 |
2017 | Nidhogg 2 | Windows, macOS, PS4, Xbox One, Switch |
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Nidhogg 2 is a fighting game and sequel to Nidhogg by indie developer Messhof. It was released for Microsoft Windows, macOS and PlayStation 4 in 2017. An Xbox One version was released in July 2018 and the Nintendo Switch version was released in November 2018. The game received generally positive reviews from critics upon release.
Flywrench is an action video game developed and published by Messhof. The game puts the player in the role of 6802, a spacecraft floating through the Solar System in search of a mysterious access point. As 6802 passes the different planets towards the Sun, the player is tasked to maneuver 6802 through a variety of levels, in which they, by pressing or holding one of two certain buttons, must change 6802's color adaptively to barriers blocking the way to the finish and at the same time control 6802's movement behavior.
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