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Medal of Honor: Underground

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Medal of Honor: Underground
North American PlayStation cover art
Developer(s)DreamWorks Interactive (PlayStation)
Rebellion Developments (GBA)
Publisher(s)PlayStation
Electronic Arts[a]
Game Boy Advance
Producer(s)Scott J. Langteau
Designer(s)Lynn Henson
Programmer(s)Adrian Jones
Composer(s)Michael Giacchino
SeriesMedal of Honor
Platform(s)PlayStation, Game Boy Advance
ReleasePlayStation
  • NA: October 24, 2000[1]
  • EU: December 1, 2000
Game Boy Advance
  • NA: November 25, 2002
  • EU: May 9, 2003
Genre(s)First-person shooter
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Medal of Honor: Underground is a 2000 first-person shooter video game developed by DreamWorks Interactive and published by Electronic Arts. It is the second installment in the Medal of Honor series and was released for the PlayStation with an adapted port later for the Game Boy Advance, developed by Rebellion Developments.

In 2002, the game was re-released in Europe as part of the compilation Medal of Honor / Medal of Honor: Underground. It later was re-released a second time on the North American PlayStation Network for the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable.[2] It was the last game developed by DreamWorks Interactive when the studio was still jointly owned by Microsoft Games and DreamWorks SKG.[3][4] During the game's release, the studio was renamed EA Los Angeles.[5]

Gameplay

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The gameplay is much like its predecessor requiring the player to complete objectives by acquiring items, interacting with objects and destroying specified targets as well as the use of four different weapons and disguise against enemies. As well as new types of weapons, the new mechanics in the game are fighting against tanks and halftracks in three out of eight missions and fighting alongside friendly allies.

After completing the game, the player can play a non-canon bonus level, named "Panzerknacker Unleashed", in which the player plays as Lieutenant Jimmy Patterson. Many strange enemies are fought at a castle, including gun-toting and vehicle-driving dogs, knights carrying battle axes, zombie soldiers, robotic soldiers and several large nutcrackers, called Panzerknacker. The objective of all of the three missions available in this level is to build a Panzerknacker, who assists in the final mission.[6]

Game Boy Advance version

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A version of Medal of Honor: Underground was released for Game Boy Advance in 2002-2003. It is a first-person shooter based on the PlayStation version. The game was developed by Rebellion Developments and published by Destination Software. Underground for the GBA features up to 4 players using the Game Boy link cable and lex levels. The game is played in a three dimensional environment. The game's objectives usually revolve around finding certain papers. There is no save system however, each level has a code to play again in the future which can be viewed by pausing the game.

Plot

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Since 1940, France is occupied by Nazi Germany and ruled by the collaborationist Vichy regime. The game's protagonist, French Resistance commander Manon Batiste, assists her brother Jacques, who is killed in an attempted heist. Manon carries out her mission for the resistance until she is found and recruited by the OSS, who assign her around North Africa and Europe to foil the Milice and Nazis' defenses and plans of invasion until 1944, when Manon returns to help liberate Paris and avenge Jacques.

Development

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The main character Manon Batiste is based on Hélène Deschamps Adams, a real-life member of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS),[7] the forerunner of Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Adams appears in the game's final mission to brief Manon before the level. Hirschmann, Langteau and Henson researched by meeting up with people who had been involved with the French Resistance including Elizabeth Peet McIntosh and Deschamps Adams.[8]

Michael Giacchino explains that for "Manon, I wanted a theme that could convey one emotion at a particular moment, and then a completely different emotion the next without having to rely on two completely different themes. As a result, Manon's two main themes are very similar and yet very different. One version of the theme stays the course in a major tone, conveying a feel of great national purpose against the Nazi menace, and the secondary theme dips into a minor 6th chord which describes Manon's more intimate and emotional feelings as an individual and a woman who is pitted against the fascist war machine. Both of these themes are bookended with what liner notes author Paul Tonks has aptly named 'the resolve theme'. This theme was meant to represent the moments where Manon is called upon to steel her nerves and gather the courage to continue on with the fight....Manon travels to places that are not quite so militaristic as Jimmy Patterson. Her journey was a bit more 'scenic'."[9] Critic Ian Lace said of her theme: "One has to suppose that the main character of this new game, Manon, inspired by the exploits of Hélène Déschamps is French. Michael Giacchino has created a theme for her that in its first few notes irresistibly makes me want to anticipate the old pop song, 'Arrivederci Roma' which I found disconcerting because she is French and so much of the action, particularly at the beginning and end, takes place in Paris."[10]

