Difference between revisions of "Bone!"
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| − | + | {{box | |
|header='''''Bone!''''' | |header='''''Bone!''''' | ||
|file=[[File:Bone!Title.gif|290px|border]] | |file=[[File:Bone!Title.gif|290px|border]] | ||
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'''Author:''' [[Adam Tyner]]<br /> | '''Author:''' [[Adam Tyner]]<br /> | ||
'''Related games:''' ''[[The Complete Bone Adventures]]'' | '''Related games:''' ''[[The Complete Bone Adventures]]'' | ||
| − | + | }}{{Disambig|Alan Caudel|The Complete Bone Adventures}} | |
| + | Independently, at around the same time, both Adam Tyner and Alan Caudel designed adventure games inspired by Jeff Smith's ''Bone'' comic. Though separate projects, the two games have many commonalities. They both focus on exploration, with just a bit of peril. Both games interweave playable levels with complex in-engine cutscenes. Both are incomplete, but what's there is highly varied. No two levels have the same goals, or the same setting. | ||
| − | + | [[File:Bone!Sprite1.gif|center]] | |
| + | |||
| + | Adam Tyner's game is the more complete of the two, yet the surviving version is missing several files, and some of the other files are damaged -- particularly those borrowed from Tyner's earlier and now-missing adventure game, ''[[Questor]]''. The first three levels are in playable condition, though the character uses the wrong sprite set in levels 2 and 3. | ||
| − | The | + | The most notable part of Adam Tyner's ''Bone!'' is the cutscenes, and the overall presentation. The game makes a point of its comic book origin; every stage has its introduction with an animated comic panel, reminiscent of ''Little Nemo: The Dream Master'', and each level is contained by page or panel boundaries. Coupled with the accurate sprite and background work, these touches give the game a very coherent feel. It's rare to find a Game-Maker game with this kind of control over its style. |
| − | + | [[File:Bone!Screen.gif|thumb|320px|Bursting the frames of ''Bone!''.]] | |
| − | + | At a glance, the game itself is at both simple and baffling. It's simple in that it follows the basic adventure game template of ''Sample'', or Tyner's earlier ''[[Alan!]]''. This is exactly the kind of game that Game-Maker was made to make, and aside from a few issues of perspective there is no point at which the game's ambitions argue with the game engine or its design tools. | |
| − | + | The design can also be baffling, in that it provides scant direction as to the objectives it has in mind for the player. The tasks are simple enough to deduce; Phoney Bone stands at the north end of the yard, asking for $5, and there are coins scattered through the grass. Collect the coins to push past Phoney and collect whatever he has hidden. But the yard is a big, open space with little in the way of landmarks. Much of the game involves wandering, combing back and forth. A later snow level improves the process by showing your footsteps, so that you know where you've been. | |
| − | |||
[[File:Bone!Sprite2.gif|center]] | [[File:Bone!Sprite2.gif|center]] | ||
| + | In this sense, ''Bone!'' calls to mind adventure and computer role-playing games of the 1980s. Playing the game is very much a process of trial and error. Go over everything, find the objects you need, and figure out where to use them. There's no text parser, but I can see where the game could get mileage out of one. A point-and-click interface might even help with the wandering. | ||
| + | |||
| + | It's hard to get a full sense of ''Bone!'', as the game becomes corrupted just as its pieces start to feel like they're coming together. What is there is stylish and coherent, and maybe a bit opaque. | ||
{{SeriesNav|Bone series{{!}}(Overview)|Bone!|The Complete Bone Adventures|[[Bone series]]}} | {{SeriesNav|Bone series{{!}}(Overview)|Bone!|The Complete Bone Adventures|[[Bone series]]}} | ||
== Story == | == Story == | ||
| − | |||
| − | |||
N/A | N/A | ||
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* '''''[http://www.aderack.com/game-maker/downloads/bone!.zip Bone!]''''' (125 kB) | * '''''[http://www.aderack.com/game-maker/downloads/bone!.zip Bone!]''''' (125 kB) | ||
| + | [[Category: Game-Maker games]] | ||
[[Category: Adam Tyner]] | [[Category: Adam Tyner]] | ||
[[Category: Top-down]] | [[Category: Top-down]] | ||
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[[Category: Florida]] | [[Category: Florida]] | ||
[[Category: United States]] | [[Category: United States]] | ||
| + | [[Category: Corrupted games]] | ||
Latest revision as of 11:09, 26 September 2016
Release type: Freeware
Release date: 1996
Levels: 16
Author: Adam Tyner
Related games: The Complete Bone Adventures
Not to be mistaken for Alan Caudel's The Complete Bone Adventures.
