Quick Look: BoxMaker

There's no POLICE STATE, so it's a totally original game, guys!

And that's the Giant Bomb Game of the Year for 2016 folks!

Steam Store's BoxMaker blurb puts it better than anyone:

Boxmaker is an action game that similar to Super Mario, it is more than a game that the players passing the different level of its game setting. You can also design your own game mission or take a challenge to the missions designed by others.

It is that sprite when you mushroom it. You can't ride ontop of it, but it is that sprite.

this quick look isnt really over until klepek is subjected to one of dan's creations

I swear I've heard that death jingle before too...

Whatever gives us more Giant Bomb Makes Mario is fine with me.

One day I hope to be a Ron's Man. Till then I'm just a Roy's Boy.

I'm pretty sure some of those images are from MapleStory

@icyeyes @billymaysrip Theres also the factor that this game is made in China, so it falls under Chinese jurisdiction. And since Steam has a chinese audience and (most likely) chinese servers, at the very least it might as well just end up being forbidden in America and Europe who have at least the basic similar copyright and trademarksystems in place that enables people to fight against physical and interlectual theft by law.

What comes from China and is internationally protected usually stays there, which is probably why I never see any Chinese cars here in Europe, but it becomes sort of difficult with the internet being around. Nintendo can only sue Valve if they insist that this game is accessable for everyone worldwide. Its up Nintendo to tell Valve to either block everyone off from this game who doesn't live in China or to face the consequences.

I don't know what's worse: Being a clone, or being a clone that doesn't improve on the original in any way.

@dray2k:The only legal grounds for removal of the game that I can see (from the quick look) is the possible infringement of the Mario theme song copyright. However, if it's not ripped audio and has been altered (scale and/or composition) it might be semi-safe, but I'm no expert and this is a somewhat legal gray area. So who knows.

This.

Basically - China won't rule against copyright infringement in favour of an overseas company - Apple have been trying to get them to cut down on all the iKnockoffs by doing a lot of deals with the Chinese government (including opening a significant number of actual Apple stores there) with the hope that this will make it more likely that they will seek to help them out - and while this has improved things, the issue is still rife for them - and most companies don't quite have the same reach as Apple when it comes to this stuff.

For more info: SEE HERE

Ultimately,

CHINA DON'T CARE.

But digital titles in western markets? I don't think they'll stand for this for too long in parts of the world where they can legitimately defend their IP.

Quote from the iPhone App Store:

"2016 New Year Blockbuster

Reminds the most pure feeling of game

and recalls the full memory of childhood."

Wasn't this last year's game of the year?

It is a clone all right. I think it's just different enough to not actually give Nintendo a case against it.

Don't tempt them.

It's no Great Giana sisters maker

For the record: "SMB The Kid 1" is actually a reference to Super Meat Boy, not Super Mario Bros. It's a recreation of one of the levels you have to play to unlock The Kid from IWBTG.

Fuck copyright and all that junk, China don't care!

@wumbo3000: Man I've been trying to put my finger on where I had heard that sound before. Yikes...

This is a Quick Look meant for Ryan if I've ever seen one.

man, this is pretty gross

I am sure there is a joke about China and POLICE STATE here somewhere.

Abso-fuckin'-lutely. Straight ripped from MapleStory.

Hmm. Do you think this could be a secret ploy by Valve to get Nintendo to put their games on PC so that more people buy gaming PC's that they can sell games to?

'Nintendo, if you don't do it the Chinese will.'

Man, I hate everything about this game. I hate that it's literally Mario Maker. I hate that the aspect ratio is wrong. I hate that smug fucking look on that rabbit's dumb face. I hate BoxMaker, and I haven't even played it.

Playing more Mario Maker? But there is a Destiny expansion coming. They must have forgotten about that.

It's been said that we may only see further by standing on the shoulders of giants. If that's the case, the team at Silver Moon Internet must have an especially enlightened perspective.

However, much like the developer's name, maybe that phrase doesn't translate well.

I like to think that every once in a while, a rare type of true pioneers like these become giants in their own time. Like, think about how much time Miyamoto spent before he made Mario Maker... Teams like the BoxMaker creators deserve praise for their efficiency. Instead of climbing on Miyomoto's shoulders in an inspired, artistic way, or being deferential, they act as if they created them in the first place. Nothing criminal about that (because China doesn't police it), plus intellectual property is such a selfish concept to begin with. No man should lay claim to the mountains, or to the sea... nor to smiley hills or World 3 in SMB3. They belong to us all. At that point the delusion is pretty comfy and it's just common sense, you can demote Miyamoto in your head because you rendered him obsolete.

