He-Man MotU Prototype for Christmas 2023

[SiLic0ne t0aD]

Thank you so much! Merry Christmas!  🍻

[Tursi]

Pretty impressive graphics and animation! The game is simple but entertaining  Kind of a shame it never came out!

 

 

[Atariboy2600]

On 12/24/2023 at 12:29 AM, retroillucid said:

Just like all the other prototypes we have preserved in the past,

The He-Man and Masters of the Universe ROM is also released to the public! (*Not for Resale!)

 

Because all prototypes must be shared with the community!   

 

On another note, the subscriptions for the CollectorVision Experience Club 2024 will start over the next month.
Stay tuned! 
Thanks all the members for your endless support!

 

Make sure to visit our website!

We've added 4X brand new games plus a bunch of Team Pixelboy games reprint.

https://collectorvision.com/store/product-category/colecovision/

 

I would also like to take this opportunity to wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

 

 

Enjoy! 

MotU-NOTFORRESALE.rom 32 kB · 117 downloads

Been a huge He-Man fan since 82 with the old toys and still own both my childhood toys and both MOTU games - 

 

 

  

 

[Tursi]

That's a great collection!

 

[Supergun]

14 hours ago, Tempest said:

Out of Curiosity is the Not For Resale text part of the original proto or was that added?

Pretty sure this was added (as it wasn’t present in the previously shown pics and vids) and most likely as an extra precaution. We just had far too much drama surrounding this game a short while back. And I sincerely doubt the person who “left the playground and took their ball with them” was the originator. Taking into account the anonymity element, it becomes plainly obvious where it came from. So given the circumstances, I completely agree with having that included in there.

 

And a thousand thanks for sharing this with the ColecoVision community. Much appreciated.

[Rakutenka]

Oh wow! This is incredible! Thanks.

 

This plays like a finished game. Are you sure this is a prototype? What's missing?

[rietveld]

8 hours ago, Supergun said:

Pretty sure this was added (as it wasn’t present in the previously shown pics and vids) and most likely as an extra precaution. We just had far too much drama surrounding this game a short while back. And I sincerely doubt the person who “left the playground and took their ball with them” was the originator. Taking into account the anonymity element, it becomes plainly obvious where it came from. So given the circumstances, I completely agree with having that included in there.

 

And a thousand thanks for sharing this with the ColecoVision community. Much appreciated.

Its sad that he left before completing his Shamus port

I really wanted to see that game on the colecovision. 

Edited December 26, 2023 by rietveld

[Rakutenka]

First game on real hardware. This is the definitive version of this game. It’s a shame it wasn’t released back in the day. 

[Tempest]

So the instructions for the 2600 or Intellivision version work for this version?  I'll be honest, I've never really played the game before.  Seems like you just fly around shooting things and dropping bombs on Skeletor until you earn enough points to move on (or is it a timed thing).  Then you try and dodge Skeletors shots (you appear to have a limited use shield) and reach the other side of the screen three times.  Then you go back to the first level again.

[Falonn]

3 hours ago, Tempest said:

... you appear to have a limited use shield...

If it's limited, I haven't found the limit yet.  It seems like you can press the button anytime you like and use it as long as you like.  Those non-flying screens seem very easy.  In the video I intentionally let a couple of the fireballs hit me to demonstrate the knock-back effect, but otherwise picking the top or bottom of the screen and just walking forward seems like the way to go.

 

In the videos of the Atari and Intellivision versions I've watched since then, the effect on that screen doesn't look like an energy field around your character.  Instead, it looks like he's just holding a shield out in front of him.

 

The only thing I haven't tried out on those screens is getting hit by the dagger (sword?) that Skeletor throws periodically.  On the CV version it blends in with the fireballs and is easy to miss, but on the other platforms the art for the sword is much more distinct.  I'm guessing that can't be stopped by the shield and presumably on harder difficulties he throws more of them?

