Messhof Explained

Mark Essen
Nationality:American
Other Names:Messhof
Occupation:Video game designer and artist
Known For:Nidhogg

Mark Essen, better known as Messhof, is an American video game designer and artist best known for Nidhogg, its sequel, and Flywrench.

Career

In college, Messhof made games with GameMaker and Microsoft Paint software. An early game, Punishment 1, began as a group assignment in an advanced, experimental class. His other early games included Wally, Bool, Booloid, Punishment 2, and Flywrench, uploaded on his website.[1] His work was profiled in The Creators Project[2] and the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art,[3] and shown in the New York New Museum, Toronto Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art,[4] and Liverpool Foundation for Art and Creative Technology.[5] He was cited by a Savannah College of Art and Design instructor as a successful example of blending arts aesthetics and video games.[6]

Messhof developed Nidhogg, a fast-paced, side-scrolling sword fighting game between 2010 and 2014. Its first prototype, Raging Hadron, was expanded over four years to include online multiplayer, new environments, and new gameplay modes. Messhof balanced development as the sole programmer with development on other games and both teaching and student commitments in graduate school. He taught classes on intermediate game design and experimental mobile games at University of Southern California's Interactive Media & Games program. Nidhogg production's pace increased when he formed a studio, also known as Messhof, with Kristy Norindr, who found other collaborators for finishing the project.[7] An expanded version of the game, Nidhogg 2, was illustrated by artist Toby Dixon and includes new levels, music, and weapons.[8]

Legacy

Messhof influenced Jonatan Söderström, co-creator of Hotline Miami.[9]

Games developed

YearTitlePlatform
2014NidhoggWindows, macOS, PS4, PSVita
2015FlywrenchWindows, macOS, PS4
2017Nidhogg 2Windows, macOS, PS4, Xbox One, Switch
2024Ghost BikeWindows, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Interview: Messhof (Flywrench) . . 2007-12-09 . 2017-08-20 . mdy-all . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20111015020743/http://www.indiegames.com/best-of-features/interviews.php?i=mark_essen . 2011-10-15 .
  2. Web site: W. . Tim . Indie Game Links: Sorcery Is Afoot . . 2010-06-22 . 2017-08-20 . mdy-all . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20170821003238/http://indiegames.com/2010/06/indie-game-links-sorcery-is-af.html . 2017-08-21 .
  3. Web site: Squires . Jim . Nidhogg Creator Mark Essen is an Artist . . 2014-07-03 . 2017-08-20 . mdy-all . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20170821003453/http://www.gamezebo.com/2014/07/03/nidhogg-creator-mark-essen-artist/ . 2017-08-21 .
  4. News: Pfeiffer . Alice . Inspired by Your Life, a Custom-Designed Video Game . . 2011-11-21 . 0362-4331 . mdy-all . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20170821050240/http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/22/arts/inspired-by-your-life-a-custom-designed-video-game.html . 2017-08-21 .
  5. Web site: Schiller . Jen . National Endowment for the Arts Makes Roger Ebert Eat His Words . . 2011-07-12 . 2017-08-20 . mdy-all . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20170821002242/http://kotaku.com/5820477/national-endowment-for-the-arts-makes-roger-ebert-eat-his-words . 2017-08-21 .
  6. Web site: Warren . Jamin . 'Game designers want to be artists without knowing what that means.' . . 2011-03-21 . 2017-08-20 . mdy-all . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20170821003621/https://killscreen.com/articles/game-designers-want-be-artists-without-knowing-what-means/ . 2017-08-21 .
  7. Web site: Farokhmanesh . Megan . Why Nidhogg took almost four years to release . . 2014-01-19 . 2017-08-20 . mdy-all . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20170821043247/https://www.polygon.com/2014/1/19/5324508/why-nidhogg-took-almost-four-years-to-release . 2017-08-21 .
  8. Web site: Caldwell . Brendan . Interview: Messhof On Nidhogg 2 . . 2016-09-29 . 2017-08-20 . mdy-all . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20170815060849/https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/09/29/interview-messhof-on-nidhogg-2/ . 2017-08-15 .
  9. Web site: AVC at GDC '10, Day One: Which actions earn points? Which actions piss you off? . . 10 March 2010 .

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Messhof".

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