The Mask (video game)
| The Mask | |
|---|---|
 North American cover art | |
| Developer(s) | Black Pearl Software[1] |
| Publisher(s) |
|
| Distributor(s) | New Line New Media |
| Designer(s) | Matthew Harmon Todd Tomlinson Dan Burke Steve Burke Shaun Tsai Eric Elliot Luke Anderson |
| Programmer(s) | Matthew C. Harmon |
| Composer(s) | Phil Crescenzo[2] |
| Platform(s) | Super NES |
| Release date(s) | |
| Genre(s) | 2D action platformer |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
The Mask (マスク) is a Super Nintendo Entertainment System side-scrolling action video game based on the first Mask movie. The film, in turn, was loosely based on the Dark Horse comic book series of the same name.[3]
Story
Dorian Tyrell and his gang of rogues are secretly planning to take over Edge City, a small and prosperous city where the nightlife revolves around the wealthy patrons who attend the nightclub that Dorian owns and operates for the benefit of himself and his henchmen.[4]
The player controls Stanley Ipkiss, a mild mannered bank clerk who transforms into the namesake character after discovering a green Loki mask.[3]
Gameplay
The player has to navigate through his apartment, a high-rent district, outside and inside the bank, the local park, inside the local prison (complete with enemies wearing stereotypical striped prison uniforms), and finally through a ritzy nightclub to fight his evil nemesis, Dorian (who is also wearing the mask).[3] All the major bosses in the game resemble characters from the film like Mrs. Peenman the angry landlady along with careless repairmen Irv and Burt Ripley; who did a shoddy job on Ipkiss' vehicle.[5]
If the player runs out of health, then he returns to being Ipkiss, wearing his pajamas. Many of The Mask's moves featured in the game were based on scenes in the movie, such as the mallet (which he uses to smash the alarm clock in the movie), the tornado, the massive guns he pulls from his pocket during the final confrontation during the movie, and the huge "living" horn.[3] It also features other moves, such as a sneaking move which makes The Mask invisible (his enemies do not see him), a dash move (as well as a "superdash" move where he runs at supersonic speed), and his primary attack which is a basic punch move with cartoon boxing gloves. Many of the special moves (the mallet, guns, horn, etc.) use The Mask's "Morph" power, which is replenished with power-ups. If his morph meter runs out it slowly replenishes to a smaller amount than that he started out with, much like the ammo replenishes for the main gun in Earthworm Jim.
The ending of the video game involves dancing with a 16-bit representation of Cameron Diaz accompanied by big band music.[6] Cameron Diaz was at the peak of her Hollywood motion picture career during the mid-1990s and was assigned to play the role of Tina Carlyle (Dorian Tyrell's girlfriend) in the actual film.
Development
Though the game is ostensibly based on the movie, the graphics were based on the cartoony style of the comic book rather than the movie.[7]
The beta version of The Mask played more like a beat 'em up rather than a side-scrolling action game. Damage in the beta version came in a series of expressions; similar to the various faces used in the 1993 first-person shooter Doom. Different backgrounds were placed in the incomplete version that were scrapped in the retail version. Violent-looking attacks like a projectile-firing gun and a karate-style low kick were deleted from the final version.[8]
A version of the game was also in development for the Sega Genesis but was canceled.[9][10]
In the stage select screen, there exists an unused level called "Wild Ride". No explanation has been given for this, but it may have been scrapped from the game.
Reception
Electronic Gaming Monthly gave The Mask a score of 6.8 out of 10 (equivalent to a C+ letter grade). GamePro gave this video game a score of 3.5 out of 5. Allgame gave it a score of 3 out of 5. Game Players gave the game a score of 82%. The German video game magazine Total! gave it a 2.75 out of 6 rating.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Release date". GameFAQs. Retrieved 2008-09-27.
- ↑ "Composer information". SNESMusic.org. Retrieved 2011-12-14.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 "Game information". allgame. Retrieved 2011-12-14.
- ↑ "Story of The Mask video game" (in Japanese). Netsurf. Retrieved 2011-12-26.
- ↑ "Major enemies of The Mask video game". Ain't it Cool News. Retrieved 2011-12-27.
- ↑ "Description of the game's ending". Video Game Museum. Retrieved 2011-12-27.
- ↑ "The Mask". GamePro (62) (IDG). September 1994. pp. 52–53.
- ↑ "Description of the beta version". Unseen 64. Retrieved 2011-12-26.
- ↑ Interview:Matt Harmon GDRI. Retrieved on 8-26-13.
- ↑ Interview: Matt Harmon Sega-16. Retrieved on 8-26-13.