Edited December 26, 2023 by Falonn
fixed a word

[Greg2600]

On 12/24/2023 at 12:29 AM, retroillucid said:

Just like all the other prototypes we have preserved in the past,

The He-Man and Masters of the Universe ROM is also released to the public! (*Not for Resale!)

 

Because all prototypes must be shared with the community!  

Indeed a Christmas gift to rival the one thirty years ago when Jolly Saint Nick dropped off the Castle Grayskull platset to my humble abode!!!  There is nothing more critical than preserving and sharing gaming history.  I've whined and been so longing for this one for what seems like an eternity in Eternia.  😭 (tears of joy)

 

Now that I finally have access to the game, I can properly comment on it's development, particularly against the finished Intellivision version.  The game is terrific, for its time, as I suspected it would be.  The controls and overall speed is excellent with minor flicker.  Sound effects are good and obviously the musical He-Man theme is top notch.  I also love that the game is clearly a massive graphical upgrade from the INTV and VCS retail versions.  A very nice job by the old Mattel team.  If I had one nitpick, it would be that they still might have needed to clean up their sprite work, because the aside from the wonderful cutscenes, the in-game don't resememble the MOTU characters quite enough.  I'm sure that would have been a sticking point for Mattel.  The INTV copy you can see He-Man's sword or shield on the ground-based screens.

On 12/24/2023 at 11:37 AM, Tempest said:

I haven't had a chance to test this out yet but is this the latest version?  I believe that there were two or three different versions in various levels of completeness.

Well, that *other fellow* insisted to me that his was the only fully playable cart, but that all three had been dumped prior to the sale.  This ROM seems to be 100% working and playable if you ask me. 😎

On 12/24/2023 at 11:38 PM, retroillucid said:

It came from a private collector (He want to remain anonymous) after he saw what happened here when there was the MotU ebay auction about 2-3 years ago...

Much LOVE 🥰

Edited December 27, 2023 by Greg2600

[Tempest]

1 hour ago, Greg2600 said:

Now that I finally have access to the game, I can properly comment on it's development, particularly against the finished Intellivision version.  The game is terrific, for its time, as I suspected it would be.  The controls and overall speed is excellent with minor flicker.  Sound effects are good and obviously the musical He-Man theme is top notch.  I also love that the game is clearly a massive graphical upgrade from the INTV and VCS retail versions.  A very nice job by the old Mattel team.  If I had one nitpick, it would be that they still might have needed to clean up their sprite work, because the aside from the wonderful cutscenes, the in-game don't resememble the MOTU characters quite enough.  I'm sure that would have been a sticking point for Mattel.  The INTV copy you can see He-Man's sword or shield on the ground-based screens.

 

Having watched footage of all three versions I'd say the Intellivision version looks the most polished.  The CV version may look a tad nicer (especially on the Castle Grayskull screen), but the Intellivision version just seems to be animated better.  I don't know about playability though since I haven't tried it yet.  Then again this is a prototype so it's not fair to judge on 'polish'.

 

The 2600 version is kind of weird.  The glider screen looks about what I'd expect for a 2600 downgrade but the Skeletor battle is completely different with those glowing force fields bouncing around.  Not sure if it's a better idea than the fireball spewing Skeletor battle or not.  Ideally I think a mix of the two would have been nice to mix it up a little, but I'm pretty sure they only changed it to play to the 2600's strengths as having all those objects moving around the screen probably would have caused massive flicker.  It's interesting that they left all the HMOV lines on the left side though since Mattel was usually good about masking those.

[Atariboy2600]

By the way I notes something. After playing the prototype rom a lot the scene with Castle Greyskull screen shot graphics looks almost the same as the unreleased Intellivision IV MOTU game we never got but only one screenshot we got to see and was wondering if what the Colecovision graphics maybe the closest we could seen had the Intellivision IV came out.

