Software:Balloon Fight

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Short description: 1984 video game

{{Infobox video game | title = Balloon Fight | image = BalloonFightnesboxart.jpg | caption = North American NES box art | developer = Nintendo R&D1
HAL Laboratory

| publisher = Nintendo

| designer = Yoshio Sakamoto[1] | producer = Gunpei Yokoi[2] | programmer = Satoru Iwata[3] | composer = Hirokazu Tanaka[4] | series = Balloon Fight

| platforms =

| released =

Lua error in Module:Lang/utilities at line 332: attempt to call field '_transl' (a nil value). is a 1984 action video game developed by Nintendo and HAL Laboratory and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Entertainment System.[1][11] It was originally released for arcades as VS. Balloon Fight, with the console version releasing in Japan in 1985 and internationally in 1986.

The gameplay is similar to the 1982 game Joust from Williams Electronics.[12][13] The home Nintendo Entertainment System version was ported to the NEC PC-8801 in October 1985, the Sharp X1 in November 1985, the Game Boy Advance as Balloon Fight-e for the e-Reader in the United States on September 16, 2002, and as part of the Famicom Mini Series in Japan on May 21, 2004.

A sequel, Balloon Kid, was released in 1990.

Gameplay

The player controls an unnamed Balloon Fighter with two balloons attached to his helmet. Repeatedly pressing the A button or holding down the B button causes the Balloon Fighter to flap his arms and rise into the air. If a balloon is popped, the player's flotation is decreased, making it harder to rise. A life is lost if both balloons are popped by enemy Balloon Fighters, if the player falls in the water, gets eaten by the large piranha near the surface of the water, or is hit by lightning.[14]

There are two modes of play: the 1-player/2-player game where the goal is to clear the screen of enemies, and Balloon Trip where the goal is to avoid obstacles in a side-scrolling stage. The original arcade game does not include Balloon Trip, but all the level layouts are completely different so as to take advantage of vertical scrolling in addition to some minor gameplay differences.

1-player/2-player game

In this mode, players have to defeat all of the enemies on screen to clear the stage. This mode can be played alone or co-operatively with a second player. Each player starts with three extra lives. The 3DS Balloon Fight port comes with the Download Play option, that allows player to play along with a friend that has another 3DS system.

Enemy Balloon Fighters float around the screen and the player must hit their balloons to defeat them. The enemy can also fall into the water or be eaten by the fish while flying close to the water's surface. If an enemy is defeated or falls into the water, a bubble will rise up the screen which can be hit for extra points. As play progresses through the stages, the number of enemies and platforms increases.

In every three stages there is a bonus stage, where the goal is to burst all of the balloons that float up the screen from the chimneys at the bottom.[15]

Balloon Trip

Ballon Trip is a single-player game where the goal is to avoid the lightning sparks and collect the balloons, aiming to move up the ranks and compete for the high score. The player starts with one life.

Release

Similar to other early Nintendo titles, the exact date of the console release is difficult to pinpoint. It was first scheduled for June 1986,[16] was later changed to August,[17] but very likely came out in September.[8]

The home Nintendo Entertainment System version was ported to the PC-8801 in October 1985, the Sharp X1 in November 1985,{{Citation needed|date=October 2025} on Fight-e for the e-Reader in the United States on September 16, 2002,[18] and as part of the Famicom Mini Series for the Game Boy Advance in Japan on May 21, 2004.[19] It can also be played in the first Animal Crossing, both through its Nintendo Space World 2000 demo[20] and in the final game.

Nintendo released a Game & Watch version of the same name, based on the NES version's Balloon Trip mode. The protagonist is "a Balloon Man". Unlike Balloon Fighters, Balloon Men use rocket suits instead of flapping their hands to elevate while holding balloons.

A sequel to Balloon Fight called Balloon Kid was released in October 1990 in North America and on January 31, 1991, in Europe for the Game Boy,[21] which expands from the game's roots and revamped it into a full platforming adventure. This title was not released in Japan on the Game Boy, but colorized versions titled as Hello Kitty World (published by Character Soft) for the Famicom and Balloon Fight GB for the Game Boy Color were later released only in Japan.

