Comments on: Minotaur China Shop: Smashing New Footage

By: Kanakotka

Kanakotka — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 07:29:39 +0000

Whistling? Remember Megaman 3?

By: The Shed

The Shed — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 23:42:05 +0000

@Matthew: The first thing I said after reading your post was “That’s so cool.” Out loud.

I’m off to blog that story =D

By: Valentin Galea

Valentin Galea — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 22:26:53 +0000

This will go down the same road as Jetpack Brontosaurus: amazing concept, beautiful execution but not much of a game at the end of the day…

By: Calabi

Calabi — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 22:03:06 +0000

It looks great, especially the minotaur animation. I cant wait to wreck half the shop then pick up the one plate that isnt broken and give it to the customer.

By: Yhancik

Yhancik — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 21:36:00 +0000

@Matthew :

Ahah, that sounds great to me :D Can’t wait to try that one !

By: Matthew

Matthew — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 18:18:03 +0000

So here’s the story:

In ancient times, there lived a dreadful beast descended from a divine bovine: the Minotaur. Though fearless and powerful, his strength was his undoing. While perusing a China Shop one day, the Minotaur accidentally bumped into a shelf and entered a state of Minotaur Rage, destroying the store. Due to racial injustices in ancient legal systems, his Minotaur Rage defense was dismissed and he was banished to the labyrinth.

After serving half his sentence, the Minotaur has been released on good behavior thanks to progressive movements sympathetic to his disorder. Armed with Minotaur Rage Insurance and a Business License, can the Minotaur control himself and realize his dream of selling Fine China?

In the game, you can earn money by either serving customers or by destroying china (so long as you’re sufficiently enraged for your rage insurance policy coverage). The game lasts for 5 store days, with an opportunity to upgrade stats and buy new moves between days. The larger game structure is simply score optimization.

If you rage too hard for too long, though, the insurance company will call in the authorities to take care of you. Customers will leave, too; most Moosotaurs, Pegasusotaurs, and Unicornotaurs are skittish around raging Minotaurs. It’s a hard line of work to be in.

By: Daniel Rutter

Daniel Rutter — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 17:07:50 +0000

In answer to the mystified people: It seemed perfectly clear to me that the aim of the game is to break as much stuff as possible before you get so angry – rage being broadly indicated by the redness and blurriness of your view of the world, and strangely precisely indicated by a number at the top of the screen – that you stroke out and die.

I remember reading that Spanish bullfight bulls are like this – bred with such high blood pressure that they’re likely to be pretty much blind by the time that bastard in the frilly suit finally stabs them to death. Though that might be PETA propaganda for all I know.

(I base this interpretation of the game only on my womanly intuition, not any actual research.)

By: The Hammer

The Hammer — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 14:57:13 +0000

Heh, I agree with Larington, but still, it’s a lovely touch!

I absolutely cannot wait for this game. Been tracking it for ages. I can’t wait to smash me some plates!

By: Larington

Larington — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 14:23:16 +0000

Not sure I’m too keen on the effect for seeing red, could do with more of a veiny red eye effect rather than the wierd sort of random red/brownish haze that appears at the moment.

By: Bhazor

Bhazor — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 14:11:29 +0000

I love the music. But it’s a “what the hell?” for everything else.

By: Alex Cox

Alex Cox — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 13:58:00 +0000

I don’t know about that. That lurching, jerky action does perfectly portray the fine line between uncontrollable rage and attempting to fulfil your role as the ill-advised proprietor of a crockery establishment.

By: Lucky Main Street

Lucky Main Street — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 13:49:55 +0000

So your goal is to get the Minotaur to NOT smash everything? That’s not what I was hoping for.

I love the concept, but I hate the animation.