It's Mr. Pants
Encyclopedia
It's Mr. Pants is a video game for the Game Boy Advance
. The starring character, Mr. Pants, is the result of a poorly drawn image from Rare's website, who was used as a mascot
for the site survey.
The game incorporates three main game modes: Puzzle, Wipeout and Marathon. There is also a fourth game mode called "Max's Mystical Muddle" which is opened up by completing all of the puzzles in Puzzle mode.
-themed levels and modes. The isometric view was scrapped because it was thought to be too awkward to see where puzzle pieces near the back of the board were. The game itself received the Mr. Pants theme due to Rare being bought out by Microsoft
in 2002. (Nintendo
holds the rights to Donkey Kong.) It was presented at E3 2001 by Rare, which at the time was a second-party developer for Nintendo
, along with other projects for Nintendo platforms that have since been canceled, such as Donkey Kong Racing and Diddy Kong Pilot (which later became Banjo-Pilot
). The game was also in development for the Gizmondo, but was cancelled due to the console's failure.
The 'Crayon Snake' that circles around the board in Marathon Mode eating the game pieces was originally called the 'Pants Snake'. THQ
thought that this was a bit too risqué and requested the name change.
Mr. Pants has several cameos in other Rare games, even before the official release of the It's Mr. Pants game, such as Jet Force Gemini
, Banjo-Tooie
, and Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts
. Nuts & Bolts is currently the only game where Mr. Pants' cameo was featured after It's Mr. Pants was released.
Game Boy Advance
The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...
. The starring character, Mr. Pants, is the result of a poorly drawn image from Rare's website, who was used as a mascot
Mascot
The term mascot – defined as a term for any person, animal, or object thought to bring luck – colloquially includes anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name...
for the site survey.
Gameplay
The basic idea of the game is to create rectangles which have to be 2x3 blocks or larger to clear them from the grid. Blocks cannot be placed on top of blocks of the same color that are already on the grid, but they can be placed on top of blocks of any other color which causes the different blocks on the grid to disappear.The game incorporates three main game modes: Puzzle, Wipeout and Marathon. There is also a fourth game mode called "Max's Mystical Muddle" which is opened up by completing all of the puzzles in Puzzle mode.
Development
The game was originally revealed as Donkey Kong Coconut Crackers. It featured an isometric gameplay grid and Donkey KongDonkey Kong (video game)
is an arcade game released by Nintendo in 1981. It is an early example of the platform game genre, as the gameplay focuses on maneuvering the main character across a series of platforms while dodging and jumping over obstacles. In the game, Jumpman must rescue a damsel in distress, Lady, from a...
-themed levels and modes. The isometric view was scrapped because it was thought to be too awkward to see where puzzle pieces near the back of the board were. The game itself received the Mr. Pants theme due to Rare being bought out by Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
in 2002. (Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
holds the rights to Donkey Kong.) It was presented at E3 2001 by Rare, which at the time was a second-party developer for Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
, along with other projects for Nintendo platforms that have since been canceled, such as Donkey Kong Racing and Diddy Kong Pilot (which later became Banjo-Pilot
Banjo-Pilot
Banjo-Pilot received mixed reviews. IGN gave it an 8, praising it as the second-best GBA racer. It received three out of five stars from GameSpy, who said it "wasn't worth the near half-decade wait." Generally, those who praised the game did so for its addictive multiplayer mode and large replay...
). The game was also in development for the Gizmondo, but was cancelled due to the console's failure.
The 'Crayon Snake' that circles around the board in Marathon Mode eating the game pieces was originally called the 'Pants Snake'. THQ
THQ
THQ Inc. is an American developer and publisher of video games. Founded in 1989 in the United States, the company develops products for video game consoles, handheld game systems, as well as for personal computers and wireless devices...
thought that this was a bit too risqué and requested the name change.
Mr. Pants has several cameos in other Rare games, even before the official release of the It's Mr. Pants game, such as Jet Force Gemini
Jet Force Gemini
Jet Force Gemini is a third-person shooter video game developed and published by Rare. It was exclusively released for the Nintendo 64 in late 1999 in North America, Europe and Japan...
, Banjo-Tooie
Banjo-Tooie
Banjo-Tooie is a platform and action-adventure hybrid video game developed by Rare and published by Nintendo in 2000 for the Nintendo 64 as a part of the Banjo-Kazooie series. The game is the successor to Banjo-Kazooie and was one of the most anticipated sequels for the Nintendo 64.The game's story...
, and Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts
Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts
Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts is an action-adventure/vehicle construction/platformer video game developed by Rare and published by Microsoft Game Studios. It was first announced at the X06 Media Briefing. Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts is the third installment in the Banjo-Kazooie series and takes place...
. Nuts & Bolts is currently the only game where Mr. Pants' cameo was featured after It's Mr. Pants was released.