Software:Assault Suits Valken

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Short description: 1992 video game
Assault Suits Valken
North American cover art
Developer(s)NCS Corp (ja)
Publisher(s)
Producer(s)Toshiro Tsuchida
Designer(s)Akira Nakai
Keisuke Tadakuma
Saito Takahiro
Programmer(s)Hideo Suzuki
Tetsuya Oya
Yukihiro Higuchi
Kawano Yukihiro
Artist(s)Satoshi Urushihara
Platform(s)Super NES, PlayStation 2, Nintendo Switch
ReleaseSuper NES
  • JP: December 18, 1992
  • NA: April 4, 1993
  • PAL: 1993
PlayStation 2
  • JP: August 26, 2004
  • PAL: June 2005
Nintendo Switch
  • WW: March 30, 2023
Genre(s)Run and gun, Platformer
Mode(s)Single player

Lua error in Module:Lang/utilities at line 332: attempt to call field '_transl' (a nil value)., also known as Cybernator, is a 2D mecha action game developed by Masaya and released in 1992 for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System.[1] The second entry in the Assault Suit series, it is a prequel to the first game, Target Earth. The game was localized and published overseas by Konami. The story follows Jake Brain who pilots a giant mecha and fights in a war engulfing the entire world.

Plot

The game takes place in the future, during a time when Earth's fossil fuels have begun to dwindle. There is a massive war taking place all over the earth for control of these resources, as well as for territorial rights on the moon. The two warring governments, the Axis and Federation, have the ability to go into space and create giant space stations and weapons of mass destruction.

Jake is the game's protagonist. He is a soldier drafted into the Pacific States' Marine Corp and pilots a Federation Assault Suit. In the prologue text he states he only fights because he is a soldier, not concerned with patriotism or politics. Survival for a soldier means defeating the enemy. The Suit has a humanoid shape, with arms, legs, a torso, and a head. It is equipped with a variety of weapons and other special accessories, giving it full land and minor air capabilities.

Jake and his platoon, which operate from the warship Versis are tasked with destruction of Bildvorg, the most powerful mech of the Axis forces. The various missions in the game lead up to the completion of this objective. (It is piloted by Major Beldark, whom Jake meets first in mission 4 and would later meet Jake once before the final boss). Versis sends out 2 other suits, one is unnamed and another is named Apollo in stage 4, who is killed offscreen by one suit that is really fast (Beldark). Ironically in that mission the player saves an enemy suit entering the Earth's atmosphere, whereas Beldark kills Jake's ally Apollo soon after.

Although Cybernator was released after Target Earth, Cybernator takes place a century before Target Earth.

In Assault Suits Valken 2, Jake makes a cameo appearance as a 30-year-old veteran soldier who assists in battles as an NPC.

The game has two endings. The bad ending can be acquired if the player fails any mission in the game, such as failing to stop Arc Nova from falling and/or allowing the enemy space shuttle to escape in the 5th mission. In this ending, the Versis is critically damaged and most of her crew are killed, including Crea (Jake's partner), which leaves Jake devastated in the credits. The game over screen also states the player has not completed their mission. If the player succeeds in the side missions, the Versis survives and Jake returns to the carrier, the war is over and Jake and Crea embrace each other on the Versis' deck as the Cybernator suit falls into pieces.

Development

Toshiro Tsuchida served as producer for the game. Afterwards, he joined G-Craft and worked on the game Front Mission.[2]

The soundtrack, composed by Masanao Akahori, was later rearranged and released as an official soundtrack CD in Japan.

The original Japanese releases featured artwork done by Satoshi Urushihara.[3]

Designer Satoshi Nakai was insistent on the game including destructive environments.[4]

Cybernator was the subject of censorship during its localization. The Japanese version featured written dialog accompanied by a portrait of the speaker, but these portraits were removed during localization. There is also a scene absent in which the president of the enemy forces, whose banner is that of the European Union, after realizing that his nation has been defeated, commits suicide. Also some written dialog is taken out, which shows the soldier rescued in the fourth level being in the robot fought before the final boss. However the few human enemies in the game remain (that are minuscule in scale vs machines throughout the game) with no censorship when they are killed.