Independently, at around the same time, both Adam Tyner and Alan Caudel designed adventure games inspired by Jeff Smith's Bone comic. Though separate projects, the two games have many commonalities. They both focus on exploration, with just a bit of peril. Both games interweave playable levels with complex in-engine cutscenes. Both are incomplete, but what's there is highly varied. No two levels have the same goals, or the same setting.
Adam Tyner's game is the more complete of the two, yet the surviving version is missing several files, and some of the other files are damaged -- particularly those borrowed from Tyner's earlier and now-missing adventure game, Questor. The first three levels are in playable condition, though the character uses the wrong sprite set in levels 2 and 3.
The most notable part of Adam Tyner's Bone! is the cutscenes, and the overall presentation. The game makes a point of its comic book origin; every stage has its introduction with an animated comic panel, reminiscent of Little Nemo: The Dream Master, and each level is contained by page or panel boundaries. Coupled with the accurate sprite and background work, these touches give the game a very coherent feel. It's rare to find a Game-Maker game with this kind of control over its style.
At a glance, the game itself is at both simple and baffling. It's simple in that it follows the basic adventure game template of Sample, or Tyner's earlier Alan!. This is exactly the kind of game that Game-Maker was made to make, and aside from a few issues of perspective there is no point at which the game's ambitions argue with the game engine or its design tools.
The design can also be baffling, in that it provides scant direction as to the objectives it has in mind for the player. The tasks are simple enough to deduce; Phoney Bone stands at the north end of the yard, asking for $5, and there are coins scattered through the grass. Collect the coins to push past Phoney and collect whatever he has hidden. But the yard is a big, open space with little in the way of landmarks. Much of the game involves wandering, combing back and forth. A later snow level improves the process by showing your footsteps, so that you know where you've been.
In this sense, Bone! calls to mind adventure and computer role-playing games of the 1980s. Playing the game is very much a process of trial and error. Go over everything, find the objects you need, and figure out where to use them. There's no text parser, but I can see where the game could get mileage out of one. A point-and-click interface might even help with the wandering.
It's hard to get a full sense of Bone!, as the game becomes corrupted just as its pieces start to feel like they're coming together. What is there is stylish and coherent, and maybe a bit opaque.
| Previous | Current | Next |
|---|---|---|
| (Overview) | Bone! | The Complete Bone Adventures |
| Bone series | ||
Contents
Story[edit]
N/A
Instructions[edit]
- Arrow keys: Move those ways
- End/PgDn: Roll left/right (with item)
- P/D: Pick up/Drop item
- I/M/J/K: Use slingshot (with item)
- S: Spin!
- E: Erase yourself!
Credits[edit]
By Adam Tyner
Background[edit]
Alan Caudel:
- Also, [Adam] reminded me that he also made a separate game based on the Bone comic by Jeff Smith. Adam sent a copy of his Bone game to Jeff Smith. Never heard back from him though.
Availability[edit]
This game is not known to have been distributed in any form, prior to its addition to the Archive.
Archive History[edit]
After an earlier wave of rediscoveries, on July 13 2011 Alan Caudel provided another archive of previously missing Game-Maker material, including the following:
Links[edit]
Downloads[edit]
- Bone! (125 kB)
