Organization:Captain Novolin

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Short description: 1992 educational platform video game
Captain Novolin
Packaging artwork
Developer(s)Sculptured Software
Publisher(s)Raya Systems
Director(s)Perry Rodgers
Designer(s)Perry Rodgers
Programmer(s)
  • Spencer Shellman
  • Steve Aguirre
  • Cosmo Conder
Artist(s)Kelly Kofoed
Composer(s)
  • H. Kingsley Thurber
  • Mark Ganus
Platform(s)SNES
Release
Genre(s)Educational, platform
Mode(s)Single-player

Captain Novolin is a 1992 educational platform video game, developed by Sculptured Software and published by Raya Systems for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Starring the eponymous superhero with type 1 diabetes, the game sees the player control Captain Novolin on a quest to save the mayor of Pineville from the supervillain Blubberman. It is a part of educational video game series from Raya that also includes Rex Ronan, Packy and Marlon, and Bronkie the Bronchiasaurus.

Funding for the game came from Novo Nordisk (makers of the Novolin brand of insulin) and the National Institutes of Health. To promote the game, Novo Nordisk distributed 10,000 free copies to hospitals. During its initial release, the game was positively received by diabetes specialists, as well as children with the condition; but the retrospective reception from video game critics has been poor, and it has been named as one of the worst video games of all time.

Gameplay and plot

Typical gameplay of Captain Novolin

Captain Novolin is a 2D side-scroller. The plot of Captain Novolin has the titular hero setting out to save Pineville's diabetic Mayor Gooden from aliens and their leader Blubberman, as the mayor only has enough insulin for 48 hours.[2]

Before the game starts, a doctor and dietitian give advice on how to manage one's diet and insulin.[3][4][5] Throughout the game, Captain Novolin has to avoid the alien invaders, who have the appearance of junk food items, such as "Cereal Killer" and "Larry Licorice". Meanwhile, Captain Novolin must eat healthy meals to keep his blood glucose within a safe zone. Captain Novolin can die if his blood glucose level goes too high or low. Players can earn points by keeping Novolin's glucose level in the safe zone and defeating the enemy aliens, while receiving bonus points by correctly answering questions that relate to diabetes.[4][5] In addition, the game has a feature whereby a diabetic player can specify the frequency of their real-life insulin injections.[5][6]

Development

Captain Novolin was published by Mountain View, California-based company Raya Systems.[7] The President and founder of Raya, Steve Brown, had previously worked with medical companies, supplying them software applications. His interactions with these companies had led him to the conclusion that there needed to be a new way to give children medical information, including about diabetes.[8] The company teamed up with Novo Nordisk to fund the game, as did the National Institutes of Health. Novo Nordisk also helped design the titular character.[7] Sculptured Software developed for the game. Their previous titles included Super Star Wars and NCAA Basketball.[8]

Novo Nordisk distributed 10,000 free copies of the game to hospitals in the United States.[7] It was also shown at diabetes summer camps across the US.[8] The game was released for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in November 1992, exclusively in North America.[1] It is the first game about diabetes self-management. Subsequent games promoting self-management include 2003's Diabetes Education for Kids for computers and Japanese exclusives Detective and Buildup Blocks for the Game Boy Advance in 2004.[9] Captain Novolin is the first entry in Raya Systems' "Hero Health" series, with later games focusing on tobacco (Rex Ronan), asthma (Bronkie the Bronchiasaurus), and diabetes once again (Packy and Marlon).[4][8]

Evaluations

Captain Novolin was warmly received among children with diabetes and their parents. In one study, 23 diabetic children (10 boys and 13 girls in the age range of 6 to 16 years) and the parent of one child were interviewed individually.[10] The children were enthusiastic about the game, with several saying that it would be useful when telling their friends about diabetes.[11] A separate evaluation involved a number of diabetic children aged from 8 to 14, along with their respective parents.[12] Participants said that the game could help parents and children to talk about diabetes, as well as helping children talk to their friends about the subject.[12] Former Cheers cast member John Ratzenberger, a celebrity volunteer for the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation, thought the game was fun, feeling that it taught children how to manage their diabetes.[8]

Reception

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
Super Control32%[13]
Super Pro26%[14]

The magazine Esquire included Captain Novolin with their “Dubious Achievement Awards of 1992“, mocking the game's concept and sarcastically preferring “Super Prozac Brothers“.[15] Retrospective reception of the game was widely negative; it was called one of the worst video games of all time.[16] Reviewing Captain Novolin for Hardcore Gaming 101, Charles P. Gill, criticizing its gameplay, graphics, and sound, considered it "so bad that it's really, really funny".[4] Matthew Williamson for GameSetWatch was negative towards the Captain Novolin sprite, saying that it took up one-third of the screen. Williamson also called the Captain “possibly the worst super hero ever“, noting the character could only attack while in mid-air.[17] Writers for Diabetes.co.uk also found unintentional humor in the game, made funnier, they said, by its US$60 retail price.[18] Electronic Gaming Monthly's Seanbaby placed it as number 4 in his "20 worst games of all time" feature and was quoted as saying, "The game is so bad you'll start to root for diabetes."[19] K. Thor Jensen for UGO called it one of the worst educational games of all time,[20] while Robert Quigley and Susana Polo from The Mary Sue named it as one of the weirdest.[21] Game Informer's Ben Reeves considered it to be one of the strangest corporate mascots to get their own video game.[22] Time Extension's Damien McFerran listed Captain Novolin as one of the worst SNES games.[23]

