Software:Armored Core: Nine Breaker

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Short description: 2004 video game
Armored Core: Nine Breaker
North American box art
Developer(s)FromSoftware
Publisher(s)
Producer(s)Toshifumi Nabeshima
Programmer(s)Akitoshi Sasamoto
Artist(s)Yuzo Kojima
Makoto Sato
Composer(s)Kota Hoshino
SeriesArmored Core
Platform(s)PlayStation 2
Release
  • JP: October 28, 2004
  • NA: September 13, 2005
  • EU: May 5, 2006
Genre(s)Third-person shooter
Mode(s)Single player, multiplayer

Armored Core: Nine Breaker is a 2004 third-person shooter video game developed by FromSoftware for the PlayStation 2. It is the ninth entry in the Armored Core series and a spin-off to Software:Armored Core: Nexus.

Nine Breaker removed story missions and placed much more focus on the Arena mode found in previous games. Training missions reveal that an organization has put the Arena mode together in order to train pilots for a potential future war as currently all corporations are at peace.

Players pilot mech robots called Armored Cores in a competitive Arena ladder. Armored Cores can be customized with hundreds of parts, with some parts only available after completing certain achievements. A training mode allows for players to practice certain skills that can help them within the Arena and allow them to unlock additional parts for their mech.

Gameplay

In Nine Breaker, players pilot large mech robots called Armored Cores. Unlike previous games in the franchise, players are not hired for missions and no longer earn credits, instead being only focused on fighting Arena battles to raise the player's rank.[1]

A training mode included in the game includes 150 minigames for practicing specific exercises. Upon completion, the player is rated on their performance in the exercise. Within the Arena mode, players are placed onto a competitive ladder and must earn points from winning matches to advance on the ladder.[2]

While previous games required that the player purchase customization options for their mech, Nine Breaker unlocks a majority of its parts from the start and allows others to be earned through performance achievements in the training or arena modes.[3]

Previous multiplayer offerings return in Nine Breaker. Players can fight each other in 2 player split-screen modes or local network play.[4]

Setting

Unlike other Armored Core titles, Nine Breaker doesn't have a proper storyline. Instead, it focuses on a training program that sees Armored Core pilots fight each other and hone their skills in the event that another war breaks out. The game hints at an underlying plot involving an organization putting together the training program due to a rare peacetime between corporate conflicts.

Release

Armored Core: Nine Breaker was initially released in Japan on October 28, 2004.[5] FromSoftware partnered with Agetec and released a North American version on September 13, 2005.[6] A European version was released in partnership with 505 Games on April 28, 2006.[7][8]

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
Metacritic57/100[9]
Review scores
PublicationScore
Eurogamer5/10[1]
Famitsu29/40[10]
GameSpot6.2/10[2]
GameZone8.3/10[3]
IGN5.5/10[4]
Jeuxvideo.com12/20[11]
OPM (UK)4/10[13]
OPM (US)StarStarHalf star[12]
PSM6/10[14]
X-PlayStarStar[15]
Gamezilla70%[16]

Nine Breaker received "mixed" reviews according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[9] In Japan, Famitsu gave Nine Breaker a score of two sevens, one eight, and one seven for a total of 29 out of 40.[10]

Critics noted that the game's removal of story missions, with IGN's Ivan Sulic stating: "Funny how a sequel can offer less, eh?"[4] Dan Whitehead, writing for Eurogamer noted that the game's focus on challenges and arena combat wasn't developed well enough, calling them "a series of competition scraps to plough through for no real reason". He noted that there was a framing story, but deemed it "hilariously half-hearted".[1]

Criticism of the franchise's iterative nature continued in Nine Breaker. IGN's Sulic wrote: "I might have been able to copy and paste the text from my Armored Core: Nexus review into this space... given how similar the two titles are".[4] Greg Bemis from G4 commented on the "stale" nature of the franchise, writing: "If you’re one of those Armored Core fanboys, congratulations! You just bought the same game...again".[15]

Gameplay for Nine Breaker was considered challenging like its predecessors, but some critics noted that the challenge often became frustrating due to how inaccessible it was. While GameZone found the combat systems "balanced", IGN found it to be tedious.[3]'[4] GameSpot's Bob Colayco called it "straightforward" and added that "the game offers a decent amount of strategy since you decide how to set up your AC in order to best match up with your opponents".[2] Eurogamer was particularly scathing about the gameplay, writing that "only the most masochistic will persevere with this curt exercise in uninspired destruction".[1]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Whitehead, Dan (May 7, 2006). "Armored Core: Nine Breaker". Gamer Network. https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/r_acninebreaker_ps2. Retrieved December 18, 2018. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Colayco, Bob (September 16, 2005). "Armored Core: Nine Breaker Review [date is mislabeled as "June 22, 2006""]. CBS Interactive. https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/armored-core-nine-breaker-review/1900-6133549/. Retrieved December 18, 2018. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Lafferty, Michael (July 19, 2005). "Armored Core: Nine-Breaker - PS2 - Review". Archived from the original on October 6, 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20081006081204/http://ps2.gamezone.com/gzreviews/r26435.htm. Retrieved December 18, 2018. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Sulic, Ivan (September 19, 2005). "Armored Core: Nine Breaker". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/2005/09/19/armored-core-nine-breaker. Retrieved December 18, 2018. 
  5. ↑ "Armored Core: Nine Breaker | FromSoftware - フロム・ソフトウェア". https://www.fromsoftware.jp/jp/detail.html?csm=035. 
  6. ↑ (in en) Armored Core: Nine Breaker - IGN, https://www.ign.com/games/armored-core-nine-breaker, retrieved 2020-03-12 
  7. ↑ "MobyGames: Game Browser". https://www.mobygames.com/browse/games/505-games-srl/offset,225/so,1d/list-games/. 
  8. ↑ "Armored Core: Nine Breaker" (in en). https://www.eurogamer.net/games/armored-core-nine-breaker. 
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 "Armored Core: Nine Breaker for PlayStation 2 Reviews". CBS Interactive. https://www.metacritic.com/game/armored-core-nine-breaker/critic-reviews/?platform=playstation-2. Retrieved December 18, 2018. 
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 (in Japanese)Famitsu (Enterbrain). October 2004. 
  11. ↑ Lafferty, Michael (July 19, 2005). "Test : Armored Core : Nine Breaker". http://www.jeuxvideo.com/articles/0000/00006638_test.htm. Retrieved December 18, 2018. 
  12. ↑ "Armored Core: Nine Breaker". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine (Ziff Davis): 101. November 2005. 
  13. ↑ "Armored Core: Nine Breaker". Official UK PlayStation 2 Magazine (Future plc) (71): 98. April 2006. 
  14. ↑ "Review: Armored Core: Nine Breaker". PSM (Future US): 88. October 2005. 
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 Bemis, Greg (November 9, 2005). "Armored Core: Nine Breaker Review". G4 Media. Archived from the original on January 5, 2006. https://web.archive.org/web/20060105112030/http://www.g4tv.com/xplay/features/52972/Armored_Core_Nine_Breaker_Review.html. Retrieved December 18, 2018. 
  16. ↑ Lucas, Kenny (October 1, 2005). "Armored Core: Nine Breaker by Agetec". http://www.gamezilla.com/review.aspx?review=9105. Retrieved November 10, 2019. 

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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