Game Title: Total Eclipse.
Year: 1994.
Publisher: Crystal Dynamics.
Somebody's hand was firmly up someones butt when this game was being made, pulling the appropriate internal organs to get exactly what they wanted, which was to make a seminal game for a system that, in the creators mind at least, was set to change the world. It was Trip Hawkins' (father of the 3DO) hand no doubt and Crystal Dynamics butt.
Trip Hawkins, lest we forget, was not in the game (industry) for making a niche computer console, no-siree bob, Trip wanted to make the next radio, the next VHS cassette player, the next DVD player. 3DO: '3D' for 3 Dimensions and 'O' was taken from 'O' as in radi'o'.
So, when releasing said world changing games console, what 'Killer Application' did he want to bind to the mighty 3DO hardware?
Sony have used Ridge racer. Atari had Dungeon Master, the Amiga had the Batman pack, Nintendo have Link.
The 'Killer App' for Mr Hawkins was all important. I think he had a point. In retrospect actually, Trip had a very good point. What is Xbox360's killer app again...?
Anyway. Which game has its foundations in video game history? You can argue the toss but Space invaders ranks pretty high.
Total Eclipse is 3D space invaders for the 3DO.
Choice of weapons, levels, aliens, end-of-level boss, blah, blah, blah.
3D Space invaders.
Total Eclipse cost, in the UK, £399.99 , which is pretty steep, thankfully it came with a free FZ-1 Panasonic 3DO.
So, having just sat down and played the first level of Total Eclipse again, after what? Probably twelve years. Hmmm, it is not bad. It's fun. Even the sound track, that the high-brow games magazines lamented about, isn't all that bad.
Sadly, and certainly more sadly at the time for those whose bank accounts were four hundred quid lighter, it isn't a killer app. I played Ridge racer on my PlayStation the other day, THAT is a killer app. I play ridge racer quite frequently, the more I think about, the more I love that game.
Total Eclipse is a reasonable effort at 3D space invaders, its not bad, but it isn't killer.
About as rare as Ridge Racer.
3DO Kid
bizopps
when are you gonna put up need for speed??? 3D0 ?????