Software:Adventures of Dino Riki

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Short description: 1987 video game
Adventures of Dino Riki
North American cover art
Developer(s)Hudson Soft
Publisher(s)
Designer(s)Meijin Sakurada
Programmer(s)Shinichi Nakamoto
Hitoshi Okuno
Artist(s)Gaku Miyao
Composer(s)Takeaki Kunimoto
Platform(s)Nintendo Entertainment System
Release
Genre(s)Scrolling shooter
Mode(s)Single-player

Adventures of Dino Riki, known in Japan as Shin Jinrui: The New Type (新人類; lit. "New Humans"), is a scrolling shooter video game developed by Hudson Soft for the Nintendo Entertainment System. The player takes on the role of the titular Dino Riki in a prehistoric setting, tasked with completing a series of vertically-scrolling stages while contending with various enemies, platforming sections, and bosses. Power-ups that improve the player's weapons or mobility can be uncovered by hitting boulders scattered about each stage.

Japanese magazines previewed it as an action game with unique mechanics before it was converted into a scrolling shooter just prior to launch. Hudson had desired to release a game similar to Konami's 1986 MSX shooter Knightmare. The Adventures of Dino Riki development staff has only been revealed through social media posts. Wrestler Riki Choshu lent his name and likeness to the project and was featured prominently in its Japanese advertising.

Due to a five game-per-year limit imposed by Nintendo on its licensees, Hudson partnered with electronics corporation Ricoh to get Adventures of Dino Riki released in Japan under the briefly-established Rix Soft label in early 1987. Hudson self-published it in North America in late 1989. It was met with average review scores and mixed opinions regarding its graphics, gameplay, and difficulty.

Gameplay

Dino Riki throws a series of stone axes at some enemies. The player's health, score and remaining lives are displayed at the top.

Adventures of Dino Riki is a scrolling shooter where the player takes on the role of the titular, primitive human Dino Riki in a prehistoric setting with dinosaurs. Each stage scrolls vertically with the objective being to avoid enemies and their projectiles then to defeat the boss at its end. Dino Riki can move in all directions, jump, and throw weapons to destroy enemies and uncover health and power-ups from boulders strewn about the landscape. These power-ups include speed boosts, wings that enable flight, and enhanced weapons. The player begins with rocks which can be upgraded to stone axes, then boomerangs, and finally torches, each consecutively improving range and spread of attack. A hidden item tile will transform the player into Macho Riki who can fire powerful projections of himself.[3]

The game has four stages with the last of these consisting of four sub-stages. Some stages contain environmental hazards. For instance, the first features platforming sections with a bodies of water and lilypads that the player must jump or fly across. Some lilypads move back and forth while others submerge then resurface. Falling into the water results in instant death. Taking a hit from an enemy will drop speed and weapon upgrades down one level while dying will remove all power-ups and bring the player back to specific checkpoints.[3]

Development and release

Adventures of Dino Riki was developed by Hudson Soft. Previews in Japanese magazines revealed that it was initially an action game with unique mechanics before being reworked into a scrolling shooter mere months before launch.[4] In this earlier incarnation the player would have scrolled to different screens by following the direction indicated by an arrow.[5] The objective on each screen would be to pick up three flowers while battling enemies, who would have to be stunned with stones then kicked offscreen.[6][7] The player could still uncover item tiles which would have included additional power-ups for moving over different terrain, a stopwatch for freezing enemies, and others. It would have consisted of 16 stages with a boss on every fourth stage.[6] Features such as a day/night cycle and bonus stages were also shown.[6][7]

South Korean-Japanese professional wrestler Riki Choshu, who was at the height of his popularity, lent his name and likeness to the game.[3][8] The game was not conceived with Choshu's inclusion and his celebrity status was intended to increase sales.[9] In the pre-release version of the game, Choshu's sprite could appear on-screen as a separate character to assist the player.[6] In the final Japanese version, the transformed protagonist's clone attack is officially called the "Riki Lariat," Choshu's signature move.[10]

