Software:Bad Dudes Vs. DragonNinja

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Short description: 1988 video game

Bad Dudes Vs. DragonNinja
North American arcade flyer
Developer(s)Data East
Publisher(s)
Designer(s)Makoto Kikuchi
Programmer(s)Tomotaka Osada
Masaaki Tamura
Nobusuke Sasaki
Naomi Susa
Kenji Takahashi
Artist(s)Dot Man
Mix Man
Monsieur Micky
Torba-RR
OK Youichi
Kansaiman
Milky Kikuchi
Composer(s)Azusa Hara
Hiroaki Yoshida
Platform(s)Arcade, Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Apple II, Atari ST, Commodore 64, MS-DOS, NES, Nintendo Switch, ZX Spectrum, Zeebo
Release
Genre(s)Beat 'em up
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer (co-operative gameplay)
Arcade systemData East MEC-M1[5]

Script error: The function "nihongo_foot" does not exist. also known simply as either Bad Dudes (on the American NES port) or Script error: The function "nihongo_foot" does not exist. (in Japan[6] and Europe),[3][7] is a side-scrolling cooperative beat 'em up developed and released by Data East as an arcade video game in 1988. It was ported to computer and game console home systems.

In Bad Dudes, the players are tasked with rescuing "President Ronnie" from ninja kidnappers. The game was a commercial success, becoming one of America's top five highest-grossing games in 1988. The arcade version received generally positive reviews from critics, while the home conversions received also a positive critical reception. It has since become widely known for its general premise and introductory cutscene.

Plot

The game is set in Washington, D.C., United States, where President Ronnie (based on 40th President Ronald Reagan) has been abducted by the evil Dragon Ninja. The game begins with the following introduction: "Rampant ninja related crimes these days ... Whitehouse is not the exception". A Secret Service agent speaks to the titular "Bad Dudes", a tough and heroic duo of street-smart brawlers named Blade and Striker: "President Ronnie has been kidnapped by the ninjas. Are you a bad enough dude to rescue Ronnie?"

Chapters

The Bad Dudes pursue the Dragon Ninja through the streets of downtown New York City, onto a moving big rig truck, through a large storm sewer, through a forest, onto a freight train on an old Southern Pacific line (where the titular character of another Data East arcade game, Chelnov, can be seen being transported in a frozen container in the arcade version), through a cave, and into an underground factory in order to save President Ronnie.[8]

Epilogue (US version)

After the Bad Dudes defeat the Dragon Ninja, they celebrate by eating hamburgers with President Ronnie. At the very end, President Ronnie is seen holding a burger while standing between the Bad Dudes. Behind them are many security guards, with the White House in the background.

Epilogue (Japan version)

President Ronnie gives the Bad Dudes a statue of them, as a reward for rescuing and protecting both Washington, D.C., and its leader. The Bad Dudes are seen leaning against a fence on a sidewalk next to their statue.

Gameplay

Arcade gameplay

Up to two players can play simultaneously. The first player controls the character wearing white pants, while the second player character wears green pants. Players start with the ability to do basic punches, kicks, and jumps. Some moves are special like spinning kicks and the ability to charge themselves up with "inner energy" by holding the punch button to throw a powerful long-range attack that hits all opponents in front of the player. Players will also come across several power-ups; some are weapons like knives and nunchakus, some recharge a player's health, and others add a few seconds to the remaining time.[8]

The various types of enemies encountered in the game have their own means of attack. The basic blue-colored ninjas directly charge the player, while some leap with their swords, or throw shuriken and makibishi; there are also acrobatic kunoichi (female ninjas), attack dogs, and people who are on fire. The enemies may be beaten down or avoided. Most enemies can be beaten with only a single hit of any kind, and multiple enemies can be defeated with one hit if they are standing close together.

