Mugen (game engine) facts for kids
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| Developer(s) | Elecbyte |
|---|---|
| Initial release | July 27, 1999 |
| Stable release |
1.0 / January 10, 2011
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| Written in | C |
| Platform | MS-DOS, Linux, Windows, macOS |
| Available in | English |
| Type | Game Engine |
| License | Freeware |
Mugen (also known as M.U.G.E.N) is a freeware (free to use) game engine that helps people create their own 2D fighting games. It was made by a company called Elecbyte. What makes Mugen special is that its content, like characters and stages, is mostly created by its community. Thousands of fighters, both original and from popular movies or games, have been made for it.
Mugen is built using the C programming language. It uses special tools, like the SDL library, to make games run smoothly. The name "Mugen" comes from a Japanese word (無限) that means "limitless" or "infinity." This name fits well because you can create so many different things with it!
Contents
How to Play M.U.G.E.N
M.U.G.E.N games use four direction keys and seven buttons (A, B, C, X, Y, Z, and Start) to control characters. While some characters use all seven buttons, others might use fewer. Up to two players can control characters, while other characters can be controlled by the game's AI (computer). You can even watch the computer play against itself in "Watch Mode."
The computer's AI can be very strong or quite weak, depending on how it's set up. The default AI might just walk around and jump, rarely attacking or defending.
Game Modes
M.U.G.E.N offers several ways to play:
- Arcade Mode: In this mode, your character fights against computer-controlled characters. The order of opponents can be random or set up however you like.
- Team Modes: There are three main team modes:
** Single: This is like playing alone, without a team. ** Simul: In this mode, you have a computer-controlled partner who fights alongside you at the same time. ** Turns: Here, you use a different character for each round. You can switch between a set number of characters (usually 2 to 4). If one side has more characters than the other, their starting health might be adjusted to make it fair.
- Team Co-op: This is similar to Simul mode, but two human players fight together on the same side at the same time.
- Survival Mode: In Survival mode, you face an endless stream of opponents, either one by one or two at a time in a Simul match. Your goal is to defeat as many opponents as possible. The game ends when your character or team is defeated. You can play alone or in Simul or Turns mode. Playing alone usually gives you more health and recovers more health after each win. Survival mode was added later and isn't in the very old DOS versions of M.U.G.E.N.
How M.U.G.E.N Was Developed
M.U.G.E.N was first created for MS-DOS computers by a group of students from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. The first public test version came out on July 27, 1999. Elecbyte stopped working on the DOS version when they moved to developing for Linux computers in November 2001.
For a while, Elecbyte asked for donations to help them create a version of M.U.G.E.N for Windows. However, the group stopped working on the project in 2003 and closed their website. It's believed that the original developers stopped because they had graduated from college and M.U.G.E.N was a school project.
WinM.U.G.E.N
A private test version of WinM.U.G.E.N (the Windows version) was leaked online. This version had some limits, like only allowing two characters and showing annoying messages. Since Elecbyte was gone, people created a "no limit" hack in 2004 to remove these restrictions. This hacked version was similar to the last Linux release, but it had some small differences and issues, especially with music.
Because of changes between the DOS and Linux versions, many older characters needed to be updated to work correctly in WinM.U.G.E.N. This caused some frustration for users who preferred the older DOS version.
In 2007, hacked versions of WinM.U.G.E.N appeared that allowed for high resolution stages and select screens. Later that year, a hack allowed both low-resolution and high-resolution stages to work together. In mid-2007, Elecbyte's website returned, but it only showed a logo and ads. Later, a FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) section was added. It said they would release a fixed WinM.U.G.E.N version before making big changes that would break compatibility with older content.
M.U.G.E.N 1.0 and Newer Versions
On September 19, 2009, Elecbyte made a surprise comeback. They updated their website with a forum and a downloads section, where a new version of M.U.G.E.N was available. A full release of M.U.G.E.N 1.0 came out, adding new features like official support for HD (high-definition) resolutions, victory screens, and different languages.
Even though this version had some visual glitches and required adjustments for old content, Elecbyte aimed to make it work with almost everything made before. On January 18, 2011, Elecbyte released the final 1.0 version for Windows, fixing most bugs. After this, Elecbyte became quiet again.
In 2013, a test version of M.U.G.E.N 1.1 alpha 4 was leaked. This version added features like stage zooming, but it also had many bugs. In August 2013, M.U.G.E.N 1.1 beta 1 was released to the public, fixing many of these bugs. More updates for 1.1 were planned to improve the engine even more.
In 2014, a fan-made version of Mugen 1.0 for Mac OS X was released, which worked very well. The 1.1 beta version for Mac followed in 2015.
Elecbyte's website has been offline since 2015 for unknown reasons. Their last public activity was in 2016, when they promoted a crowdfunding campaign for a commercial fighting game called Rotten Core. This game was allowed to use the M.U.G.E.N engine, even though the engine's license usually doesn't allow commercial use.
Because Elecbyte has been quiet, an open-source project called I.K.E.M.E.N started in 2010. It aims to recreate M.U.G.E.N and add new features like online play. A newer version, I.K.E.M.E.N Go, is being made using Google's Go language. It's designed to work with M.U.G.E.N content and includes better online play technology.
Customizing M.U.G.E.N
People who create content for the M.U.G.E.N engine are often called "authors." These authors make custom characters, stages, and even change the look of the game's menus (called "screen packs" or "skins").
Many authors create characters from popular 2D fighting games like Street Fighter, or from TV shows, books, and other game series. You can find characters from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, The Simpsons, Super Mario, Sonic the Hedgehog, Pokémon, Dragon Ball, and many more! Authors also create completely original characters.
There are many websites where you can find and share this custom content. This is often called the "Mugen Community." Sometimes, groups of M.U.G.E.N authors work together to create a full game using the engine, often focusing on a single series like Dragon Ball Z.
Because M.U.G.E.N is so customizable, no two versions of the game are exactly alike. Everyone is encouraged to download the engine and add content to match their own preferences. M.U.G.E.N is free to use for non-commercial purposes. This means you can't sell games you make with it unless you get special permission. Elecbyte also provides a basic M.U.G.E.N package that can be included with content made by others for sharing.
See also
In Spanish: MUGEN para niños
- Fighter Maker
- Beats of Rage
- Rivals of Aether
