Software:Freefall 3050 A.D.

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Short description: 2000 action game for Nuon DVD players
Freefall 3050 A.D.
Nuon Freefall 3050 A.D. cover art.jpg
Developer(s)Total ArKade Software
Publisher(s)VM Labs
TAKS (Windows)
Producer(s)Bill Rehbock
Joe Sousa
Designer(s)Tony Takoushi[1]
Programmer(s)Jay Abbot
Per Svensson
Artist(s)Johnny Wood
Toby Brace
Platform(s)Microsoft Windows, Nuon
ReleaseNuon
  • NA: December 12, 2000
Windows
  • WW: January 24, 2019
Genre(s)Action
Mode(s)Single-player

Freefall 3050 A.D. is an action video game developed by Total ArKade Software and published in 2000 by VM Labs for the Nuon.[2] It was one of only eight games officially released for the Nuon.[3] The title was ported to Microsoft Windows in January 2019, and a cancelled port for the Xbox was unofficially released as open source in August 2019.

Gameplay

Nuon version screenshot.

Freefall 3050 A.D. is an action game where the player controls Commander Alexander Menon, a cop in the year 3050. In this futuristic setting, humanity has been forced into extremely tall buildings which stretch into an environmentally controlled stratosphere. The increased population density also brought an increase in criminal activity, leading to the formation of the "Drop Corps", an elite group of law enforcers equipped with laser weapons and advanced skydiving technology.[4] The game features 15 levels, and 4 training levels. Each mission starts with the main character launching into a freefall to pursue and shoot down criminals.[5][6] The player can use weaponry such as laser guns, homing missiles and grenades, as well as specialized tools such as airbrakes or anti-gravity boots to slow the character's descent. The player must also manage an oxygen supply, as well as the character's health and shield, all of which can be replenished by collecting pick-ups throughout the levels.[4]

Development and release

Tony Takoushi, a veteran of the video game industry who had previously worked as a game developer for Sega, was looking for a new project when his friend Jeff Minter (who was developing Tempest 3000 to the Nuon) suggested that Takoushi pitch a game idea to VM Labs, who proceeded to approve the project that became Freefall 3050 A.D.[7] Difficulties arose over the course of the production of the game, because VM Labs hadn't finished the software on which the game would run.[8] Tony Takoushi founded Total ArKade Software (TAKS) to develop this game specifically. Takoushi later spent time working for Halfbrick Studios before relaunching Total ArKade Software in 2012 to produce mobile games.[9]

Freefall 3050 A.D. was first released for the Nuon by VM Labs on December 12, 2000, becoming one of only eight games officially released for the platform.[8][10] The game was later ported to Microsoft Windows in January 2019.[11] An in-development Xbox port was cancelled in 2004 due to the impending release of the Xbox 360.[12] TAKS announced that the cancelled port would be completed and released in April 2007 for direct purchase through TAKS exclusively,[13] however TAKS ended up handing over the game's source code to Australian-American homebrew developer Dimitris Giannakis, who finished programming a working Xbox version and released the code as open source on Archive.org in August 2019. Playing the Xbox port requires a modded Xbox to run because the game is considered unofficial homebrew software.[12]

Reception

Reception
Review score
PublicationScore
GameFan80/100[14]

GameFan's Eric C. Mylonas rated the game 80 out of 100, saying the game's "originality and ideas may just set a new precedent in game design" but that the controls will take some getting used to because the game was developed for an analog controller with numerous buttons similar to the Nintendo 64, however the Nuon console ended up launching with standard D-pads.[14] Syzygy's Jason W. Cody gave a positive review of the game, stating that "Tony Takoushi is a gamer who will single handledly instill in you a new hope for the future of gaming".[15][16] An in-depth review of the game by NUON-Dome's Kevin Manne was critical of the unpolished graphics and high difficulty, but praised the full motion video cutscenes, the techno rave soundtrack and the very original concept.[4] In a review for Screwjumper!, while calling it the spiritual successor to Freefall 3050 A.D., GamesRadar+'s Greg Sewart was very critical of the game, mentioning it "sucked" and how "no one bothered playing for more than a few minutes".[17] Ars Technica's Richard Moss called the title "strange and disorienting" although it confirms that those who have played it praise its originality.[8] The original Nuon version sold less than 10,000 units.[8]