At the end of each level, one of the super warrior bosses will appear, who needs to be defeated to progress to the next level. The first of them, at the climax of the City stage, is Karnov, who makes a cameo appearance from the Data East game of the same name.[9] Second, at the climax of the Truck stage, is a talon-wielding ninja, Iron Arm. Third, at the climax of the Sewer stage, is Kamui, another ninja master, who creates illusions by copying himself. Fourth, at the climax of the Forest stage, is Animal, a behemoth-of-a-man who is also not a ninja. Fifth, at the climax of the Train stage, is Akaikage, a kusarigama-wielding warrior. Last, at the climax of the Cave stage, is Devil Pole, a bōjutsu-master. Finally, the leader of the Dragon Ninja gang, coincidentally also called Dragon Ninja, appears during the climax in his headquarters, where there is a final showdown on a helicopter. The background music during the fight with him is similar to the main theme in Karnov.[note 1]

Each boss has his own special attack: Karnov, for example, can breathe fire at the player. Upon the successful completion of each level and after defeating the boss, the dude(s) will strike a "bad" pose and proclaim, "I'm bad!". The shout, and the game's American wordmark logo are both similar to the Michael Jackson song "Bad", released the previous year. In the Japanese version of the game, this quote was originally a battle cry.

History

The game was ported to home systems, including the Apple II, Atari ST, Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum, MSX, MS-DOS in 1988. Quicksilver Software developed the Apple II and PC ports with the rest produced by UK-based Ocean Software and published in Europe on their Imagine label[10] as Bad Dudes Vs. DragonNinja. These versions were titled Dragon Ninja in-game,[11] and the "Bad Dudes Vs." was de-emphasised in the cover art,[12] resulting in the game commonly being known by the latter title (including among the European gaming press of the time).[13]

A NES/Famicom port was developed by Data East and published in Japan by Namco as DragonNinja on July 14, 1989. In North America, the same version was released that year by Data East USA simply as Bad Dudes, featuring an illustration by Marc Ericksen.

After Data East became defunct due to their bankruptcy in 2003, G-Mode bought the intellectual rights to the arcade game, as well as most other Data East games, and licensed them globally.[14] The arcade version is also featured, along with several other Data East arcade games, on the Wii title Data East Arcade Classics, produced by Majesco Entertainment with permission from G-Mode. In 2018, the Nintendo Switch version was released in the Johnny Turbo's Arcade series, featuring a live-action intro.[15] It uses a fanart mockup screenshot, but actually has the original arcade graphics.[16]

The 8-bit versions and the PC version lack the two-player cooperative mode in any form, instead having an alternating two-player mode. The title screen of the Japanese version became different, while the English version is unchanged. The Secret Service agent's quote on the intro screen of the NES version is phrased slightly differently as "The President has been kidnapped by ninjas. Are you a bad enough dude to rescue the President?", while the Famicom counterpart's quote is slightly similar to the international arcade and NES quotes. The reference to President Ronnie (an overt reference to former president of the United States Ronald Reagan) was removed because Nintendo of America did not allow political content in games. In that version, the President bears a resemblance to George H. W. Bush, who was the president of the United States when the NES version was released. The endings of the Japanese and English language versions of the NES port are based on the international arcade version, but the Japanese version does not show the credits and only shows "The End" at the White House scene and lasts a shorter time than the English version. The 8-bit home computer versions lack the intro from either the arcade or the NES versions. The "I'm bad!" speech is only present in the NES version.

Reception

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
AmigaArcadeAtari STC64NESPCZX
ACEPositive[17]860[18]856 (CPC)[19]792[20]
Crash46%[21]
CVGPositive[3]49%[22]69% (CPC)[23]
Sinclair User9/10[24]
Your SinclairPositive[7]7/10[28]
Zzap!6487%[29]
Commodore User73% (1989)[31]
19% (1991)[32]		5/10[30]84%[33]
Award
PublicationAward
Sinclair UserBeat 'Em Up of 1988[34]

Arcade

The game was commercially successful in arcades. In Japan, Game Machine listed DragonNinja on their May 15, 1988, issue as being the seventh most-successful table arcade unit of the month.[35] In North America, it was a high-earning arcade game,[36] becoming one of the top five highest-grossing arcade games of 1988.[37] On the UK Coinslot charts, during Summer 1988, Bad Dudes was number two on the monthly arcade video game chart.[24] On Hong Kong's annual Bondeal chart, it was the seventh highest-grossing arcade game of 1988.[38]

