Adam '97
Release type: Unknown
Release date: November 17, 1997
Levels: 8
Author: Alan Caudel
Related games: Adam's Birthday Game, The Adam's Birthday Saga Continues, Adam's B-Day 3: The Saga Continues, Adam 98, Adam 99, Adam 2000
FULL ENTRY COMING SOON!
The fourth game in the Adam's Birthday series, Adam '97 is probably the pinnacle. The games reach a height of ambition and creativity here, which combined with a confidence of design result in one of the better platformers designed with Game-Maker.
The first thing to hit you is the stylization; here Alan Caudel has assembled a world with its own fairly coherent visual language that does its darnedest to transcend Game-Maker's limitations. The first, rather gentle, level is the best example of this: a pastoral scene of green and blue, with rolling hillocks and stone structures. As will become common, the grass patterns all slowly animate, creating some unavoidable artifacts along the screen edges and upon scrolling.
The level is nicely designed, with some conscious reflection of the character's abilities; there's nothing the player can't reasonably be expected to do with the character's stock move set. Special items are hidden in clever, playful locations. The enemies and hazards pose no unfair challenges to the player... at least, not yet. To underscore the level's tranquility, bunnies and flocks of birds peaceably flit through the countryside, neither looking to harm Adam nor paying his systemic violence any heed.
As for that violence, Adam '97 offers the player a wide array of varied attacks and special moves. Unlike some other games, there is some thought here as to the moves' application and introduction. Adam starts with a standard double-bullet projectile, then gradually finds new items that unlock new abilities. For the most part these moves make tricky tasks easier, and the game makes a point of establishing these tasks; without the shield item, just try crawling through the Mr, Dot level. Generally esch move has a different, unique use -- the rockets and bombs less so, but mostly the moves are there for a reason rather than just to be cool.
Adam's "Hurry Up!" animation with word bubble monster.
Though the levels tend to be designed around Adam's move set...
Eccentric jump physics -- especially straight up.
Knock-back injuries
Stsrt of the ultraviolent death animations
Level 3 -- bulwarking with a bunch of hearts before dunking into a flue of lava. Probably will die no matter what, but move to the next level partway through death animation. So, you start off level four by dying again.
Level four with the mr. dot generators is kind of ridiculous, and the injured animation that sends Adam bouncing backward doesn't help, but the shield makes it feasible.
Arcing Flame jump effect.
Level five -- falling into that pit triggers the Monty Python style animation of Adam falling into dog's mouth.
Totally unfair jump, especially given that bounce-back injury animation.
As with Mr. Dot, several call-backs to monsters and threats from earlier games.
The huge bouncing tomatoes in the cityscape, level two.
the FLI animations...
Clever "invisible" maze, using differently jiggling background tiles to show solidity.
Level six -- using cool sprite parallax effects to create a sense of depth, as in Thunder Blade.
| Previous | Current | Next |
|---|---|---|
| Adam '95 | Adam '97 | Adam '98 |
| Adam's Birthday series | ||
Story
It's your birthday!! Get all the presents in each stage!!!!!!
Some stages don't have any presents! q:
Instructions
Numeric Keypad:
- 7, 8, 9: Jump left, up, right
- 4, 6: Walk left, right
- 1, 3: Crawl left, right
- 2: Duck
Attacks:
- Space: Double Bullet
- Enter: Rocket (with item)
- V: Flame Jump (with item)
- B: Bomb (with item)
- N: Double laser (with item)
- M: Shield (with item)
Get these:
- First aid kit: Health
- Adam head: 1-Up
Press "P" to pick up items.
Credits
ME ME ME!!!!!
I did everything!!!!
Alan's my name!
I made the whole animation sequence at the end too!!!
Believe it or don't!!!!
Availability
This game is not known to have been distributed in any form, prior to its addition to the Archive.
Archive History
On August 1, 2011, Alan Caudel forward a third wave of games, previously thought lost:
Links
- Older clip (YouTube)
- Play Adam '97 online
Downloads
- Adam '97 (1.5 MB)
- Level 1 - Outside - map (163 kB)
- Level 2 - In the City - map (138 kB)
- Level 3 - Mr. Lava - map (6 kB)
- Level 4 - Mr. Dot - map (21 kB)
- Level 5 - Pit O Death - map (22 kB)
- Level 6 - Zoooom - map (22 kB)
