What's the history of MB and it's mods?

How'd MB start, what are earlier versions of MB, and when did modding start? I love gaming history, so why not on my most nostalgic game?

Modding started when Matan asked GG if he could make MBP.

I think Andrew is able to answer your question.

Here you go.

However it doesn't mention anything about mods. I can give you the actual point where modding started but this will be in the next post. I need sleep

Wait, SkyHook was the first custom level?! Like, the first custom level actually used QuArK and not some crappy mashup of existing platforms like half of the levels from the pre-MBP era?

Whirli: yes. I know, shocking.

To answer the modding question:
You can search for a date for this one, but the best I can find is roughly towards 30th December 2003, though no actual release. The first release is 31st Jan 2004.
The definition of this mod is a very soft mod, for it is LillBenny's At the Airport, which added a skybox and modified a few textures.

The next soft-mod is probably Fun With Floors, which added new friction floors to init.cs (provided with textures, interiors and a level). It released (?) on 3rd April 2004. This actually links to Custom Floors which is the same thing just without the level (with the level it became FWF).

Other soft-mod was Cactus Math by Solo Hans, but that was just a skybox.

The next "MOD" was from LillBenny as well. This was about 5th July 2004. It changed marble skin, bumpers skins, button skin, lots of textures and the skybox. It didn't have any other script modding.

So the first mod would definitely be Fun With Floors.

There used to be a MB Mod Installer which is an installer and archive creator for MB Mods and levels in .mbzip format...

BUT WAIT. THERE'S MORE.

You're welcome. Links should work too.

The first real mod that wasn't just one script, but the full thing, would be Marble Blast Platinum. No other mods exist to the game beforehand.

Pretty sure LillBenny's At the Airport was in the CLA but I could be wrong. Without the textures though. Fun with Floors might be in there as well. I find it funny though that MBP is the first proper Marble Blast mod, and it's the most successful.

Anyone interested in the history of MBG might actually appreciate this small reference to the game on Apple's website. I'm partial to it of course because of that is how I got into MBG!

Press Release- probably published around 2005
www.apple.com/pr/library/2005/05/03Apple...-Mac-OS-X-Tiger.html



There is also an interview somewhere with the founder of GG. If I recall correctly he talks about his deal with Apple as well as a few other interesting "early" MB topics.
I'll search later and see if I can find it.