The Manhole
Encyclopedia
The Manhole is a computer adventure game
intended for child
ren in which the player
opens a manhole
and reveals a gigantic beanstalk that can be climbed either up or down, leading to fantastic worlds in either case.
(now Cyan Worlds) and distributed through mail order. In 1989, it was produced for Activision
as CD-ROM version based on that floppy disc game. This version is notable for being the first computer game distributed on CD-ROM
. It runs in black-and-white
on the Apple
Macintosh line of computers. It was created using the HyperTalk
programming language
by brothers Rand
and Robyn Miller
, who founded the company Cyan and would go on to produce the best-selling adventure game Myst
. The Manhole was later also released for the PC Engine and FM Towns
.
The game was re-released for MS-DOS
twice, once in 1992 by Activision
as The Manhole: New and Enhanced (including a Windows 3.1 version) and again in 1995 as The Manhole: CD-ROM Masterpiece Edition by Brøderbund
which featured the use of color
, music, voice
, sound effect
s, and some new characters
. Cyan artist Chuck Carter designed all of the color graphics in about 3 months using StrataVision 3D
. In 2007, the game was released on GameTap
. As of February 2011 the game is available from Good Old Games , the Apple iOS, and as part of the "Cyan Complete Pack" on Steam.
The Manhole is a notable computer game because like Cosmic Osmo
and Spelunx
it has no goal and no end; the object is simply to explore and have fun.
Adventure game
An adventure game is a video game in which the player assumes the role of protagonist in an interactive story driven by exploration and puzzle-solving instead of physical challenge. The genre's focus on story allows it to draw heavily from other narrative-based media such as literature and film,...
intended for child
Child
Biologically, a child is generally a human between the stages of birth and puberty. Some vernacular definitions of a child include the fetus, as being an unborn child. The legal definition of "child" generally refers to a minor, otherwise known as a person younger than the age of majority...
ren in which the player
Player (game)
A player of a game is a participant therein. The term 'player' is used with this same meaning both in game theory and in ordinary recreational games....
opens a manhole
Manhole
A manhole is an opening used to gain access to sewers or other underground structures, usually for maintenance.Manhole may also refer to:* Manhole , a metal band from Los Angeles* The Manhole, a computer game...
and reveals a gigantic beanstalk that can be climbed either up or down, leading to fantastic worlds in either case.
Summary
The game was first released on floppy discs in 1988 by Cyan, Inc.Cyan Worlds
Cyan Worlds, Inc. is a video game development company, founded by brothers Rand and Robyn Miller in 1987, and best known as the creators of the Myst series. After Myst and its sequel Riven sold several million copies each, Cyan went on to create the massively multiplayer online adventure, Uru,...
(now Cyan Worlds) and distributed through mail order. In 1989, it was produced for Activision
Activision
Activision is an American publisher, majority owned by French conglomerate Vivendi SA. Its current CEO is Robert Kotick. It was founded on October 1, 1979 and was the world's first independent developer and distributor of video games for gaming consoles...
as CD-ROM version based on that floppy disc game. This version is notable for being the first computer game distributed on CD-ROM
CD-ROM
A CD-ROM is a pre-pressed compact disc that contains data accessible to, but not writable by, a computer for data storage and music playback. The 1985 “Yellow Book” standard developed by Sony and Philips adapted the format to hold any form of binary data....
. It runs in black-and-white
Black-and-white
Black-and-white, often abbreviated B/W or B&W, is a term referring to a number of monochrome forms in visual arts.Black-and-white as a description is also something of a misnomer, for in addition to black and white, most of these media included varying shades of gray...
on the Apple
Apple Computer
Apple Inc. is an American multinational corporation that designs and markets consumer electronics, computer software, and personal computers. The company's best-known hardware products include the Macintosh line of computers, the iPod, the iPhone and the iPad...
