Neuromancer (video game)
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| Neuromancer | |
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| Developer(s) | Interplay Productions |
| Publisher(s) | Mediagenic |
| Designer(s) | Bruce Balfour, Michael Stackpole, Brian Fargo, Troy A. Miles |
| Platform(s) | Amiga, Apple II, Apple IIgs, Commodore 64, DOS |
| Release date | 1988 |
| Genre(s) | Adventure Game |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
| Media | Floppy disk |
| Input methods | Keyboard, Joystick, Mouse |
Neuromancer is a computer adventure game created by Interplay Productions in 1988 and distributed by Mediagenic (a brand name that Activision was also known by). It was designed by Bruce Balfour, Michael Stackpole, Brian Fargo, and by Troy A. Miles, who was also responsible for the programming.
It is based loosely on the William Gibson novel of the same name, Neuromancer, and takes place in both the "real world" and the extensively realized and detailed world of cyberspace. It is also noted for having a soundtrack based on the Devo song "Some Things Never Change". The gaming rights at the time were owned by Timothy Leary, who brought the project to Interplay to develop.
The game was rated one of the 150 Best Games of All Time by Computer Gaming World.[1]
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[edit] Gameplay
Taking place in the year 2058 in Chiba City, Japan, the plot centered around the protagonist attempting to discover the truth behind the mysterious disappearances of his friends as well as other, less friendly cyberspace cowboys. Unfortunately, the player's character has fallen on hard times and has had to pawn his cyberspace deck. He awakes in a plate of Ratz' famous spaghetti, and the first order of business is to find some way to retrieve his old deck from the nearby pawnshop.
The gameplay was split between a traditional adventure setting, where a player could interact with 'real world' inhabitants within Chiba City, and a 3D grid representation of cyberspace once he'd managed to regain access. Different 'real world' locations led to different grid sectors, thus developing the plot and enriching the immersion. Cyberspace combat was also simulated in the game as the player attempted to breach ICE (Intrusion Countermeasure Electronics) to gain entry to database nodes and potentially face the formidable AIs (Artificial Intelligences) that hide behind them. Skills and abilities can be purchased as "skill chips" that can be used in a brain jack implanted in the protagonist's head, giving him an edge in a variety of situations.
The game also used a code wheel as a form a copy protection. The code wheel was necessary to access the PAX terminals in the game at certain points and without it, the player hits a dead-end in the plot.
[edit] Novel
The game is loosely based on the events of the novel, Neuromancer, making use of the locations and several of the characters from the book to tell its story as well as the technology. Fans familiar with the book will recognize many of the locations that are represented in the game along with the people, items, and the nuances of cyberspace that were described by William Gibson's work.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Computer Gaming World, November 1996
[edit] External links
- Neuromancer at MobyGames
- Neuromancer | Revision A game inspired by Interplay's Neuromancer
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