Blake Stone: Aliens of Gold
Encyclopedia
Blake Stone: Aliens of Gold is a first-person shooter
computer game created by JAM Productions
and published by Apogee Software
. It uses the Wolfenstein 3D
game engine
to render graphics in first person
, while adding many features.
The shareware
version of the game was released December 3, 1993. The registered version of Blake Stone shipped with a comic book
, called a "Blake Stone Adventure". To date it is the only title in the company's product line to do so. In 1994, a sequel called Blake Stone: Planet Strike
was released, which continues where Aliens of Gold leaves off.
His first major case is to investigate and eliminate the threat of Dr. Pyrus Goldfire, a brilliant scientist in the field of genetics and biology, known for his outright disrespect of professional ethics. Backed by his own organization, STAR, Dr. Goldfire plans to conquer Earth and enslave humanity using an army of specially trained human conscripts, modified alien species, and a host of genetically-engineered mutant
s. Agent Stone is sent on a mission to knock out six crucial STAR installations and destroy Goldfire's army before it can assault the Earth.
Dr. Goldfire appears periodically in certain sections and will attack Stone. After being hit a few times, he activates a teleporter on his watch and escapes. Conscript type enemies have the ability to pick up ammunition when they run out.
There are multiple food dispensers in each level, at which the player can spend tokens to purchase food that recharges Stone's health. There are also non-hostile 'informant' scientists who provide information, ammunition, and tokens when spoken to. Informants and hostile scientists look exactly the same, and can only be told apart when Stone speaks to them or begins firing in their direction. Hostile scientists will say things like "You shouldn't be here..." or "Do I know you?". Repeatedly talking to hostile scientists leads them to open fire on Stone.
In every level the player can boost points for score by destroying all enemies, collecting all points and keeping all informants alive which increases the three respective statuses. Total Points is affected by both the enemies destroyed and the treasure collected. The all informants alive bonus can only be obtained if all informants survive after the first two bonuses are obtained. Floor rating is affected by the other three statuses. Mission rating is affected by the overall statuses from floors 1 till 9. Killing informants decreases both Floor and Mission Rating.
s, nine regular and two secret. A main elevator goes through levels 1 through 10 and is the only means of moving between the levels. The goal of each level from 1 through 8 is to secure a red keycard and use it to unlock the next floor. The elimination of all enemies and the collection of all treasure on the current floor are optional objectives which provide bonuses upon completion. ("Plasma alien" enemies, which spawn repeatedly from electrical outlets, do not count towards the kill ratio.) Blake Stone can take the elevator back down to previous levels to find missed items or kill any remaining enemies.
On level 9 of each episode, defeating Dr. Goldfire (who is stronger at that point than normal) forces him to drop a gold keycard. The key is used to unlock the way to the boss, which holds another gold keycard for the level's exit - the episode's end. Each episode features two secret levels. One of them, floor 0, can be accessed through a teleport hidden somewhere within the same episode. The other is floor 10, directly accessible through the main elevator. A red keycard is required to enter, and is usually hidden on floor 9. Secret levels do not have special objectives; their only purpose is to boost the player's score.
released Doom one week after Apogee released Blake Stone. Doom quickly eclipsed Blake Stone, which sold poorly after initial success.
First-person shooter
First-person shooter is a video game genre that centers the gameplay on gun and projectile weapon-based combat through first-person perspective; i.e., the player experiences the action through the eyes of a protagonist. Generally speaking, the first-person shooter shares common traits with other...
computer game created by JAM Productions
JAM Productions (software)
JAM Productions was a computer game development company based in the United States. It is most notable for creating the 1993 first person shooter Blake Stone: Aliens of Gold....
and published by Apogee Software
3D Realms
3D Realms is a current video game publisher and former video game developer based in Garland, Texas, United States, established in 1987...
. It uses the Wolfenstein 3D
Wolfenstein 3D
Wolfenstein 3D is a video game that is generally regarded by critics and gaming journalists as having both popularized the first-person shooter genre on the PC and created the basic archetype upon which all subsequent games of the same genre would be built. It was created by id Software and...
game engine
Game engine
A game engine is a system designed for the creation and development of video games. There are many game engines that are designed to work on video game consoles and personal computers...
to render graphics in first person
First person (video games)
In video games, first person refers to a graphical perspective rendered from the viewpoint of the player character. In many cases, this may be the viewpoint from the cockpit of a vehicle. Many different genres have made use of first-person perspectives, ranging from adventure games to flight...
, while adding many features.
The shareware
Shareware
The term shareware is a proprietary software that is provided to users without payment on a trial basis and is often limited by any combination of functionality, availability, or convenience. Shareware is often offered as a download from an Internet website or as a compact disc included with a...
version of the game was released December 3, 1993. The registered version of Blake Stone shipped with a comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
, called a "Blake Stone Adventure". To date it is the only title in the company's product line to do so. In 1994, a sequel called Blake Stone: Planet Strike
Blake Stone: Planet Strike
Blake Stone: Planet Strike is the sequel to the computer game Blake Stone: Aliens of Gold, made by JAM Productions and released on October 28, 1994, by Apogee Software...
was released, which continues where Aliens of Gold leaves off.