The arcade game received generally positive reviews from critics upon release. Sinclair User magazine, in its January 1989 issue, gave it the award for best Beat 'Em Up of 1988.[34]

Home

In the ZX Spectrum sales charts, it was number two, behind Robocop.[39]

The home conversions received a generally positive to mixed critical reception. Computer Gaming World noted the IBM port was satisfactory and compared it favorably to similar ports of Double Dragon and Renegade, but the Apple II port suffered greatly.[40]

President Ronnie, as he appears in the arcade version of the game, was ranked second in EGM's list of the top ten video game politicians in 2008.[41] In 2010, UGO wrote: "No ninja game retrospective could possibly be complete without some mention of ... Bad Dudes".[42] In 2013, Complex had it top their list of "the video games where you kick ass in the name of America" as the most American game of them all.[43]

Legacy

The game was followed by a spiritual successor in 1991: Two Crude (known in Japan as Crude Buster). A sequel which was supposed to take place 23 years after the first game was unsuccessfully attempted to be financed via Kickstarter by Pinstripe Games in 2012.[44]

The arcade version of the game appears in the 1989 film Parenthood, where the son of Steve Martin's character wonders why the game is so difficult. Martin, grasping for an answer, says, "Well, they're bad dudes. That's why they call the game Bad Dudes". The Bad Dudes logo can be seen at the end of Stage 4 in Sly Spy, another Data East arcade game. In the 1990 film RoboCop 2, Officer Duffy gets pushed by RoboCop into a Bad Dudes Vs. DragonNinja arcade cabinet, but with Sly Spy built into it.[45][note 2]

The game's introduction, challenging the player to be a "bad enough dude to rescue the President", became a popular Internet meme and is often lampooned on various websites.[46][47][48][49][50] The 2008 video game Sam & Max Beyond Time and Space spoofs on the Bad Dudes intro in the episode "Chariots of the Dogs". Alternative rock band Lostprophets' first release, The Fake Sound of Progress, includes a track titled "Shinobi vs. Dragon Ninja" in a reference to the video games Shinobi and Bad Dudes vs. DragonNinja. The webcomic The Adventures of Dr. McNinja often references the Bad Dudes, among many other 1980s pop culture touchstones.

In 2018, an updated version of the game was announced for the Intellivision Amico.[51]

In 2023, filmmaker BenDavid Grabinski discussed how he tried to make a film adaptation of the video game.[52]

Rereleases

Reissues of the game were nonexistent in the two decades that followed its original release. In recent years, however, rereleases of the original arcade version Bad Dudes Vs. DragonNinja and its NES port Bad Dudes have become increasingly common:

  • Bad Dudes Vs. DragonNinja is one of the 15 arcade games included in Data East Arcade Classics released in February 2010 for the Wii.[53]
  • The arcade version is on the Zeebo Brazilian home console released in 2010.[54]
  • The NES version is included in the compilation Retro-Bit Data East All Star Collection, a multi-cart of five Data East games released in 2017 for the Nintendo Entertainment System itself.[55] Another compilation from the same manufacturer called 8 Bit Collection Data East Vol.01, with a similar assortment of titles, was released the following year in Japan for the Retro Duo famiclone and includes the American NES port of Bad Dudes unlike the rest of the Data East games of that regional collection which are all in their Famicom versions.[56]
  • The game is part of the dedicated console Super Retro-Cade released in late 2017 and is one of the few titles in the compilation to have both its arcade and NES versions included.[57]
  • The arcade version was released in 2018 for the Nintendo Switch as part of Flying Tiger's Johnny Turbo series.[58]
  • Since 2018, the retro gaming company My Arcade has released the NES version on different occasions either as a standalone mini-arcade cabinet [59] or as part of a collection of eight Data East games, both as a mini-cabinet[60] and handheld console.[61] The same company also released the arcade version Bad Dudes Vs. DragonNinja in a compilation that included more than 30 Data East games in the form of a mini-arcade cabinet.[62]
  • In early 2020, Bad Dudes Vs. DragonNinja along with three other Data East classics were released in an actual arcade cabinet at the cost of $399 by manufacturer Arcade1Up.[63]
  • The arcade version and the NES port are each included in their respective collections for the Evercade handheld console.[64][65]

Notes

  1. ↑ In later levels, another version of him with a different color palette sometimes appears as a minor enemy referred to as Kusamoci Karnov.[9]
  2. ↑ Along with a few other Data East arcade games, they appeared in the film due to licensing and advertising agreements between Orion Pictures, Data East and Ocean Software after the release of two video games based on the RoboCop property.