 

Intellivision IV MASTER COMPONENT [UNRELEASED]

 

Colecovision Prototype MOTU

 

Edited December 28, 2023 by Atariboy2600

[stringfellow]

even though I bought one of the cartridges I am very happy to get this rom so that the box can stay in nice condition. I look forward to playing this using my sd cartridge.

 

thank you

[Falonn]

2 hours ago, Atariboy2600 said:

... the scene with Castle Greyskull screen shot graphics looks almost the same as the unreleased Intellivision IV MOTU game...

Those are way too close to be a coincidence!  (The third image down in this topic shows the pixel-grid sketch that the CV version was based on.)  The most curious thing for me is that this isn't quite the same perspective for the castle as seen during the beginning/end credits in the cartoon.  I skimmed a half-dozen episodes to see if this particular shot is used anywhere but didn't find anything.

 

This has got to be some key art that was used somewhere before.  Google Image Search wasn't very helpful either.  A lot of comic book covers feature the castle, but none that I spotted used that particular vantage point.

 

The closest I found was this promotional image for the 2021 MOTU Revelation series, which looks like it was based on the same original key art, only a little more loosely:

The perspective there is close and I'd be willing to bet the artist for this piece started with the other one as a reference.

 

One of the most distinct features in the older images (not seen in the Revelation version) are the "sad" skull eyes.  Every other picture of the castle I could find has the more traditional eye socket look like the one above, but both the CV and Intellivision IV images are quite unique.

 

Does anyone know the source for the original key art used for these games?

[Greg2600]

That's the artwork from the Filmation opening theme.  Interesting comparison with the Intellivision IV, but makes sense as I would have expected it to have similar if not slightly better capabilities as the Commodore64.

[Falonn]

I don't know, the Filmation version seems quite different to me.  After a lot more digging, at this point I'm convinced both dev teams were given the same low-angle photo or mock-up/painting of the Castle Grayskull toy; probably a color guide given to the overseas factory for the paint masks (and then subsequently ignored for cost-cutting measures when they were told to paint it free-hand 😂 ).  The most readily available assets that Mattel would have at their disposal wouldn't be frames from the Filmation series, but factory prototype pictures.

 

Going from the assumption that the INTV4 and CV versions were drawn/digitized by separate art teams from the same source material, it's interesting to compare/contrast the creative decisions each artist made.  The biggest differences I see are:

1. The lower-jaw design: CV uses a more stylized and idealized set of teeth + tongue.
2. The left-side tower in the background: again, the CV version is a little more stylized and less perspective-correct.
3. The right window isn't drawn quite as straight-on in the CV version.

 

Beyond that, the similarities are everywhere.  Here is a side-by-side comparison after a little aspect-ratio stretching:

 

 

Using the annotations I added to the CV version, here are some details that both artists chose to mimic almost identically:

1. Extra-wide, puffy (almost two-layer) "cheekbones".
2. Upper canine teeth that form the top half of the door-frame.
3. A concentric repeating tunnel pattern.
4. A little side feature that juts out at the right (and strongly resembles the roof and building profile you might see if the castle toy were partially open).
5. In both versions, these areas use a distinctly different color from the rest of the castle, which again, feels like the decision you'd make if you were looking at a factory color guide.
6. This "X" shape (which is actually just a rock pattern if you look closely at the toy).
7. The pattern on the top of the "helmet".
8. These wooden posts under the window (and above the skull).  They get a lot of attention, especially in the CV version with a dramatic color choice.
9. These thin blue/purple stripes along very particular tower features also feel like a detail that would be present in a color guide (but didn't quite make their way to the toy because of the extra work it would have taken).

If you compare the toy's lower jaw to the INTV4 image (where the artist appears to have followed the source material more closely than the stylized CV version), you can actually count/match the exact tooth pattern.