References

Citations

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Super NES Games". Nintendo of America. https://www.nintendo.com/consumer/downloads/snes_games.pdf. 
  2. ↑ Sculptured Software (November 1992). Captain Novolin. Super Nintendo Entertainment System. "Newsman: This just in... Aliens have landed on Mt. Wayupthar. They are disguised as sugary junk foods and have been ordered by Blubberman, the leader, to take over the Earth. / They have captured Mayor Gooden, of Pineville, who has enough diabetes supplies to last 48 hours. Someone must save him and the world from these evil invaders. / Captain Novolin: This sounds like a job for yours truly, CAPTAIN NOVOLIN!" 
  3. ↑ Sculptured Software (November 1992). Captain Novolin. Super Nintendo Entertainment System. "Doctor: You need to check your blood sugar four times a day, but you can check it more often if you like. / Don't forget to take the insulin dose I prescribed" 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Gill, Charles (July 11, 2017). "Captain Novolin". Hardcore Gaming 101. http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/7384-2/. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Cravotta, Dave (June 1, 1993). "Nintendo Healthcare". Wired News. https://www.wired.com/1993/06/nintendo-healthcare/. 
  6. ↑ "Captain Novolin". Diabetes Health. December 1, 1992. http://www.diabeteshealth.com/read/1992/12/01/42.html. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 The Whizz (September 1992). "Captain Novolin Versus Diabetes". GamePro (38): 14. https://archive.org/details/GamePro_Issue_038_September_1992/page/n15/mode/2up/. 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 "Raya Systems To The Rescue!". Nintendo Power (55): 88–91. December 1992. 
  9. ↑ Lieberman 2012, pp. 803–804.
  10. ↑ Lieberman & Brown 1995, p. 207.
  11. ↑ Lieberman & Brown 1995, p. 208.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Harris, DeShazo & Pratt 2010, p. 135.
  13. ↑ Andrew (July 1992). "Captain Novolin". Super Control (2): 70–71. 
  14. ↑ "A-Z of Games". Super Pro (9): 92. August 1993. 
  15. ↑ "Dubious Achievement Awards of 1992". Esquire. January 1, 1993. https://classic.esquire.com/article/1993/1/1/esquires-32nd-annual-dubious-achievement. 
  16. ↑ Edwards, Jim (September 6, 2008). "From the Vault: Novo Nordisk's "Captain Novolin" Nightmare". CBS. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/from-the-vault-novo-nordisks-captain-novolin-nightmare/. 
  17. ↑ Williamson, Matthew (May 15, 2007). "COLUMN: 'Parallax Memories' – Captain Novolin". GameSetWatch. http://www.gamesetwatch.com/2007/05/column_parallax_memories_capta.php. 
  18. ↑ admin (March 4, 2013). "Captain Novolin, the Insulin Game". Diabetes.co.uk. https://www.diabetes.co.uk/blog/2013/03/captain-novolin-the-insulin-game/. 
  19. ↑ "Seanbaby's EGM's Crapstravaganza - #4: Captain Novolin". http://www.seanbaby.com:80/nes/egm04.htm. 
  20. ↑ Jensen, K. Thor (January 30, 2012). "Worst Educational Games". UGO. http://www.ugo.com/games/worst-educational-games. 
  21. ↑ Quigley, Robert; Polo, Susana (April 14, 2010). "The 10 Weirdest Educational Video Games". The Mary Sue. https://www.themarysue.com/weird-educational-video-games/. 
  22. ↑ Reeves, Ben (August 26, 2014). "Seven Corporate Mascots Who You Never Thought Would Get Their Own Game". Game Informer. https://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2014/08/26/crazy-corporate-mascots-who-starred-in-their-own-game.aspx. Retrieved March 5, 2020. 
  23. ↑ McFerran, Damien (November 17, 2022). "The Worst SNES Games Of All Time". Hookshot Media. https://www.timeextension.com/guides/the-worst-snes-games-of-all-time. 

Bibliography

Features

Edits and submissions to the site (including screenshots, box art, developer information, game summaries, and more) go through a verification process of fact-checking by volunteer "approvers".[2] This lengthy approval process after submission can range from minutes to days or months.[3] The most commonly used sources are the video game's website, packaging, and credit screens. There is a published standard for game information and copy-editing.[4] A ranking system allows users to earn points for contributing accurate information.[5]

Registered users can rate and review games. Users can create private or public "have" and "want" lists, which can generate a list of games available for trade with other registered users. The site contains an integrated forum. Each listed game can have its own sub-forum.