References

  1. ↑ Akagi, Masumi (October 13, 2006) (in ja). アーケードTVゲームリスト国内•海外編(1971-2005). Japan: Amusement News Agency. pp. 114–5. ISBN 978-4990251215. https://archive.org/details/ArcadeGameList1971-2005/page/n115/mode/2up. 
  2. ↑ Akagi, Masumi (October 13, 2006) (in ja). アーケードTVゲームリスト国内•海外編(1971-2005). Japan: Amusement News Agency. pp. 48. ISBN 978-4990251215. https://archive.org/details/ArcadeGameList1971-2005/page/n49/mode/2up. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "Arcade Action: Dragon Ninja". Computer and Video Games (81 (July 1988)). June 15, 1988. https://www.solvalou.com/arcade/reviews/237/38. 
  4. ↑ "Availability Update". Computer Entertainer 8 (5). July 1989. https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-8-5/page/n13/mode/2up. 
  5. ↑ "Data East MEC-M1 Hardware (Data East)". System 16. February 12, 2015. http://system16.com/hardware.php?id=939. 
  6. ↑ "Original Japanese arcade flyer". Arcadeflyers.com. http://www.arcadeflyers.com/?page=wide-flyer&db=videodb&id=328&image=1. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Brennan, Ciarán (August 11, 1988). "Sluts of Fun: DragonNinja". Your Sinclair (33 (September 1988)): 92. https://www.solvalou.com/arcade/reviews/60/38. 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Bad Dudes NES instruction manual
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Closing credits of DragonNinja, the Japanese arcade version of Bad Dudes VS. DragonNinja.
  10. ↑ Mike Bevan (11 September 2014). "Ultimate Guide: Bad Dudes vs Dragon Ninja". Retro Gamer (Imagine) (133): 38–43. 
  11. ↑ "Bad Dudes Screenshots for Amiga". https://www.mobygames.com/game/amiga/bad-dudes/screenshots/gameShotId,67195/. 
  12. ↑ "Bad Dudes (1988) Amiga box cover art". https://www.mobygames.com/game/bad-dudes/cover-art. 
  13. ↑ "Bad Dudes for Amiga (1988) MobyRank". https://www.mobygames.com/game/bad-dudes/mobyrank. 
  14. ↑ "Bad Dudes vs Dragonninja - DATA EAST GAMES". G-Mode. http://www.dataeastgames.com/title_badudes_doragonninja.html. 
  15. ↑ "Nintendo Switch版『ドラゴンニンジャ (Bad Dudes)』が3月21日に海外で配信決定！データイーストの怪作アクション" (in ja). March 14, 2018. https://ninten-switch.com/dragonninja-switch-ver-announcement. 
  16. ↑ "Random: Bad Dudes vs. DragonNinja Fan Art Is Being Used To Promote eShop Release" (in en-GB). March 16, 2018. http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2018/03/random_bad_dudes_vs_dragonninja_fan_art_is_being_used_to_promote_eshop_release. 
  17. ↑ "Bad Dudes Versus Dragon Ninja (Data East)". ACE (11): 27. August 1988. https://www.solvalou.com/arcade/reviews/9/38. 
  18. ↑ "Bad Dudes vs Dragonninja review from ACE: Advanced Computer Entertainment 20 (May 1989) - Amiga Magazine Rack". Amr.abime.net. http://amr.abime.net/review_30726. 
  19. ↑ "Bad Dudes vs Dragonninja review from ACE 18 (Mar 1989) - Amiga Magazine Rack". Amr.abime.net. http://amr.abime.net/review_11223. 
  20. ↑ "Bad Dudes vs Dragonninja review from ACE: Advanced Computer Entertainment 20 (May 1989) - Amiga Magazine Rack". Amr.abime.net. http://amr.abime.net/review_30735. 
  21. ↑ "Crash issue 62, page 16". Worldofspectrum.org. http://www.worldofspectrum.org/showmag.cgi?mag=Crash/Issue62/Pages/Crash6200016.jpg. 
