Software:Advance Guardian Heroes

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Short description: 2004 video game
Advance Guardian Heroes
Developer(s)Treasure
Publisher(s)
Director(s)Tetsuhiko Kikuchi
Designer(s)Tetsuhiko Kikuchi
Naoki Kitagawa
Programmer(s)Masaki Ukyo
Hiroto Matsuura
Katsuhiro Sanjo
Artist(s)Tetsuhiko Kikuchi
Satoshi Tetsuka
Satoshi Nakai
Makoto Ogino
Composer(s)Norio Hanzawa
Platform(s)Game Boy Advance
Release
  • NA: September 14, 2004
  • JP: September 22, 2004
  • AU: February 17, 2005[1]
  • EU: February 18, 2005
Genre(s)Beat 'em up
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Script error: The function "nihongo_foot" does not exist. is a beat 'em up video game developed by Treasure for the Game Boy Advance. The game was released on September 22, 2004, in Japan, September 14 in North America and February 18, 2005, in Europe. The Japanese version was self-published by Treasure, while the American and European editions of the game are published by Ubisoft.

The game is a sequel to Sega Saturn's Guardian Heroes. Since Sega is the original copyright holder and was not interested in assuming the production of a sequel, Treasure had to license the intellectual property from Sega in order to carry out the game themselves.

Gameplay

Advance Guardian Heroes is a side-scrolling beat 'em up[2] in which the playable characters can perform various attacks.[3] Physical moves include countering and mid-air dashes. Magic attacks, which drain the MP meter, include element spells and protective barriers. It is also possible to go into "Hyper Mode", a faster, more powerful version of the playable character.

The game is separated in various stages and sub-stages with their own boss-fights, enemies, and puzzles. Gameplay modes include "Story" for up to two players, "Versus" and "Training".

Unlike its predecessor, Advance Guardian Heroes allows players to move smoothly towards and away from the screen, as opposed to switching between 3 planes. Some platforming elements have been added to break up the combat, and two new jumping manoeuvres, the air-dash and the homing jump, have been implemented. Some sequences in which these moves are used seem to be references to various 8-bit and arcade games, and some wire-fu films.

A large part of the game relies on a revised "barrier spell". All playable characters (and enemies on higher difficulty settings) have the barrier spell available, and at the cost of magic-over-time, it renders a character invincible. Properly timed use of the barrier spell allows a player to reflect projectiles and magic (in a visual effect reminiscent of Mischief Makers' Marina Liteyears throwing a laser or lightning bolt back at its source), or stun enemies who attack in melee.

A green gauge is used to represent the character's anger. At any point that the player's character is rendered immobile or out of the player's control, the player can rapidly press buttons to increase the anger gauge. Points allocated to the character's mobility grant bonuses to how quickly this gauge increases. When it flashes, the character can press A+B simultaneously to activate "Hyper Mode" or "Anger Mode", starting a timer in which the anger gauge decreases, the magic gauge increases, the character is given a burst of speed, and the player is returned control of the character.

If the player's character dies during the course of the game, a sinister figure appears and offers to give the character invincibility in exchange for the character's soul. If the player refuses, the princess appears and reassures the player that there will be another chance, before the game transitions to a game over screen. If the player agrees to the sinister figure's conditions, then the character is brought back to life in a state referred to as "Devil Mode" that is unable to take damage (although still able to be knocked down and flung around) for the next six minutes, before the sinister figure reappears and destroys the character, resulting in a game over screen. Regardless of the player's choice, the game may be continued from the last checkpoint reached before going into "Devil Mode".

Also, unlike the first game, the player is allowed to use almost every unlocked character in the main story as well as in the other modes.

Throughout the game, defeated enemies will drop crystals of varying sizes and colour, that act as the experience points. Between stages, players can allocate these crystals towards one or more of their character's attributes: Vitality, Mind, Attack, Defence, Magical Attack, Magical Defence, and Mobility. At certain points, the player has to fight the heroes of the previous game, and upon defeating them, they will give up their souls, which will increase one of attributes by 10. Increasing an attribute with soul crystals will raise the character's level, no matter how high that attribute was to begin with. The higher the character's level, the more soul crystals will be needed to reach the next level, so players have to allocate their points carefully. Anything left over after allocation, can be donated towards unlocking further playable characters.

