Software:Boktai: The Sun Is in Your Hand

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Short description: 2003 video game
Boktai: The Sun Is in Your Hand
European cover art
Developer(s)Konami Computer Entertainment Japan
Publisher(s)Konami
Director(s)Ikuya Nakamura
Producer(s)Hideo Kojima
Writer(s)Ikuya Nakamura
Composer(s)Kazuki Muraoka
Masashi Watanabe
Norihiko Hibino
Shuichi Kobori
Platform(s)Game Boy Advance
Release
  • JP: July 17, 2003
  • NA: September 16, 2003
  • EU: May 14, 2004
  • AU: May 28, 2004[1]
Genre(s)Action role-playing
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Boktai: The Sun is in Your Hand[lower-alpha 1] is an action-adventure role-playing video game released by Konami for the Game Boy Advance in 2003, and the first game in the Boktai series. The player takes the role of Django, a vampire hunter, who uses a weapon called the "Gun Del Sol" (Solar Gun), that fires bolts of sunlight at enemies. The game made novel use of a light sensor on the cartridge which encouraged playing parts of the game in direct sunlight. The game was produced and designed by Hideo Kojima.

Plot

The game's story takes place in a time period near the end of the world, called the Age of Darkness.[2] The story features the appearance of undead creatures after the natural cycle of life and death was broken. People quickly began dying due to the use and misuse of "Dark Matter", a type of energy that corrupts and destroys life. Those who survived quickly became prey to dark creatures called "Immortals", beings composed of Dark Matter at the cellular level.

The story is set in the city of Istrakan, which had already been overrun by the Immortals. The city was in a hopeless situation as the curse brought the "undeadening" of all, edging the human race closer to extinction. Even the heroes who used to hunt the Immortals have already fallen, and so people's hopes have been shattered.

One day, however, a mysterious boy named Django emerged. He turned out to have the blood of one of the most legendary vampire hunters running in his veins, and was also the heir of the Gun Del Sol. He must go to Istrakan, the City of Death – where many times and places intertwine – in order to prevent the end of the world.

Django's mission to save humanity is reinforced by his desire to avenge his father, Ringo, after his death. He uses sunlight as his weapon throughout his endeavors.

Gameplay

The game's cartridge has a photometric light sensor which measures light exposure. In order to charge the in-game solar weapons, the player must take their Game Boy Advance (GBA) outside in the daytime (as verified by the light sensor). If the player's gun battery runs out of light reserves and there is no sunlight available, then the player must avoid conflicts with enemies or find an in-game "Solar Station" to recharge.

Before a game is started, the player is prompted to set their current time and time zone. The game can then estimate when the Sun will rise and set, and simulates the position of the Sun inside the game. The player has an advantage during the daytime as vampires cannot be exposed to sunlight. Sunlight also affects the world around the main character - an example is a Solar Tree, a tree that is being damaged by the darkness of the Immortals, and can be cured by playing the game in the sunlight. The outdoor game environment also includes bird chirp sound effects in the morning and a soft orange glow around sunset.

Game combat focuses on stealth. An integral concept is shooting an undead in the back, stunning it, then either running away or killing it. Getting caught by a monster, indicated by a red exclamation point above the head, will reduce the grade received at the end of a stage. A number of other factors also determine the grade received, such as total time taken to complete the level. After a number of dungeon levels the player will reach an "Immortal" level where one of four bosses resides. The player will have to fight their way to the boss creature, or Immortal, and defeat it. The boss is then faced again in the sunlight outside of its lair. In this fight, a weapon called the "Pile Driver" must be charged by the player exposing the game to sunlight. The greater the amount of sunlight, the more damage the Pile Driver will inflict upon the Immortal during the fight.

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
Metacritic83/100[3]
Review scores
PublicationScore
Edge8/10[4]
EGM8.5/10[5]
Famitsu36/40[6]
Game Informer5/10[7]
GameProStarStarStarStarStar[8]
GameSpot8.3/10[9]
GameSpyStarStarStar[10]
IGN8.5/10[11]
Nintendo Power4.4/5[12]
X-PlayStarStarStar[13]
Entertainment WeeklyA[14]

The game received "favorable" reviews according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[3] In Japan, Famitsu gave it a total score of 36 out of 40.[6][15]

Sequels

Boktai was followed by two sequels on the Game Boy Advance: Software:Boktai 2: Solar Boy Django and Shin Bokura no Taiyō: Gyakushū no Sabata (also known as Boktai 3: Sabata's Counterattack).[16][17] The latter was released exclusively in Japan. Both GBA sequels employed the use of a solar sensor on their cartridges. A fourth game was released for the Nintendo DS titled Bokura no Taiyō: Django & Sabata, released outside Japan under the title Lunar Knights. The name change was an attempt to rebrand the series after the fourth game abandoned the use of a solar sensor (due to the Nintendo DS using cards instead of cartridges).[18]

Other media

Django and Otenko appeared in Mega Man Battle Network 4.

