I have been on a quest ever since I saw this pictorial in my gameinformer (I don't have the issue hand to scan but I found some German scans for you) to find out what happened to the Mad Max take off level in Stunt Man Ignition (Pictured below)
Obviously those are Gyrocopters and a simular but different Interceptor.
Well the studio that made the game is now gone,sadly,but thanks to NeoGaf I have finally have some answers as to what happened to the level and why it's been changed to the inferrior "Strike Force Omega" level. what is interesting to note is that when you watch the stikeforce Omega run through. you can see sketches of the interceptor in the storyboards as found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5-T6IPG44c time marker 0:11 shows you a gimplse of the stunt storyboard and sure enough there is an interceptor. (left over from the beta? maybe)
well that's cause at one point in development there was going to be the mad max level. but I'll let these qoutes from NeoGaf tell the story of the level that almost was.
To which THQ said:Bluemercury
Member
(08-29-2007, 05:04 PM)
Quote
#2
So did they left the mad max 2 scenarios?including the interceptor?
[quoteMisterTHQ
THQ Member
(08-29-2007, 05:13 PM)
Quote
MisterTHQ's Avatar
#3
I think you're thinking of the STRIKE FORCE OMEGA level][/quote]
Obviously the THQ guy was confused as to what was ment about the interceptor.
Now here is where it gets interesting and a little bit sad:Bluemercury
Member
(08-29-2007, 05:16 PM)
Quote
#4
Originally Posted by MisterTHQ
I think you're thinking of the STRIKE FORCE OMEGA level
yeah but i remember seeing a copycat of the interceptor in the game and in these images it seems its missing it....
to which the logical next question was asked:MisterTHQ
THQ Member
(08-29-2007, 05:23 PM)
Quote
MisterTHQ's Avatar
#8
Originally Posted by Bluemercury
yeah but i remember seeing a copycat of the interceptor in the game and in these images it seems its missing it....
Yeah, some of the early images were more concept-based. And we didn't have a Mad Max license, so there were some legal issues...
Sadly THQ never answered him. so there you have it. they made an early concept level based off mad max 2 and had to scrap it due to liscenisng issues.Bluemercury
Member
(08-29-2007, 05:53 PM)
Quote
#13
Originally Posted by MisterTHQ
Yeah, some of the early images were more concept-based. And we didn't have a Mad Max license, so there were some legal issues...
Just out of curiosity, did the company tried to acquire the license?
Looking at the shots above I see that the main differances between this interceptor and our favorite BoB is as follows:
.It's Grey not black
.it has roll bars and a roll cage. one weleded to the front,some welded around the car windows and a back framework that surrounds the spare tanks in the back.
.it has an odd metal skirt that ends near the side pipes
.the side pipes jut out not up.
.the back tail lights are different,almost like those of a valiant charger rather then a falcon
.lastly there seems to be a wing spoiler rather then a duck tail.
I am sure there is a detail or two I missed. I do try to be up on my Intercetors. so now that we know that only some dev has the original level sitting somewhere collecting dust (don't think I have seen prototypes poping up on ebay of things like the actual resident evil 2 before it was scrapped and so on.) so I know someone has it. others probabaly have the model for their portfolio. but the likelyhood of this beta ever surfacing is still slim.
I know people hate knock off interceptors. I get that this may not be the prettiest interceptor knock off out there. but I find it endlessly fascinating. as I am going to make my own intercpetor in the future I figure I might as well make this version as well. I can't be the only one who finds it at least an interesting take on the car we know and love. besides I am making that missle truck from the actual game from scrap. and I plan to also make the weird redneck monster truck so why not try to make this concept car a reality.
Course I get the feeling that if someone hacked the game you could probably find parts of the car still in the game as there is almost always unused parts of games on the disc. (I think we all rememeber san andreas and the recoded beta sex game a-la the hot coffee mod.) but again there is no telling. the point is here is the offical story of the mad max stunt level that almost was. part of me kind thinks it would be cool to make a game based around the mad max movies only it's stunt driver simulator. so we could take that crash in the valiant vh that sadly broke the stunt mans leg. or we could do the rig stunts or the interceptor stunts and so on. this could have been interesting if taken to it's logical conclusion. but we'll always be left with what if's. I have many mad max assets I've made of games over the years and I am still going strong. curious as to your thoughts on the matter. what do you think of the level as show? do you think it might have been fun? or do you even car that it was cut?
