Software:Avalon Code

From HandWiki
Avalon Code
European cover art
Developer(s)Matrix Software
Publisher(s)
Director(s)Keizo Kato
Takahiro Matsumoto[2]
Producer(s)Yoshifumi Hashimoto[3]
Designer(s)HACCAN
Composer(s)Minako Adachi
Platform(s)Nintendo DS
Release
  • JP: November 1, 2008[5]
  • NA: March 10, 2009[4]
  • AU: 2009
  • EU: March 12, 2010
Genre(s)Action role-playing

Avalon Code (アヴァロンコード, Avaron Kōdo) is a fantasy action role-playing game for Nintendo DS. It was developed by Matrix Software and published by Marvelous Entertainment.

The game makes use of a mechanic that allows the player to affect the "elemental code" of the world around them by using the Book of Prophecy which is situated on the touch-sensitive lower screen. This book is the central focus of both the plot and gameplay. The game also allows the player to select between a male or female protagonist.[1]

Avalon Code received mixed reviews, being praised for its graphics and innovative mechanics, but criticized for its linear story-line and repetitive gameplay.[6][7]

Gameplay

The plot, as well as the gameplay, revolves around the Book of Prophecy situated on the touch-sensitive lower screen of the Nintendo DS. In order to record a person, monster, plant, or weapon in its pages, the player performs a "Code Scan", which is done by striking the target to be recorded with the Book itself (mapped to the B button at all times). Locations are filed under the Book's Map section and are added automatically when the player enters the screen for the first time.[8]

Each page reveals its subject's essential information such as attack strength for weapons; health points for enemies; local lore for maps; and personal tastes and goals for people. In addition, every object or character capable of being scanned has a Code. This page Code is in turn composed of many Codes, which are exactly what they sound like: pieces of seven different shapes that fit into the Mental Map like pentominoes into a box and radically alter the target's properties.[9]

Creating different combinations of Codes by adding and removing them to attain specific quantities or ratios changes the object's title and, often, effects. Changing titles to remove 'defective' Codes as well as creating 'new' items (usually by following certain obtainable recipes) is a facet of gameplay used in many side-quests and occasionally within the story. An example of Code manipulation is as follows: at one point near the beginning of the adventure, Yumil/Tia's only weapon is a Rusted Battle Sword, where 'Rusted' is a title derived from the presence of three Codes of Illness and three Codes of Copper on the Mental Map. Rempo urges the player to remove the Illness, converting the title to 'Copper' and strengthening the weapon's overall attack power. The player can then add the Illness to a monster's Code, which will lower the health points of every encountered enemy of that species as long as the piece of Illness is contained in their Mental Map. By the same right, transferring Codes of Poison from a sinister character's page to a weapon would give the player the ability to poison stricken enemies.

Each page in the Book of Prophecy has a numerical value of 'worthiness' measured in Code Points, and when the Book's entire value reaches certain quantities, it will level up. In this way the Mental Map undergoes two size upgrades, beginning with a 3x3 square. Specific side-quests and mini-game activities are triggered through 'News Flashes' upon level-ups as well. In order to raise page values, the player can, for example, manipulate Codes, examine 'Exploration Points' on a map, present another cast member with things he or she enjoys collecting, defeat a high number of a certain enemy, call on a Spirit for aid, or equip a weapon.

Dungeons

Dungeons are fairly linear and consist of many linked rooms in which the player must complete a specific task to advance (and determine that page's value). There are several varieties of goals, ranging from lighting torches to flipping switches to defeating enemies. Although there is an onscreen several-minute countdown for each challenge room, the player may still complete the challenge and advance after running out of time with no penalty other than a lower score. Most dungeons, naturally, end with a fight against a boss. Performance is ranked according to a medal system; a good run is rewarded with a gold medal for the room, while an especially poor or slow run may not garner a medal at all. Rooms and bosses may be replayed as many times as the player desires in order to achieve a better score or find hidden bonuses.

After defeating each monster boss in the Boss section of the Book of Prophecy, the player unlocks a new page in a special Book chapter. These pages contain questions about the coming world and the Codes that are inserted as answers serve to determine the aspects of it. Such aspects include the inhabitants' housing and the background music. Answers can be filled in differently as many times as the player wishes, yielding different results with different code combinations.

Romance

Players familiar with other games by Marvelous Entertainment producer Yoshifumi Hashimoto will likely compare the affection system featured in Avalon Code to that of games such as Story of Seasons titles and the fantasy-tinged Role Playing Game spin-off series Rune Factory, even though the protagonists of Avalon Code are too young for marriage. Most human non-player characters can be given gifts, and, as previously mentioned, have different tastes and aspirations.