Notes

  1. ↑ Known in Japan as Bokura no Taiyō (Japanese: ボクらの太陽; lit. Our Sun).

References

  1. ↑ "Boktai: Sun is in Your Hands". http://www.atari.com.au/product/?action=view&id=1460. 
  2. ↑ "Boktai Walkthrough". January 26, 2004. http://www.ign.com/faqs/2004/boktai-walkthrough-475405. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Boktai: The Sun Is in Your Hand for Game Boy Advance Reviews". https://www.metacritic.com/game/boktai-the-sun-is-in-your-hand/critic-reviews/?platform=game-boy-advance. 
  4. ↑ Edge staff (October 2003). "Boktai: The Sun Is in Your Hand". Edge (128): 92. 
  5. ↑ EGM staff (October 2003). "Boktai: The Sun Is in Your Hand". Electronic Gaming Monthly (171): 164. http://www.egmmag.com/article2/0,2053,1488230,00.asp. Retrieved September 9, 2012. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Chris Winkler (July 9, 2003). "Famitsu Rates Boktai". RPGFan. http://www.rpgfan.com/news/2003/1703.html. 
  7. ↑ Matt Helgeson (October 2003). "Boktai: The Sun Is in Your Hand". Game Informer (126): 142. http://www.gameinformer.com/NR/exeres/87C66295-F122-4251-B054-E089A69F7FB5.htm. Retrieved June 20, 2016. 
  8. ↑ Star Dingo (September 15, 2003). "Boktai: The Sun Is In Your Hand Review for Game Boy Advance Review on GamePro.com". GamePro. http://www.gamepro.com/nintendo/gameboy_advance/games/reviews/31060.shtml. Retrieved June 19, 2016. 
  9. ↑ Greg Kasavin (September 16, 2003). "Boktai: The Sun Is in Your Hand Review". http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/boktai-the-sun-is-in-your-hand-review/1900-6075221/. 
  10. ↑ Darryl Vassar (September 17, 2003). "GameSpy: Boktai". GameSpy. http://gba.gamespy.com/gameboy-advance/boktai/6184p1.html. 
  11. ↑ Craig Harris (September 15, 2003). "Boktai". http://www.ign.com/articles/2003/09/16/boktai. 
  12. ↑ "Boktai: The Sun Is in Your Hand". Nintendo Power 172: 139. October 2003. 
  13. ↑ Chris Hudak (August 18, 2003). "'Boktai: The Sun Is in Your Hands' [sic (GBA) Review"]. X-Play. http://www.techtv.com/xplay/reviews/story/0,24330,3494715,00.html. 
  14. ↑ Gary Eng Walk (October 17, 2003). "Boktai". Entertainment Weekly (733): L2T 20. http://www.ew.com/article/2003/10/17/boktai. Retrieved June 20, 2016. 
  15. ↑ "Updated: Famitsu Rates F-Zero & More". Nintendojo. July 16, 2003. http://www.nintendojo.com/infocus/view_item.php?1058377206. 
  16. ↑ "Kojima Productions 2005 Lineup (waybacked)". http://www.konami.jp/gs/kojima_pro/japanese/lineup.html. 
  17. ↑ "Kojima Productions TGS 2005 Day 2 Report (archive)". http://www.konami.jp/gs/kojima_pro/english/tgs2005_report_01.html. 
  18. ↑ Jeremy Parish (September 23, 2006). "Lunar Knights (Preview)". http://www.1up.com/previews/lunar-knights_2. "Yoshitomi: I've had quite a large say in the rebranding of Boktai as Lunar Knights -- we want to tell users in North America and Europe that this is something new, something totally fresh, and there's no sun sensor. This is a good way to do it, to let everyone know this is a different world with so many new features it almost doesn't feel like a sequel at all." 
  • Official website
  • 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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