Ignition to publish Archer Maclean's PSP launch title

By Tom Bramwell Published 19 November, 2004

Tilt levels to move liquid metal blobs through mazes. It genuinely sounds like just the sort of game that we'd get stuck into on the tube into town...

Having unveiled a Nintendo DS puzzle game earlier this week in the shape of Zoo Keeper, Ignition Entertainment has furthered its involvement in the next generation of handheld games consoles by announcing that it is to publish a PlayStation Portable launch title from Archer Maclean's Awesome Studios called Mercury.

Described as "a refreshingly unique game with roots in many genres," we're slightly refreshed by the realisation that from what we've heard we tend to agree. The idea is to manipulate blobs of mercury through maze-like 3D environments by tilting the level, rather than taking direct control of the liquid metal.

By doing this you'll be able to overcome the various switch puzzles, platforms, obstacles and hazards dotting the path between level goals, as the "ridiculously sophisticated" game engine calculates the physics of the goopy mercury as it bends and flows round objects in its path.

Puzzle elements will also require you to use the level design to split the mercury into several coloured component parts in 3D maze-like courses that require lateral thinking to overcome. It all sounds a bit like Monkey Ball meets Terminator 2.

"Without exception, everyone who has seen the early versions of Mercury behind the scenes has immediately loved it," Maclean himself claims. "It's an incredible game which will define a new genre. Coding it to run this fast has been staggeringly complicated, yet the results are hugely impressive. We're delighted to be able to work with Sony Computer Entertainment in making this a PSP launch title. It's just perfect for the format."

We're certainly keen to get our hands on it and see how it all works, and we'll be sure to let you know when we do. You can check out a number of screenshots of Mercury here.

Picture of Tom.

About Tom Bramwell

Tom is Operations director of Eurogamer Network and Editor-at-Large of Eurogamer.net. He joined the company in February 2000.

Read more articles from Tom by visiting the Tom Bramwell archive page.

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Comments (12) Latest comment 7 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • pjmaybe #1 7 years ago

    Damn, I want him to remake Dropzone!

    Peej

  • HairyArse #2 7 years ago

    Hey I got the first comment in and said:

    It's Monkey Ball but with Mercury.

    How original.

    But it's not there :( weird. Why would that be deleted?

  • Suttieb #3 7 years ago

    Whats with all the Shizzle'M'Nizzle Mondo ad's?

    How much they paying?

  • BeDevil #4 7 years ago

    HairyArse, that's the first comment in the 'Screenshots' comments section :)

    This is the kind of game I want for my PSP, plus Ridge Racers obv.
    Edited by 2 at 19/11/04 @ 11:45

  • Pina Verified Producer, Seed Studios, Lda. #5 7 years ago

    To be Monkey Ball with mercury you would have mercury droped inside the ball.

    The trick must be to not let the blob fall apart.

  • pjmaybe #6 7 years ago

    It sounds a bit like that weird little PC game that came out a while ago where you control a blob of oil. I always thought that would make a cool console game.

    Would be interesting to see if this is the DS's killer app.

    Peej

  • spindizzy #7 7 years ago

    HairyArse: you put that on the comments section beneath the screen shots.

  • El_MUERkO #8 7 years ago

    blobster and WPP beat me to it, reminds me immediately of Spindizzy/ Marble Madness / Super Monkey Ball

  • Hairy Bob #9 7 years ago

    It sounds a lot like Bob's Bad Day!
    Published in 1993 on the Amiga by Psygnosis, Bob's Bad Day could easily be described as...

    A refreshingly unique game with roots in many genres, the idea is to manipulate balls through maze environments by tilting (and rotating) the level, rather than taking direct control of the balls.

    By doing this you were able to overcome the various switch puzzles, platforms, obstacles and hazards dotting the path between level goals.

    Bob's Bad Day was fabulously addictive with a well judged difficulty curve.

  • OnlyMe #10 7 years ago

    Yeah, I've already seen this in the game mentioned above me. Bob's Bad Day. I have an original of that game, it was an interesting game. Gave me a headache.

  • Hairy Bob #11 7 years ago

    Hey - Bob's Bad Day on handheld would be massive. It is the ideal game for handheld - and it's playability is already proven. I wonder if there are any plans for BBD on the handhelds?

  • Jonnyboy #12 7 years ago

    Wow it's great to here you guys talking about Bob's Bad Day - I wrote it!!!

    Never has such a great game sold so little.......

    BBD would be fantastic on a hand held.