Plot

The story follows the events of Guardian Heroes. After the Undead Hero was returned to his rest, the heroes were given the option of becoming the Sky Spirit's perfect warriors. The group was divided, with Nicole, Serena, and Valgar joining the Sky Spirit, and Han and Genjiro refusing. Randy escaped back to earth on his own, leaving Han and Genjiro to fight a losing battle against their former comrades.

Years later, Zur returns. He resurrects Kanon and uses the power of the Guardian Heroes to take over the world. The few remaining resistance forces call upon the power of the Undead Hero once again, with one young soldier giving up his body to serve as its vessel.

Throughout the game, the character fights the previous heroes and earns their power. Ultimately, it is revealed this is another attempt by the heavens to create the ultimate warrior. In the final battle against the ruler of the heavens, all heroes gather to defeat it and subsequently leave for the Other World.

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
Metacritic65/100[4]
Review scores
PublicationScore
Edge6/10[5]
EGM6.83/10[6]
Game Informer7/10[7]
GameSpot6.9/10[2]
GameSpyStarStarStarHalf star[8]
GameZone6/10[3]
IGN6/10[9]
Jeuxvideo.com9/20[10]
Nintendo Power3.9/5[11]
Nintendo World Report7.5/10[12]
X-PlayStar[13]

The game received mixed reviews in English-speaking countries according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[4] While most critics praised the visuals and the gameplay, they criticized the story and the game suffering from frame rate problems when run on emulators.

Notes

References

  1. ↑ "New Releases". http://www.gpstore.com.au/Games/Game-Boy-Advance/. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Provo, Frank (September 17, 2004). "Advance Guardian Heroes Review". CBS Interactive. https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/advance-guardian-heroes-review/1900-6107838/. Retrieved November 1, 2014. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Aceinet (November 15, 2004). "Advance Guardian Heroes - GBA - Review". Archived from the original on December 1, 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20081201152152/http://gameboy.gamezone.com/gzreviews/r24578.htm. Retrieved November 1, 2014. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Advance Guardian Heroes for Game Boy Advance Reviews". CBS Interactive. https://www.metacritic.com/game/advance-guardian-heroes/critic-reviews/?platform=game-boy-advance. Retrieved November 1, 2014. 
  5. ↑ Edge staff (December 2004). "Advance Guardian Heroes". Edge (Future plc) (143): 116. 
  6. ↑ EGM staff (November 2004). "Advance Guardian Heroes". Electronic Gaming Monthly (Ziff Davis) (184): 152. 
  7. ↑ Miller, Matt (December 2004). "Advance Guardian Heroes". Game Informer (GameStop) (140): 191. http://www.gameinformer.com/NR/exeres/ECBDC46E-738E-4C87-B4C2-DDC310257941.htm. Retrieved November 1, 2014. 
  8. ↑ Turner, Benjamin (September 20, 2004). "GameSpy: Advance Guardian Heroes". IGN Entertainment. Archived from the original on November 12, 2005. https://web.archive.org/web/20051112084210/http://gba.gamespy.com/gameboy-advance/advance-guardian-heroes/549518p1.html. Retrieved November 1, 2014. 
  9. ↑ Harris, Craig (September 14, 2004). "Advance Guardian Heroes". Ziff Davis. http://www.ign.com/articles/2004/09/15/advance-guardian-heroes. Retrieved November 1, 2014. 
  10. ↑ "Test: Advance Guardian Heroes". February 21, 2005. http://www.jeuxvideo.com/articles/0000/00005098_test.htm. Retrieved August 14, 2019. 
  11. ↑ "Advance Guardian Heroes". Nintendo Power (Nintendo of America) 185: 131. November 2004. 
  12. ↑ Lindemann, Jon (October 16, 2004). "Advance Guardian Heroes". NINWR, LLC. http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/review/4276/advance-guardian-heroes-game-boy-advance. Retrieved November 1, 2014. 
  13. ↑ Miller, Skyler (November 12, 2004). "Advance Guardian Heroes Review". G4techTV. Archived from the original on December 4, 2004. https://web.archive.org/web/20041204102627/http://www.g4techtv.com/xplay/features/50303/Advance_Guardian_Heroes_Review.html. Retrieved November 1, 2014. 
  • 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. 
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