Software:Blaster Master: Overdrive

From HandWiki
Short description: 2010 video game
Blaster Master: Overdrive
Developer(s)Sunsoft
Publisher(s)Gaijinworks
SeriesBlaster Master
Platform(s)Wii
Release
  • NA: February 8, 2010
  • EU: June 18, 2010
Genre(s)Run and gun, platform, Metroidvania[1]
Mode(s)Single player

Blaster Master: Overdrive is a 2010 platform and run and gun video game released by Sunsoft and Gaijinworks as a WiiWare title for the Wii. It is the first reboot of the formula and soundtrack of the original Blaster Master game, also produced by Sunsoft, in 1988.

Plot

The game's plot is based on an Earth that has become infected with a virus that has caused animals to be transformed into monsters that threaten humanity. Alex, a world-leading biologist, takes the fight to the mutations to find the source of the virus, using an armored vehicle called S.O.P.H.I.A. to battle against the creatures.

Gameplay

Blaster Master: Overdrive is a re-imagining of the original game's formula, featuring updated graphics and a combination of new and old gameplay elements.

The gameplay reuses much of the same concepts of the original Blaster Master title. In side-scrolling sections, the players controls S.O.P.H.I.A. to progress through terrain spaces, gaining power-ups needed to face tougher monsters and progress to new areas. At times, the player can have Alex leave S.O.P.H.I.A. and enter smaller caves, at which point the perspective is turned to a top-down run-and-gun game, where the player controls Alex directly, using weapons and gaining upgrades to explore the caves and defeat boss characters.[2]

Development

In December 2009, Sunsoft revealed that they wanted to rebuild the Sunsoft brand in North America, and teamed with United States publisher Gaijinworks to bring the original Blaster Master as a Virtual Console title for the Wii.[3][4] At the time, Vic Ireland, owner of Gaijinworks, stated that:

This first Wii release is a great start, but there is one upcoming announcement in particular that will demonstrate just how serious Yoshida-san is about rebuilding the Sunsoft console gaming brand here. Game fans are going to be pretty happy when they hear about it -– I know I was.
—Vic Ireland, Gamasutra, December 2009.[3]

Blaster Master: Overdrive was announced on February 6, 2010, only 2 days before its North America release on WiiWare.[2] On release, the game was criticized only to support one controller configuration (using the Wii Remote in a horizontal alignment in the same manner as the original Nintendo Entertainment System controllers; Ireland stated that he was working with Sunsoft to help implement a patch to include alternative control schemes, including through use of the Classic Controller.[5]

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
Metacritic58/100[6]
Review scores
PublicationScore
1Up.comB[7]
GamesMaster80%[8]
GameTrailers4.8/10[9]
IGN6.5/10[10]
NGamer40%[11]
Nintendo LifeStarStarStarStarStarStarStarStarStar[12]
ONM76%[13]
The A.V. ClubC[14]
WiredStarStarStarStarStarStarStar[15]

Blaster Master: Overdrive received "mixed" reviews according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[6]

Critics praised the title as a modern upgrade to a classic Nintendo Entertainment System game, but identified faults with its controls and lack of progressive scan support that limited the graphics quality. John Meyer of Wired identified the game as the "most faithful to the original" of the other attempts to recapture the Blaster Master gameplay, improving on the original game by adding a map screen and tweaking the gameplay in the top-down sections, but noted the default, uncustomized controls, placing the strafing action button on the backside of the remote would lead to hand cramping.[15] Bob Mackey of 1UP.com noted the game, while still remaining challenging, "manages to iron out a few unforgivable aspects" of the original Blaster Master, but also lamented that the improved gameplay in the top-down sections suffered from the choice of controls.[7]

References

  1. ↑ Kelley, Sean (March 23, 2010). "Blaster Master Overdrive". Thunderbolt. Thunderbolt Games. http://www.thunderboltgames.com/review/blaster-master-overdrive. Retrieved July 12, 2016. ""Comparable to the recent 2D Castlevania titles or the Metroid franchise, Overdrive falls almost squarely into the astutely named Metroidvania ‘genre.’"" 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 IGN staff (February 6, 2010). "Blaster Master Overdrive Headed to WiiWare This Monday". http://www.ign.com/articles/2010/02/06/blaster-master-overdrive-headed-to-wiiware-this-monday. Retrieved May 29, 2016. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Canolli, Eric (December 7, 2009). "Victor Ireland's Gaijinworks Helping Rebuild Sunsoft Brand In U.S.". http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/26400/Victor_Irelands_Gaijinworks_Helping_Rebuild_Sunsoft_Brand_In_US.php. 
  4. ↑ Bailey, Kat (December 14, 2009). "Virtual Console Picks Up Blaster Master, Earthworm Jim 2". http://www.1up.com/news/virtual-console-picks-blaster-master. Retrieved May 29, 2016. 
  5. ↑ Ireland, Vic (February 10, 2010). "Blaster Master: Overdrive (WiiWare - Feb 8th/1000pts)". NeoGAF. http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=19737605&postcount=382. Retrieved February 10, 2010. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Blaster Master: Overdrive for Wii Reviews". https://www.metacritic.com/game/blaster-master-overdrive/critic-reviews/?platform=wii. Retrieved May 29, 2016. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Mackey, Bob (February 10, 2010). "Blaster Master: Overdrive Review". http://www.1up.com/reviews/blaster-master-overdrive-review. Retrieved May 29, 2016. 
  8. ↑ "Blaster Master: Overdrive". GamesMaster: 87. October 2010. 
  9. ↑ "Blaster Master: Overdrive Review". GameTrailers. February 22, 2010. Archived from the original on February 25, 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120225044253/http://www.gametrailers.com/game/blaster-master-overdrive/12691. Retrieved May 29, 2016. 
  10. ↑ Hatfield, Daemon (February 16, 2010). "Blaster Master Overdrive Review". http://www.ign.com/articles/2010/02/16/blaster-master-overdrive-review. Retrieved May 30, 2016. 
  11. ↑ "Blaster Master: Overdrive". Nintendo Gamer: 76. April 2010. 
  12. ↑ Dillard, Corbie (February 10, 2010). "Review: Blaster Master: Overdrive". http://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/2010/02/blaster_master_overdrive. Retrieved May 30, 2016. 
  13. ↑ "Blaster Master: Overdrive review". Official Nintendo Magazine: 96. August 2010. 
  14. ↑ Constantine, John (February 22, 2010). "Blaster Master: Overdrive". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on February 23, 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20100223045458/http://www.avclub.com/articles/blaster-master-overdrive%2C38416/. Retrieved May 29, 2016. 
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 Meyer, John Mix (February 10, 2010). "Review: Old-School Blaster Master Overdrive Is Blast From the Past". Wired. https://www.wired.com/2010/02/blaster-master-overdrive-review/. Retrieved May 29, 2016. 
  • 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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