The instruction manual of the English version is also filled with inconsistent information. For example, the sixth mission takes place in the Alps, where Versis tries to fly over the mountains to reach the Allied front lines, but according to the manual, the player's aim is to raid the enemy commander's mountain retreat. Another example of inaccurate information would be concerning the laser weapon, the strongest the player would receive in the game minus the cheat weapon the Napalm Flamethrower. It stated the laser takes a long time to recharge yet it actually recharges at least as fast as the Vulcan's reload, and unlike the Vulcan the laser recharges to a full load automatically without needing to expend its power/ammo first if they stop firing it.

The instruction manual also stated the suit to be a colossal 5 stories tall and 5 tons (which is seriously underweight for a machine that tall), contrary to promo material stating it to be 4 stories tall.

Release

Assault Suits Valken was released in Japan for the Super Famicom on December 12, 1992.[1] When the game was released outside of Japan, the title was changed to Cybernator.[5] It was released in North America in April 1993.[6] The game received a port to the PlayStation 2 in 2004 in Europe, Australia and Japan, under the title Assault Suits Valken.[7][8]

Cybernator was released on the Virtual Console in PAL regions on December 7, 2007, and in North America on December 17, 2007, both for the Wii and in North America on August 7, 2014 and in PAL regions on February 26, 2015, both for the Wii U.[9][10][11]

In 2014, the game was re-released in Japan through the game distribution service EGG.[12]

Assault Suits Valken Declassified

On February 20, 2023, developer M2 announced Assault Suits Valken Declassified, an updated re-release of the game for Nintendo Switch. It was released March 30, 2023. The game features a new English translation without the censorship present in Cybernator as well as new artwork by character designer Satoshi Urushihara, a digital recreation and translation of the official 80-page Japanese guidebook, interviews with the designers, exclusive pre-production artwork, save states, unlockable cheats, and an option to switch between the original and newly arranged soundtracks, along with other additional features.[13]

Reception

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
CVG88/100[14]
EGM8/10[15]
Famitsu32/40[16]
GamesMaster89%[17]
GameZone88/100[18]
ONM94/100[19]
Control73%[22]
N-Force87/100[23]
Super Action91%[24]
Super Gamer86%[25]
Super Pro86/100[26]

According to Famitsu, Assault Suits Valken sold 10,782 copies during its lifetime in Japan.[27] The game received generally favorable reception from critics.[28][29][30][31] GameFan's Dave Halverson and Greg Off deemed it one of the best games for the SNES, lauding its audiovisual department and story.[32] Super Gamer praised the game's graphics, gameplay, and atmosphere.[25]

The four reviewers of Electronic Gaming Monthly gave mixed opinions if the game was too easy or too hard, while all praised the games graphics, with two reviewers saying it showed the capabilities of the SNES hardware.[15]

Retrospective

Retrospective reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
SNESWiiWii U
AllGame3.5/5[34]
Eurogamer6/10[35]
IGN7.5/10[36]
Nintendo Life8/10[37]8/10[38]
Aggregate score
GameRankings74% (6 reviews)[33]

In 1996, Next Generation stated that Cybernator "was the game that introduced many U.S. gamers to classically Japanese design values - not only because it was a class title looks-wise, but also because it overflowed with action and atmosphere."[39] The April 1996 issue of Super Play magazine listed Cybernator as the 19th best Super NES title.[40] In 1995, Total! ranked the game 86th on their Top 100 SNES Games stating: "Another good solid blaster for fans to get their teeth into. Well worth the effort."[41]

The Wii and Wii U re-releases received mixed-to-positive reviews. Eurogamer (UK) reviewed and gave it a score of 6/10.[35] IGN gave it a 7.5/10.[36] Nintendo Life reviewed the game twice, once in 2007 giving the Wii Virtual Console version an 8/10,[37] and again in 2014 also giving an 8/10 for the Wii U eShop version.[38]