The game's development team was never made public by Hudson, but former employees have mentioned its history through social media posts. Beep magazine columnist Hiroaki Iwasaki interviewed some of the company's personnel. Programmer Satoshi Mikami told Iwasaki that he was not involved in the production but claimed that Hudson wished to release a scrolling shooter similar to Konami's Knightmare, first available for the MSX in 1986. Makami further stated that the "New Humans" from the Japanese title references the new staff brought in for the project.[11] Hudson executive Toshiyuki Takahashi wrote that the moniker was chosen because Shin Jinrui was Japan's "buzzword of the year" for 1986.[8]

Iwasaki determined that the game was programmed by Shinichi Nakamoto and Hitoshi Okuno.[11] Sakurada Meijin, a disciple of Takahashi, worked on it as well.[12] Manga artist Gaku Miyao created its cover illustration. He had been instructed to "make it with rolling energy" but that it was not specified he include Choshu in the image. The girl featured on the Japanese cover does not appear in the game and Miyao admitted he added her unprompted.[13] Takeaki Kunimoto is credited online as the game's music composer.[3] However, when talking about the Hudson music compilation 20th Century Famicom Boy on his own blog, Kunimoto stated that he only made the boss victory jingle and that his old colleague Daisuke Inoue was mostly likely responsible for the bulk of the tracks.[14] Sound programmer Keita Hoshi told Iwasaki that he believed Toshiaki Takimoto worked as its audio based on a process of elimination, but Iwasaki concluded it was instead Fumihiko Itagaki.[11]

Nintendo restricted its licensees to releasing just five titles per year for its Family Computer console. Wanting to exceed this limit, Hudson partnered with electronics corporation Ricoh as a workaround and briefly established a software branch called Rix Soft to publish Shin Jinrui in the developer's stead.[15][16] The game was originally scheduled for retail in Japan in mid-December 1986[7][17][18] but was delayed until February 10, 1987.[2] Takahashi and Choshu both appeared in print and television advertisements as well as at a live promotion at the Ryōgoku Kokugikan arena.[8][7] Hudson announced the game as Adventures of Dino Riki for the Nintendo Entertainment System at the Winter Consumer Electronics Show in January 1989[19] and self-published it in North America that October.[1] Hudson advertised it alongside their Joycard Samsui SSS, a gamepad with rapid-fire capability and a port for wired earbuds.[20][21]

Reception and legacy

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
AllGame3.5/5[22]
Famitsu23/40[2]
Nintendo Power3.25/5[23]
Famicom Hisshoubon (ja)3/5[24]

Adventures of Dino Riki received consistently mediocre review scores but drew a mixed response from critics who disagreed on its presentation, gameplay quality, and challenge level. One writer for the Japanese magazine Famicom Hisshōbon complimented the game's visuals but found it to be a standard shooter best enjoyed by fans of the genre.[24] The quartet of commentators from Famicom Tsūshin compared the gameplay to Knightmare and Hudson's own Star Soldier with one reviewer noting the difficulty of battling numerous onscreen enemies that do not fit the prehistoric setting.[2] Gary Meredith of Game Players positively stated "Adventures of Dino-Riki won't be mistaken for an educational program on prehistory. But it does provide nonstop action and excitement, spiced with a touch of humor."[25] Computer Entertainer felt that despite its nice graphics, the game was most likely only geared toward young boys and that it offered nothing unique compared to many other titles in the same genre.[26]

AllGame’s Brett Alan Weiss called the game "easy to learn, yet challenging enough for most action fans." Weiss opined that the scenery could be dull at times, but that the variety of swarming enemies would be enough to keep a player busy.[22] Hardcore Gaming 101 contributor Steven Barbato was also complimentary of its overall presentation and assortment of enemies but labelled the platforming segments the game's biggest weakness, especially when the player collects too many speed powerups. "While skilled players can hold onto a flight power-up to bypass some of these platforming sections, it won't take long for most people to become utterly demoralized," he concluded.[3] A later issue of Game Players opined that the game, alongside Hudson Soft's Adventure Island, would most likely be too difficult for inexperienced or younger players.[27] Damien McFerran of Retro Gamer considered Adventures of Dino Riki among Hudson's weakest games when chronicling the company's past. "Terrible graphics, a steep learning curve and an over-reliance on power ups (lose them and you may as well reset the game) result in a title so poor it's not surprising no one's heard of it," he said of the game. "And there are hardly any dinosaurs in it."[28]

