Elasto Mania is a platform game released in 2000.[2] It explores the notion of elastic motorcycles. The goal of each level is to touch the flower. Some require the player to collect apples spread throughout it before doing so.[1] There is online competition in trying to finish the levels as fast as possible and setting new world records.[3][4][5] Time improvements have often shown to rely on finding new ways to solve the levels.[6] Advancement also relies on polishing known styles.[7][8]

Elasto Mania
Developer(s)Balázs Rózsa
Designer(s)Balázs Rózsa
Csaba Rózsa
Geza Szabo
Mate Magyar
Eszter and Bori Paris
Dylan Cooper
Peter Illyes
Imre Barczi
Gabor Gerenyi
Tamas
Andris Kristyan and Sergey Shukaev[1]
Platform(s)Windows, Xbox, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Switch, BeOS
ReleaseJanuary 2000
Genre(s)Platform
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Gameplay

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The player controls a motorbike rider, and has to restart the level if their head or bike's wheels touch a rotating spiky wheel, or their head touches a solid structure (such as a wall).[9] All the apples in a level must be collected before the player can touch the flower and proceed to the next level. Only the head and wheels of the driver interact with the level, their body being able to overlap walls without injury.

The physical model, such as the elasticity of the bike frame, permits a wide range of tricks to be performed. These range from subtle manoeuvres to increase speed to more dramatic effects, such as an exploit of a reproducible bug in the physical model, allowing for the bike to be propelled some distance up in the air.[10]

Versions

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Elasto Mania was created by Balázs Rózsa as a sequel to the 1997 game titled Action SuperCross. The main differences between both games are the slight change in physics and the addition of twelve internal levels. The demo version contains 18 official levels, while the full one contains 54.[11] In addition to these official "internal" levels, many "external", fan-created levels can be found online, in some cases gathered in level packs.

The latest official patch for Elasto Mania is v1.11a. Development of unofficial patches have given rise to v1.3, which features online multiplayer.

In August 2014, Elasto Mania 2 was released as an official iOS app, and later for Microsoft Windows in 2017.

In May 2020, a remastered version of the original Elasto Mania was released on the Steam gaming platform. Later that year, Elasto Mania 2 and Action Supercross were also released on Steam, and a discounted Trilogy Pack of all three games is also available.[12]

In 2022, Elasto Mania Remastered was released on Nintendo Switch, Sony Playstation 4 and 5, and Xbox One and Series X and S as well as through GOG.com.[13]

Online content

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In the early 2000s, players could join the IRC channel "#battle" and compete for the fastest completion time in player-designed levels. Replays of fast completion times were shared on the IRC channel with other players.

A community-driven game patch was released since 2006, allowing players to see each other and compete in real-time. A website was launched conjointly with the development of online versions of the game,[14] which features statistics and the ability to browse previously battled levels, examining their layout, commenting them, checking their all-time standings,[15] and downloading their associated replays.[16]

Reception

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T. Byrl Baker of Computer Gaming World called the physics model "brutally unforgiving".[17]

See also

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  • Trials – a similar series of games originally released as a browser game
  • X-Moto – a similar game for Linux, Windows, and OS X
  • Bike or Die! - a similar game for Palm OS and iOS

References

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  1. ^ a b "Welcome to Elasto Mania!: A motorbike simulation game based on a real physical model: Try Before You Buy" (TXT). Moposite.com. Retrieved 2016-02-26.
  2. ^ "Information - Games - Elasto Mania". Moposite.com. Retrieved 2016-02-26.
  3. ^ "Records - World Records". Moposite. 2015-12-20. Retrieved 2016-02-26.
  4. ^ "Records". Moposite. Retrieved 2016-02-26.
  5. ^ "Records". Moposite. Retrieved 2016-02-26.
  6. ^ "File:Improvements - Wikimedia Commons". Commons.wikimedia.org. 8 December 2012. Retrieved 2016-02-26.
  7. ^ "Simple RecPlayer by ville_j". Elma.oktobia.org. Archived from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2016-02-26.
  8. ^ "Simple RecPlayer by ville_j". Elma.oktobia.org. Archived from the original on 2015-05-18. Retrieved 2016-02-26.
  9. ^ Bramwell, Tom (2008-12-01). "Elasto Mania Hands On". Eurogamer. Elasto Mania [...] is about doing absurd things easily; and then later it's maximising traction, stopping without tipping, conserving momentum, and flying through the air exactly as you intended. The back-to-the-start punishment for failure might rub us up the wrong way in the long run, but it's just as likely we'll call a truce and celebrate the rest of the ride.
  10. ^ "MEGA Bounce by Mawane". YouTube. 5 December 2009. Retrieved 2016-02-26.
  11. ^ "Elasto Mania Home". Elastomania.com. Retrieved 2016-02-26.
  12. ^ "Elasto Mania Trilogy Pack on Steam". store.steampowered.com. Retrieved 2023-02-28.
  13. ^ "Elasto Mania". elastomania.com. Retrieved 2023-02-28.
  14. ^ Høyer Sørensen, Sune (2010-02-25). "Is EOL the holy grail?". Blogger. Archived from the original on 2011-07-23. Retrieved 2011-02-27. The most important thing [about Elma Online] maybe is the site, that hopefully will bring people together about more than just the current battle and the last five chat lines.
  15. ^ "Elma Online ^ Statistics ^ Level ^ EOLJ0411". Elmaonline.net. Retrieved 2016-02-26.
  16. ^ "Elma Online ^ Battles ^ 10230 ^". Elmaonline.net. 2011-03-20. Retrieved 2016-02-26.
  17. ^ Baker, T. Byrl (September 2002). "Shareware Standouts - Elasto Mania". Computer Gaming World. No. 218. Ziff Davis. p. 42.
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