Avalon Code features a total of fourteen 'eligible' non-player characters who may take a romantic interest in the player character as various side-quests are completed. In the course of the campaign, Yumil may date characters labelled as Heroines in the Book of Prophecy (kind but terminally ill orphan Fana, determined heiress Princess Dorothea, guarded psychic Nanaida, precocious elf Sylphy), while Tia may date one of the Heroes (wary street kid Rex, vigilant aspiring hero Duran, emotionless swordsman Anwar, devoted commander General Heath). Six additional characters become available as love interests after the completion of the main quest: two Book Spirits apiece, along with a Hero and Heroine not listed in the game's instruction booklet.

Most character-related side-quests may be undertaken by either Yumil or Tia even if the character in question is of the same gender as the player or the player already has an 'established' significant other. Developing platonic relationships adds new back-story information to entries in the Book of Prophecy. Every Hero and Heroine also has a particularly gripping personal issue that manifests itself in the form of a locked Code piece. For example, the sword master Gustav's son, Duran, was unable to stop a tragedy that happened before his eyes. A square in his Mental Map is taken up by 1 Weakness that is removable only by helping him come to a better understanding of the past.

Plot

The plot centers on a young peasant who has been plagued with apocalyptic and prophetic nightmares for weeks prior to the beginning of the story. The latest dream, shown in the opening cinematic, features a mysterious voice. The voice reveals that the protagonist's world has undergone countless reincarnations in the past and is fated to a cycle of correction, destruction, and rebirth until "true enlightenment" is achieved and that the main character has been chosen by the Powers-That-Be to deem the people, places, and things of the current world worthy (or "unworthy") of being carried over into the next.

This voice is that of a magical sentient record book called the Book of Prophecy. Taking this tome, the newly appointed Chosen One sets out to find and befriend four guiding elemental Book Spirits who take residence in the Book. Throughout the journey, the Chosen One learns more about a hidden plot to hasten the imminent apocalypse playing out beneath a shallow political feud with the neighbouring kingdom and the decisions of the previous Chosen One.

Development

In May 2008, Famitsu featured Avalon Code in their Nintendo DS spotlight. The game gained attention early on for its high quality 3D engine.[2] Marvelous Entertainment USA and XSEED Games showcased the game as part of their game portfolio at that year's Electronic Entertainment Expo, with plans to release the U.S. version of the game in the first fiscal quarter of 2009.[10] Less than a month before its release in Japan, the game was showcased at the Tokyo Game Show at Marvelous Entertainment Japan's booth.[11]

Originally, the game's Book of Prophecy was intended to be a virtual book that could be written in using the touch pad on the Nintendo DS.[12] In an interview with Siliconera, producer and scenario writer Yoshifumi Hashimoto said "in the beginning of the planning stages I thought about the players actually writing "become weaker" into the book, but realized that this will take too long from the time the user thinks about it to the time it'll actually change. Plus I wanted players from other countries to all play the game the same way, so I decided to go with moving codes (icons) around".[8]

Avalon Code's character designs were done by the Japanese illustrator HACCAN, while much of the scenery and promotional art is accredited to the Japanese artist group Kusanagi.[3] The opening theme, "Deep Forest", was sung by Japanese pop musician Kana Yazumi.[13]

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
Metacritic71/100[14]
Review scores
PublicationScore
Famitsu30/40[15]
Game Informer7/10[16]
GameProStarStarStarHalf star[17]
GameRevolutionC−[18]
GameSpot5.5/10[7]
GameZone8/10[19]
IGN8.3/10[20]
Nintendo Power8.5/10[21]
Nintendo World Report6/10[22]
ONM77%[23]

