Software:9: The Last Resort

From HandWiki

Short description: 1996 video game
9: The Last Resort
Developer(s)Tribeca Interactive
Publisher(s)GT Interactive
Director(s)Buzz Hays
Producer(s)Robert De Niro
Jane Rosenthal
Buzz Hays
Peter Rosenthal
Designer(s)David Greene
Nikos Constant
Marc Blanchard
Buzz Hays
Larry Kaye
Brian Kromrey
Neil Lim Sang
Jesse Lindow
Todd Pound
Peter Rosenthal
Michele Thomas
Programmer(s)Marc Blanchard
Brian Kromrey
Franck Bideau (intern)
Writer(s)Tom Minton
Composer(s)Marco d'Ambrosio
Platform(s)Windows, Mac OS
ReleaseOctober 4, 1996[1]
Genre(s)Adventure game
Mode(s)Single-player

9: The Last Resort is a 1996 adventure computer game developed by Tribeca Interactive.

Gameplay

Nine: The Last Resort drops the player into a whimsically eerie mansion they have mysteriously inherited—a place steeped in carnival-like visuals, animated oddities, and cryptic objectives. The player awakens with no clear sense of purpose, compelled to explore the surroundings by clicking on everything in sight. Progress hinges on solving a variety of cerebral challenges. Some are straightforward—like matching sound effects in a memory-style mini-game—while others are more luck-driven, requiring persistent mouse-clicking. Nine attempts to reward that persistence with vivid animations, surreal 3D art, and engaging character encounters. Voiced by a star-studded cast including Cher, Christopher Reeve, and members of Aerosmith, the characters offer hints and help bring the mansion’s eccentric tone to life. Salty, portrayed by Jim Belushi, pops up sporadically with useful tips amid his grumpy banter. The player's overarching task is to rid the mansion of its corrupt inhabitants.[2]

Plot

The player character has just inherited a hotel, The Last Resort, belonging to their deceased uncle, Thurston Last. The hotel is inhabited by nine muses. As the player character enters the hotel, it becomes clear that it is no longer a hospitable place. Its wacky inhabitants live in fear of a pair of squatters known as the Toxic Twins. Only the aeroplane-man Salty is brave enough to wander around and talk to the player character. The player's goal is to reconstruct "The Muse Machine" and banish the Toxic Twins.

Development

The game was developed by Tribeca Productions, a company founded in August 1988.[3] The game was produced by Robert De Niro and Jane Rosenthal, and sported a cast of voice-artists including Cher, James Belushi, Christopher Reeve, Ellen DeGeneres, Anne Heche, Tress MacNeille and Steven Tyler & Joe Perry of Aerosmith. It also includes the visual style and artwork of Mark Ryden.[4] It was developed for the Windows and the Mac OS platforms.[5] The title was in development as early as February 1996[6] and was Tribeca Interactive's debut game.[7][8]

Reception

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
South Florida Sun Sentinel4/4[9]
GameSpot7.3/10[2]
PC GamesB[10]
Power Unlimited90/100[11]

GameSpot gave the game a 7.3 out of 10' stating: "If you're still boasting that you solved Myst in under 14 hours, give this one a shot. It may not take you as long to finish, but it's a far more beautiful and less disorienting ride".[2]

MacAddict said "It's the grooviest Made-With-Macromedia-Director game yet, and although it’s not an action-packed twitch-fest, the combination of artsy tomfoolery, good-natured pseudomysticism, and K-A rated brainteasers give 9: The Last Resort all the markings of a prestigious cult hit"[12]

References

  1. ↑ "News". 1997-02-27. http://www.ogr.com/news/news1096.html. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Nine Review". Archived from the original on August 16, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190816214201/https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/nine-review/1900-2543940/. 
  3. ↑ "GT Interactive software forms publishing alliance with Tribeca Productions new interactive company". April 18, 1996. Archived from the original on December 19, 1996. https://web.archive.org/web/19961219163633/http://www.gtinteractive.com/2tvNIB3j/press/nine.html. Retrieved August 12, 2024. 
  4. ↑ "9". GamePro (IDG) (85): 54. August 1996. https://archive.org/details/GamePro_Issue_085_August_1996/page/n55/mode/2up. 
  5. ↑ Leyva, Ric (November 21, 1996). "De Niro now on CD ROM". p. 17. Archived from the original on December 30, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231230185756/https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-world/137692820/. Retrieved December 30, 2023. 
  6. ↑ "Champions of Might&Magic". February 1996. p. 107. https://archive.org/details/Computer_Gaming_World_Issue_139/page/n109/mode/2up. Retrieved December 30, 2023. 
  7. ↑ Blevins, Joe (December 13, 2016). "Read This: Remembering Robert De Niro's bizarre 1996 video game". https://www.avclub.com/read-this-remembering-robert-de-niro-s-bizarre-1996-vi-1798255365. 
  8. ↑ Grunhauser, Eric (December 9, 2016). "Exploring The Last Resort, Robert De Niro's Forgotten '90s Adventure Game". Archived from the original on June 14, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200614163953/https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/exploring-the-last-resort-robert-de-niros-forgotten-90s-adventure-game. Retrieved December 30, 2023. 
  9. ↑ "Quirky 9 gets under your skin". February 9, 1997. p. 82. Archived from the original on December 30, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231230181330/https://www.newspapers.com/article/south-florida-sun-sentinel/137689778/. Retrieved December 30, 2023. 
  10. ↑ Olafson, Peter. "9". http://www.pcgamesmag.com/games/Dec96/9.html. 
  11. ↑ "Power Unlimited Game Database" (in nl). 1997. Archived from the original on October 22, 2003. https://web.archive.org/web/20031022114353/http://www.powerweb.nl/database/img/index.php?page=database&&query%5border%5d=naam&ending=ASC&query%5bstart%5d=20. Retrieved December 30, 2023. 
  12. ↑ Souvinger, Todd (January 1997). "9: The Last Resort Review". p. 80. https://archive.org/details/MacAddict-005-199701/page/n81/mode/2up. Retrieved December 30, 2023. 
  • MobyGames is a commercial database website that catalogs information on video games and the people and companies behind them via crowdsourcing. This includes over 300,000 games for hundreds of platforms.[1] Founded in 1999, ownership of the site has changed hands several times. It has been owned by Atari SA since 2022.

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 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]

On February 13, 2025, Freyholtz stepped down as the site lead to move onto new projects, leaving operations to Tracy Poff, a veteran coder on the site, and Atari staff.[18]

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. 
  18. ↑ "An update on MobyGames leadership". 2025-02-13. https://www.mobygames.com/forum/3/thread/269628/an-update-on-mobygames-leadership/#post-269628. 
  • No URL found. Please specify a URL here or add one to Wikidata.





Retrieved from "https://handwiki.org/wiki/index.php?title=Software:9:_The_Last_Resort&oldid=4136369"