 

In 2013, Mattel showed a new version of the castle at a toy fair.  It appears that this version was inspired by the original mock-up:

 

In some ways it resembles the videogame images more than the original 1980's toy castle does: the distinct coloring at the bottom (#5), the high-contrast wood posts (#8), and the side-roof (#4) are all rather prominent, even if it reimagined-away a few of the other details.

 

The left side tower and feature #3 still make me think this was a technical drawing or mock-up more than a literal photo.  (That would also account for the "sad" eyes we don't see in the final toy.)  But whatever it was, it was used by both game artists.

 

That said, the Filmation version doesn't have any of those features (or even a lower jaw), so I'm guessing it wasn't used by either game artist.

 

Thank you for coming to my TED talk. 😅🤣

[Atariboy2600]

Keep in mind that the folks at Intellivision did had access to many ref art and drawings from Mattel toy department and had full drawings on Castle Grayskull some WIP art and paintings before the toy was made they could even saw or had some early prototype toy of the playset as they making the game.

 

 

Upper left: earliest concept art by Mark Taylor (before Mattel employment); lower left: black and white, and color version of the revised concept art by Mark Taylor (during Mattel employment in 1979); upper and lower right: the sculpted prototype by Mark Taylor)

 

 

image from back mini comic page

 

Rebecca Taylor, artist and wife to MOTU designer Mark Taylor, has posted a look at very early Castle Grayskull concept art.

 

http://battleramblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/01-12.jpg

 

http://battleramblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/76-1024x698.jpg

[Falonn]

Those are great and that battleramblog site is quite a resource.  That last yellow knock-off version is something special! hehe.

 

I suppose this whole mystery gets a lot easier to unravel if we allow talking between the INTV and CV folks.  If the Intellivision artist just grabbed their own photo of the toy from a low-angle and based their artwork on that... and then eventually Mattel passed that game artwork along to the team doing the CV port, it explains away all the similarities in one fell swoop.

 

The timeline is still curious.  Do you happen to know roughly when that unreleased Intellivision IV shot was created?  It might have gone the other way around: the CV artist could have drawn it first (which would explain the big paper version) and then the INTV4 artist could have adapted it to the more capable hardware along with restoring/cleaning up the more stylized bits.  One thing is certain: we know that the castle in the original Intellivision game did not participate in the source of this artwork...

 

[Shaun David]

Hey thank you for this amazing prototype of MOTU!👍👍

[Greg2600]

15 hours ago, Falonn said:

The timeline is still curious.  Do you happen to know roughly when that unreleased Intellivision IV shot was created?  It might have gone the other way around: the CV artist could have drawn it first (which would explain the big paper version) and then the INTV4 artist could have adapted it to the more capable hardware along with restoring/cleaning up the more stylized bits.  One thing is certain: we know that the castle in the original Intellivision game did not participate in the source of this artwork...

 

I would presume the CV art was created first.  Also, while Mattel were highly meticulous about production artwork on a toy or merchandise, I'm not sure they were nearly as discerning with regards to games.  I mean, of that era?  You were lucky to have graphics that got within 20% of the IP they were based on.  To say nothing about gameplay!

[didimo63]

Thank you, very much appreciated! 

[Rakutenka]

Play a game with the goal of getting a million points. I achieved it, but around 800,000 the Castle Grayskull stages become nearly impossible. He starts spamming so many of the white “squid” things that knock you all the way back that you can run out of time and fail. They are unblockable so there isn’t anything you can do. At 1,000,000 points the stages where you have to bomb Skeletor becomes really difficult to manage. 

[mozartpc27]

So, is this game available on a real cart some place?

[mr_me]

On 12/28/2023 at 2:22 PM, Falonn said:

...

Going from the assumption that the INTV4 and CV versions were drawn/digitized by separate art teams from the same source material, it's interesting to compare/contrast the creative decisions each artist made.  The biggest differences I see are:

...

According to the old intellivisionlives website, Colecovision MOTU graphics and that Intellivision IV castle rendering were done by the same artist.