Software:Arzette: The Jewel of Faramore

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Short description: 2024 video game

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Arzette: The Jewel of Faramore
Developer(s)Seedy Eye Software
Publisher(s)Limited Run Games
Director(s)Seth Fulkerson
Producer(s)Audi Sorlie
Designer(s)Seth Fulkerson
Writer(s)
  • Seth Fulkerson
  • Audi Sorlie
Composer(s)Jake Silverman
EngineGameMaker
Platform(s)Nintendo Switch
PlayStation 4
PlayStation 5
Windows
Xbox Series X/S
ReleaseFebruary 14, 2024
Genre(s)Action, platform
Mode(s)Single-player

Arzette: The Jewel of Faramore is an animated platform game developed by Seedy Eye Software and published by Limited Run Games. It was released on February 14, 2024, for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Windows. Arzette is a spiritual successor to the CD-i games Link: The Faces of Evil and Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon.[1]

Gameplay

Arzette: The Jewel of Faramore is an action-platformer.[2][3] The player controls the titular protagonist, Arzette, who explores the land of Faramore on a quest to defeat the evil Daimur. The gameplay is that of a 2D action platformer, with animated cutscenes in an art style similar to that in the CD-i games.[4] The game has been described as an "interactive animated adventure".[5] Level designer John Linneman described the game as having strong similarities to Monster World.[6]

Plot

In the past, the kingdom of Faramore fell under attack by the demon lord Daimur and his army of evil monsters, aided by the traitorous Duke Nodelki of Amelog. In response, King Rahklin, along with his daughter Princess Arzette, his advisor Wogram and an unlikely hero, Dail, led an assault on Daimur's lair in the country of Oakurin. Using the magical Jewel of Faramore, Daimur was sealed in the Book of Oakurin, and peace returned. As the Jewel shatters into five shards on each use, Rahklin ordered the shards to be protected separately in order to prevent Daimur's release, while Nodelki was sentenced to a lifetime of hard labor.

Ten years later, Nodelki recovers the Jewel shards and frees Daimur from his imprisonment. The demon lord grants Nodelki magic powers in exchange for his soul and charges him and his top four minions with protecting the shards while he exacts revenge on Faramore. Arzette, who was the only one to continue honing her skills in peacetime, takes it upon herself to relight the Sacred Beacons and recover the Sacred Candles that can dispel Daimur's dark magic enveloping the land.

Arzette ventures across Faramore, defeating Daimur's minions to recover the Jewel's shards while helping its citizens with their various problems in exchange for new powers. During her quest, King Rahklin dies, hardening Arzette's resolve to vanquish Daimur for good. After slaying Nodelki and claiming the last shard, Dail and Wogram encourage her to seal Daimur in the Book of Oakurin again, but Arzette forgoes this plan and instead has her sword infused with the Jewel of Faramore. Upon confronting Daimur in his lair, Arzette defeats him and, ignoring his offer of power, destroys him permanently with her Jewel-infused sword. Arzette is crowned Queen for defeating Daimur, but she insists that the entire Kingdom contributed to his defeat and declares Faramore to become a democracy, holding a feast to celebrate.

In a post-credits scene, an unknown female voice is heard laughing as the Book of Oakurin magically opens itself.

Development

Arzette was developed by Seth "Dopply" Fulkerson under the developer name "Seedy Eye Software", a homophonic pun on "CD-i".[7][8] In November 2020, Fulkerson released unofficial remakes for Link: The Faces of Evil and Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon on Linux and Windows.[9] To avoid receiving a cease-and-desist notice from Nintendo like many similar unofficial projects, Fulkerson made the remakes unavailable for download two days after their release.[10][11]

The development for Arzette began in late 2020 through developing his company Seedy Eye Software and Limited Run Games as the publisher.[12] On July 12, 2023, the game was announced by Limited Run Games.[13] Jeffrey Rath and Bonnie Jean Wilbur, voice actors for Link and Zelda in the CD-i games, were also revealed to be voicing the game's tutorial voice and narrator respectively.[7] He also contacted some of the original artists of the CD-i games, including artist Rob Dunlavey.[11] Digital Foundry's John Linneman announced his involvement as level designer after the initial reveal,[14] while fellow Digital Foundry personality Audun Sorlie revealed his involvement as lead producer and writer for the game.[15] In an interview with GamesRadar+, Fulkerson stated that the animators were given free rein, with their only limitations being the color palette, resolution, and frame-rate of the cutscenes of the original CD-i Zelda games.[11]

On October 29, 2023, Limited Run Games announced the game would release on February 14, 2024.[16]

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
Metacritic77/100[17]
Review scores
PublicationScore
Destructoid85/100[20]
Nintendo Life7/10[21]
Nintendo World Report80/100[2]
Push Square7/10[22]
TouchArcade3.5/5[3]

Arzette: The Jewel of Faramore received "generally favorable reviews" according to review aggregator website Metacritic.[17] Fellow review aggregator OpenCritic assessed that the game received strong approval, being recommended by 75% of critics.[18]

