Archer Maclean's Mercury
Encyclopedia
Archer Maclean's Mercury is a video game for the PlayStation Portable
, first released in April 2005 in North America. In Japan, the game was released under the name[ Hg
] Hydrium. Mercury is a puzzle
game developed by the eponymous British game programmer, Archer MacLean
who had previously developed Dropzone
and International Karate
. In Mercury, the player tilts a level in order to get a drop of mercury to its appointed destination, in a similar fashion to Marble Madness
. Differences include newer obstacles and the ability for the mercury to morph, split and transform around the levels. The game was originally designed to use a tilt sensor that plugged into the PSP's USB port, but this was never released.
. The player guides a colored blob (called Mercury) around a floating stage. The objective of each level in the game is to guide the Mercury around the level, activating beacons using switches. The nature of a liquid is also utilized in Mercury: the blob can split up, change color, or change shape.
Many hazards also exist in each level of Mercury, meant to reduce the player's amount of liquid. In some levels, for example, there are no walls; if the blob of Mercury gets to close to the edge of the stage, parts of it may drop off the level, detracting from the Mercury count. The blob can also be split into two separate parts by a variety of means; the two blobs may then be moved around (and rejoined if they touch). The primary method of splitting a blob is by using a splitter, a triangle-shaped object. Pushing the Mercury against a splitter will split it into two pieces.
Color plays a large role in Mercury. In most levels, the blob starts out as a silver color. However, by moving under Paint Shops, the color of the Mercury can be changed. Some doors (called filters) only allow matching-colored Mercury to pass through; some switches are also color-coded. If the Mercury is split up, the two blobs can be colored differently; if the two then merge together, they form a new color (for example, a red blob and a green blob would merge to form a yellow one).
Each world is split into twelve levels. Of the twelve levels, there are three Race levels, three Percentage levels, and three Task levels. There are also two Combo levels, and a final boss
level.
At the start of the game, a tutorial world is played (Neon), which teaches the player about the various aspects of the game. After the Neon world's twelve levels are beaten, the Quartz world is unlocked. Subsequent worlds are unlocked in a linear fashion.
Getting the highest score on every level in Neon, Quartz, Xero, Aqua, Helios or Nano results in a secret level being discovered in that particular world. After all secret levels are discovered and themselves have the highest scores, Orbit is unlocked.
The level types are:
. The game features new puzzles and modes, as well as a more vibrant and cartoony style of graphics. http://uk.psp.ign.com/articles/703/703799p1.html. Another sequel was released only for the Wii
called Mercury Meltdown Revolution
. In September 2011, a retooling of the original Mercury games launched, titled Mercury Hg, released for download on the PSN and Xbox Live Arcadehttp://www.news10.net/entertainment/gameguys/article/159423/99/Mercury-Hg-now-available-for-PSN-and-XBLA-DLC-coming.
PlayStation Portable
The is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...
, first released in April 2005 in North America. In Japan, the game was released under the name
Mercury (element)
Mercury is a chemical element with the symbol Hg and atomic number 80. It is also known as quicksilver or hydrargyrum...
Puzzle
A puzzle is a problem or enigma that tests the ingenuity of the solver. In a basic puzzle, one is intended to put together pieces in a logical way in order to come up with the desired solution...
game developed by the eponymous British game programmer, Archer MacLean
Archer MacLean
Archer MacLean is a British video game programmer.- Beginnings :He is the author of such titles as Dropzone and International Karate, which he developed for the Atari 400/800 but were ported to other systems. Archer also created the sequel to International Karate, IK+ which was developed for the...
who had previously developed Dropzone
Dropzone
Dropzone is a shoot 'em up video game developed by Arena Graphics in 1984. It is a bi-directional, horizontally scrolling shoot 'em up in the style of Defender. It was designed and written by Archer MacLean, his first commercial video game. In fact, "Arena Graphics" is just a shell name for MacLean...
and International Karate
International Karate
International Karate is a karate fighting game created and published by System 3 for various home computers. Of these versions the 1986 releases for Commodore 64 and Atari 8-bit computers, created by Archer MacLean with music by Rob Hubbard, stand out for their good playability and overall high...
. In Mercury, the player tilts a level in order to get a drop of mercury to its appointed destination, in a similar fashion to Marble Madness
Marble Madness
Marble Madness is an arcade video game designed by Mark Cerny, and published by Atari Games in 1984. It is a platform game in which the player must guide an onscreen marble through six courses, populated with obstacles and enemies, within a time limit. The player controls the marble by using a...
. Differences include newer obstacles and the ability for the mercury to morph, split and transform around the levels. The game was originally designed to use a tilt sensor that plugged into the PSP's USB port, but this was never released.