Avalon Code received "average" reviews according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[14][24] 1UP.com called it "the kind of game that's bursting with creativity and ambition, but constantly trips over its own good intentions".[25] IGN called the game's core component, the Book of Prophecy, "a compelling mechanic you won't find anywhere else".[20] Nintendo Life praised the game for its "stunning" visuals, but criticized the Book of Prophecy for being "ridiculously annoying [to browse] through to find the data you need".[1] GameSpot referred to the Book as "the game's most unique and fascinating feature", but said that overall "Avalon Code is a thoroughly mundane adventure despite some interesting, but poorly implemented, concepts".[7] In Japan, Famitsu gave it a score of one seven, one eight, one seven, and one eight for a total of 30 out of 40.[15]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Wild, Kim (April 8, 2010). "Review: Avalon Code (DS)". http://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/2010/04/avalon_code_ds. Retrieved April 4, 2014. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Tanaka, John (May 9, 2008). "Matrix Brings Avalon Code to the DS". http://www.ign.com/articles/2008/05/09/matrix-brings-avalon-code-to-the-ds. Retrieved April 3, 2014. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Error: no |title= specified when using {{Cite web}}" (in Japanese). Famitsu. July 28, 2008. http://www.famitsu.com/game/coming/1216976_1407.html. Retrieved April 4, 2014. 
  4. ↑ "Avalon Code - NDS". http://www.ign.com/games/avalon-code/nds-14253169. Retrieved April 3, 2014. 
  5. ↑ "Avalon Code (Video Game 2008)". https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1322271/. Retrieved April 4, 2014. 
  6. ↑ Ouden, Adriaan den (2008). "Avalon Code Staff Review". RPGamer. http://www.rpgamer.com/games/other/nds/avaloncode/reviews/avaloncodestrev1.html. Retrieved April 3, 2014. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Stella, Shiva (May 1, 2009). "Avalon Code Review". https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/avalon-code-review/1900-6209083/. Retrieved April 3, 2014. 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Spencer (March 9, 2009). "All About Avalon Code". Siliconera. http://www.siliconera.com/2009/03/09/all-about-avalon-code/. Retrieved April 5, 2014. 
  9. ↑ Yang, Louise (April 9, 2009). "Avalon Code: The First Chapter". Siliconera. http://www.siliconera.com/2009/04/09/avalon-code-the-first-chapter/. Retrieved April 5, 2014. 
  10. ↑ "Marvelous Entertainment USA and XSEED Games". Official Press Release. GameSpy. July 11, 2008. http://www.gamespy.com/articles/888/888256p1.html. Retrieved April 3, 2014. 
  11. ↑ "Marvelous Entertainment USA and XSEED Games Partner to Participate at Tokyo Game Show". Official Press Release. GameSpy. October 9, 2008. http://wii.gamespy.com/articles/918/918192p1.html. Retrieved April 3, 2014. 
  12. ↑ Spencer (March 6, 2009). "Originally, Avalon Code Had A Virtual Book Of Prophecy To Write In". Siliconera. http://www.siliconera.com/2009/03/06/originally-avalon-code-had-a-virtual-book-of-prophecy-to-write-in/. Retrieved April 5, 2014. 
  13. ↑ "Error: no |title= specified when using {{Cite web}}" (in Japanese). Oricon.com. http://www.oricon.co.jp/music/release/d/779883/1/. Retrieved April 5, 2014. 
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 "Avalon Code for DS Reviews". https://www.metacritic.com/game/avalon-code/critic-reviews/?platform=ds. Retrieved April 3, 2014. 
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 rawmeatcowboy (October 22, 2008). "Famitsu - review scores". GoNintendo. https://www.gonintendo.com/stories/68956-famitsu-review-scores. Retrieved July 26, 2017. 
  16. ↑ Juba, Joe (May 2009). "Avalon Code: A Unique RPG Concept Marred By Clumsy RPG Gameplay". Game Informer (193). http://www.gameinformer.com/games/avalon_code/b/nintendo_ds/archive/2009/09/22/review.aspx. Retrieved July 26, 2017. 
  17. ↑ Balistrieri, Emily (April 2009). "Avalon Code". GamePro: 83. Archived from the original on January 30, 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20100130073352/http://www.gamepro.com/article/reviews/209147/avalon-code. Retrieved July 26, 2017. 
  18. ↑ Card, Ben (May 19, 2009). "Avalon Code Review". Game Revolution. Archived from the original on April 7, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140407203023/http://www.gamerevolution.com/review/avalon-code. Retrieved July 26, 2017. 
  19. ↑ Platt, Dylan (March 30, 2009). "Avalon Code - NDS - Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on April 3, 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20090403100906/http://nds.gamezone.com/gzreviews/r35913.htm. Retrieved July 26, 2017. 
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 Hatfield, Daemon (March 6, 2009). "Avalon Code Review". http://www.ign.com/articles/2009/03/06/avalon-code-review. Retrieved April 3, 2014. 
  21. ↑ "Avalon Code". Nintendo Power 240: 90. April 2009. 
  22. ↑ Miller, Zachary (May 16, 2009). "Avalon Code". Nintendo World Report. http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/review/18456/avalon-code-nintendo-ds. Retrieved July 26, 2017. 
  23. ↑ "Avalon Code review". Official Nintendo Magazine: 83. May 2010. 
  24. ↑ Akerman, Nick (November 24, 2009). "Rising Star Games' Q1 2010 release schedule announced". https://www.gamespot.com/articles/rising-star-games-q1-2010-release-schedule-announced/1100-6241218/. Retrieved April 4, 2014. 
  25. ↑ Parish, Jeremy (March 10, 2009). "Avalon Code (DS)". Archived from the original on April 13, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140413105102/http://www.1up.com/reviews/avalon-code. Retrieved April 3, 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 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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