MDK is a 1997 third-person shooter video game developed by Shiny Entertainment for Microsoft Windows. It was ported to Mac OS by Shokwave, and to the PlayStation by Neversoft. It was published on all systems by PIEin North America, with Shiny Entertainment publishing it themselves in Europe. The Windows version was released in April 1997, the Mac version in June and the PlayStation version in November. The game was released on GOG.com in September 2008, and on Steam in September 2009.The game tells the story of Kurt Hectic, a janitor who reluctantly must attempt to save Earth from an alien invasion of gigantic strip mining city-sized vehicles named 'Minecrawlers'. These Minecrawlers are removing all of earth's natural resources, and crushing any people and cities that get in their way.
Aided by his boss, the possibly insane inventor and scientist Dr. Fluke Hawkins, and a robotic two-legged/four-armed dog named Bones, Kurt must infiltrate each Minecrawler, and fight his way to the pilot, whom he must then kill before returning to Hawkins' in-orbit space station, the Jim Dandy.Conceived and co-designed by Nick Bruty, MDK was Shiny's first PC game, and was notable for using software rendering, requiring a Pentium or equivalent microprocessor, rather than necessitating any GPU enhancements, despite its large 3D levels and complex polygon-based enemies. As the developers were attempting things never before seen in a PC game, they had to write their own programming language from scratch. Additionally, when in sniper mode, the player has the ability to zoom up to 100x, but the developers chose not to employ any of the standard solutions to pop-up, such as clipping or fogging. They also worked to ensure the game ran at a minimum of 30fps at all times on all machines.
The game's original system requirements were a 60MHz Pentium, 16MB of RAM, 17MB of hard drive storage, an SVGA compatible video card, and a Sound Blaster or equivalent sound card; modest specs even by the standards of the time.MDK received generally positive reviews, with critics praising the gameplay, the level design, the sardonic sense of humor, the game's technical accomplishments and, in particular, the use of sniper mode. The most oft repeated criticisms were that the game was too short and the story was weak. The game was a commercial success, and Interplay approached Bruty to work on a sequel immediately. However, he was already developing Giants: Citizen Kabuto, and so BioWare was hired to develop the game. MDK2 was published for Windows and the Dreamcast in 2000, and for the PlayStation 2 (as MDK 2: Armageddon) in 2001. In 2007, Interplay announced a third game was planned, but it was never made.
Windows Mdk
One of the most innovative first-person shooter games ever made, Shiny Entertainment’s MDK (short for “Maim, Destroy, Kill”) sets new standards in the crowded genre popularized by the likes of Quake, and shows the world that there could be much more to the genre than the formulaic shoot-enemies-and-collect-keys-to-open-doors gameplay.In combining drop-dead gorgeous 3D environments with a good variety of arcade-style gameplay, MDK is a unique offering where quick reflexes, timing, and even a little wit are required to survive. The game casts you as Kurt, a leather-clad killing machine sent to destroy aliens intent on invading Earth.
Thankfully, this banal premise is the only bad thing you can say about MDK (other than the relatively short length, but we’ll get to that later).Equipped with a high-tech sniper suit and a futuristic gun, you will advance through one exciting level to the next, each with many unique and unexpected gameplay twists that go above and beyond the mere “different backgrounds/enemies/weapons” modus operandi of most FPS games. You will not only run, dodge and jump over obstacles, but in many locations also fly or glide over the beautiful landscape. In some levels such as the beginning scene, you can’t use your weapons at all but must only dodge incoming fire. The best gameplay twist in the game is undoubtedly the “sniper mode”.
The game allows you to switch to a view from inside Kurt’s sniper helmet at any time, where you can zoom in to target distant enemies with pinpoint accuracy. This new perspective obviously lets you use a stealthier strategy than what most FPS games allow.Graphically, the game is very pretty to look at, although they are not as detailed when viewed up close. In contrast to games such as Quake, the expansive levels in MDK clearly aren’t designed with exploration in mind: you’ll simply proceed from room to room in a very linear, led-by-the-nose fashion. This would normally be repetitive, except that the wonderfully unique environments and great gameplay variety makes playing the 50-plus level a pleasure rather then a chore. In contrast to most FPS, you can store power-ups in your inventory to use them later.
Like the rest of the game, power-ups are unique and fun to use, most with funny names such as The World’s Most Interesting Bomb and The World’s Smallest Nuclear Bomb.The biggest problem with MDK is that it is very short. Even beginners to the genre should be able to finish the whole game in 10 hours or even less. This is a boon to beginners, but arcade veterans may scoff at the lack of challenge. Still, with very stylish presentation, unique twists, and a thoroughly addictive gameplay, MDK is definitely a must-have for fans of the genre. Just don’t expect a “serious” or realistic shooter, but a fun FPS highly steeped in the best tradition of arcade/platform games. Two thumbs up, way up!Review By HOTUD External links.