Producer Scott Langteau offers that "Underground had an entirely different feel than the original [Medal of Honor], and yet the gameplay was entirely familiar. That's what we tried to do, anyway. In Underground, it was personal. The game's front end was gritty and less militarily organized; it was rustic and roughly hewn. The same can be said for the game. Manon used petrol bombs and also used her femininity to gain access to restricted areas. We used the freedom of telling her backstory- she was in the French Resistance, then joined the OSS-to give the game its own flair and widely varied missions that took us all over Europe: Greece, Italy, etc."[11]

Producer Scott J. Langteau showcased the game at the E3 2000 along with Tony Rowe and Lynn Henson.[8]

Reception

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The PlayStation version received "favorable" reviews, while the Game Boy Advance version received "unfavorable" reviews, according to video game review aggregator Metacritic.[12][13] Jeff Lundrigan of NextGen said of the former version, "A terrific game gets a sequel that's in some ways even better. And after all, it's still true: at the end of the day, nothing is more satisfying than shooting a Nazi in the face."[26] Nintendo Power gave the latter version a negative review, a few months before it was released Stateside.[27] Air Gendrix of GamePro said of the former console version, "Fans of the first Medal will feel right at home with Underground, but the game also delivers enough new touches and surprises to prevent it from becoming merely a copycat sequel."[30][d]

GameSpot praised the makers of the PlayStation version for taking "a character from the original game named Manon Batiste and [placing] her in the lead role so that her full story can be told. This setting is a welcome change, as Underground provides a meaningful historical context that's rare in most video games today."[24] William Abner similarly described the same version as "a refreshing change of pace because you played Manon Batiste, a woman enlisted in the French Resistance."[31]

The PlayStation version was a runner-up for the "Best Sound" and "Best Shooter" awards at GameSpot's Best and Worst of 2000 Awards, which went to SSX and Perfect Dark, respectively.[32][33] The same console version won the award for Sound at IGN's Best of 2000 Awards.[34] Underground won the "Sound Design" and "Original Musical Composition" awards at the AIAS' 4th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards.[35][36] It also won the award for "Best Sound" at the Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine 2000 Editors' Awards.[37]

Notes

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  1. ^ Released under the EA Games brand name.
  2. ^ In Electronic Gaming Monthly's review of the PlayStation version, one critic gave it 8/10, and the rest gave it each a score of 7.5/10.
  3. ^ In GameFan's viewpoint of the PlayStation version, two critics gave it each a score of 89, and the other gave it 88.
  4. ^ GamePro gave the PlayStation version 4.5/5 for graphics, and three 5/5 scores for sound, control, and fun factor.

