MDK
MDK is a third-person shooter game developed by Shiny Entertainment and released in 1997 by Playmates Interactive Entertainment for the PC, Macintosh, and subsequently PlayStation. It was one of the first games to run only in Pentium or superior range of processors (for the PC version) but did not have a GPU requirement. Critically, it was hailed as one of the best games of 1997, and sold accordingly. The game soundtrack, composed by Tommy Tallarico, was also released, with moderate success.
The game tells the story of its protagonist, Kurt Hectic and his attempts to rescue Earth from an alien invasion of giant mining vehicles named 'Minecrawlers'. The game combined fast action with fully 3D rendered, state-of-the art (for the time) graphics and a weird sense of humour. It featured a never before seen "sniper mode" that allowed the player to zoom in on an enemy and target them with astonishing accuracy.
A sequel, MDK2 was developed by Bioware and released by Interplay for the PC and Dreamcast in 2000, and later for the PlayStation 2 (titled MDK 2: Armageddon) in 2001.
Technology
The game uses a powerful software-based engine, unlike most other games that relied on "brute force" hardware acceleration, low resolution graphics or tricks such as fogging and clipping to maintain good FPS in large maps. Although a fast CPU was recommended, the game ran smoothly with (relatively) low RAM and a slow CD-ROM drive, as the game did not use FMV (which by 1997 was the video game component that required more drive speed). The game also surprised the industry with the fluidity of Kurt's movement, which was done using motion capture and sprite-based animation.
Its innovative "sniper mode" feature allowed the player to zoom in all the way from one side of the map to the other without having objects popping up.
Plot
Dr Hawkins has spent years in exile in space. His research of 'Slipstreams' and 'Streamriders' of the possibility of travelling through gateways in space and time, using energy emitting streams surrounding Earth has been laughed at by Earths scientists. In disgust, he exiled himself in a space station and forced his labs janitor, Kurt Hectic to come too. Knowing that a possible invasion could happen at anytime, and they would be Earth's only defence. During his exile, He developed a new battle armor called the 'coil suit' and made a robotic dog called 'Bones' (later renamed Max in MDK2), to keep him and Kurt company. It was once fateful day that Dr Hawkins noticed that a invasion was taking place, right under humanities noses, using the streams to transport giant mining ships, 'minecrawlers' tearing up the Earth for 'fuel', Dr Hawkins gave the coil suit to Kurt and gave him a mission to save the Earth as they were Earth's last hope. The only way to defeat the invading beasts was to get into 'the belly of the beast'.
Gameplay
MDK is a third person shooter and at times, a first person view is assumed for sniping. As expected, Kurt has a wide range of weapons to choose from, the ammunition used in the third person view differing from that used in the first person view.
In addition to the third person and first person portions of the game, there are also several minigames including a "boarding" sequence as well as overhead bombing. These short areas blend seamlessly into the action and often aid Kurt by supplying powerups or clearing enemies.
Sky diving
As an intro before most levels, the player has to dive through the sky, at a aerial view from behind Kurt through the slipstreams connected to the invading Minecrawlers down below. The Minecrawler fires various projectiles such as lasers and missiles as self-defense, Kurt tries to land in the Minecrawler. At the same time, equipment supplies are dropped through the air which are taken into the inventory to the level.
Stream Riding
At the end of a level once a minecrawler self-destructs; usually as the general is assassinated, Kurt gets sucked into the slipstream, where he has a chance to collect a health box that strangly tries to flee away from him, if the health is collected it is added onto the health meter in the next level. To save Kurt from travelling forever in the slipstream Bones rescues Kurt by jumping in and breaking the stream.
Kurt's Coil Suit
Kurt is given a assortment of weird gadgets and inventions to help defend the earth by Doctor Hawkins, mainly his trademark coil suit, a mysterious dark, gothic, skintight suit that shines like leather. The coil suit acts as armor and makes Kurt streamlined, enable him to streamride and skydive easier.
The coil suit also contains the following gadgets:
The Helmet
Kurt's pointed helmet allows Kurt to dive easier, having less surface area when diving through the atmosphere. The helmet also functions as a sniper rifle while attached to his head and when unattached, becomes a chain gun with unlimited ammo.