In September 2001, the game was ported to the Sharp Zaurus series of PDAs.[22]

Balloon Fighter and Flipper trophies are obtainable in Super Smash Bros. Melee, and the Flipper is also a usable item, replacing the Bumper from the previous game. The Balloon Fighter was considered for a playable role during the development of Melee, but the Ice Climbers were chosen instead.[23] The original background music for the Balloon Trip in Balloon Fight can be heard in Melee's Icicle Mountain stage as alternate music.[24] The giant fish makes a cameo appearance in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. It appears on the Ice Climber-based stage, the Summit, where it tries to attack the players from the sea.[25] In addition, a remixed version of the main theme, titled "Balloon Trip" is available for the Summit stage as well. Stickers of the Balloon Fighter and the Balloon Fight Enemy can be collected in Brawl. In addition, the Villager from the Animal Crossing series uses the Balloon Fighter's helmet as one of his special moves in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U. In the 3DS version of the same game, a stage based on Balloon Fight appears with the original 8-bit graphics; the same stage returns in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and Balloon Fighter appears as a Spirit in said game.

In the WarioWare, Inc. series, some of 9-Volt's games are based on Balloon Fight. In Software:WarioWare: Smooth Moves, there is also a minigame functioning as a three-dimensional version of Balloon Trip; players use the Wii Remote only for the microgame version, and also use the Nunchuk in the complete 3D Balloon Trip.

The original tech demo for Yoshi Touch & Go was called Yoshi's Balloon Trip. Balloon Fight is the theme for Touch Mode in Tetris DS, although the mode itself has almost nothing to do with the game other than the music and decorative graphics.[26]

Tingle's Balloon Fight was released in April 2007 for the Nintendo DS, a version of the game featuring Tingle from The Legend of Zelda series exclusively for Club Nintendo members. The game is a remake of the home version, featuring the "Balloon Fight" and "Balloon Trip" modes. The levels are expanded slightly to utilize both screens, similar to the arcade game except based entirely around the NES levels. A gallery that contained concept art was also included, where each piece could be unlocked by completing specific in-game tasks.[27]

The Balloon Fighter appears in Super Mario Maker as an unlockable Mystery Mushroom costume as part of an update.

Balloon Fight was released on the Wii's Virtual Console in Europe on June 8, 2007, followed by a release in North America on July 16, and Japan on November 12. The game was released on Virtual Console for the Nintendo 3DS as part of that system's Ambassador Program in September 2011.[28] The game was released on the Wii U's Virtual Console service on January 23, 2013, in North America until February 23, as part of a promotion celebrating the 30th anniversary of the release of the original Famicom.[29] Balloon Fight became the first Wii U Virtual Console title to be released. In November 2016, the game was one in 30 games released alongside the NES Classic Edition.[30]

In Nintendo Land, there is an attraction called Balloon Trip Breeze that is similar to Balloon Trip from the original Balloon Fight.[31]

The NES version of Balloon Fight was re-released as one of the launch titles for the Nintendo Classics service on September 18, 2018.[32][33]

Hamster Corporation released VS. Balloon Fight as part of their Arcade Archives series for the Nintendo Switch on December 27, 2019.[34]