References

  1. ↑ "Freefall 3050 A.D. (Nuon) - Credits". AllGame. All Media Network. December 12, 2000. http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=23103&tab=credits. 
  2. ↑ C. Mylonas, Eric (November 2000). "Exclusive – Freefall". GameFan (Shinno Media) 8 (11): 54–56. https://archive.org/stream/Gamefan_Vol_8_Issue_11#page/n57/mode/1up. 
  3. ↑ "Video game:Nuon DVD Interactive Freefall 3050 A.D" (in en). https://artsandculture.google.com/asset/video-game-nuon-dvd-interactive-freefall-3050-a-d/BwFIW2CNMyUM8A. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Manne, Kevin (2007). "FreeFall 3050 A.D. (NUON Game Review) – Falling at 150 mph without a parachute has never been so much fun!". http://www.nuon-dome.com/ffrev.html. 
  5. ↑ "Freefall 3050 A.D.". IGN. Ziff Davis. December 1, 2000. https://www.ign.com/games/freefall-3050-ad. 
  6. ↑ Kennedy, Sam (April 26, 2000). "First Look: NUON Freefall 3050 A.D. - Another NUON title shows off what it means to free-fall and fight at the same time". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. https://www.gamespot.com/articles/first-look-nuon-freefall-3050-ad/1100-2446018/. 
  7. ↑ W. Cody, Jason (Spring 2001). "Tony Takoushi Interview: You havent' heard much about TAKS Software or the man behind their games, Tony Takoushi, but you will...and you read about him here, first! — Is This Guy Great or What?". Syzygy Magazine 2 (1): 22–24. https://archive.org/details/syzygy-issue-4/page/22/mode/2up. 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 Moss, Richard (June 28, 2015). "Remembering Nuon, the gaming chip that nearly changed the world—but didn't". Ars Technica. Condé Nast. https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2015/06/before-the-ps2-nuon-famously-tried-and-failed-to-combine-dvd-and-game-consoles/. 
  9. ↑ Williams, Mike (April 17, 2017). "Halfbrick's Tony Takoushi creates Total ArKade Software — The industry veteran starts a brand-new mobile development studio". GamesIndustry.biz. Gamer Network. https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2012-04-17-halfbricks-tony-takoushi-creates-total-arkade-software. 
  10. ↑ Deci, T.J. (December 12, 2000). "Freefall 3050 A.D. - Overview". AllGame. All Media Network. http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=23103. 
  11. ↑ Cunningham, James (January 17, 2019). "Nuon Lives Again With Pending PC Release of Freefall 3050AD". Hardcore Gamer. Hardcore Gamer LLC. https://hardcoregamer.com/2019/01/17/nuon-lives-again-with-pending-pc-release-of-freefall-3050ad/322648/. 
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Ciuraneta, Cristian (August 12, 2019). "La Xbox original recibe FreeFall 3050AD, un juego cancelado 15 años atrás". MeriStation. PRISA. https://as.com/meristation/2019/08/12/noticias/1565641446_649623.html. 
  13. ↑ Manne, Kevin (March 24, 2007). "FreeFall Updated for Xbox and PC". http://www.nuon-dome.com/wordpress/?p=13. 
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 C. Mylonas, Eric (December 2000). "Viewpoint – Freefall". GameFan (Shinno Media) 8 (12): 52. https://archive.org/stream/Gamefan_Vol_8_Issue_12#page/n53/mode/1up. 
  15. ↑ W. Cody, Jason (Spring 2001). "Freefall 3050 A.D.". Syzygy Magazine 2 (1): 21. https://archive.org/details/syzygy-issue-4/page/21/mode/1up. 
  16. ↑ W. Cody, Jason (Summer 2001). "Remain Silent; Jay DoubleyouL.A.". Syzygy Magazine 2 (2): 5. https://archive.org/details/syzygy-issue-3/page/n4/mode/1up. 
  17. ↑ Sewart, Greg (November 16, 2007). "Screwjumper! - Xbox Live Arcade review". GamesRadar+. Future US. http://www.gamesradar.com/screwjumper-xbox-live-arcade-review/. "There was a game released for the short-lived Nuon system called Freefall 3050 AD. It was about this supercop who apparently jumped down large holes to save the world or something. No one really knows, because the game sucked, so no one bothered playing for more than a few minutes." 

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