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{{Short description|1981 video game}} |
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{{More citations needed|date=April 2010}} |
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|image=[[Image:maketrax.png|225 px|Make Trax Screenshot]] |
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| image = Make_Trax_flyer.png |
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|publisher=[[Williams (gaming company)|Williams]] |
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| caption = North American flyer |
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|release=1981 |
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| publisher = {{vgrelease|JP|Kural Samno Electric|EU|[[Exidy]]|NA|[[Williams Electronics]]}} |
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|genre=[[Maze game]] |
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| platforms = [[Arcade video game|Arcade]] |
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|cabinet=Upright and cocktail |
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| released = {{vgrelease|NA/JP|October 1981<ref>{{cite book |last1=Akagi |first1=Masumi |title=アーケードTVゲームリスト国内•海外編(1971–2005) |trans-title=Arcade TV Game List: Domestic • Overseas Edition (1971–2005) |date=October 13, 2006 |publisher=Amusement News Agency |language=ja |location=Japan |isbn=978-4990251215 |page=17 |url=https://archive.org/details/ArcadeGameList1971-2005/page/n17}}</ref> <ref name="cashbox">{{cite magazine |title=Manufacturers Equipment |magazine=[[Cash Box]] |date=5 February 1983 |page=35 |url=https://archive.org/details/cashbox44unse_33/page/n34 |location=United States}}</ref>|EU|1981<ref name="EU"/>}} |
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| genre = [[List of maze video games|Maze]] |
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|display=[[Raster graphics|Raster]], standard resolution, vertical orientation |
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|input= |
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|platforms=[[Arcade game|Arcade]], [[Neo Geo Pocket Color]], [[Nintendo Entertainment System|Nintendo Famicom]], [[Pelican VG Pocket]] |
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}} |
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'''''Make Trax''''', originally released in Japan as {{nihongo|'''''Crush Roller'''''|クラッシュローラー|Kurasshu Rōrā}}, is a 1981 [[maze game]]<ref name="RG">{{cite news |last1=Thorpe |first1=Nick |title=Make Trax |url=https://www.retrogamer.net/retro_games80/make-trax/ |access-date=26 May 2021 |work=[[Retro Gamer]] |publisher=[[Future Publishing Limited]] |date=24 February 2017}}</ref> developed by [[Alpha Denshi]] and published as an [[arcade video game]] by Kural Samno Electric in Japan.<ref name="GM176">{{cite magazine|title=Overseas Readers Column - Mfg. and Licensing System for Video "Crush Roller" Unveiled|magazine=[[:ja:ゲームマシン|Game Machine]]|issue=176|publisher=[[:ja:アミューズメント通信社|Amusement Press, Inc.]]|date=1 November 1981|page=34|lang=ja}}</ref> It was licensed in Europe to [[Exidy]], which released it under its original title ''Crush Roller'',<ref name="EU">{{cite web |title=Video Game Flyers: Crush Roller, Exidy, Inc. (EU) |url=https://flyers.arcade-museum.com/?page=flyer&db=videodb&id=258&image=1 |website=The Arcade Flyer Archive |access-date=26 May 2021}}</ref> and in North America to [[Williams Electronics]], who released it as ''Make Trax''. |
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'''Make Trax''' is an [[arcade game]] introduced by [[Williams (gaming company)|Williams]] in 1981. It is a maze-themed game which is similar to [[Pac-Man]]. It was released in Europe, Japan, and other Asian countries in the same year under the title '''Crush Roller''' and was licensed to Williams for US release by the South Korean company [[Kural Samno]]. |
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==Gameplay== |
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The action takes place in a maze, where the player controls a paintbrush and must paint the entire layout in order to advance to the next stage. Two fish resembling goldfish — one yellow in color, the other light blue — emerge from separate aquariums to pursue the paintbrush around the board, and if either of the fish succeeds in making contact with the paintbrush, the brush is "spoiled" (the equivalent of getting caught in Pac-Man): The brush disappears from the screen momentarily, then, over the course of the next few seconds, the shape of what appears to be a cowboy hat with an arrow shot through it gradually forms in its place, while the chorus of the classic [[ragtime]] tune ''The [[Twelfth Street Rag]]'' is played by the machine. |
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{{Unreferenced section|date=September 2019}} |
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[[File:maketrax.png|thumb|left|The goal is to paint the entire maze green.]] |
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The player controls a paintbrush, reddish-orange in color, and must paint the entire maze in order to advance to the next stage. Two fish — one yellow, the other light blue — emerge from separate aquariums to pursue the paintbrush around the board, and if either of the fish succeeds in making contact with the paintbrush, the player loses one of three lives. |
