Software:Biker Mice from Mars (1994 video game)

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Biker Mice From Mars
North American cover art by Steve Feicht
Developer(s)Konami
Publisher(s)Konami
Director(s)Satoshi Kishiwada
Producer(s)Kuniaki Kinoshita
Designer(s)Shinya Inoue
Programmer(s)Toshinori Shimono
Mitsuaki Ogawa
Hideki Kataoka
Satoshi Kishiwada
Artist(s)Takeshi Fujimoto
Tae Yabu
Yasuji Terada
Tomohiro Morisawa
Composer(s)
  • Hideto Inoue
  • Nobuyuki Akena
Platform(s)Super NES
Release
  • NA: December 1994
  • EU: January 1995[1]
Genre(s)Racing
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer[lower-alpha 1]

Biker Mice From Mars is a racing video game released by Konami for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. It is a tie-in to the animated series of the same title. The PAL version of the game features in-game product placement for Snickers candy bars.

Gameplay

The player takes on the role of one of six racers in a series of contests on different tracks that are displayed in isometric projection.[2] After each lap, the player's weapon is refilled and a random item can be used to get additional cash, invulnerability, nitrous oxide acceleration, or delay the opponents by triggering an earthquake or time stop. The winner gets the prize money. The player must maintain an overall rank within the top three of a round in order to advance to the next one.

In-between contests, upgrades for engine, tires, armor and weapons can be purchased from the Last Chance garage using the money earned.

Reception

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
CVG68/100[3]
M! Games68%[5]
Mega Fun64%[4]
Next GenerationStarStarStar[6]
Nintendo LifeStarStarStarStarStarStarStar[7]
Nintendo Power13.7/20[8]
ONM86/100[9]
Total!65/100[10]
Video Games (DE)67%[11]
Games World74/100[13]
Super Gamer90/100[14]

In their review, GamePro summarized that "Konami included all the elements of a fun racing game in this cart: good game play, cool characters, easy control, and variety." They also praised the colorful backgrounds and sound effects, though they criticized the lack of digitized voice.[15]

Next Generation reviewed the SNES version of the game, rating it three stars out of five, and stated that "overall, it's inexpensive, different and fun."[6]

Notes

  1. ↑ Up to 2 players.

References

  1. ↑ "Real mice don't eat cheese". Computer and Video Games (Future Publishing) (159): 8. February 1995. https://retrocdn.net/images/7/79/CVG_UK_159.pdf. 
  2. ↑ Neapolitan, Matt (April 27, 1995). "Animaniacs, Biker Mice go interactive". p. 35. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85121432/. Retrieved September 11, 2021. 
  3. ↑ Lord, Gary (January 1995). "Biker Mice from Mars". Computer and Video Games (158): 64. https://segaretro.org/index.php?title=File%3ACVG_UK_158.pdf&page=64. Retrieved August 12, 2021. 
  4. ↑ Philipp (January 1995). "Biker Mice from Mars" (in de). Mega Fun: 95. https://segaretro.org/index.php?title=File%3AMegaFun_DE_1995-01.pdf&page=95. Retrieved August 12, 2021. 
  5. ↑ "Biker Mice from Mars" (in de). MANIAC (15): 70. https://archive.org/details/MANIAC.N015.1995.01/MANIAC.N015.1995.01-DURiAN/page/n69/mode/2up?q=%22Biker+Mice+from+Mars%22. Retrieved August 12, 2021. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Finals". Next Generation (Imagine Media) (2): 101. February 1995. 
  7. ↑ Dillard, Corbie (September 25, 2009). "Biker Mice From Mars Review (SNES)". https://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/2009/09/biker_mice_from_mars_retro. Retrieved August 12, 2021. 
  8. ↑ "Now Playing". Nintendo Power (68): 102–107. January 1995. https://archive.org/details/Nintendo_Power_Issue001-Issue127/Nintendo%20Power%20Issue%20068%20January%201995/page/n129/mode/2up?q=%22Biker+Mice+from+Mars%22. Retrieved August 12, 2021. 
  9. ↑ Paul B; Andy (January 1995). "Biker Mice from Mars". Nintendo Magazine System (28): 78–79. https://archive.org/details/nintendo-magazine-system-uk-28-january-1995/page/n77/mode/2up. Retrieved August 12, 2021. 
  10. ↑ Josse; Atko (March 1995). "Biker Mice from Mars". Total! (39): 36–37. https://archive.org/details/total-39-march-1995/page/36/mode/2up?q=%22Biker+Mice+from+Mars%22. Retrieved August 12, 2021. 
  11. ↑ "Biker Mice from Mars" (in de). Video Games: 124. January 1995. https://archive.org/details/video-games-de-1995-01/page/124/mode/2up?q=%22Biker+Mice+from+Mars%22. Retrieved August 12, 2021. 
  12. ↑ "Biker Mice from Mars". Video Games: The Ultimate Gaming Magazine (72): 82. January 1995. https://archive.org/details/Video_Games_The_Ultimate_Gaming_Magazine_Issue_72_January_1995/page/n81/mode/2up?q=%22Biker+Mice+from+Mars%22. Retrieved August 12, 2021. 
  13. ↑ Dave; Nick; Nick R; Adrian (February 1995). "Biker Mice from Mars". Games World (8): 16. https://archive.org/details/games-world-08/page/n15/mode/2up?q=%22Biker+Mice+from+Mars%22. Retrieved August 12, 2021. 
  14. ↑ Ryan; Andy; Damian (January 1995). "Biker Mice from Mars". Super Gamer (10): 32–33. https://archive.org/details/super-gamer-10/page/32/mode/2up?q=%22Biker+Mice+from+Mars%22. Retrieved August 12, 2021. 
  15. ↑ "ProReview: Biker Mice from Mars". GamePro (IDG) (68): 70. March 1995. 
  • 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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