Evo Q is a mini Hack made by Team Cornersoft for the Mario Jams Evolution Competition, in which it placed 3rd. This was a collaborative project based on the competition's theme- evolution, and contains 7 Stars to collect.
Overview[]
Aside from the hub world, there are 3 areas to explore. Each of these areas is styled like a miniature diorama-style level, and contains warps connecting to the other areas and 2 Stars to collect in each area.
Stylistically, this uses paper/cardboard-like elements in the 3D-modelling, making it reminiscent of the art styles used in the Paper Mario series. As is often the case in hacks created by Team Cornersoft, the 3D-modelling is extremely well executed. This is evident not just in the cohesive and aesthetically pleasing visuals, but in the surprising lack of collision issues. As demonstrated in the Gallery's 3rd image (Evo-q-prehistory2.png), Mario is able to interact with the environments' finer details with relatively no issues. This is essential to the creation of any diorama-style level, or indeed any compact level, as collision issues are magnified in areas that are only a fraction of the size of a regular SM64 level.
Upon entering the dinosaur painting in the hub, the player will be taken to a prehistoric setting complete with a purple dinosaur, simply called Prehistory. The lone warp here will transport the player to Metropolis, the second stage in the 'evolution'. Entering the right portal in the ground divot will transport the player to the final stage of the evolution- Ruins. Only after collecting all 6 Stars in these 3 courses will Toad appear in the hub.
Levels[]
| Name | Stars | Notes | Pause Menu |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prehistory | 2 | Contains two Stars, including a red coin Star. | Team Cornersoft is back! |
| Metropolis | 2 | Contains 2 Stars. | You're a cool person! |
| Ruins | 2 | Contains two Stars, including a 5 Secrets Star. | Reonu is our hero! |
| Hub/Overworld | 1 | Contains 1 Star. | N/A |
Trivia[]
- In the Metropolis area, a billboard advertising Super Mario Star Road Retooled can be seen. There is also another billboard advertising Mario Party 64.
- The purple dinosaur from the first area, Prehistory, is a species of sauropod. Of the sauropod species that do exist, the one present in this hack most closely resembles a giraffotitan.
- All of the trees in each area are climbable, despite looking very different from one another.
- The final area, Ruins, is a commentary on humanity's impact on Earth, and how certain ways of living are devastating ecosystems across the globe. This is confirmed by Toad after collecting 6 Stars.
- Contrary to what this hack may suggest, purple sauropods were tragically not in existence during the Jurassic Period.
- In the 2nd area, Metropolis, there is a waterfall emerging from one of the eye-hills that make up the backdrop, as though it has a mouth. This is a visual play on Super Mario's iconic eye-hill designs that have been featured throughout the history of the franchise.
- This waterfall eye-hill is also present in the next area, Ruins, but now it is being used as a factory's waste product dump.
- The only coins present in this hack are the red coins in Prehistory (totalling a score of 16 coins). Despite this, after collecting at least 1 Star in Metropolis or Ruins, the highscore will show 16 coins for all 3 courses. This is because when Mario warps between levels, his coin count is retained. The only way to avoid this peculiarity would be to first warp to Metropolis without touching any red coins in Prehistory, and then begin collecting the other Stars.
Gallery[]
