Game: Knuckles' Chaotix (Sega, 32X)

Compiler: G.E.R.

For this month's "Maps Of The Month" featurette, I wish to draw your attention to G.E.R.'s Knuckles' Chaotix (32X) maps.

Dr. Robotnik's latest scheme involves stealing the Power Emerald that provides energy for Carnival Island, an amusement resort that is just about to open.  Knuckles rescues his friends, the "Chaotix": Vector, Mighty, Charmy, and Espio.  Along with Robotnik's rogue "Mechanix", Heavy and Bomb, they will use "Ring Power", which acts like an elastic tether between two ringbearers.  Adding snapping and swinging to the usual sprinting action seen in Sonic adventures, Knuckles and the Chaotix can move like never before, and use this new physicality to try to save Carnival Island before its grand opening!

This 32X-exclusive Sonic The Hedgehog spinoff puts Knuckles and Team Chaotix in the spotlight, and Carnival Island is as colourful and vibrant as they are.  Though Knuckles' Chaotix was intended for the Sega Saturn, it was instead released as a 32X game - probably one of the very few must-haves in the tiny 32X library of only a few dozen games.  It hasn't seen a plethora of rereleases, like many mainline Sonic games have over the years and across multiple generations, so it's good that our resident Sonic fan, G.E.R., has mapped this out so that we will always remember the first time Knuckles did his own thing without Sonic around.

So to recognize the effort put into this 32X killer app, G.E.R.'s Knuckles' Chaotix (32X) maps will be known as VGMaps.com's Maps Of The Month for April 2024.
 

Discuss the Maps Of The Month here!

Game: Alone In The Dark (Infogrames, PC)

Compiler: VGCartography

For this month's "Maps Of The Month" featurette, I wish to draw your attention to VGCartography's Alone In The Dark (PC) maps.

In 1924, Jeremy Hartwood, the owner of the mysterious Derceto Manor, dies by apparent suicide.  His niece, Emily Hartwood, believes a piano in the attic of the mansion has a clue to her uncle's death, while a private investigator, Edward Carnby, is asked to procure the piano for an antique dealer.  You choose to play as either character and, upon entering the mansion, you find yourself trapped inside.  As you look for a way out, you will learn of the evil that inhabits this place, and how the world at large might also be dependent on your survival.

Alone In The Dark is significant in gaming history.  It is often cited as the first 3D survival horror game and one of the best games ever made.  A remake is coming out this month, with Hollywood talent Jodie Comer and David Harbour.  The original game's legacy includes being an influence on the Resident Evil series, whose director, Shinji Mikami, has said that the first Resident Evil game might have had a first-person perspective, if not for Alone In The Dark and its fixed camera angles.

Indeed, the fixed camera may have been due to technical limitations, but also allowed for scenes to be framed in intentional ways to build tension.  Games with such a look make for interesting "maps" and, thanks to VGCartography, who is quite skilled at his craft (and we love his craft!), we not only have all the screens you may see, but also hand-drawn interpretations of the Derceto Manor and the Underground Maze below.  These original diagrams serve well as actual maps and require artistic and interpretive skills beyond taking screenshots.  These maps that are both "original" and "ripped" are a feast for the eyes, and are quite helpful if you ever find yourself... alone in the dark (in Derceto Manor).  Great job, VGCartography!

So to recognize the effort put into mapping this landmark horror classic, VGCartography's Alone In The Dark (PC) maps will be known as VGMaps.com's Maps Of The Month for March 2024.
 

Discuss the Maps Of The Month here!

Game: Summon Night: Swordcraft Story 2 (Banpresto, GBA)

Compiler: qwert_vs_qwerty

For this month's "Maps Of The Month" featurette, I wish to draw your attention to qwert_vs_qwerty's Summon Night: Swordcraft Story 2 (GBA) maps.

As Edgar or Aera Colthearts, you are an aspiring Craftknight.  When investigating some ruins, an evil Summoner named Gedharm Camcarossa arrives and forces you to lead him inside to a seal holding back an ancient evil, the Summon Beast known as Goura.  With the seal broken, Goura's return is a threat to the world, so it's now up to you and your Guardian Beast to find a way to defeat and seal away Goura again.

As the title suggests, there is a focus on crafting in this adventure.  You can craft five varieties of weapons by using the appropriate Shapestone and various materials that you will find on your journey.  Action RPGs have sprawling worlds, and Summon Night: Swordcraft Story 2 is no different.  Whether you're hunting for Rare Medals in underground caves or just trying to navigate through the many doors and pits in Goura Labyrinth, qwert_vs_qwerty's fully-marked maps will certainly have you covered as you play this underrated GBA epic!

So to recognize the effort put into crafting this story's maps, qwert_vs_qwerty's Summon Night: Swordcraft Story 2 (GBA) maps will be known as VGMaps.com's Maps Of The Month for January 2024.
 

Discuss the Maps Of The Month here!