Sniper Rifle
The sniper rifle is activated when still on Kurt's head, with quite a impressive zoom function distance, most of the time, Kurt actually sees through the camera system on his helmets HUD. It can support different types of ammo, and its trigger is below his chin, just by his neck.
Chain gun
The pointed end of Kurt's helmet can be removed and attached to his arm, becoming a machine gun, somehow; with unlimited ammo, thanks to Dr Hawkins genius. The machine gun can also temporarily get super charged and become a super chain gun, allowing the ammo to be fired at a much faster velocity.
The Ribbon Chute
The ribbon chute comes out of the back of Kurt's coil suit when he jumps long distances, allowing him to use it to land softly from long falls, or to glide to other terrain. The physics of the ribbon chute actually working in the real world, seems impossible.
Minecrawlers
Minecrawlers are the threat against Earth that Kurt has to destroy, the minecrawlers are alien cities with mining facilities that arrived quietly using the slipstreams around Earth.
Origin of 'Minecrawling'
Minecrawlers harbour planets of its carbon, however, this means forests, cities, natural resources and any form of life, including humanity. The minecrawlers from a aerial view can be described as a hybrid of a gigantic tank and combine harvester, tearing Earth apart with its mighty machinery.
Interior/Design
The minecrawlers have different looks and styles interior-wise, depending on the commanding general/pilots taste/liking, some can even look like other worlds. Some can be futuristic, outlandish, or just plain psychotic.
Security
The security of Minecrawlers are very high, mounted with laser cannons and missile launchers, to defend from aerial attacks, however there is a docking point near the top which can be entered using the streams around Earth.
To stop a minecrawler...
To destroy a minecrawler, the General/pilot must be assasinated once inside, the minecrawler then self-destructs and rips itself apart at a amazing velocity through the slipstream.
Meaning of MDK
While the actual meaning of the title's TLA is not revealed within the game, the gaming press and fans adopted Murder, Death, Kill, going with the game's tagline "On a good day, only 2.5 billion people will die". In interviews, Shiny employees each gave their own version - My Dog Ken; Max, Dr. Hawkins, and Kurt; Million Dollar KO; Massive Dollops of Ketchup; Mother's Day Kisses; and My Diary something beginning with K. Yet another possibility is documented inside the game manual, where Kurt's mission is named Mission: Deliver Kindness.
In the European version of the game, the background images of the installation program present many possible meanings for the letters M, D and K; some silly, some believable, and one of them "Murder, Death, Kill." The acronym MDK ("Murder Death Kill") itself dates back to the 1993 action movie Demolition Man, in which the term was used by the fictitious San Angeles Police Department of 2032 to denote homicide.
It is revealed in the "Making of MDK" booklet that came with the "Limited Edition" of the game that the term was actually the game's codename, when Shiny came around to coming up with a name for the game, they chose to stick with the codename.
However, there is no information available as to why "MDK" was chosen in the first place. The British computer magazine, PC Format, in a prelude to an interview they published with the Shiny director, said that the game was indeed called "Murder, Death, Kill" but was changed to "MDK" to give it a lower rating as the rating authorities in Britain felt it was too violent a name. This was then turned into a marketing campaign with various silly meanings for "MDK" given followed by a question mark, such as "Madonna Dates Kylie?".
Notes
- The endgame music videoclip is performed by Billy Ze Kick (abbreviated BZK), and is the song "Non Non Rien N'a Change", a remake of the original song from 1971 made by the french band called "Les Poppys". The clip itself consists mostly of clips taken from Shiny's original MDK promo video, but in black and white.
- The Macintosh version, ported by Shokwave Software [1] (now defunct), was bundled with the original iMac.
- Key members of the MDK development team went on to start up Planet Moon Studios
- The first minecrawler is heading towards Laguna Beach, where Shinys' headquarters was located when the game was being developed.
- MDK was one of the earliest games to use motion capture technology during development.
- There are Earthworm Jim powerups/items in the game.