Minotaur: The Labyrinths of Crete

Last updated
Minotaur: The Labyrinths of Crete
MinotaurofCreteCover.jpg
Developer(s) Bungie
Publisher(s) Bungie
Designer(s) Jason Jones
Platform(s) Mac OS
Release1992
Genre(s) Role-playing, adventure
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer

Minotaur: The Labyrinths of Crete is a 1992 role-playing adventure video game for Macintosh by Bungie; produced by Jason Jones and Alex Seropian.

Contents

Gameplay

The game distinguished itself from other games of its time by including a multiplayer mode that functioned over the AppleTalk protocol or Point-to-Point Protocol. A single-player exploration mode was also available, but this mode had no end goal and was useful to discover how the various items found in the maze operated.

Publication history

The game originated in 1988 as an Apple game played over a modem between two opponents, but was never officially released on that platform.

The game's tagline was "Kill your enemies. Kill your friends' enemies. Kill your friends". This tagline has reappeared as a description in the multiplayer menu screens for some of Bungie's other games, such as Myth: The Fallen Lords and Halo 3 .

Bungie later licensed Minotaur's game engine to the studio Paranoid Productions (Richard Rouse) who used it to create Odyssey: The Legend of Nemesis, released in 1996.

Reception

Computer Gaming World favorably reviewed Minotaur although criticizing its not using the mouse and lack of a single-player option, and concluded that "a group of dedicated opponents [that] enjoy fast-thinking and ad-lib strategizing will find long-lasting enjoyment from this game". [1] The game was reviewed in 1992 in Dragon #188 by Hartley, Patricia, and Kirk Lesser in "The Role of Computers" column. The reviewers gave the game 4 out of 5 stars. [2] The game sold 2,500 copies. [3]

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>Marathon Trilogy</i> Video game series

The Marathon Trilogy is a science fiction first-person shooter video game series from Bungie, originally released for the Classic Mac OS. The name of the series is derived from the giant interstellar colony ship that provides the main setting for the first game; the ship is constructed out of the Martian moon Deimos. The series is often regarded as a spiritual predecessor of Bungie's Halo series.

<i>Pathways into Darkness</i> 1993 video game

Pathways into Darkness is a first-person shooter adventure video game developed and published by Bungie in 1993, for Macintosh personal computers. Players assume the role of a Special Forces soldier who must stop a powerful, godlike being from awakening and destroying the world. Players solve puzzles and defeat enemies to unlock parts of a pyramid where the god sleeps; the game's ending changes depending on player actions.

<i>Might and Magic Book One: The Secret of the Inner Sanctum</i> 1986 video game

Might and Magic Book One: Secret of the Inner Sanctum is an early role-playing video game, first in the popular and influential Might and Magic franchise. It was released in 1986 as New World Computing's debut, ported to numerous platforms and re-released continuously through the early 1990s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alex Seropian</span> American video game developer

Alexander Seropian is an American video game developer, one of the initial founders and later president of Bungie, the developer of the Marathon, Myth, and Halo video game series. Seropian became interested in computer programming in college and teamed up with fellow student Jason Jones to publish Jones's game Minotaur: The Labyrinths of Crete. The two became partners, and Bungie grew to become the best-known Apple Macintosh game developer before being bought by Microsoft in 2001.

<i>The Summoning</i> (video game) 1992 video game

The Summoning is an isometric-view fantasy role-playing video game developed by Event Horizon Software and published by Strategic Simulations in 1992.

<i>Winter Games</i> 1985 video game

Winter Games is a sports video game developed by Epyx, based on sports featured in the Winter Olympic Games.

<i>Marathon</i> (video game) 1994 video game

Marathon is a first-person shooter video game developed and published by Bungie, and released in December 1994 for the Apple Macintosh. The game takes place several centuries into the future in outer space and sets the player as a security officer attempting to stop an alien invasion aboard a colony ship named the Marathon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jason Jones (programmer)</span> American video game developer and programmer

Jason Jones is an American video game developer and programmer who co-founded the video game studio Bungie with Alex Seropian in 1991. Jones began programming on Apple computers in high school, assembling a multiplayer game called Minotaur: The Labyrinths of Crete. While attending the University of Chicago, Jones met Seropian and the two formed a partnership to publish Minotaur.