In October 1991, South Korean developer Zemina released unlicensed ports of Adventures of Dino Riki to the MSX and Master System under the title Wonsiin (Korean: 원시인; lit. "Primitive Man"). It features altered versions of the original game's first three stages and omits the final stage altogether. A sequel to Wonsiin was announced in 1992 but was cancelled.[29]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Computer Entertainer staff (January 1990). "1989 Index". Computer Entertainer (VTO Inc.) 8 (10): 8. ISSN 0890-2143. https://archive.org/details/ComputerEntertainerJanuary1990/page/n7/mode/1up. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Famitsu staff (February 20, 1987). "新作 ゲームクロス レビ ュー 新人類". Famitsu (ASCII Corporation) (17): 9. https://archive.org/details/famitsu-0017/page/n10/mode/1up. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Barbato, Steven (May 6, 2020). "Adventures of Dino Riki, The". http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/adventures-of-dino-riki-the/. Retrieved June 20, 2024. 
  4. ↑ Famitsu staff (February 6, 1987). "新着ゲーム通信 新人類". Famitsu (ASCII Corporation) (16): 91. https://archive.org/details/famitsu-0016/page/91/mode/1up. 
  5. ↑ Famitsu staff (December 26, 1986). "新着ゲーム通信 新人類". Famitsu (ASCII Corporation) (14): 101. https://archive.org/details/famitsu-0014/page/n101/mode/1up. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Hisshōbon staff (January 1, 1987). "New Soft: 新人類" (in ja). Famicom Hisshōbon (JICC Publishing Bureau) (14): 124–5. https://archive.org/details/no.-014-1987-01-1p-113-114/page/n129/mode/2up. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Famitsu staff (December 12, 1986). "新着ゲーム通信 新人類". Famitsu (ASCII Corporation) (13): 92. https://archive.org/details/famitsu-0013/page/92/mode/1up. 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Toshiyuki Takahashi (May 16, 2022). "新人類" (in ja). https://ameblo.jp/meijin16shot/entry-12743251518.html. Retrieved June 20, 2024. 
  9. ↑ Meijin Sakurada [@meijin_sakurada] (November 27, 2011). "Error: no |title= specified when using {{Cite web}}" (in ja). https://twitter.com/meijin_sakurada/status/140994031462252544. 
  10. ↑ Toshiyuki Takahashi (May 15, 2022). "昨日は「新人類」を" (in ja). https://ameblo.jp/meijin16shot/entry-12743056789.html. Retrieved June 20, 2024. 
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Iwasaki Hiraoki (January 19, 2021). "ファミコンの音を誰が作ったか聞いてわかる話" (in ja). http://www.highriskrevolution.com/wp/gamelife/2021/01/19/%E3%83%95%E3%82%A1%E3%83%9F%E3%82%B3%E3%83%B3%E3%81%AE%E9%9F%B3%E3%82%92%E8%AA%B0%E3%81%8C%E4%BD%9C%E3%81%A3%E3%81%9F%E3%81%8B%E8%81%9E%E3%81%84%E3%81%A6%E3%82%8F%E3%81%8B%E3%82%8B%E8%A9%B1/. Retrieved June 20, 2024. 
  12. ↑ Meijin Sakurada [@meijin_sakurada] (November 27, 2011). "Error: no |title= specified when using {{Cite web}}" (in ja). https://twitter.com/meijin_sakurada/status/140968246227636224. 
  13. ↑ Miyao Gaku [@GAKUJIRA] (February 20, 2022). "Error: no |title= specified when using {{Cite web}}" (in ja). https://twitter.com/GAKUJIRA/status/1495614976786313216. 
  14. ↑ Kunimoto Takeaki (July 18, 2007). "新人類 / 井上大介さん（たぶん）" (in ja). http://kinokosan.blog.ocn.ne.jp/wakame/cat2317998/. Retrieved June 20, 2024. 
  15. ↑ Toshiyuki Takahashi (September 3, 2018). "国技館 by ハドソンその2" (in ja). https://ameblo.jp/meijin16shot/entry-12402528975.html. Retrieved June 20, 2024. 
