McDonald's Releases a New Game Boy Color Game (arstechnica.com) 23
Hmmmmmm writes: Fast food giant McDonald's has released a new retro-style game featuring Grimace, the purple milkshake blob. While it's clearly meant to be played in a browser on a phone or computer, it's also a fully working Game Boy Color game that you can download and play on the original hardware. Grimace's Birthday was developed by Krool Toys, a Brooklyn-based independent game studio and "creative engineering team" with a history of creating playable Game Boy games as unique PR for music artists and brands. The game assumes you're playing in an emulator via a browser window -- you can play that version of the game here -- but we also got it running on an Analogue Pocket thanks to a Game Boy Color FPGA core and a downloadable ROM hosted on the Internet Archive.
The game is so period-authentic that there's even a screen telling original monochrome Game Boy owners that the game "requires a color device to play." Even on Game Boy hardware, it still makes references to people "playing on mobile devices." The game involves simple 2D platforming and skateboarding, not unlike some sections of the Game Boy Color Tony Hawk games; Grimace needs to collect milkshakes and do sick stunts as he tries to track down other McDonaldland characters so he can party with them. It's short -- there are only four levels and one bonus round, plus score attack and free-skate modes -- but the pixel art is legitimately great, and the levels that are here are cleverly designed.
The game is so period-authentic that there's even a screen telling original monochrome Game Boy owners that the game "requires a color device to play." Even on Game Boy hardware, it still makes references to people "playing on mobile devices." The game involves simple 2D platforming and skateboarding, not unlike some sections of the Game Boy Color Tony Hawk games; Grimace needs to collect milkshakes and do sick stunts as he tries to track down other McDonaldland characters so he can party with them. It's short -- there are only four levels and one bonus round, plus score attack and free-skate modes -- but the pixel art is legitimately great, and the levels that are here are cleverly designed.
Re: (Score:2)
I admire their willingness to explore alternative advertising. I only wish they would stop exploring alternatives to food. What's the binder in a nugget, anyway?
Re: (Score:2)
Re:et tu, capitalism? (Score:4, Informative)
Re: (Score:2)
It was kinda futuristic that such a thing could be the toy in a Happy Meal, a whole video game player instead of just a chunk of plastic. But on the other hand, now that I look back on it, that had to have been a lot of electronic stuff that was played once or twice for an afternoon and then sent on it's way to a landfill. They weren't
Re: (Score:2)
I thought they were fun. The trouble is, the coin cell isn't replaceable, and they used weird tri-wing screw heads so you couldn't easily open it. The games were implemented on ASICs rather than using microcontrollers.
Retro gaming? (Score:3)
What's the deal with this stuff happening suddenly? Atari released a game for the 2600 .. now McDonald's releasing a game for the Gameboy Color. What's next Magnavox releasing a new game for the Odyssey? Iraq releasing a new game for the checkerboard?
Re: (Score:2)
Very cool, but what can you plug it in? I've not seen ISA since early pentium days (1995 might be the latest?).
If you were to blue the rust off a 486, nobody has the time to set one up and run thr games. Far better off using an emulator from energy use alone.
Re: (Score:1)
I had a Abit KT7-RAID, socket 462, which had a ISA slot. Came out around 2000. The Abit BH6 came out maybe a year earlier and had 2 ISA slots.
Not sure why someone would go through the trouble of creating a new modern ISA soundblaster 16. Plenty from the 90s are selling on ebay right now.
Re: (Score:2)
Cost.
A real Sound Blaster card is commanding $$$$. I mean, the original 8-bit card is going for more than it cost new back in the late 80s! The more preferred Sound Blaster 16s and such are starting to push $300 or more, and the later models cards $400+.
Whereas a recreation using a Crystal Semiconductor compatible chip can probably cost $100 or so.
The scalpers hav
Re: (Score:2)
If you were to blue the rust off a 486, nobody has the time to set one up and run thr games. Far better off using an emulator from energy use alone.
Part of the fun for people buying these things is to make their ultimate DOS machine or to execute code against real hardware. Dosbox and whatever is cool and all but it doesn't really capture the experience. As for time, I don't this this is supposed to be some time efficient exercise that gets them playing Commander Keen, it's about building the computer.
Re: (Score:2)
Nostalgias! ;)
Re: (Score:2)
" you can download and play" (Score:2)
"on the original hardware." Um, wha? Did the Game Boy Color have some sort of networking capability of which I am unaware? Or have they worked out how to download a physical cartridge?
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
1. Buy EverDrive [krikzz.com]
2. Load EverDrive system software and game ROM images onto microSD card
3. Insert microSD card in EverDrive and EverDrive in Game Boy Color
4. Play!
Cool (Score:2)
Grimace (Score:1)
Re: (Score:2)
I heard that too. Seems to be two competing theories out there .... Either he symbolizes a taste bud, or a milkshake.
But IMO, Master Shake clearly defined the cartoon milkshake character since that time -- so going with the taste bud for old Grimace.
Purple Milkshake Blob (Score:1)
Hilarious PR move (Score:1)