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As in Pac-Man, the player is provided with an opportunity to periodically turn the tables on his adversaries, though — and this takes the form of two "rollers" which can be found on two "bridges" or overpasses, one vertical in its orientation on the board, the other horizontal. To utilize a roller, the player positions the paintbrush on the forward end of the roller, waits for either or both of the fish to approach, then pushes the paintbrush along the roller, attacking the fish; the attacked fish then disappears for a moment, after which it shows up in either of the two aquariums; a few seconds later it returns to the layout and resumes its pursuit of the paintbrush. Killing fish in this manner scores bonus points: On the first board, the first fish killed scores 50 points, with each subsequent kill on the same board doubling the value, up to 6,400 points; the next kill after the 6,400-point kill scores 9,000, after which the fish on screen one never venture within range of the rollers again. The value of the first killed fish doubles in every board thereafter. Once it reaches 9,000 then that's the only score you can get for fish. With each level increase its easier to get the 9,000 point fish and catching two at once enables you to get one more than the maximum that would otherwise be possible. |
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The player may use two "rollers" to attack the fish. They are located on overpasses, one vertical in its orientation, the other horizontal. To use them, the player positions the paintbrush on its forward end, waits for either or both of the fish to approach, then pushes the paintbrush along the roller, attacking the fish. The fish is removed from the maze for a few seconds, then returns to one of the aquariums and resumes its pursuit of the paintbrush. Killing fish in this manner scores bonus points. |
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In addition to the paintbrush and fish, another character is also present: It appears either as an animal or human figure, and a few minutes after a given board has started, it emerges from one of several spots found at various locations on the screen, and proceeds to travel around the board, leaving tracks that must be painted over in order for the board to be completed (and it is this character's action that accounts for the game's title). The player can limit the damage by running over the figure, which not only stops further tracks from being left but also awards the player a score, which progressively increases as more boards are cleared. What form this character takes varies with different boards, or levels; a cat appears on the first level, while the most advanced levels feature an invisible man who leaves human footprints. |
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The fish initially are dumb, but as time goes on they get "smarter" learning to avoid the roller when the paintbrush nears it, and develop strategies to trap the player between them. |
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The player starts with three paintbrushes, and can earn a fourth by amassing 10,000 points, which in a typical game would occur sometime during the second board. When all brushes are spoiled, the game is over. |
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A third character, appearing to be an animal, rolling tire, or invisible man depending on the level, may enter the maze and leave tracks that must be painted over in order for the board to be completed. The player can limit the damage by running over the figure, which not only stops further tracks from being left but also awards the player a score, which progressively increases as more boards are cleared. |
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Some time after the release of the original game, a "speedup chip" allowing the paintbrush (but not the fish) to move faster was added. The variant of the game containing this chip was accorded the name '''Make Trax Turbo'''. |
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==Reception== |
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A [[Neo Geo Pocket Color]] update of the game was released worldwide by [[SNK Playmore|SNK]] under its Japanese name ''Crush Roller''. Additionally, it was ported to the [[Nintendo Entertainment System|Nintendo Famicom]] system by [[Hwang Shinwei]] as Brush Roller, although this port was not licensed by either Nintendo or the creators of the game. This game was cloned as a port for the [[Pelican VG Pocket]] under the name "Paint". |
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In Japan, ''Crush Roller'' was the ninth highest-grossing [[1981 in video games|arcade game of 1981]].<ref>{{cite magazine|title="Donkey Kong" No.1 Of '81 — ''Game Machine's Survey Of "The Year's Best Three AM Machines"'' —|magazine=[[:ja:ゲームマシン|Game Machine]]|issue=182|publisher=[[:ja:アミューズメント通信社|Amusement Press, Inc.]]|date=15 February 1982|page=30|url=https://onitama.tv/gamemachine/pdf/19820215p.pdf#page=16}}</ref> |
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==Legacy== |