Gameplay
Mercury takes on similar gameplay to that of Marble MadnessMarble Madness
Marble Madness is an arcade video game designed by Mark Cerny, and published by Atari Games in 1984. It is a platform game in which the player must guide an onscreen marble through six courses, populated with obstacles and enemies, within a time limit. The player controls the marble by using a...
. The player guides a colored blob (called Mercury) around a floating stage. The objective of each level in the game is to guide the Mercury around the level, activating beacons using switches. The nature of a liquid is also utilized in Mercury: the blob can split up, change color, or change shape.
Many hazards also exist in each level of Mercury, meant to reduce the player's amount of liquid. In some levels, for example, there are no walls; if the blob of Mercury gets to close to the edge of the stage, parts of it may drop off the level, detracting from the Mercury count. The blob can also be split into two separate parts by a variety of means; the two blobs may then be moved around (and rejoined if they touch). The primary method of splitting a blob is by using a splitter, a triangle-shaped object. Pushing the Mercury against a splitter will split it into two pieces.
Color plays a large role in Mercury. In most levels, the blob starts out as a silver color. However, by moving under Paint Shops, the color of the Mercury can be changed. Some doors (called filters) only allow matching-colored Mercury to pass through; some switches are also color-coded. If the Mercury is split up, the two blobs can be colored differently; if the two then merge together, they form a new color (for example, a red blob and a green blob would merge to form a yellow one).
Worlds
There are seven worlds in the game:- Neon
- Quartz
- Xero
- Aqua
- Helios
- Nano
- Orbit
Each world is split into twelve levels. Of the twelve levels, there are three Race levels, three Percentage levels, and three Task levels. There are also two Combo levels, and a final boss
Boss (video games)
A boss is an enemy-based challenge which is found in video games. A fight with a boss character is commonly referred to as a boss battle or boss fight...
level.
At the start of the game, a tutorial world is played (Neon), which teaches the player about the various aspects of the game. After the Neon world's twelve levels are beaten, the Quartz world is unlocked. Subsequent worlds are unlocked in a linear fashion.
Getting the highest score on every level in Neon, Quartz, Xero, Aqua, Helios or Nano results in a secret level being discovered in that particular world. After all secret levels are discovered and themselves have the highest scores, Orbit is unlocked.
Level types
Each level has a time limit (in seconds), Mercury limit (as a percentage), and a beacon count. To clear a level, all beacons on the level must be activated within that level's time limit. Beacons are usually activated by switches or pads, and light up when activated. Each level also has a Mercury limit, which determines how much Mercury must make it through the level. If the amount of Mercury on the level drops below the limit, the level must be restarted.The level types are:
- Race: In race levels, the Mercury limit is very low, as well as the time limit. The objective is to simply reach the finish pad, without losing all Mercury. Time is the most important thing in race levels. Also, there is only one beacon, which is activated by reaching the finish pad.
- Percentage: Percentage levels emphasize preserving Mercury over quick completion (although the levels still have a time limit). Percentage levels may have more hazards than others, requiring the player to be careful in guiding the Mercury around, to keep it above the limit (which is usually 60% or above).
- Task: Task levels will have between 1 and 6 beacons that must be activated to clear the level. Besides that, they have no other unique qualities.
- Combo: Combo levels combine the qualities of Race, Percentage, and Task levels. There are two in each world played before the boss.
- "'Dreamscape:"' Levels full of psychedelic flashing colors, where the player must guide your mercury through an otherworldly dreamscape.
- Boss: Boss levels are the last levels in each world in Mercury.
Sequels
A sequel to Archer Maclean's Mercury has been released, entitled Mercury MeltdownMercury Meltdown
Mercury Meltdown is a video game for the PlayStation Portable. It is the sequel to the 2005 title Archer Maclean's Mercury. Like the first game, the goal is to tilt the playing area and guide one or more blobs of mercury to the destination.-Gameplay:...
. The game features new puzzles and modes, as well as a more vibrant and cartoony style of graphics. http://uk.psp.ign.com/articles/703/703799p1.html. Another sequel was released only for the Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
called Mercury Meltdown Revolution
Mercury Meltdown Revolution
Mercury Meltdown Revolution is a puzzle video game developed and published by Ignition Entertainment for the Nintendo Wii. The game is part of a series of puzzle games including Mercury Meltdown and Archer Maclean's Mercury...
. In September 2011, a retooling of the original Mercury games launched, titled Mercury Hg, released for download on the PSN and Xbox Live Arcadehttp://www.news10.net/entertainment/gameguys/article/159423/99/Mercury-Hg-now-available-for-PSN-and-XBLA-DLC-coming.