References

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  1. ^ IGN staff (October 25, 2000). "Medal of Honor Underground Ships". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on January 13, 2023. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
  2. ^ Chen, Grace (June 11, 2009). "PlayStation Store Update". PlayStation.Blog. Sony Interactive Entertainment. Archived from the original on July 20, 2023. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
  3. ^ "Electronic Arts buys DreamWorks Interactive from Microsoft Games and DreamWorks". The New York Times. February 25, 2000. Archived from the original on July 20, 2023. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
  4. ^ Kary, Tiffany (February 24, 2000). "EA buys Dreamworks Interactive". ZDNet. Red Ventures. Archived from the original on December 6, 2022. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
  5. ^ Parker, Sam (January 29, 2003). "EA consolidates studios, closes Westwood". GameSpot. Fandom. Archived from the original on March 2, 2014. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
  6. ^ Air Hendrix (March 28, 2002). "Medal of Honor Week: (Almost) Everything Else You Wanted To Know But Were Afraid To Ask". GamePro. GamePro Media. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011.
  7. ^ Talley, William (November 16, 2008). "$20 Game of the Week & Lost Classics: Post Veteran Day Special". POWET.TV. Archived from the original on July 20, 2023. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
  8. ^ a b Hoyle, James (January 28, 2018). "Medal of Honor Underground Retrospective – History In The Making". PSU.com. PlayStation Universe. Archived from the original on March 26, 2022. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
  9. ^ Giacchino, Michael. "Interview with Michael Giacchino". SoundtrackReview.net. Interviewed by Gary Huff. Archived from the original on February 27, 2012. Retrieved September 20, 2015.
  10. ^ Lace, Ian (January 2001). "Medal of Honor (Underground): Film Music CD Reviews". MusicWeb International. Archived from the original on July 20, 2023. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
  11. ^ Air Hendrix (March 27, 2002). "Medal of Honor Week: Sound Design & Creating Good Sequels". GamePro. GamePro Media. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011.
  12. ^ a b "Medal of Honor: Underground critic reviews (GBA)". Metacritic. Fandom. Archived from the original on July 13, 2023. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
  13. ^ a b "Medal of Honor Underground critic reviews (PS)". Metacritic. Fandom. Archived from the original on June 5, 2023. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
  14. ^ Barnes, J.C. "Medal of Honor: Underground (PS) - Review". AllGame. All Media Network. Archived from the original on November 16, 2014. Retrieved September 20, 2015.
  15. ^ Rector, Brett (October 26, 2000). "Medal of Honor: Underground - PlayStation Review". Gamecenter. CNET. Archived from the original on November 10, 2000. Retrieved January 25, 2022.
  16. ^ Edge staff (December 2000). "Medal Of Honor Underground (PS)" (PDF). Edge. No. 91. Future Publishing. p. 111. Archived (PDF) from the original on November 16, 2022. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
  17. ^ Boyer, Crispin; MacDonald, Mark; Kujawa, Kraig (December 2000). "Medal of Honor Underground (PS)" (PDF). Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 137. Ziff Davis. p. 218. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 26, 2022. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
  18. ^ Suciu, Peter (November 30, 2000). "Medal of Honor: Underground". The Electric Playground. Greedy Productions Ltd. Archived from the original on March 24, 2003. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
  19. ^ Fitzloff, Jay (November 2000). "Medal of Honor Underground (PS)". Game Informer. No. 91. FuncoLand. Archived from the original on February 12, 2008. Retrieved September 20, 2015.
  20. ^ Mylonas, Eric "ECM"; Weitzner, Jason "Fury"; Ngo, George "Eggo" (November 2000). "Medal of Honor 2 [sic] (PS)". GameFan. Vol. 8, no. 11. BPA International. p. 25. Retrieved January 27, 2022.
  21. ^ Van Stone, Matt "Kodomo" (November 2000). "Medal of Honor: Underground". GameFan. Vol. 8, no. 11. BPA International. p. 94. Retrieved January 27, 2022.
  22. ^ Liu, Johnny (November 2000). "Medal of Honor: Underground Review (PS)". GameRevolution. CraveOnline. Archived from the original on September 8, 2015. Retrieved January 25, 2022.
  23. ^ Provo, Frank (February 3, 2003). "Medal of Honor: Underground Review (GBA)". GameSpot. Fandom. Archived from the original on December 12, 2004. Retrieved January 25, 2022.
  24. ^ a b Shoemaker, Brad (November 3, 2000). "Medal of Honor Underground Review (PS)". GameSpot. Fandom. Archived from the original on January 8, 2001. Retrieved January 25, 2022.
  25. ^ Perry, Douglass C. (October 31, 2000). "Medal of Honor Underground (PS)". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on December 16, 2022. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
  26. ^ a b Lundrigan, Jeff (December 2000). "Medal of Honor Underground (PS)". NextGen. No. 72. Imagine Media. p. 136. Retrieved January 25, 2022.
  27. ^ a b "Medal of Honor: Underground". Nintendo Power. Vol. 159. Nintendo of America. August 2002. p. 146.
  28. ^ Kennedy, Sam (December 2000). "Medal of Honor Underground". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine. No. 39. Ziff Davis. pp. 170–71. Archived from the original on January 27, 2001. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
  29. ^ Porter, Alex (2000). "Medal of Honor Underground (PS)". Maxim. MaximNet, Inc. Archived from the original on January 27, 2001. Retrieved September 20, 2015.
  30. ^ Air Hendrix (November 2000). "Medal of Honor Underground (PS)" (PDF). GamePro. No. 146. IDG. pp. 128–29. Archived from the original on January 13, 2005. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
  31. ^ Abner, William (2005). Gamer's Tome of Ultimate Wisdom: An Almanac of Pimps, Orcs, and Lightsabers. Que. p. 105. ISBN 9780789734655.
  32. ^ GameSpot staff (January 5, 2001). "Best and Worst of 2000 (Best Sound Runners-Up)". GameSpot. CNET. Archived from the original on May 27, 2001. Retrieved January 25, 2022.
  33. ^ GameSpot staff (January 5, 2001). "Best and Worst of 2000 (Best Shooter Runners-Up)". GameSpot. CNET. Archived from the original on June 18, 2001. Retrieved January 25, 2022.
  34. ^ IGN staff (January 30, 2001). "PSX Best of 2000: Sound". IGN. Snowball.com. Archived from the original on April 17, 2001. Retrieved January 26, 2022.
  35. ^ "Fourth Interactive Achievement Awards: Outstanding Sound Design". Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. Archived from the original on April 18, 2001. Retrieved January 26, 2022.
  36. ^ "Fourth Interactive Achievement Awards: Outstanding Original Music Composition". Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. Archived from the original on November 6, 2001. Retrieved January 26, 2022.
  37. ^ OPM staff (April 2001). "Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine 2000 Editors' Awards (Best Sound)". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine. No. 43. Ziff Davis. p. 34. Archived from the original on April 19, 2001. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
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