Montezuma's Return!

Montezuma's Return! is a 1998 action/adventure video game and the sequel to the original Parker Brothers game Montezuma's Revenge.[3] While the original game was a 2D platform game, the sequel was a 3D first-person puzzle platformer.[1] According to Steve Bergenholtz, the Utopia Technologies spokesperson, the musical score was written by a TV and film veteran.[4]

Montezuma's Return!
CD box art
Developer(s)Utopia Technologies
Tarantula Studios (GB, GBC)
Publisher(s)WizardWorks(PC, US)
Take-Two Interactive (GB, GBC, PC EU)
Designer(s)Rob Jaeger[1]
Composer(s)Aaron Humphries
Dominic Messinger
Platform(s)Windows, Game Boy, Game Boy Color
ReleaseWindows
  • NA: October 27, 1998[2]
  • EU: December 1998
Game Boy
Game Boy Color
  • NA: December 1998
  • EU: 1998
Genre(s)Action-adventure game
Mode(s)Single-player

Plot

Max Montezuma is a soldier descended from an ancient Aztec emperor. Max stumbles across a deserted, uncharted island, and accidentally crashes his plane on it. Prior to Max's arrival, the island is undiscovered. Max only has a flashlight, canteen, and an entire lost Aztec civilization before him. He must restore the desecrated tomb of his ancestors, discover the link between the ancient Aztecs and a race of saucer-flying aliens, and more, in his adventure.

Gameplay

The main objective is to guide Max to the ending destination of the level. There are eight levels (nine in newer versions). In every level the player collects treasures and defeats enemies while maneuvering across moving platforms, trampolines, and climbing ropes, or through water, until reaching the boss room. The boss must be defeated to access the level exit. Not every boss can be defeated directly and may require a specific action to affect it (e.g. Using the Lava Lord's own exploding lava rocks against him). If the player has collected 100% treasures, the player can play the bonus level.

Max may be harmed by traps or by enemies. Traps may include deep pits, spikes, or enemies that cannot be harmed (like skulls). Max can attack enemies by punching and kicking, and can kill them by pushing them into water.

There are other collectable items as well as treasures. Max can collect bananas or watermelon chunks to heal damage and key artifacts to unlock barriers.

History

Development

Montezuma's Return debuted the UVision game engine, which was developed over more than two years.[5] The game engine and tools were programmed in C, from 1995 to 1998, by Atman Binstock,[6] Rich Geldreich,[7] and Rob Jaeger, designer of the original Montezuma's Revenge.[8]

The game features high-resolution 16-bit color depth graphics. The object modeling takes into account physics such as gravity, reflection, and wind. The game is true 3D with movement in six degrees of freedom. Optional Fast Phong- and Gouraud shading, perspective mapping, light-sourcing, real-time shadows, bump mapping, z-buffering, MIP mapping combine with multiple movable-point and spotlight light sources, view ports, and cameras to make the graphics an outstanding visual treat. Weather effects and underwater sequences add to the effects.

Releases

There are versions of the game for Windows, Game Boy, and Game Boy Color, with the Game Boy Color version being the most common. These Metroidvania-style games play more like the original Montezuma's Revenge and were developed by Tarantula Studios.

Legacy

In 2014 the game's community reached out successfully to Rich Geldreich for an open-source release of the currently unmaintained and unavailable game.[9]

Reception

Next Generation reviewed the PC version of the game, rating it two stars out of five, and stated that "There are some nice touches, such as the cool animated death scenes, but overall, this game belongs in the 'nostalgia gone wrong' file."[10]

PC Gamer described the game as "Adventuring spirit of Tomb Raider with platform jumping puzzles of Mario 64".[11]

References
  1. Giovetti, Al (1997). "Montezuma's Return". The Computer Show. Retrieved 2009-09-09.
  2. "Montezuma's Return Ships". GameSpot. October 27, 1998. Archived from the original on June 12, 2000. Retrieved September 20, 2019.
  3. Fielder, Lauren (Feb 18, 1998). "Montezuma's Return Preview". GameSpot. Archived from the original on January 24, 2013. Retrieved 2009-09-09.
  4. Giovetti, Al (1997). "Montezuma's Return Interview". The Computer Show. Retrieved 2009-09-09.
  5. "NG Alphas: Montezuma's Return". Next Generation. No. 20. Imagine Media. August 1996. p. 83.
  6. Binstock, Atman. "Electric Sheep Games".
  7. Geldreich, Rich. "Montezuma's Return". Rich Geldreich's website.
  8. Hardie, John. "DP Interviews Robert Jaeger".
  9. Montezuma's Return! might go FLOSS! on freegamedev.net (9 February 2014)
  10. "Finals". Next Generation. No. 50. Imagine Media. February 1999. p. 104.
  11. "Computer Gaming World Issue 171" (PDF) (171). Computer Gaming World. October 1998: 76. Retrieved October 13, 2015. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
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