  16. ↑ Meijin Sakurada [@meijin_sakurada] (November 27, 2011). "Error: no |title= specified when using {{Cite web}}" (in ja). https://twitter.com/meijin_sakurada/status/140989758112415745. 
  17. ↑ Famitsu staff (November 14, 1986). "謎のゲーム 未確認情報". Famitsu (ASCII Corporation) (11): 79. https://archive.org/details/famitsu-0011/page/79/mode/1up. 
  18. ↑ Hisshōbon staff (December 5, 1986). "12月発売予定" (in ja). Famicom Hisshōbon (JICC Publishing Bureau) (12): 110. https://archive.org/details/no.-012-1986-12-05/page/n115/mode/1up. 
  19. ↑ Game Players staff (January 1989). "Hudson Soft". Game Players (Signal Research) (CES Special): 30. ISSN 1087-2779. https://archive.org/details/game-players-ces-videogame-and-computer-game-guide/Game%20Player%27s%20CES%20Videogame%20and%20Computer%20Game%20Guide%2002/page/10/mode/1up. 
  20. ↑ Hudson Soft staff (September–October 1989). "Joycard Sansui SSS". Electronic Gaming Monthly (Sendai Publishing) (3): 9. ISSN 1058-918X. https://archive.org/details/video-game-magazines/Eletronic%20Gaming%20Monthly/Electronic%20Gaming%20Monthly%20Issue%203%20%28Sep-October%201989%29.cbr.rar/page/9/mode/1up. 
  21. ↑ GamePro staff (November 1989). "Short ProShots". GamePro (IDG) (4): 68. ISSN 1042-8658. https://archive.org/details/GamePro_Issue_004_November_1989/page/n69/mode/1up. 
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 Weiss, Brett Alan. "Adventures of Dino-Riki". RhythmOne. http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=14291&tab=review. Retrieved June 21, 2024. 
  23. ↑ Nintendo Power staff (August 1989). "Video Shorts: Adventures of Dino-Riki". Nintendo Power (Nintendo of America) (7): 81. ISSN 1041-9551. https://archive.org/details/Nintendo_Power_Issue001-Issue127/Nintendo%20Power%20Issue%20007%20July-August%201989/page/n66/mode/1up. 
  24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 Yoshida Janis; Hirabo (March 20, 1987). "Cross Review: ファミコンソフト ソフトスクランブル" (in ja). Famicom Hisshoubon (ja) (JICC Publishing Bureau) (19): 32. https://archive.org/details/no.-019-1987-03-20p-097-098/page/n33/mode/1up. 
  25. ↑ Meredith, Gary (March 1990). "Nintendo Reviews: Adventures of Dino-Riki". Game Players (Signal Research) 2 (3): 92. ISSN 1087-2779. https://archive.org/details/gameplayersmagazinemarch90/page/n96/mode/1up. 
  26. ↑ Computer Entertainer staff (October 1989). "NINTENDO Software: Adventures of Dino Riki". Computer Entertainer (VTO Inc.) 8 (7): 11. ISSN 0890-2143. https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-8-7/page/12/mode/1up. 
  27. ↑ Game Players staff (November 1990). "A Parents Guide to Games for the Younger Set: Hudson Soft". Game Players (Signal Research) 3 (6): 22. ISSN 1087-2779. https://archive.org/details/game-players-strategy-guide-to-nintendo-games-vol.-3-no.-6-november-1990/page/22/mode/1up. 
  28. ↑ McFerran, Damien (August 2009). "From the Archives: Hudson Soft – Part 1". Retro Gamer (Imagine Publishing) (66): 72. ISSN 1742-3155. https://archive.org/details/revistas-brasileiras-de-games-da-net/Retro%20Gamer%20-%20revistas/2009/Retro%20Gamer%20%E2%84%9666/page/72/mode/1up. 
  29. ↑ Derboo, Sam (March 2014). "A History of Korean Gaming: 재미나 Zemina / 새한상사 Saehan Sangsa". http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/korea/part1/company-zemina-old.htm. Retrieved June 21, 2024. 
  • 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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