Software:Barbie: Explorer

From HandWiki
Short description: 2001 video game
Barbie: Explorer
North American PlayStation box art
Developer(s)Runecraft[1]
Publisher(s)Vivendi Universal Interactive Publishing
SeriesBarbie
Platform(s)PlayStation, Windows
ReleasePlayStation
Windows
Genre(s)Action-adventure, platform
Mode(s)Single-player

Barbie: Explorer is a Microsoft Windows and PlayStation game featuring Barbie. It was developed by Runecraft, published by Vivendi Universal Interactive Publishing and was released in 2001.

Plot

While working as a reporter, Barbie discovers an ancient mirror in a local museum which is missing 4 pieces, and which when completed will have its power unlocked. She decides to find these pieces by setting off on an adventure around the world to find these 4 treasures.[3] These locations include Tibet, Egypt, Africa (all accessible from the start) and the final unlockable area, Babylon. Each of these locations has three levels, concluding with a boss.[4]

The game ends when the four artifacts are found and Barbie goes back to the museum. She places each artifact in its respective spot on the mirror and it is repaired.

Gameplay

The player takes control of Barbie, running, walking and climbing her way through the level. The protagonist has no attack, with the player instead solving puzzles and platforming to get to the level's end.[4] The main hazards in the game are animals (such as camels, elephants, and goats), which do not actively try to attack the player and instead roam around the environment.[1] The gameplay was seen as an attempt to imitate the success of Tomb Raider.[1][3]

Reception

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
GameZone8/10[3]
Jeuxvideo.com10/20[4]
PSX Nation61%[1]

In a review in PSX Nation, J. M. Vargas called the game a "G-rated Tomb Raider clone" without any challenge and an "unbearable" set of controls. They were critical of graphics, especially the animation which they called "atrocious, canned, repetitive and mannequin-like in its awkwardness". Vargas would give the game a 61% overall.[1]

Michael Lafferty, writing for GameZone, was more positive, giving it a score of 8/10. He complemented the game by saying that while the arcade style was predictable, the action is nonstop within levels and it offered "young gamers a Tomb Raider-esque arcade adventure".[3]

See also

  • List of Barbie video games

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Vargas, J.M.. "Barbie Explorer". http://www.psxnation.com/reviews/ps1reviews?idnumber=535. 
  2. ↑ "Barbie Explorer". http://psx.gamezone.com/gamesell/p19164.htm. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Lafferty, Michael (5 October 2001). "Barbie Explorer". http://psx.gamezone.com/gzreviews/r19164.htm. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 "Test du jeu Barbie : Aventurière sur PS1" (in fr). 30 April 2011. https://www.jeuxvideo.com/articles/0001/00014858-barbie-aventuriere-test.htm. 
  • 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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