Reception

Notes

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "バルーンファイトＧＢ／開発者インタビュー". ニンテンドウオンラインマガジン（No.24）. Nintendo. August 2000. https://www.nintendo.co.jp/nom/0008/b_fight/page02.html. 
  2. ↑ "Nintendo Classic Mini: NES special interview – Volume 2: Balloon Fight". https://www.nintendo.co.uk/News/2016/November/Nintendo-Classic-Mini-NES-special-interview-Volume-2-Balloon-Fight-1154453.html. 
  3. ↑ East, Thomas (February 7, 2013). "Top 10 best Satoru Iwata moments". Official Nintendo Magazine. http://www.officialnintendomagazine.co.uk/46564/features/top-10-best-satoru-iwata-moments/. Retrieved June 29, 2013. 
  4. ↑ Famicom 20th Anniversary Original Sound Tracks Vol. 1 (Media notes). Scitron Digital Contents. 2004.
  5. ↑ 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. p. 128. ISBN 978-4990251215. https://archive.org/details/ArcadeGameList1971-2005/page/n129. 
  6. ↑ "PlayChoice-10: 10 Top Games In One Goliath Cabinet, Electrocoin (UK)". https://flyers.arcade-museum.com/?page=thumbs&db=videodb&id=4228. 
  7. ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Availability Update". Computer Entertainer. October 1986. https://retrocdn.net/images/2/23/ComputerEntertainer_US_Vol.5_07.pdf. 
  8. ↑ "All Famicom games sorted from the latest release to the earliest". Famitsu. https://www.famitsu.com/schedule/recent/fc/. 
  9. ↑ "Nico Nico Rarities: Balloon Fight for MZ-1500". https://www.youtube.com/watch/WA2xyIFfjLs. 
  10. ↑ "Satoru Iwata – 1999 Developer Interview - shmuplations.com". January 7, 2022. https://shmuplations.com/iwata/. 
  11. ↑ "Balloon Fight NES Review". http://www.retronintendoreviews.com/balloon-fight-nes-review/. 
  12. ↑ Gilbert, Henry (July 29, 2011). "A closer look at 10 of the 20 free games current 3DS owners will receive". Games Radar. http://www.gamesradar.com/a-closer-look-at-10-of-the-20-free-games-current-3ds-owners-will-receive/. 
  13. ↑ Rocha, Garitt; Esmarch, Nick von (1 November 2016). Playing with Power: Nintendo NES Classics. DK Games. p. 30. ISBN 9780744017779. https://books.google.com/books?id=epNcvgAACAAJ&q=playing+with+power+nes+classics. Retrieved 24 March 2018. 
  14. ↑ Rocha, Garitt; Esmarch, Nick von (1 November 2016). Playing with Power: Nintendo NES Classics. DK Games. p. 32. ISBN 9780744017779. https://books.google.com/books?id=epNcvgAACAAJ&q=playing+with+power+nes+classics. Retrieved 24 March 2018. 
  15. ↑ Nintendo staff. "NES Games". Nintendo. p. 6. Archived from the original on December 21, 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20101221005931/http://www.nintendo.com/consumer/gameslist/manuals/nes_games.pdf#page=6. Retrieved September 24, 2011. 
  16. ↑ "Computer Entertainer: the Newsletter, September 1986". https://retrocdn.net/File:ComputerEntertainer_US_Vol.5_06.pdf. Retrieved March 23, 2017. 
  17. ↑ Harris, Craig (October 10, 2002). "NES Series 2 Pack Art". http://ign.com/articles/2002/10/10/nes-series-2-pack-art. 
  18. ↑ "Famicom Mini - Round 2". April 14, 2004. https://www.ign.com/articles/2004/04/14/famicom-mini-round-2. 
  19. ↑ "NINTENDO SPACEWORLD 2000開幕". PC Watch. 2000-08-25. https://pc.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/article/20000825/nintendo.htm. Retrieved 2024-08-03. 
  20. ↑ "Balloon Kid". NinDB. http://www.nindb.net/game/balloon-kid.html. 
  21. ↑ "CHIBI JAPAN WEEKLY 3". September 7, 2001. http://ign.com/articles/2001/09/07/chibi-japan-weekly-3. 
  22. ↑ Thomas, Lucas M. (January 25, 2008). "SMASH IT UP! - THE "LEAKED" LISTS". http://ign.com/articles/2008/01/26/smash-it-up-the-leaked-lists. 
  23. ↑ "Balloon Fight Series". NinDB. http://www.nindb.net/series/balloon-fight.html. 
  24. ↑ "Super Smash Bros. Brawl stage: The Summit". smashbros.com. http://www.smashbros.com/en_us/stages/stage16.html. 
  25. ↑ "GameSpy Tetris DS Preview". GameSpy. http://gba.gamespy.com/nintendo-ds/tetris/690722p1.html. 
  26. ↑ "Zelda in my Pocket's Tingle's Balloon Fight Page". http://www.zeldainmypocket.com/tingles-balloon-fight/. "A gallery of concept art was also included in the game. As specific events are completed, greater levels are reached, and the top scores grow higher, more of the gallery images will be unlocked." 
  27. ↑ Newton, James (31 July 2011). "FAQ: Nintendo Ambassador Program and Free eShop Games". https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2011/07/faq_nintendo_ambassador_program_and_free_eshop_games. 
  28. ↑ Goldfarb, Andrew (2013-01-23). "Wii U Virtual Console, OS Upgrades Announced". http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/01/23/wii-u-virtual-console-os-upgrades-announced. 
  29. ↑ "Nintendo's releasing a miniature NES console packed with 30 classic games". http://www.pcworld.com/article/3095790/hardware/nintendos-releasing-a-miniature-nes-console-packed-with-30-classic-games.html. 
  30. ↑ Sleeper, Morgan (November 30, 2012). "Nintendo Land Review (Wii U)". https://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/wiiu/nintendo_land. 
  31. ↑ Good, Owen S. (September 13, 2018). "Nintendo Switch Online has these 20 classic NES games". https://www.polygon.com/2018/9/13/17856798/nintendo-switch-online-nes-games-list. 
  32. ↑ "Nintendo's new online service offers subscription access to classic games for $20 a year". http://www.businessinsider.com/nintendo-switch-online-service-price-features-2017-6. 
  33. ↑ Doolan, Liam (2019-12-19). "Hamster Is Bringing VS. Balloon Fight To The Switch eShop Next Week" (in en-GB). https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2019/12/hamster_is_bringing_vs_balloon_fight_to_the_switch_eshop_next_week. 

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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