References

  1. ↑ Doolan, Liam (2023-07-13). "Arzette Is A "Spiritual Successor" To The Infamous Zelda CD-i Games And It's Coming To Switch In 2023" (in en-GB). https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2023/07/arzette-is-a-spiritual-successor-to-the-infamous-zelda-cd-i-games-and-its-coming-to-switch-in-2023. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Hilhorst, Willem (14 February 2024). "Arzette: The Jewel of Faramore Review - Review". https://www.nintendoworldreport.com/review/66266/arzette-n-the-jewel-of-faramore-switch-review. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Musgrave, Shaun (February 19, 2024). "SwitchArcade Round-Up: Reviews Featuring 'Balatro' & 'Arzette', Plus Today's New Releases and Sales". https://toucharcade.com/2024/02/19/balatro-switch-review-arzette-eshop-new-releases-turok-3-sale-discount/. 
  4. ↑ Franzese, Tomas (2023-07-12). "The worst Zelda games ever made are getting a spiritual successor" (in en). https://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/zelda-cdi-games-successor-arzette-announced/. 
  5. ↑ Serin, Kaan (2023-07-13). "Limited Run Games announce retro revivals for Gex Trilogy, Jurassic Park, Tomba, and more" (in en). Rock, Paper, Shotgun. https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/limited-run-games-announce-retro-revivals-for-gex-trilogy-jurassic-park-tomba-and-more. 
  6. ↑ Linneman, John (2023-07-12). "Arzette: The Jewel of Faramore Announced for all platforms (Zelda CDi Inspired Platformer)" (in en-US). https://www.resetera.com/threads/arzette-the-jewel-of-faramore-announced-for-all-platforms-zelda-cdi-inspired-platformer.741420/#post-108863397. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Romano, Sal (2023-07-12). "Interactive animated adventure game Arzette: The Jewel of Faramore announced for PS5, Xbox Series, PS4, Switch, and PC" (in en-US). https://www.gematsu.com/2023/07/interactive-animated-adventure-game-arzette-the-jewel-of-faramore-announced-for-ps5-xbox-series-ps4-switch-and-pc. 
  8. ↑ Shanklin, Will (2024-01-29). "Arzette, a love letter to the CD-i Zelda games, will also revive an awful controller" (in en-US). https://www.engadget.com/arzette-a-love-letter-to-the-cd-i-zelda-games-will-also-revive-an-awful-controller-180450138.html. 
  9. ↑ Yin-Poole, Wesley (2020-11-28). "Amateur dev remakes CD-i games Link: The Faces of Evil and Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon so we can suffer them again, 27 years later" (in en). Eurogamer. https://www.eurogamer.net/amateur-developer-remakes-cd-i-games-link-the-faces-of-evil-and-zelda-the-wand-of-gamelon-so-we-can-suffer-them-again-27-years-later. 
  10. ↑ Fulkerson, Seth [@thedopster] (30 November 2020). "Just as a reminder, I have pulled the...". https://twitter.com/thedopster/status/1333232007158116352. 
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Machkovech, Sam (February 14, 2024). "How Arzette turned Zelda's biggest joke into something to laugh with, not at" (in en). GamesRadar+. https://www.gamesradar.com/how-arzette-turned-zeldas-biggest-joke-into-something-to-laugh-with-not-at/. 
  12. ↑ Kelly, Josh (2023-08-14). "Owensboro game developer Seth Fulkerson reviving nostalgia with retro-inspired gaming gem" (in en-US). https://www.owensborotimes.com/entertainment/2023/08/owensboro-game-developer-seth-fulkerson-reviving-nostalgia-with-retro-inspired-gaming-gem/. 
  13. ↑ Romano, Sal (2023-07-12). "Limited Run Games announces over 20 new physical releases at LRG3 2023" (in en-US). https://www.gematsu.com/2023/07/limited-run-games-announces-over-20-new-physical-releases-at-lrg3-2023. 
  14. ↑ Linneman, John [@dark1x] (12 July 2023). "Yeah, so I've been fortunate enough to do some level and game design work on Arzette...". https://twitter.com/dark1x/status/1679226807109791745. 
  15. ↑ Sorlie, Audi [@pc98_audi] (12 July 2023). "Finally we can talk about this one! I am the producer and co-writer on this amazing CD-i Zelda successor...". https://twitter.com/pc98_audi/status/1679229635639345155. 
  16. ↑ @LimitedRunGames (29 October 2023). "Spend next Valentine's Day with @ArzetteGame! You heard it tonight at #IndieLand2023: You'll be able to play Arzette: The Jewel of Faramore on February 14th, 2024!". https://twitter.com/LimitedRunGames/status/1718805651126669567. 
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 "Arzette: The Jewel of Faramore" (in en). https://www.metacritic.com/game/arzette-the-jewel-of-faramore/. 
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 "Arzette: The Jewel of Faramore". OpenCritic. https://opencritic.com/game/16304/arzette-the-jewel-of-faramore. 
  19. ↑ Ritson, Morgan (21 April 2024). "Arzette: The Jewel of Faramore review". https://www.teamdebug.com/reviews/arzette-the-jewel-of-faramore. 
  20. ↑ Handley, Zoey (14 February 2024). "Arzette: The Jewel of Faramore". https://www.destructoid.com/reviews/review-arzette-the-jewel-of-faramore/. 
  21. ↑ Scullion, Chris (14 February 2024). "Review: Arzette: The Jewel Of Faramore (Switch) - An Adroit Homage To The Worst Zelda Games". https://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/switch-eshop/arzette-the-jewel-of-faramore. 
  22. ↑ Tailby, Stephen (14 February 2024). "Review: Arzette: The Jewel of Faramore (PS5) - A Charmingly Shoddy CD-i Sendup". https://www.pushsquare.com/reviews/ps5/arzette-the-jewel-of-faramore. 
  23. ↑ Thorpe, Nick (March 2024). "Arzette: The Jewel of Faramore". Retro Gamer (257): 98. 
  • Official website
  • 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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