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[Vieo]

I snagged a copy on eBay for just a buck. I loved the first game and I even beat the whole thing. I think there were about 100 levels? The higher ones were TOUGH. I liked how you competed against other computer controlled wizards, how they would attack each other and see text messages about their deaths. That made it feel like you were playing it online. Wyverns were scary stuff!

How does it stack up against the first game?

Also, whatever happened to BULLFROG?

 

[epmode]

i thought it was great. god, i miss bullfrog.

i remember enjoying it more than the first part.. good level design. the underground areas were a nice contrast to the outdoorsy stuff.

edit: and are there any videogame weapons more satisfying than a fully powered-up metor spell?

 

[epmode]

Also, whatever happened to BULLFROG?

destroyed. by the empire.

 

[Vieo]

The Empire? ... Do you mean Lucasarts?

 

[epmode]

The Empire? ... Do you mean Lucasarts?

EA.

 

[TheGreenGiant]

thought it was brilliant too. Theres something fantastic about the magic carpet gameplay - expanding castles; ballons; mana... and dragon slaying; stealing mana. The magick was VERY well incorporated... Rendering mountains in half = SUPER

Fantastic fun

(destroyed by EA? godammn. A next gen sequel with better visuals would rock)

 

[Ill Saint]

Brilliant game.

How many wonderful studios did EA kill? Origin, Microprose (?), what else?

 

[Sinatar]

Brilliant game.

How many wonderful studios did EA kill? Origin, Microprose (?), what else?

Bullfrog, Origin, Microprose, Looking Glass and im sure there are more, but those are the big ones that come to mind.

EDIT: I think actually that Looking Glass was killed by Eidos.

 

[MASB]

I thought Looking Glass just plain went out of business. They were working on some now-never released mini-RC game for Nintendo for the N64 at the time weren't they?

 

[teepo]

looking glass just went out of business. they were never owned by eidos.

 

[djtiesto]

Weren't these games made by Molyneaux, everyone's favorite developer?

Actually I used to have MC2 (it might still be around somewhere), the game was good tho

 

[Ghost]

Both magic carpets were awesome at the time, not sure if they aged very well though, most early 3d games tend to feel a bit clunky these days.

 

[White Man]

General concensus is that Looking Glass was driven out of business by either unfavorable or poor deals with Eidos. Eidos (publisher of their final game, Thief 2) gets more of the blame than EA, which published the ultra-brilliant System Shock 2. It was known they were to shut their doors before the release of Thief 2.

 

[mrklaw]

Bullfrog was not killed by EA. The name maybe, but EA got spanked on that deal

They pay out a fortune for Bullfrog. Then all the guys leave, so they are left with just the name, and a couple of IPs that they never reuse anyway.

that money then sets up Peter Molyneux with Lionhead, about 5 miles away from the old Bullfrog offices.

 

[Flatbread]

as i recall I thought the first was better than the second because it was much more challenging. In the second one the competing wizards were much weaker, the second one added the hydra, but I prefer the first one. I definately think its worth playing though.

 

[Suikoguy]

I miss bullfrog *sniff*

 

[GSG Flash]

EA killed Westwood

I've never played MC2, so i'm in no position to judge it.

 

[Azih]

Last I heard Eidos kept Looking Glass alive for as long as they could and it was EA indifference that did them in.

 

[Warm Machine]

Bullfrog was not killed by EA. The name maybe, but EA got spanked on that deal

They pay out a fortune for Bullfrog. Then all the guys leave, so they are left with just the name, and a couple of IPs that they never reuse anyway.

that money then sets up Peter Molyneux with Lionhead, about 5 miles away from the old Bullfrog offices.

If you don't know how you should handle IP's like the ones Bullfrog owned you have no right being in business.

 

[kaching]

Weren't these games made by Molyneaux, everyone's favorite developer?

Actually I used to have MC2 (it might still be around somewhere), the game was good tho

He certainly was one of my favorite developers at the time - back when the his game output was greater than his verbal output.

And yeah...MC/MC2 is one of my all time favorites. Couldn't get enough of the mana-grabbing, land-deforming, hit-em-from-above-w/meteors-or-from-below-w/volcanoes gameplay.