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[[ADK (company)|ADK]] [[Video game remake|remade]] the game for the [[Neo Geo Pocket Color]] which was released worldwide by [[SNK Playmore|SNK]] under its original name ''Crush Roller'' in 1999.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mobygames.com/game/neo-geo-pocket-color/crush-roller|title=Crush Roller for Neo Geo Pocket Color|publisher=Mobygames.com|accessdate=16 June 2021}}</ref> The game mechanics are largely the same as its arcade counterpart, though the level design was adapted to fit the smaller screen size. Graphics and sound were also improved thanks to the more powerful hardware. This version was later re-released as part of the Windows port of ''[[Neo Geo Pocket Color Selection]] Vol. 1'' in 2021. |
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*The background music for Make Trax was also used for the game ''[[Magic Jewelry]]''. |
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*There's a modified version of this game called ''Korosuke Roller'' which uses graphics from the obscure game ''Dorachan'' (a ''Head On''-esque game featuring [[Doraemon]]). |
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*Founder of Twin Galaxies, [[Walter Day]] claimed in the film [[Chasing Ghosts: Beyond the Arcade]] that Make Trax was his game of choice. |
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A clone called ''Brush Roller'' for the [[NES|Famicom/NES]] was programmed in 1990 by [[Hwang Shinwei]] and published by RCM Group.{{Citation needed|date=June 2021}} This game was later hacked by [[NTDEC]] to make ''Bookyman'', which was released on the [[Caltron 6-in-1]] and the Asder 20-in-1. {{Citation needed|date=June 2021}} It replaced the title screen, some of the graphics, and revamped the sound and music. It also fixed the bugs that cause music temporary stops when the roller died or crush enemy and eliminated corrupted sprites at left maze scoreboard when completed stage which are replaced by some hollow squares. The original NTDEC release and Asder version retained the original sounds from Brush Roller, despite the Asder version released a year later. |
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*[http://klov.com/game_detail.php?letter=&game_id=8609 KLOV entry for Make Trax] |
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A "speed-up" modification named ''Make Trax Turbo'' allows the paintbrush to move faster (but not the fish).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.arcadecollecting.com/hacks/maketrax/|title=Make Trax Turbo|publisher=Arcadecollecting.com|accessdate=2012-03-16}}</ref> |
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*[http://www.arcade-history.com/history_database.php?page=detail&id=1551 Arcade History Database entry] |
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*[http://tips.retrogames.com/gamepage/maketrax.html Arcade Retro Lounge Tips & Tricks game entry] |
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==References== |
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*[http://www.twingalaxies.com/index.aspx?c=22&pi=2&gi=3227&vi=1360 Twin Galaxies High Score Rankings for Make Trax] |
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{{reflist}} |
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* {{KLOV game|8609}} |
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[[Category:1981 video games]] |
[[Category:1981 video games]] |
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[[Category: |
[[Category:ADK (company) games]] |
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[[Category:Arcade video games]] |
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[[Category:Exidy games]] |
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[[Category:Maze games]] |
[[Category:Maze games]] |
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[[Category: |
[[Category:Multiplayer and single-player video games]] |
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[[Category:Multiplayer hotseat games]] |
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[[Category:Neo Geo Pocket Color games]] |
[[Category:Neo Geo Pocket Color games]] |
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[[Category: |
[[Category:Nintendo Entertainment System games]] |
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[[Category:SNK games]] |
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[[Category:Video games developed in Japan]] |
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[[fr:Crush Roller]] |
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[[Category:Video games scored by Hiroaki Shimizu]] |
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[[Category:Williams video games]] |
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Latest revision as of 17:11, 20 November 2024
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (April 2010) |
| Make Trax | |
|---|---|
 North American flyer | |
| Developer(s) | Alpha Denshi |
| Publisher(s) |
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| Platform(s) | Arcade |
| Release | |
| Genre(s) | Maze |
| Mode(s) | 1-2 players alternating turns |
Make Trax, originally released in Japan as Crush Roller (クラッシュローラー, Kurasshu Rōrā), is a 1981 maze game[4] developed by Alpha Denshi and published as an arcade video game by Kural Samno Electric in Japan.[5] It was licensed in Europe to Exidy, which released it under its original title Crush Roller,[1] and in North America to Williams Electronics, who released it as Make Trax.