See also

Notes

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "重装機兵ヴァルケン [スーパーファミコン / ファミ通.com"]. https://www.famitsu.com/cominy/?m=pc&a=page_h_title&title_id=8850. 
  2. ↑ "All out of Credits". Superplay (Future Publishing) (33): 18. July 1995. 
  3. ↑ Urushihara, Satoshi (May 5, 1994). Urushihara Satoshi: Cell Works. Tokyo: Movic. pp. 36–41. ISBN 4896010868. OCLC 674703641. 
  4. ↑ "Cybernator Creator Talks Destructible Environments, Cut Ideas And Missing Stages" (in en-GB). 2015-11-10. http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2015/11/cybernator_creator_talks_destructible_environments_cut_ideas_and_missing_stages. 
  5. ↑ Nemesis (April 1997). "Made in Japan". Japanmania (12): 6–7. 
  6. ↑ "Super NES Games". 2008-09-20. http://www.nintendo.com/consumer/gameslist/manuals/snes_games.pdf. 
  7. ↑ "重装機兵ヴァルケン [PS2 / ファミ通.com"]. https://www.famitsu.com/cominy/?m=pc&a=page_h_title&title_id=10548. 
  8. ↑ "Assault Suits Valken - PlayStation 2 - GameSpy". http://ps2.gamespy.com/playstation-2/assault-suits-valken/. 
  9. ↑ "Cybernator" (in en-GB). https://www.nintendo.co.uk/Games/Super-Nintendo/Cybernator-276786.html. 
  10. ↑ "Cybernator for Wii - Nintendo Game Details". https://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/NYo67MbiJ6t0DihAZAK7XhR9AT9H1YBo. 
  11. ↑ "Cybernator for Wii U - Nintendo Game Details". https://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/bB3RLiUnGa7bp1sYYvbeiQso175AepRM. 
  12. ↑ "『改造町人シュビビンマン』（PCエンジン版）、『重装機兵ヴァルケン』（コンシューマー版）がレトロゲーム配信サービス"プロジェクトEGG"にて配信開始！ - ファミ通.com" (in ja). 18 November 2014. https://www.famitsu.com/news/201411/18065933.html. 
  13. ↑ Romano, Sal (2023-02-20). "Assault Suits Valken Declassified announced for Switch" (in en-US). https://www.gematsu.com/2023/02/assault-suits-valken-declassified-announced-for-switch. 
  14. ↑ Keen, Steve; Anglin, Paul (March 1993). "Review: Cybernator". Computer and Video Games (EMAP) (136): 28–29. https://archive.org/details/computer-and-video-games-magazine/Computer%20and%20Video%20Games%20136/page/28/mode/2up. 
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 Harris, Steve; Semrad, Ed; Alessi, Martin; Sushi-X (January 1993). "Review Crew". Electronic Gaming Monthly (Sendai Publishing) 6 (1): 26. https://archive.gamehistory.org/item/1ffe5a34-c1be-41e1-9681-ddbcf9794f80. 
  16. ↑ "NEW GAMES CROSS REVIEW: 重装機兵ヴァルケン (スーパーファミコンカートリッジ)" (in ja). Famitsu (ASCII Corporation) (210): 38. December 25, 1992. https://archive.org/details/famitsu-0210/page/38/mode/1up.  (Transcription by Famitsu.com. ).
  17. ↑ Price, Adrian; Douglas, Jim; Ellis, Les (April 1993). "Review: Cybernator". GamesMaster (Future Publishing) (4): 60–61. https://retrocdn.net/index.php?title=File:GamesMaster_UK_004.pdf&page=60. 
  18. ↑ Butcher, Andy (July 1993). "SNES Review: Cybernator". Nintendo Game Zone (Dennis Publishing) (9): 48–50. https://archive.org/details/nintendo-game-zone-09/page/48/mode/2up. 
  19. ↑ Davies, Paul; Boone, Tim (February 1993). "Super NES Review: Cybernator". Nintendo Magazine System (EMAP) (5): 90–93. https://archive.org/details/nintendo-magazine-system-5/page/90/mode/2up. 
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 Brookes, Jason; Davies, Jonathan (March 1993). "Import Review: Assault Suits Valken". Super Play (Future Publishing) (5): 28–31. 
  21. ↑ Walker, Brent (February 1993). "Video-Game Reviews: Cybernator". VideoGames & Computer Entertainment (Larry Flynt Publications) (49): 56. https://archive.org/details/video-games-computer-entertainment-issue-49-february-1993/page/56/mode/1up. 
