Shiny
Saturday, December 8th, 2007In Early 1994 Earthworm Jim stunned the gaming community with its fluid animation and off-the-wall humour. I was watching the UK based games show ‘BAD INFLUENCE’ at the time when we saw some of the newest titles. I saw was one of the best animated most interesting games I have ever saw. It looked so good that even Sonic and Mario probably turned green with envy at the new guy in town. And here he was, created by at the time by a small company. The star is obviously Earthworm Jim still one of the best platformers ever devised. The company SHINY was so successful they release a sequel about a year later. The games also spawned a merchandise deal as long as your arm from toys and a cartoon show.
In 1996 the console market was looking less lucrative, So Shiny’s first PC game was born MDK. This game also oozed the class Shiny had started with Jim. This game was based around a young man with interesting fashion sense and a gun strapped to his head who killed evil aliens intent on mining the earth of resources. This game used several tricks to make the game look like it was continues and not loading. It also had some nice reflection map effects and the now famous sniper rifle effect used by every FPS ever since. By this time some of the original team who worked on Earthworm Jim 1&2 had got bored and started there own company the Neverhood with Doug TenNapel (Jim’s creator) as the lead. The Neverhood went on to create some interesting but not really profit driven games.
After this Shiny went back to its console roots for a few years it worked on Wild 9’s. This game was a 3D platformer and had the torture system as its selling point. I remember David talking about this on another UK based TV show ‘Movies, Games and Videos.’ He was quite excited about the ability to allow the player to choose how they tortured their enemies to death.
At the same time they started work on R/C Stunt Copter got rave reviews around the world. Stunt Copter was the first game designed to take full advantage of the Sony Dual-Analogue joypad. The dual 360 degrees analog joypad is so remarkably similar to a real radio control transmitter; the only hurdle we faced was to try to generate the physics and incredible response that a REAL model helicopter supplies. To achieve this goal, Shiny invested the R&D time to come up with the algorithms that emulate the actual aerodynamics of true flight so that the helicopter reacts and feels like real life.
About this time the old MDK team from SHINY decided to go it alone. Setting up there own company Planet Moon Studios (Nick Bruty – one of David’s longest work colleges even from the early spectrum days took the lead this time.) They began work on GIANTS: Citizen Kabuto. One of the most refreshing titles I have seen ever.
Shiny continued to work on its new projects Messiah which was based once again on the PC, players took control of Bob a cherub who had been a little naughty and god had sent to earth. He then has to navigate his way through many puzzles using the abilities of the bodies he inhabits by possessing them. This game also uses a smart new technology, which every games company since has tried to emulate.
More recently Shiny have stayed with the PC market. They created a game called Sacrifice, which this time was a strategy game based on the realms of pure fantasy. In this game you took control of a wizard who was able to perform spells and command creatures. To take control of more creatures you must obtain souls. to get more spell power you must take control of manna fountains. To stay alive the opposing wizards must be stopped from desecrating your alter. Taking your orders from one or more of the five gods of this fantasy realm you have to beat the challenger’s wizards to win. Interestingly enough James the god of Earth looks somewhat familiar?
Following Sacrifice, Shiny acquired the rights to develop title based on the movie trilogy ‘The Matrix’
In 2002 Shiny where sold by publisher Interplay to Infogrammes/Atari and still retained the Matrix Licence and work continues with that game. Shiny moved to move to a new base of operations later in that year.
In the following year ‘Enter the Matrix’ was released but showed a lack of quality in to what have been up to now a company that had always produced polished titles. Following this time another Matrix games was developed entitled ‘The Path of Neo’ released in 2005 but due to the film series itself doing badly the title wasn’t greatly recived. Also again the quality wasn’t as high as other Shiny games, however it was better than the original Matrix title.
The following year Shiny where positive about developing a new Earthworm Jim game on the PSP, there was even talk about bringing in Doug TenNapel and the original team. However Doug and the team eventually got shoved out of the picture and with Atari the current publisher failing David Perry resigned and Shiny was sold to Foundation 9. At this point Foundation 9 mothballed all the work on Earthworm Jim PSP.
Shiny was then chosen as the developer for the game tie in to the film The Golden Compass, which was released in December 2007. Early indications are that it is sadly another title of poor quality.
Games Developed by Shiny
- Earthworm Jim
- Earthworm Jim 2
- MDK
- R/C Stunt Copter
- Wild 9
- Messiah
- Enter the Matrix
- The Matrix: Path of Neo
- The Golden Compass
Games Developed by Neverhood
- The Neverhood
- Skullmonkeys
- BoomBots
Games Developed by Planet Moon Studios
- Giants : Citizen Kabuto
- Armed and Dangerous
- Infected
- After Burner : Black Falcon
- Smarty Pants
Refrence
