MotherLoad
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| MotherLoad | |
|---|---|
 Players can eventually reach depths exceeding 6,000 feet. |
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| Developer(s) | XGenStudios |
| Publisher(s) | XGenStudios |
| Designer(s) | Skye J.W. Boyes |
| Engine | Adobe Flash |
| Release date(s) | 2004 |
| Genre(s) | Simulation |
| Mode(s) | Adventure & Challenge |
| Rating(s) | NR (Not Rated) |
| Platform(s) | Windows, Mac, Linux |
| Media | CD (Goldium Edition) |
| System requirements | Windows: Intel Pentium II 450MHz, 128MB RAM Mac OS: PowerPC G3 500MHz, 128MB RAM |
| Input | Keyboard, Mouse |
MotherLoad, as well as the upgraded MotherLoad Goldium Edition, is a 2-dimensional (2D) Flash game from XGenStudios. In this game, players engage in the duties of a miner sent by their boss, Mr. Natas, to Mars to find minerals and the mythical Motherload, the jackpot in the center of Mars. Though starting off in a quite limited digging machine, one excavates minerals that can be sold to upgrade the digging machine's fuel tank, hull, engine, radiator, cargo bay and drill. The deeper underground one goes, the more valuable the minerals present become, but the more dangerous and difficult to navigate the ground becomes.
MotherLoad Goldium Edition is an upgraded version of the standard game. This edition contains more upgrades, offline saving capabilities, a Challenge Mode and several Easter Eggs. It is available for purchase on the XGen Studios website for a premium, either via direct download or by mail with a CD case and graphics.
Contents |
[edit] Gameplay
Adventure Mode is the only mode of game play for the standard version of the game. Hired by Mr. Natas, players excavate the soil of Mars to find minerals, selling them in order to upgrade their mining pod. Burrowing progressively deeper for more valuable minerals becomes progressively more dangerous, all in the search for the fabled Motherload. If the player runs out of fuel or health, they explode and the game is over.
Obstacles in the game include earthquakes, stones, lava, and hidden gas pockets. Earthquakes cannot harm the player, but will ruin whatever tunnels they were digging. Boulders cannot be drilled through, but instead must be destroyed with dynamite or simply worked around. Lava is a noticeable danger that, when passed through, diminishes the player's health severely if they do not have a good radiator and hull. Hidden gas pockets are most player's top worry. They are undetectable and can instantly destroy a pod.
When the player reaches -6666 feet (though -66,666 feet is displayed), they will reach Mars's center. Their boss, Mr. Natas (whose name spelled backwards is Mr. Satan) will reveal his true self - the devil - and challenge the player to a duel. If the player wins, they will progress to the next level.
Each time the player beats the game, it becomes harder with the minerals selling for less and the boss becoming much harder. I.e. after the game is completed once, the minerals sell for half as much as the first time and the boss has twice as much health. The second time the game is beaten, the minerals sell for three times less than the first time and the boss has three times as much health.
In the Goldium Edition, the most notable addition is the challenge mode which has twelve levels. The completion of various tasks, such as digging to a specified depth or navigating a maze, is required to move on to each next round of this mode. Minerals can be sold and fuel can be bought, but the Junk Shop is unavailable. Every few rounds, the player receives upgrades to their mining pod or extra items. If all 12 challenges in this mode are all successfully passed consecutively, the player receives the special upgrade known as the Multi-Drill.
[edit] Minerals and Relics
Minerals are the game's main source of income because they can be redeemed for money at the Mineral Processing building. Due to their increased weight, the more valuable minerals are located deeper in the Martian soil.
Minerals include real materials such as gold with an "ium" at the end (Goldium, Silverium), and real gems such as diamonds, rubies and amazonite. Artifacts like dinosaur and Martian skeletons can be found with the religious artifact that looks like an ankh.
[edit] Upgrades and items
Upgrades can be purchased with money earned from mining of minerals and finding relics. Upgrades help the player to dig deeper in search of more valuable minerals. At greater depths, upgrades are required to reach minerals effectively and safely. They include drills to dig faster, hulls to take more damage, engines to fly faster, fuel tanks to hold more fuel, radiators to cool lava and cargo bays to hold more minerals. The player can also buy items to help with the journey. Items include reserve fuel tanks, teleporters and explosives.
[edit] Citations
Motherload Introduction Story by Skye, "XGenStudios", September 8, 2004, retrieved October 2, 2006