  22. ↑ Simmons, Alex; Walkland, Nick (April 1993). "Review Control: Assault Suits Valken". Control (Maverick Magazines) (8): 28–29. https://archive.org/details/control-8/page/n28/mode/2up. 
  23. ↑ Rowley, Carl; Rice, Chris (March 1993). "Reviewed! Cybernator". N-Force (Impact Magazines) (9): 40–41. https://archive.org/details/n-force-9-march-1993-uk/N-Force%209%20-%20March%201993%20%28UK%29/page/n39/mode/2up. 
  24. ↑ Kirrane, Simon (May 1993). "Official Review: Cybernator". Super Action (Europress) (8): 20–21. https://archive.org/details/super-action-08/page/n19/mode/2up. 
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 "A-Z of Games - Nintendo Games Index: Super NES". Super Gamer (Paragon Publishing) (1): 122–124. April 1994. https://archive.org/details/super-gamer-01/page/n121/mode/1up. 
  26. ↑ Wynne, Stuart (February 1993). "Import Review: Assault Suit Valken". Super Pro (Paragon Publishing) (3): 36–37. https://archive.org/details/super-pro-03/page/n35/mode/2up. 
  27. ↑ "Game Search". https://sites.google.com/site/gamedatalibrary/game-search. 
  28. ↑ Harris, Steve; Semrad, Ed; Alessi, Martin; Williams, Ken (January 1993). "Review Crew: Cybernator". Electronic Gaming Monthly (Sendai Publishing) (42): 26. https://archive.org/details/Electronic_Gaming_Monthly_042/page/n25/mode/1up. 
  29. ↑ Neves, Lawrence (January 1993). "Super NES ProReview: Cybernator". GamePro (IDG) (42): 86–87. https://archive.org/details/game-pro-issue-42-january-1993/page/86/mode/2up. 
  30. ↑ Van Der Schaegen, Ross; Anderson, Paul; McNamara, Andrew (January–February 1993). "Cybernator: Konami Launches a Mechanized Assault on Your Super NES". Game Informer (Sunrise Publications) (8): 18–19. https://archive.org/details/game-informer-issue-8-january-february-1993_202408/page/n19/mode/2up. 
  31. ↑ "Now Playing: Cybernator". Nintendo Power (Nintendo of America) 45: 103, 106. February 1993. 
  32. ↑ Halverson, Dave; Off, Greg (December 1992). "Viewpoint: Cybernator; Planet SNES - Super NES Review: Cybernator". GameFan (DieHard Gamers Club) 1 (2): 8, 32–35. 
  33. ↑ "Cybernator Review Score". https://www.gamerankings.com/snes/588266-cybernator/index.html. 
  34. ↑ Weiss, Brett Alan (1998). "Cybernator - Review". AllGame. All Media Network. http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=320&tab=review. 
  35. ↑ 35.0 35.1 Whitehead, Dan (2007-12-08). "Virtual Console Roundup" (in en). https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/r_vcroundup_081207. 
  36. ↑ 36.0 36.1 Thomas, Lucas M. (2008-01-02). "Cybernator Review" (in en-US). https://www.ign.com/articles/2008/01/03/cybernator-review. 
  37. ↑ 37.0 37.1 "Review: Cybernator (Wii Virtual Console / Super Nintendo)" (in en-GB). 2007-12-08. http://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/vc/cybernator_snes. 
  38. ↑ 38.0 38.1 "Review: Cybernator (Wii U eShop / SNES)" (in en-GB). 2014-08-17. http://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/wiiu-eshop/cybernator_snes. 
  39. ↑ "NG Alphas: Assault Suits Leinos [sic] 2". Next Generation (Imagine Media) (22): 143. October 1996. 
  40. ↑ "The Super Play All Time Top 100 SNES Games". Super Play (Future Publishing) (42): 38. April 1996. 
  41. ↑ "Top 100 SNES Games". Total! (43): 48. July 1995. https://archive.org/details/total-43/page/n47/mode/2up. Retrieved February 24, 2022. 
  • 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 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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