Story
The story is set in the year 2140. Robert Wills Stone III—a.k.a. Blake Stone—is an agent of the British Intelligence, recruited after a highly successful career in the British Royal Navy.His first major case is to investigate and eliminate the threat of Dr. Pyrus Goldfire, a brilliant scientist in the field of genetics and biology, known for his outright disrespect of professional ethics. Backed by his own organization, STAR, Dr. Goldfire plans to conquer Earth and enslave humanity using an army of specially trained human conscripts, modified alien species, and a host of genetically-engineered mutant
Mutant
In biology and especially genetics, a mutant is an individual, organism, or new genetic character, arising or resulting from an instance of mutation, which is a base-pair sequence change within the DNA of a gene or chromosome of an organism resulting in the creation of a new character or trait not...
s. Agent Stone is sent on a mission to knock out six crucial STAR installations and destroy Goldfire's army before it can assault the Earth.
Gameplay
The gameplay of Aliens of Gold is very similar to Wolfenstein 3D. Playable areas are single-leveled, with orthogonal walls and textured floors and ceilings. Level features include: locked doors which can be opened by four colors of access cards (gold, green, yellow and blue) plus red access cards to enter new floors, one-way doors, secret rooms accessible through pushable wall blocks, and teleports that instantly take the player into another location within the level (or in one instance to the episode's secret level). Five weapons are available.Dr. Goldfire appears periodically in certain sections and will attack Stone. After being hit a few times, he activates a teleporter on his watch and escapes. Conscript type enemies have the ability to pick up ammunition when they run out.
There are multiple food dispensers in each level, at which the player can spend tokens to purchase food that recharges Stone's health. There are also non-hostile 'informant' scientists who provide information, ammunition, and tokens when spoken to. Informants and hostile scientists look exactly the same, and can only be told apart when Stone speaks to them or begins firing in their direction. Hostile scientists will say things like "You shouldn't be here..." or "Do I know you?". Repeatedly talking to hostile scientists leads them to open fire on Stone.
In every level the player can boost points for score by destroying all enemies, collecting all points and keeping all informants alive which increases the three respective statuses. Total Points is affected by both the enemies destroyed and the treasure collected. The all informants alive bonus can only be obtained if all informants survive after the first two bonuses are obtained. Floor rating is affected by the other three statuses. Mission rating is affected by the overall statuses from floors 1 till 9. Killing informants decreases both Floor and Mission Rating.
Level structure
The game consists of six episodes, each with 11 levelLevel (computer and video games)
A level, map, area, or world in a video game is the total space available to the player during the course of completing a discrete objective...
s, nine regular and two secret. A main elevator goes through levels 1 through 10 and is the only means of moving between the levels. The goal of each level from 1 through 8 is to secure a red keycard and use it to unlock the next floor. The elimination of all enemies and the collection of all treasure on the current floor are optional objectives which provide bonuses upon completion. ("Plasma alien" enemies, which spawn repeatedly from electrical outlets, do not count towards the kill ratio.) Blake Stone can take the elevator back down to previous levels to find missed items or kill any remaining enemies.
On level 9 of each episode, defeating Dr. Goldfire (who is stronger at that point than normal) forces him to drop a gold keycard. The key is used to unlock the way to the boss, which holds another gold keycard for the level's exit - the episode's end. Each episode features two secret levels. One of them, floor 0, can be accessed through a teleport hidden somewhere within the same episode. The other is floor 10, directly accessible through the main elevator. A red keycard is required to enter, and is usually hidden on floor 9. Secret levels do not have special objectives; their only purpose is to boost the player's score.
Sales
id SoftwareId Software
Id Software is an American video game development company with its headquarters in Richardson, Texas. The company was founded in 1991 by four members of the computer company Softdisk: programmers John Carmack and John Romero, game designer Tom Hall, and artist Adrian Carmack...
released Doom one week after Apogee released Blake Stone. Doom quickly eclipsed Blake Stone, which sold poorly after initial success.
Credits
- JAM Productions: Michael Maynard, James T. Row, Jerry K. Jones
- Contributing Artists: Cygnus Multimedia Productions, Debra Berry, Jeff DeeJeff DeeJeff Dee is an American artist and game designer. Based in Austin, Texas, he is a recognized figure in the role-playing game community and game industry...
- Music: Bobby Prince
- Publisher: Apogee Software3D Realms3D Realms is a current video game publisher and former video game developer based in Garland, Texas, United States, established in 1987...
- Texture Mapping Engine: id SoftwareId SoftwareId Software is an American video game development company with its headquarters in Richardson, Texas. The company was founded in 1991 by four members of the computer company Softdisk: programmers John Carmack and John Romero, game designer Tom Hall, and artist Adrian Carmack...