Macintosh line of computers. It was created using the HyperTalk
HyperTalk
HyperTalk is a high-level, procedural programming language created in 1987 by Dan Winkler and used in conjunction with Apple Computer's HyperCard hypermedia program by Bill Atkinson. The main target audience of HyperTalk was beginning programmers, hence HyperTalk programmers were usually called...
programming language
Programming language
A programming language is an artificial language designed to communicate instructions to a machine, particularly a computer. Programming languages can be used to create programs that control the behavior of a machine and/or to express algorithms precisely....
by brothers Rand
Rand Miller
Rand Miller co-founded Cyan with brother Robyn Miller and became famous from the unexpected success of their computer game Myst, which remained the number one-selling game for the remainder of the 1990s...
and Robyn Miller
Robyn Miller
Robyn Charles Miller co-founded Cyan Worlds with brother Rand Miller. After releasing a number of children's adventure "worlds", the brothers finally hit on a success with the computer game Myst, which remained the number one-selling game for the remainder of the 1990s...
, who founded the company Cyan and would go on to produce the best-selling adventure game Myst
Myst
Myst is a graphic adventure video game designed and directed by the brothers Robyn and Rand Miller. It was developed by Cyan , a Spokane, Washington––based studio, and published and distributed by Brøderbund. The Millers began working on Myst in and released it for the Mac OS computer on September...
. The Manhole was later also released for the PC Engine and FM Towns
FM Towns
The FM Towns system is a Japanese PC variant, built by Fujitsu from February 1989 to the summer of 1997. It started as a proprietary PC variant intended for multimedia applications and PC games, but later became more compatible with regular PCs...
.
The game was re-released for MS-DOS
MS-DOS
MS-DOS is an operating system for x86-based personal computers. It was the most commonly used member of the DOS family of operating systems, and was the main operating system for IBM PC compatible personal computers during the 1980s to the mid 1990s, until it was gradually superseded by operating...
twice, once in 1992 by Activision
Activision
Activision is an American publisher, majority owned by French conglomerate Vivendi SA. Its current CEO is Robert Kotick. It was founded on October 1, 1979 and was the world's first independent developer and distributor of video games for gaming consoles...
as The Manhole: New and Enhanced (including a Windows 3.1 version) and again in 1995 as The Manhole: CD-ROM Masterpiece Edition by Brøderbund
Brøderbund
Brøderbund Software, Inc. was an American maker of computer games, educational software and The Print Shop productivity tools. It was best known as the original creator and publisher of the popular Carmen Sandiego games. The company was founded in Eugene, Oregon, but moved to San Rafael,...
which featured the use of color
Color
Color or colour is the visual perceptual property corresponding in humans to the categories called red, green, blue and others. Color derives from the spectrum of light interacting in the eye with the spectral sensitivities of the light receptors...
, music, voice
Human voice
The human voice consists of sound made by a human being using the vocal folds for talking, singing, laughing, crying, screaming, etc. Its frequency ranges from about 60 to 7000 Hz. The human voice is specifically that part of human sound production in which the vocal folds are the primary...
, sound effect
Sound effect
For the album by The Jam, see Sound Affects.Sound effects or audio effects are artificially created or enhanced sounds, or sound processes used to emphasize artistic or other content of films, television shows, live performance, animation, video games, music, or other media...
s, and some new characters
Non-player character
A non-player character , sometimes known as a non-person character or non-playable character, in a game is any fictional character not controlled by a player. In electronic games, this usually means a character controlled by the computer through artificial intelligence...
. Cyan artist Chuck Carter designed all of the color graphics in about 3 months using StrataVision 3D
StrataVision 3D
StrataVision 3D was a comprehensive 3D computer graphics software package by Strata. Features include primitives-based modeling with texturising, keyframe animation, raytrace and later radiosity rendering....
. In 2007, the game was released on GameTap
GameTap
GameTap is an American online video game service established by Turner Broadcasting System . Dubbed by TBS as a "first of its kind broadband gaming network", the service provides users with classic arcade video games and game-related video content...
. As of February 2011 the game is available from Good Old Games , the Apple iOS, and as part of the "Cyan Complete Pack" on Steam.
The Manhole is a notable computer game because like Cosmic Osmo
Cosmic Osmo
Cosmic Osmo and the Worlds Beyond the Mackerel is a graphic adventure computer game for the Macintosh computer line created by Cyan, Inc.. It was published in 1989 and won the 1990 Mac User award....
and Spelunx
Spelunx
Spelunx and the Caves of Mr. Seudo is a 1991 educational computer game designed by Robyn and Rand Miller, best known as the creators of Myst. Robyn Miller also hand-drew all of the graphics in the game....
it has no goal and no end; the object is simply to explore and have fun.
External links
- tinselman Robyn Miller's personal website
- millerbits Rand Miller's personal website