  22. ↑ "Bad Dudes review from Computer + Video Games 112 (Mar 1991) - Amiga Magazine Rack". Amr.abime.net. http://amr.abime.net/review_27437. 
  23. ↑ "C&VG issue 89, page 28". Worldofspectrum.org. http://www.worldofspectrum.org/showmag.cgi?mag=C+VG/Issue089/Pages/CVG08900028.jpg. 
  24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 "Coin Ops". Sinclair User (77 (August 1988)). July 18, 1988. https://archive.org/stream/sinclair-user-magazine-077/SinclairUser_077_Aug_1988#page/n81/mode/2up. Retrieved November 24, 2015. 
  25. ↑ "Confrontation: Coin-Op". ACE (12): 27–9. September 1988. https://www.solvalou.com/arcade/reviews/33/38. 
  26. ↑ "Dragonninja review from The Games Machine 20 (Jul 1989) - Amiga Magazine Rack". Amr.abime.net. http://amr.abime.net/review_23523. 
  27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 27.2 "The Games Machine issue 17, page 31". Worldofspectrum.org. https://wos.meulie.net/pub/sinclair/magazines/TheGamesMachine/Issue17/Pages/TheGamesMachine1700031.jpg. 
  28. ↑ "Sinclair User issue 82, pages 104-105". Ysrnry.co.uk. http://www.ysrnry.co.uk/articles/dragonninja.htm. 
  29. ↑ "Dragon Ninja review from Zzap 47 (Mar 1989) - Amiga Magazine Rack". Amr.abime.net. http://amr.abime.net/review_16524. 
  30. ↑ Commodore User July 1988, page 87.
  31. ↑ CU Amiga-64 July 1989, page 41.
  32. ↑ CU Amiga December 1991, page 156.
  33. ↑ "Dragon Ninja review from Commodore User (Jan 1989) - Amiga Magazine Rack". Amr.abime.net. http://amr.abime.net/review_14467. 
  34. ↑ 34.0 34.1 "Bad Dudes Vs. Dragon Ninja arcade game review". Solvalou.com. http://www.solvalou.com/subpage/arcade_reviews/112/38/bad_dudes_vs._dragon_ninja_review.html. 
  35. ↑ "Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25 - テーブル型TVゲーム機 (Table Videos)". Game Machine (Amusement Press, Inc.) (332): 21. May 15, 1988. 
  36. ↑ "How Can Something This Bad Be So Good for Your Earnings? Bad Dudes Vs. Dragon Ninja". Data East. 1988. 
  37. ↑ "AMOA Awards Nominees". Cash Box (Cash Box Pub. Co.): 27. September 10, 1988. https://archive.org/details/cashbox52unse_8/page/27. 
  38. ↑ "The World's Largest Arcade". ACE (20 (May 1989)): 23. April 6, 1989. https://archive.org/details/ACE_Issue_20_1989-05_Future_Publishing_GB/page/n22/mode/1up. 
  39. ↑ "The YS Rock'n'Roll Years - Issue 41". Ysrnry.co.uk. http://ysrnry.co.uk/ys41.htm. 
  40. ↑ David M., Russell (May 1989), "Street Lethal", Computer Gaming World (59): 26 
  41. ↑ Scott Sharkey, "EGM's Top Ten Videogame Politicians: Election time puts us in a voting mood", Electronic Gaming Monthly 234 (November 2008): 97.
  42. ↑ Ninjas in Games | An evolution of ninjas in video games throughout the years. , UGO.com, June 4, 2008.
  43. ↑ "Bad Dudes vs. Dragon Ninja — The 25 Best Video Games Where You Kick Ass in the Name of America". Complex. http://www.complex.com/video-games/2013/07/25-best-video-games-where-you-kick-ass-name-america/bad. 
  44. ↑ "Bad Dudes 2 by Pinstripe Games — Kickstarter". Kickstarter.com. December 1, 2012. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/pinstripegames/bad-dudes-2. 
  45. ↑ "ROBOCOP 2 - TRIVIA". RoboCop Archive. http://www.robocoparchive.com/info/making2-2.htm. 
  46. ↑ "Philosophy Sunday: Dudes. Are they bad enough?". Somethingawful.com. February 5, 2006. http://www.somethingawful.com/d/news/philosophy-sunday-dudes.php. 