<i>The Immortal</i> (video game) 1990 video game

The Immortal is an isometric action-adventure game originally created by Will Harvey and released by Electronic Arts in 1990 for the Apple IIGS. It was soon ported to the Amiga, Atari ST, DOS, Nintendo Entertainment System, and Genesis. A wizard is attempting to find his mentor in a large and dangerous labyrinth. It has a high degree of graphic violence. In 2020, the NES port was re-released on the Nintendo Switch Online service, while the Genesis port was re-released on the Piko Collection Collection 1 cartridge for the Evercade.

<i>Spectre</i> (1991 video game) 1991 video game

Spectre is a video game for the Macintosh, developed in 1990 by Peninsula Gameworks and published in 1991 by Velocity Development. It is a 3D vector graphics tank battle reminiscent of the arcade game Battlezone. One sequel, Spectre VR, appeared on a number of lists of best video games.

<i>Knights of Legend</i> 1989 video game

Knights of Legend, released by Origin Systems in 1989, is a fantasy role-playing video game.

<i>GBA Championship Basketball: Two-on-Two</i> 1986 video game

GBA Championship Basketball: Two-on-Two is a 1986 computer basketball game for the PC, Amiga, Apple II, Apple IIGS, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, ZX Spectrum and Commodore 64. It was developed by Dynamix and published by Activision.

<i>Pharaohs Revenge</i> 1988 video game

Pharaoh's Revenge is a puzzle-platform game developed by Ivan Manley and released by Publishing International in 1988 for the Apple II, Commodore 64, and MS-DOS. The game is similar in style to Lode Runner (1983).

<i>The Computer Edition of Risk: The World Conquest Game</i> 1989 video game

Risk: The World Conquest Game is a computer game developed by Virgin Mastertronic International in 1989 for DOS.

<i>Eye of Horus</i> (video game) 1989 video game

Eye of Horus is a computer game published in 1989 by Fanfare for the Amiga.

<i>Global Conquest</i> 1992 video game

Global Conquest is a video game published by Microplay Software in 1992 for IBM PC compatibles. It is a version of Empire with numerous gameplay upgrades and a multi-player mode supported via modems.

<i>Siege</i> (video game) 1992 video game

Siege is a video game released by Mindcraft in 1992 for MS-DOS. An expansion pack, Dogs of War, was released. It added multiplayer, six new castles, and 16 new units to the game. A sequel, Ambush at Sorinor, was released in 1993.

<i>Discovery: In the Steps of Columbus</i> 1992 video game

Discovery: In the Steps of Columbus is a video game developed by Impressions Games and published in 1992 for Amiga, Atari ST, and MS-DOS compatible operating systems.

<i>Kingdoms of England II: Vikings, Fields of Conquest</i> 1992 video game

Kingdoms of England II: Vikings, Fields of Conquest is a computer game developed by Realism Entertainment in 1992 for the Amiga and DOS.

Bungie, Inc. is an American video game company based in Bellevue, Washington, and a subsidiary of Sony Interactive Entertainment. The company was established in May 1991 by Alex Seropian, who later brought in programmer Jason Jones after publishing Jones's game Minotaur: The Labyrinths of Crete. Originally based in Chicago, Illinois, the company concentrated on Macintosh games during its early years and created two successful video game franchises called Marathon and Myth. An offshoot studio, Bungie West, produced Oni, published in 2001 and owned by Take-Two Interactive, which held a 19.9% ownership stake at the time.

References

  1. Fisher, William C. (October 1992). "A Designer Looks at Minotaur". Computer Gaming World. No. 99. pp. 96–97. Retrieved 4 July 2014.
  2. Lesser, Hartley; Lesser, Patricia & Lesser, Kirk (December 1992). "The Role of Computers". Dragon (188): 57–64.
  3. Peterson, KIm (November 8, 2004). "Halo effect" . The Seattle Times . p. E1. Retrieved July 4, 2023.
  4. Rouse III, Richard (October 1993). "IMG Interview: Bungie's Jason Jones". Inside Mac Games .