History

Logo used until March 2014

MobyGames was founded on March 1, 1999, by Jim Leonard and Brian Hirt, and joined by David Berk 18 months later, the three of which had been friends since high school.[6][7] Leonard had the idea of sharing information about computer games with a larger audience. The database began with information about games for IBM PC compatibles, relying on the founders' personal collections. Eventually, the site was opened up to allow general users to contribute information.[5] In a 2003 interview, Berk emphasized MobyGames' dedication to taking video games more seriously than broader society and to preserving games for their important cultural influence.[5]

In mid-2010, MobyGames was purchased by GameFly for an undisclosed amount.[8] This was announced to the community post factum , and the site's interface was given an unpopular redesign.[7] A few major contributors left, refusing to do volunteer work for a commercial website.{{Citation needed|date=June 2025} On December 18, 2013, MobyGames was acquired by Jeremiah Freyholtz, owner of Blue Flame Labs (a San Francisco-based game and web development company) and VGBoxArt (a site for fan-made video game box art).[9] Blue Flame Labs reverted MobyGames' interface to its pre-overhaul look and feel,[10] and for the next eight years, the site was run by Freyholtz and Independent Games Festival organizer Simon Carless.[7]

On November 24, 2021, Atari SA announced a potential deal with Blue Flame Labs to purchase MobyGames for $1.5 million.[11] The purchase was completed on 8 March 2022, with Freyholtz remaining as general manager.[12][13][14] Over the next year, the financial boost given by Atari led to a rework of the site being built from scratch with a new backend codebase, as well as updates improving the mobile and desktop user interface.[1] This was accomplished by investing in full-time development of the site instead of its previously part-time development.[15]

In 2024, MobyGames began offering a paid "Pro" membership option for the site to generate additional revenue.[16] Previously, the site had generated income exclusively through banner ads and (from March 2014 onward) a small number of patrons via the Patreon website.[17]

See also

  • IGDB – game database used by Twitch for its search and discovery functions

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Sheehan, Gavin (2023-02-22). "Atari Relaunches The Fully Rebuilt & Optimized MobyGames Website". https://bleedingcool.com/games/atari-relaunches-the-fully-rebuilt-optimized-mobygames-website/. 
  2. ↑ Litchfield, Ted (2021-11-26). "Zombie company Atari to devour MobyGames". https://www.pcgamer.com/zombie-company-atari-to-devour-mobygames/. 
  3. ↑ "MobyGames FAQ: Emails Answered § When will my submission be approved?". Blue Flame Labs. 30 March 2014. http://www.mobygames.com/info/faq7#g1. 
  4. ↑ "The MobyGames Standards and Practices". Blue Flame Labs. 6 January 2016. http://www.mobygames.com/info/standards. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Miller, Stanley A. (2003-04-22). "People's choice awards honor favorite Web sites". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. 
  6. ↑ "20 Years of MobyGames" (in en). 2019-02-28. https://trixter.oldskool.org/2019/02/28/20-years-of-mobygames/. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Plunkett, Luke (2022-03-10). "Atari Buys MobyGames For $1.5 Million". https://kotaku.com/mobygames-retro-credits-database-imdb-atari-freyholtz-b-1848638521. 
  8. ↑ "Report: MobyGames Acquired By GameFly Media". Gamasutra. 2011-02-07. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/game-platforms/report-mobygames-acquired-by-gamefly-media. 
  9. ↑ Corriea, Alexa Ray (December 31, 2013). "MobyGames purchased from GameFly, improvements planned". http://www.polygon.com/2013/12/31/5261414/mobygames-purchased-from-gamefly-improvements-planned. 
  10. ↑ Wawro, Alex (31 December 2013). "Game dev database MobyGames getting some TLC under new owner". Gamasutra. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/game-dev-database-mobygames-getting-some-tlc-under-new-owner. 
  11. ↑ "Atari invests in Anstream, may buy MobyGames". November 24, 2021. https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2021-11-24-atari-invests-in-anstream-may-buy-mobygames. 
  12. ↑ Rousseau, Jeffrey (2022-03-09). "Atari purchases Moby Games". https://www.gamesindustry.biz/atari-purchases-moby-games. 
  13. ↑ "Atari Completes MobyGames Acquisition, Details Plans for the Site's Continued Support". March 8, 2022. https://www.atari.com/atari-completes-mobygames-acquisition-details-plans-for-the-sites-continued-support/. 
  14. ↑ "Atari has acquired game database MobyGames for $1.5 million" (in en-GB). 2022-03-09. https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/atari-has-acquired-game-database-mobygames-for-1-5-million/. 
  15. ↑ Stanton, Rich (2022-03-10). "Atari buys videogame database MobyGames for $1.5 million". https://www.pcgamer.com/atari-buys-videogame-database-mobygames-for-dollar15-million/. 
  16. ↑ Harris, John (2024-03-09). "MobyGames Offering “Pro” Membership". https://setsideb.com/mobygames-offering-pro-membership/. 
  17. ↑ "MobyGames on Patreon". http://www.patreon.com/mobygames. 
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