April 7, 2003

Torus Games brings unique technology to GBA; many 3D games to follow

by Louis Bedigian

The makers of Doom II GBA and Duke Nukem Advance have created a new 3D engine unlike any other.  Unique, 3D games are the result, and they’re coming to a Game Boy Advance near you.

As 3D gaming continues to move closer and closer to the Game Boy Advance, more and more development studios are putting their efforts into creating new, superior technology.  One of those studios is Torus Games, makers of the GBA’s first 3D motorcycle racing games, Moto-X.

Considering the kind of game that this is, Torus needed all of the speed that they could get.  Unlike other 3D games, Moto-X doesn’t use polygons.  Instead its engine uses voxels*, allowing the developers to create fast games more efficiently.

Moto-X Engine Technical Specifications:

*    Real-time, 3-D landscape rendering.
*    An incredible frame rate of 20 frames per second!
*    Vertical textures, perfect for detailed realism
*    A completely free-roaming environment - go anywhere!
*    Static light mapping, applied from imported light maps.
*    Multiplayer Mode, with simultaneous, linked play for up to 4 players.

The pictures and technical specs are intriguing enough, but GameZone wanted to know more, so we hopped on some dirt bikes and attempted to launch ourselves off of a 10-foot hill.  After getting out of the hospital, we dragged our injured bodies to Torus Games.  Once there, we received a lot of detailed information about the game from producer Mick Solomons and lead programmer Michael Smith.

Question: There are a lot of developers out there claiming to have created a 3D engine for Game Boy Advance. What makes your engine different from theirs?
 

Michael Smith, Lead Programmer: Most of the 3D engines available are ray-casters, which are only suitable for indoor maps. Our engine uses voxels, not polygons to create the landscapes. The advantage of voxels over polygons is that voxels require less CPU processing, so we can concentrate on other aspects of the game such as frame rate speed and having numerous sprites on the screen. 

Voxels enabled the developers to create 3D landscapes

without slowing down the gameplay.

What kind of special effects can it produce?

Michael Smith: As compared with other racing games, which use 'Mode 7' engines, our engine is capable of far richer and more interesting landscapes. These landscapes can feature rolling hills, vast chasms, cliffs, massive mountains, detailed rocky terrain and more. Most other games have only very limited ability to produce hilly terrain. All of this comes without sacrificing the free-roaming ability of the game.

We can also produce impressive urban environments, featuring roads, buildings and even skyscrapers. Other possibilities include such things as animating water and sprites, and even deformable terrain.

Was it difficult achieving realistic 3D visuals on the GBA's standard, unlit screen?
 

Mick Solomons, Producer: No, we used quite a bright palette for the landscape so the game came out very bright and colorful.

As the first official 3D racing game for the GBA, what can players expect from Moto-X?

Mick Solomons: Fast gameplay, big air and big crashes!!! Play against your friends in link mode – it’s a load of fun.

Interactive terrain would not have been possible

without Moto-X’s powerful 3D engine.

What kinds of gameplay features are being planned for it?

Mick Solomons: So far we have planned to have a Championship series in which the player races against opponents in checkpoint races. Winning races unlocks new levels and allows the player to upgrade their bike. In races, the player can take the easy path (which is longer) or the hard path (shorter but with more obstacles). Another one of the main features is spring-loading the suspension. The player can hold down the shoulder button to preload the suspension, and release at the peak of a jump to get some big air. One of the most fun things that we did here was trying to break the longest jump record (I think the record was 202 meters!). We are also planning on having challenge mode, where the player must complete a set of challenges such as finding pickups, getting a certain number of trick points or successfully jumping over a landmark within a set amount of time. There are plenty of other features planned such as tricks, rewards...I could go on forever!

Are there any multiplayer modes in the works?

Mick Solomons: Yes, we are planning to incorporate multiplayer into the engine. Up to four players will be able to race against each other. Each player will require the game cartridge.

Is there anything else you'd like to share with us about the gameplay?

Mick Solomons: It’s a heap of fun and certainly more involved than many other racing games on the GBA.

How is the frame rate coming along?

Mick Solomons: The frame rate is good, we spent a lot of time working on this because we wanted the player to have a feeling of speed, its one of the fun things that people like about motocross games.

In its incomplete state, Moto-X is already looking mighty impressive. How long do you anticipate it will be before the game is completed?

Mick Solomons: We are looking for publisher attachment before we take development of the game any further, but we anticipate that it would take anywhere between 3-6 months depending on what features the publisher requests.

Will you be demonstrating Moto-X or any part of your technology at E3 or any other upcoming game show?

Mick Solomons: We'll definitely be at E3 this year showing off not only Moto-X, but [also] our PS2 game, Ice Nine.

Aside from developing great GBA games, Torus is working

on an impressive-looking FPS called Ice Nine.

Do you think that there will ever come a time when 3D gaming will virtually replace 2D gaming on the GBA just as it has on the next-generation game consoles?

Mick Solomons: 2D games are still the most popular games on the GBA so I don't think it will happen.

Have you shown your 3D engine to Nintendo or any other big publisher? (If so, what was their reaction?)

Mick Solomons: Yes we have shown Moto-X to Nintendo and many other big publishers. The feedback we have [been getting] has been really promising. Let’s hope that we can make an announcement shortly!
 

**Voxel is the smallest distinguishable box-shaped part of a three-dimensional space. A particular voxel will be identified by the x, y and z coordinates of one of its eight corners, or perhaps its center. The term is used in three-dimensional modeling.

Source: Dictionary.com

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