Game Card
Mercury Meltdown Revolution (Wii)
- Publisher:
- Ignition Ent.
- Developer:
- Ignition Entertainment Banbury
- US Release:
- 20.08.2007
- EU Release:
- n/a
- Number of players:
- n/a
- Type:
- Puzzle
- Age:
- Modern Times
Review
We play Mercury Meltdown Revolution...
As the game’s name suggests the developers have been following the development of the Wii (originally code named Revolution) for same time. And it turns out for good reason as they had a little game on their hands that was screaming out for some tilt sensitive controllers. Having had something of a torrid time, being bounced from PSP to PS2 and back again, it never quite got the attention or sales that it deserved. Now, finally they can deliver it on a platform that has a controller that measure up to the ambition of the game itself.
Things kick off with a nice tutorial level where you are introduced to some of the basics of the game. The main mechanic, and as it turns out the main character, is your ability to control a blob of liquid mercury around a maze by tilting it. It almost feels like the blob should be given more credence and perhaps a name of its own. This is a game that owes a lot of its inspired to the physical Mercury Mazes that our parents enjoyed until health and safety meant that they were recalled or destroyed.
The game may have been built around a great bit of physics, but the developers didn’t stop there. It has been refined and extended in almost every direction imaginable. For a start you can color your mercury to gain access to different parts of the maze. This is further extended by the need to mix the different primary colors to achieve a desired hue to access certain levels, something that is enabled by the ability to divide your blob into separate smaller portions. Simple run it into a sharp corner and the physics mean that you will end up with two similarly sized blobs. These can then be colored differently and recombined to achieve a variety of mixes. The final ability is to change the state of the mercury. In particular you can freeze it to enable you to traverse guppy floors that the mercury would have run off if it was still liquid.
Whilst tackling each level you need to keep your eye on three different aspects of the game. You need to get through the level as quickly as possible. You need to get to the finish without loosing too much of your mercury. And you need to collect as many bonuses along the way to unlock other levels and mini games. These three all work together in tension to create some really tense moments of gameplay; should I go for the finish or collect that last bonus?
The graphics are bright and primary and go well with the ethos of the game. The mercury itself is literally transfixing. It’s shiny surface running and flowing magnificently over the variety of surfaces and drops involved in each level. It’s a testament to the sheer craftsmanship of the game, you really do forget this is a simulation and feel like you really are edging a physical blob of liquid metal around the place. Sound wise things are less exciting, although there are enough up beat tunes and sound effects for it not to be a problem.
One down side of the game is that this is pretty much the same as we have seen in the recent PS2 version. There has been little redesign for the Wii and its particular audience other than the introduction of the Wii-mote control system. Hopefully this outing will be enough to whet the appetite of the Wii’s new-to-gaming peops so that we can see a fully Wii’d up sequel. It would be great to see them apply the Wii’s clean and simple design aesthetic to the game, and perhaps introduce some online features such as leader boards and even take advantage of the Wii system.
The only other disappointment is the lack of a multiplayer mode. There are party games but these are of the taking turns variety rather than playing head to head. Again I would have loved to see some co-operative play where two players can tilt different aspects of the level and have to work together to get the mercury through. Some online co-operative play would also add some real value and give people a reason to fine tune their tilting skills before performing in front of their friends.
These couple of criticisms can’t hide the fact that this is an outstanding game, with a real old school charm right at its heart. Those of us who loved some of the classic games of old will immediately warm to the familiar play and game structure of Mercury Revolution. Although you will need to be a real maze or puzzle game fanatic to get full value out of it, anyone should be able to find plenty of casual play from the variety of levels. It’s the sort of cookie game that you want to show to your non-gaming friends and get them to have a go. And there is no better recommendation for a game on the Wii than that.
Top Game Moment: Giving the controller to and older relative and watching their face as they are first perplexed then intrigued before being hooked on the ingenious game play. There is nothing better than a game that is self explanatory and can appeal to pretty much anyone.
 |
 |
|
| Blob of delight, do what I say! | Purple blobs can access purple doors, simple! |
Things kick off with a nice tutorial level where you are introduced to some of the basics of the game. The main mechanic, and as it turns out the main character, is your ability to control a blob of liquid mercury around a maze by tilting it. It almost feels like the blob should be given more credence and perhaps a name of its own. This is a game that owes a lot of its inspired to the physical Mercury Mazes that our parents enjoyed until health and safety meant that they were recalled or destroyed.
The game may have been built around a great bit of physics, but the developers didn’t stop there. It has been refined and extended in almost every direction imaginable. For a start you can color your mercury to gain access to different parts of the maze. This is further extended by the need to mix the different primary colors to achieve a desired hue to access certain levels, something that is enabled by the ability to divide your blob into separate smaller portions. Simple run it into a sharp corner and the physics mean that you will end up with two similarly sized blobs. These can then be colored differently and recombined to achieve a variety of mixes. The final ability is to change the state of the mercury. In particular you can freeze it to enable you to traverse guppy floors that the mercury would have run off if it was still liquid.
Whilst tackling each level you need to keep your eye on three different aspects of the game. You need to get through the level as quickly as possible. You need to get to the finish without loosing too much of your mercury. And you need to collect as many bonuses along the way to unlock other levels and mini games. These three all work together in tension to create some really tense moments of gameplay; should I go for the finish or collect that last bonus?
 |
 |
|
| Careful not to ooze of the edge! | Masterly physics that just make sense! |
The graphics are bright and primary and go well with the ethos of the game. The mercury itself is literally transfixing. It’s shiny surface running and flowing magnificently over the variety of surfaces and drops involved in each level. It’s a testament to the sheer craftsmanship of the game, you really do forget this is a simulation and feel like you really are edging a physical blob of liquid metal around the place. Sound wise things are less exciting, although there are enough up beat tunes and sound effects for it not to be a problem.
One down side of the game is that this is pretty much the same as we have seen in the recent PS2 version. There has been little redesign for the Wii and its particular audience other than the introduction of the Wii-mote control system. Hopefully this outing will be enough to whet the appetite of the Wii’s new-to-gaming peops so that we can see a fully Wii’d up sequel. It would be great to see them apply the Wii’s clean and simple design aesthetic to the game, and perhaps introduce some online features such as leader boards and even take advantage of the Wii system.
The only other disappointment is the lack of a multiplayer mode. There are party games but these are of the taking turns variety rather than playing head to head. Again I would have loved to see some co-operative play where two players can tilt different aspects of the level and have to work together to get the mercury through. Some online co-operative play would also add some real value and give people a reason to fine tune their tilting skills before performing in front of their friends.
 |
 |
|
| Go for a chill to get across the wires | The world's first mercury jump |
These couple of criticisms can’t hide the fact that this is an outstanding game, with a real old school charm right at its heart. Those of us who loved some of the classic games of old will immediately warm to the familiar play and game structure of Mercury Revolution. Although you will need to be a real maze or puzzle game fanatic to get full value out of it, anyone should be able to find plenty of casual play from the variety of levels. It’s the sort of cookie game that you want to show to your non-gaming friends and get them to have a go. And there is no better recommendation for a game on the Wii than that.
Top Game Moment: Giving the controller to and older relative and watching their face as they are first perplexed then intrigued before being hooked on the ingenious game play. There is nothing better than a game that is self explanatory and can appeal to pretty much anyone.
-
Trailer
Posted 14.03.07
Length 01:19 Views 686 -
Trailer #2
Posted 13.04.07
Length 01:29 Views 626
