Years ago in a trade rag, I read about a game where you roamed a universe and fired Q-tips from a spaceship. It sounded like a shmup; as I'd discover later, it turned out to be the 1st-person adventure that is Cosmic Osmo, by Robyn & Rand Miller of Myst fame. I never played it in its original Mac incarnation, tho I did play many other titles of the time. However, thanx to the power of emulation, I was able to firsthand experience the joys of so many unique scenes, meta-related on a superstring of pure imagination. Reawakening today, I bring you that experience:
Profound how disparate thoughts come together to awaken one's greener years: I was reading about Myst for the iPhone/iPod Touch and remarked, "Cyan Worlds should bring Cosmic Osmo to a new generation of fans!" I heart how the "game" is the fruitful spillage of unsullied creativity, how continually clicking in the right places produces fresh rewards. Nowadays, those overlooked hopes lie on the shoulders of indie game developers, for the "big names" are much too concerned with churning out blockbuster hits. While it's purely explanatory and you can't build the world, Osmo is still revelationary immersion. Sadly, its only revival so far as been Hex's Isle, which takes the title character but blands him into a plasticky puzzle game.
I also found out CROLUL posted his own Osmo video on YT a couple weeks ago; the dithering fares kind of badly, but watch his for a deeper dive into the Osmoverse. Some of the animations are quite impressive.
Further required reading, and you'll love the presentation: When Multimedia was Black & White.
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
IT was 1987 or 1988, I bought one of the first Mac 11x in nyc…. used since there were so few.. well gently used by of all rick o casik of the Cars..lol. he had loaded it with multimedia stuff included a copy of “cosmic osmo” and the “manhole”.
When i saw the “music room” with “recordable tape deck” i had an epiphany that has been made fact in the last 20 years, including all of what LL has made:)– POSTMATERIAL design was then obviously to me the next decades big issue. The making virtual of all manner of physical -electronic- almost any consumer product.In 1988, such products apexed with designer matte black devices at the MOMA store. By 2008 all thats left is the iphone…and now virtual shoes for 1.50USD and alot of underemployed/underpaid bewildered people.
funny how people discover things and when…. was the game delightful? yes.. but it also had prophetic elements that made its value, imo. deeper than just an entertainment product .:)
a little known fact – cyan had all the cosmic osmo artwork colorized, but never released it. having seen it, i REALLY wish they had.
http://www.qarl.com/osmo.jpg
@cube3 That’s really deep thinking. I’m trying to recall a saying, something like: people invent the future by writing about it — kinda like how Star Trek motivated some youth to grow up and become astronauts or scientists who’d make Trek-like advances.
@qarl OH WOW, THERE’S SOME TASTY INSIDE KNOWLEDGE! Have more shots?
i’ve got a few more – but they’re in some weirdo ancient mac format that nothing seems to read anymore… you might want to go pester the source.
Wow cosmic osmo looks great. It’s like reading a newspaper cartoon! love it!
I was born the year Cosmic Osmo won an award from MacUser for Best Recreational Software (1990). It was my favorite game growing up and I still love it! Osmo graduated me to Cyan’s Myst series, too.
I’ll second that motion that Cyan ought to bring back Cosmic Osmo for iPhone. And The Manhole. And Spelunx.
Gametap (http://www.gametap.com) has Spelunx & Cosmic Osmo available for download as a part of the Premium Pack games. They also have The Manhole, but it’s the version where a lot of the game was cut out, to make room for the color. So I wouldn’t recommend it.