A while back I made a pleading post to famed game author Archer Maclean to port his excellent title Mercury to the iPhone platform.  Today, I target another skilled author with a similar plea.

Will Harvey, I beg of you — please bring your classic title Zany Golf to the iPhone.

Author of the famed Music Construction Set published in 1984 by Electronic Arts, Will Harvey and his team at Sandcastle released Zany Golf for the Apple IIgs in 1988 and was later ported to the Amiga, Atari ST, DOS PC, and Sega Genesis.  A fanciful slant on mini golf, Zany Golf presents the player with ten levels (one is bonus!) course featuring bizarre obstacles such as bouncing hamburgers, laser beams, moving walls, and magic carpets.  The user uses the mouse to click on the ball and drag out a shot vector.  Releasing the mouse button sends the ball on its way.  Some levels involve deeper interaction such as the “Magic Carpet” level which gives the player direct mouse control of the ball and the “Fans” level which gives the user control of strategically placed windmills by way of jiggling the mouse.

Every aspect of this game’s controls would perfectly translate to the iPhone’s unique control mechanisms.  Zany Golf was made to be played on the iPhone.

Will my request be heeded by Harvey, or anyone for that matter?  Who’s to say?  But given what a perfect fit Zany Golf is for the iPhone, it feels good to get this request out there.  Please cross your fingers!

Apple is postioning the iPhone to go head to head with Sony’s Playstation Portable on the mobile gaming front.  As an avid PSP gamer myself, I can say that one of the best games available for that platform is Archer Maclean’s Mercury.  It’s a game in which the player tilts a mazeboard level in order to get a drop of mercury to its appointed destination.  Simple and engrossing — but also brilliant.  And it’s no wonder.  Archer Maclean is one of the world’s most esteemed game designers, responsible for the 80s classcis Dropzone, International Karate, and many others.

More than any game I have ever played, it is clear that Archer Maclean’s Mercury is the title most crying out to be ported to the iPhone and its integrated accelerometer control system.  On the iPhone, this title simply becomes the perfect game.

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Although it’s unlikely that the revered Mr. Maclean will ever read this post, I had to put the request out there.  Someone had to plead the cause:  Archer.  Mr. Maclean.  For the love of God we beg of you to port Mercury or its cell-shaded sequel, Mercury Meltdown, to the iPhone.  Allow perfect gaming to commence!