  47. ↑ "Are You A Bad Enough Dude For This Data East Collection?". Kotaku.com. September 3, 2009. http://kotaku.com/5352011/are-you-a-bad-enough-dude-for-this-data-east-collection. 
  48. ↑ "Are You a Bad Enough Dude to Build This Plastic Pot Sticker Model?". Crunchyroll.com. March 10, 2012. http://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-news/2012/03/10-1/are-you-a-bad-enough-dude-to-build-this-plastic-pot-sticker-model. 
  49. ↑ "Tell me: Are you a bad enough dude to chicky chicky down?". Destructoid.com. October 2009. http://www.destructoid.com/tell-me-are-you-a-bad-enough-dude-to-chicky-chicky-down--150547.phtml. 
  50. ↑ Kuchera, Ben (December 20, 2005). "Are you a bad enough dude to blow up a giant woman?". Arstechnica.com. https://arstechnica.com/gaming/news/2005/12/2155.ars. 
  51. ↑ "Intellivision® Reveals Initial Details For The Upcoming Amico™ Home Video Game Console!". PR Newswire (Press release).
  52. ↑ "Unmade Retrospective: BenDavid Grabinsk Part 2". Apple Podcasts. September 25, 2023. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/best-movies-never-made/id1450737048?i=1000629050352. 
  53. ↑ "Data East Arcade Classics". March 1, 2010. https://www.nintendolife.com/games/wii/data_east_arcade_classics. 
  54. ↑ "Bad Dudes - Zeebo (Trailer Site Oficial)". July 27, 2010. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvNx6SFl9bA. 
  55. ↑ "Retro-Bit Lifts The Lid On Its Multi-Cart Collections For The NES And SNES". 27 October 2017. http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2017/10/retro-bit_lifts_the_lid_on_its_multi-cart_collections_for_the_nes_and_snes. 
  56. ↑ "レトロビット「レトロデュオ」に向けて，ジャレコとデータイースト，アテナの名作をそれぞれまとめたカートリッジが2月28日に発売". https://www.4gamer.net/games/383/G038375/20180202066/. 
  57. ↑ "Retro-Bit Super Retro-Cade Review - A High-Quality RetroPie Killer". December 31, 2017. https://www.gamerevolution.com/review/361545-retro-bit-super-retro-cade-review-high-quality-retropie-killer. 
  58. ↑ "Review: Johnny Turbo's Arcade: Bad Dudes (Switch eShop)". March 19, 2018. https://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/switch-eshop/johnny_turbos_arcade_bad_dudes. 
  59. ↑ "BAD DUDES™ Micro Player". https://www.myarcadegaming.com/collections/retro-gaming/products/bad-dudes-micro-arcade. 
  60. ↑ "Data East Hits Micro Player". https://www.myarcadegaming.com/products/data-east-hits-micro-player-1. 
  61. ↑ "Data East Hits Pocket Player". https://www.myarcadegaming.com/products/data-east-hits-pocket-player-1. 
  62. ↑ "Data East™ Mini Player™ Arcade from My Arcade®". February 1, 2019. https://myarcadegaming.com/products/data-east-mini-player. 
  63. ↑ "New Burger Time Arcade Cabinet, NBA Jam With Online Multiplayer Revealed By Arcade1Up". https://www.gamespot.com/articles/new-burger-time-arcade-cabinet-nba-jam-with-online/1100-6472495/. 
  64. ↑ Adler, Matthew (November 5, 2021). "Evercade VS Review". https://www.ign.com/articles/evercade-vs-review. 
  65. ↑ "Cartridge 03 – Data East Collection – Evercade Network". https://evercade.net/home/cartridge-03/. 
  • 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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