Surf and Destroy (partially found build of cancelled PC game; 1996): Difference between revisions
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|title=<center> | |title=<center>Surf and Destroy</center> | ||
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|imagecaption= | |imagecaption=The game's box | ||
|status=<span style="color:orange;">'''Partially Found'''</span> | |status=<span style="color:orange;">'''Partially Found'''</span> | ||
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Revision as of 03:52, 9 July 2023
The game's box
Status: Partially Found
Surf and Destroy was a videogame being produced in a collaboration effort between Grolier Interactive, Toonsmiths, and MediaX.[1] The game was DirectX based, utlizing realtime 3D. While it was heavily advertised in magazines of the period (though always using the exact same advertisement) the game would never be released in full. It would, however, be released as a demo packaged with the demo to a game that would be released, Banzai Bug.
Plot & Gameplay
It's unknown what happens in the beginning. You likely have to get a computer disc first and escape through a sewer. Once you get out of the sewer, you give a young computer hacker the disc. With it he discovers who's behind a virus that's been destroying the internet, the evil Rood O'Dor, an old bunkmate of his at computer camp. To do so, he uses the "Transvector" that he's built with his assistant DeeDee to enter the internet. However, due to raising the voltage too high, you and him are sent into the internet and mutated, not being able to be sent back out into the real world like normal. Because of this, you have to figure out a way to get out yourself while destroying Rood's virus.[2]
In this first-person game, you have to jump from various platforms while shooting Rood's beasts with a strange cube-shooting gun of sorts. While doing this, you also have to collect objects to advance to the next levels.
Development
Surf and Destroy, previously known as Toobers: Surf and Destroy[3] was a unique creation by Larry Kay, previously a writer for Freddi Fish. Larry, with his own company Toonsmiths, worked with MediaX[4] to develop Surf and Destroy and be published by Grolier Interactive. A partial list of Surf and Destroy's team is Matt MacLaurin, Gaben Chancellor,[5] and Eric Ellis[6]. The game was slated for a release on October of 1996, however advertisements appear the game even after that release date, with no game being on the shelves. Soon, Surf and Destroy would be cancelled by MediaX due to declining business. A few years later MediaX would be bought and other projects such as Big Brother would be cancelled. According to creator Larry Kay, while Surf and Destroy did reach the beta stage, the game itself was never completed.
Availability
A demo of the game that includes two levels, "Funhouse" and "Junkyard" was made available briefly with the demo of Banzai Bug.[7] While this demo disc is increasingly rare, a dump of it was made on the Internet Archive in 2017 by curator Jason Scott.[8] As of now, the demo is the only known existing piece of Surf and Destroy. When compared to screenshots of the game from MediaX's old website, it's shown that other levels were definitely created, however it's unknown if any later builds still exist. Both Larry Kay and Gaben Chancellor neither have anything from Surf and Destroy's development. Chancellor mentioned the possibility of them being in MediaX's original archives, however due to the company being bought decades ago, it's unlikely any of that was kept.
Gallery
Screenshot from an unknown cutscene
An unknown level
Another unknown level
Another unknown level
A magazine ad for the game