Gameplay
[edit] |
The player controls a paintbrush, reddish-orange in color, and must paint the entire maze in order to advance to the next stage. Two fish — one yellow, the other light blue — emerge from separate aquariums to pursue the paintbrush around the board, and if either of the fish succeeds in making contact with the paintbrush, the player loses one of three lives.
The player may use two "rollers" to attack the fish. They are located on overpasses, one vertical in its orientation, the other horizontal. To use them, the player positions the paintbrush on its forward end, waits for either or both of the fish to approach, then pushes the paintbrush along the roller, attacking the fish. The fish is removed from the maze for a few seconds, then returns to one of the aquariums and resumes its pursuit of the paintbrush. Killing fish in this manner scores bonus points.
The fish initially are dumb, but as time goes on they get "smarter" learning to avoid the roller when the paintbrush nears it, and develop strategies to trap the player between them.
A third character, appearing to be an animal, rolling tire, or invisible man depending on the level, may enter the maze and leave tracks that must be painted over in order for the board to be completed. The player can limit the damage by running over the figure, which not only stops further tracks from being left but also awards the player a score, which progressively increases as more boards are cleared.
Reception
[edit]In Japan, Crush Roller was the ninth highest-grossing arcade game of 1981.[6]
Legacy
[edit]ADK remade the game for the Neo Geo Pocket Color which was released worldwide by SNK under its original name Crush Roller in 1999.[7] The game mechanics are largely the same as its arcade counterpart, though the level design was adapted to fit the smaller screen size. Graphics and sound were also improved thanks to the more powerful hardware. This version was later re-released as part of the Windows port of Neo Geo Pocket Color Selection Vol. 1 in 2021.
A clone called Brush Roller for the Famicom/NES was programmed in 1990 by Hwang Shinwei and published by RCM Group.[citation needed] This game was later hacked by NTDEC to make Bookyman, which was released on the Caltron 6-in-1 and the Asder 20-in-1. [citation needed] It replaced the title screen, some of the graphics, and revamped the sound and music. It also fixed the bugs that cause music temporary stops when the roller died or crush enemy and eliminated corrupted sprites at left maze scoreboard when completed stage which are replaced by some hollow squares. The original NTDEC release and Asder version retained the original sounds from Brush Roller, despite the Asder version released a year later.
A "speed-up" modification named Make Trax Turbo allows the paintbrush to move faster (but not the fish).[8]
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Video Game Flyers: Crush Roller, Exidy, Inc. (EU)". The Arcade Flyer Archive. Retrieved 26 May 2021.
- ^ Akagi, Masumi (October 13, 2006). アーケードTVゲームリスト国内•海外編(1971–2005) [Arcade TV Game List: Domestic • Overseas Edition (1971–2005)] (in Japanese). Japan: Amusement News Agency. p. 17. ISBN 978-4990251215.
- ^ "Manufacturers Equipment". Cash Box. United States. 5 February 1983. p. 35.
- ^ Thorpe, Nick (24 February 2017). "Make Trax". Retro Gamer. Future Publishing Limited. Retrieved 26 May 2021.
- ^ "Overseas Readers Column - Mfg. and Licensing System for Video "Crush Roller" Unveiled". Game Machine (in Japanese). No. 176. Amusement Press, Inc. 1 November 1981. p. 34.
- ^ ""Donkey Kong" No.1 Of '81 — Game Machine's Survey Of "The Year's Best Three AM Machines" —" (PDF). Game Machine. No. 182. Amusement Press, Inc. 15 February 1982. p. 30.
- ^ "Crush Roller for Neo Geo Pocket Color". Mobygames.com. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
- ^ "Make Trax Turbo". Arcadecollecting.com. Retrieved 2012-03-16.