Do you know how far a giant can see? It's hard for us to comprehend their world. I think the Silver Moon Internet breed of giant is the kind who learns from the future instead of the past... now think for a bit about how naive we've been.

The BALLS on these developers. hot damn

and to use the Mario theme on the place item music too!! Holy crap

This is a brazen AMAZIN' thing!

Reading the product description on the Steam page kind of hurts my brain:

Boxmaker is an action game that similar to Super Mario, it is more than a game that the players passing the different level of its game setting. You can also design your own game mission or take a challenge to the missions designed by others.

It's also worth reading Poorly Made In China, whilst it is about manufacturing, it gives a good insight into why things like this exist (and probably make you never want to buy anything from China ever again).

Just thought I'd jump in with a clarification of copyright law. I am not a lawyer but this has been an area of professional interest. It boils down to the fact that game mechanics can't be copyrighted. So long as you don't use art, sounds and text that infringe on someone else's copyright then you're fine. There is also trademark but that gets murkier but I don't see an "Italian" Plumber declaring it's-a-me so I don't see a trademark breach either.

This game, while a blatant clone, does not appear to use any assets owned by Nintendo and Nintendo can't copyright the mechanics of Mario or Mario Maker. I can't see anything that breaches either the word or spirit of copyright law.

The fact that this was develop in China also doesn't factor in. This could be developed anywhere and still would be legal, the main reason this comes out of places like China is that they seem to have an industry built around cloning successful games.

Now, whether you think this is creatively bankrupt, ethically OK etc. is a completely different matter, but Apple can't shut this down on any legal claim (though terms of service they could just reject it) and Google.... Google doesn't care what gets put up on the app store as long as they aren't going to get into trouble for hosting it.

@humpchies: Oh thank God. I thought it was only me that noticed that.

I love this game! It's so innovative! I always wanted to build boxes and now I can! WOW EXTREME

I love how, on top of being a crappy Super Mario Maker rip-off, it's also a bad mobile port.

WOW this is borderline lawsuit material. With that said, Mario Maker should be shared with the world, not just the Nintendo WiiU ;)

I WIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIISH

I WIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIISH

They would turn the music off to more games. It adds nothing yet it makes for a completely unenjoyable experience for myself (as a headphone user).

This game reminds me of Shenmue

This rules, I love shit like this.

The App Store's item description is pure poetry (and it's formatted like this):

"2016 New Year Blockbuster

Reminds the most pure feeling of game

and recalls the full memory of childhood.

First sandbox act game, gets fun with all the world.

Create your own maps, make the jealous from others.

Various maps make your creativity reach towards the sky!

Just for fun, just for fun, just for fun."

So as a patent lawyer who has done some work in copyright oh wow this is most definitely a copyright violation. I mean there is a way to do a Mario maker like thing and not be a copyright violation. Sonic does not infringe on the Mario copyright but this is definitely too close. Theoretically now that china is part of the WTO they are SUPPOSED to care about things like this...if they do or not well that is another matter. This though wow...yeah. Nintendo's lawyers should be all over this!

And yes China would be unlikely to enforce it but if it starts to happen enough and we get a government actually willing to stand up to china rather than the weak government we have now suing them (as we should be suing South America for blatant patent violations on pharmaceuticals) at the WTO is an option - and something we should have done long ago.

China doesn't mind.

Jumping on enemies sounds so much like collecting the balls in that Sonic 3 bonus stage...

Goddammit China.

Everyone is talking about lawsuits and copyright infringement, but if nintendo wanted this game taken down all they'd need to do is get a bunch of people to upload levels with anti-government messages in coins.

TIANANMEN SQUARE 1996

FALUN GONG IS PEACE

FREE TIBET

TAIWAN #1

Hahaha the options menu had a 'defualt,' setting. The true sign of absolute quality.

this does make me want to go back to mario maker and check out the insane levels i can never beat because i'm a fucking old man.

UNBELIEVABLE!!! CAN YOU IMAGINE THE STEP?

@theglobe88: agreed haha

Does anyone know where the level music is from? I swear I've heard it before.