Software:Bomberman: Panic Bomber

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Short description: 1994 video game
Bomberman: Panic Bomber
PC Engine Super CD-ROM² cover art
Developer(s)Hudson Soft
Publisher(s)Hudson Soft
Director(s)Takafumi Horio
Producer(s)Masanori Wake
Artist(s)Shōji Mizuno
Naoto Yoshimi
Composer(s)Shinichi Sakamoto
Jun Chikuma
SeriesBomberman
Platform(s)PC Engine Super CD-ROM², FM Towns, NEC PC-9821, Arcade, Super Famicom, Virtual Boy, X68000, PlayStation Portable
ReleasePC Engine Super CD-ROM²
  • JP: 22 December 1994
Super Famicom
  • JP: 1 March 1995
Virtual Boy
  • JP: 21 August 1995
Genre(s)Puzzle
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer
Arcade systemNeo Geo MVS

Script error: The function "nihongo_foot" does not exist. is a 1994 puzzle video game developed and published by Hudson Soft for the PC Engine (in Super CD-ROM² format) on December 22, 1994. It was later released for the Neo Geo, Super Famicom, Sharp X68000, FM Towns, NEC PC-9821, Virtual Boy, and PlayStation Portable. It saw a re-release for the Wii and Wii U's Virtual Console services. Panic Bomber is a falling block game with the players' goal being to clear matching blocks using bombs, ensuring their screen does not fill and that their opponents' screens do. It received mixed to positive reception, identified as a decent game by multiple critics. It has been compared to the falling block puzzle game Tetris. The Virtual Boy version received a mixed reception for its handling of the platform's visual capabilities.

Gameplay

PC Engine Super CD-ROM² version screenshot

Bomberman: Panic Bomber is a "falling blocks" puzzle game based on the Bomberman franchise. The goal of the game is to make the opponent lose by causing their field to fill to the top with objects. This is done by causing chains of bombs to explode, sending useless rubble over to the opponent's field. Bombs are earned by causing chains of three identical blocks to disappear. Bombs can only be blown up with an explosion from a lit bomb, which falls from the top of the screen every so often. If the player causes enough damage, they can eventually earn a giant bomb, which will remove a large amount of debris from the playing field, and cause their opponent a good deal of trouble.

The game's regular story mode revolves around Bomberman's hunt for the Golden Bomber statue. During his trek, he fights against several different odd characters, like Drifty the balloon or Cecil the tiger. The player's progress is saved by a password system.

Screenshot of Panic Bomber for the Virtual Boy. It uses a red-and-black color scheme standard to the system.

In Japan, Panic Bomber was released for the PC Engine Super CD-ROM² on December 22, 1994.[1] This was followed by a release for the Super Famicom as Script error: The function "nihongo_foot" does not exist. on March 1, and on the Virtual Boy as Script error: The function "nihongo_foot" does not exist.) on August 21, 1995.[2][3]

It was also ported to Neo Geo, PlayStation Portable and multiple Japanese home computers such as the Sharp X68000, FM Towns and NEC PC-9821.[citation needed] The Virtual Boy version uses a red-and-black color scheme and parallax, an optical trick that is used to simulate a 3D effect.[4] A Panic Bomber minigame was also included in Bomberman 64 (2001) and Bomberman Land 2. The original PC Engine CD version of Panic Bomber was later re-released on Wii in 2008[5] and the Wii U Virtual Console in Japan in 2015[6] (with the latter release also being available for the first time in North America and Europe in 2017,[7][8] albeit untranslated). A port for the Neo Geo CD was also showcased but never released.[9]

Reception

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
AllGame2.5/5[10]
Famitsu7/10, 7/10, 7/10, 5/10 (PC Engine)[1]

5/10, 6/10, 5/10, 6/10 (SFC)[2]

6/10, 5/10, 5/10, 4/10 (VB)[3]
Next Generation2/5[11]
Nintendo Life7/10[12]

The Neo Geo version of Panic Bomber was a moderate success in Japan.[13] The four reviewers of Electronic Gaming Monthly gave the Neo Geo version a 7 out of 10, describing it as a decent if unexceptional Tetris clone, with one reviewer commenting "This genre is so flooded that it's hard to come up with a unique angle, and there isn't one for Panic Bomber". The other three argued that the game "has enough originality to make it stand on its own."[14] GamePro remarked the gameplay and graphics are too simple to justify the game's appearance on the powerful Neo Geo, but praised its play mechanics and addictive nature and concluded, "For a system renowned for fighting games, Panic is a refreshing presence."[15]

Reviewing the Virtual Boy version, a Next Generation critic said that while the game itself is "decent" and "addictive", it is poorly suited for the Virtual Boy, since it does not use the console's 3D capabilities and is less fun to play without colors to distinguish the different pieces. He gave it two out of five stars.[11] GamePro, in contrast, said the game "pushes the Virtual Boy engine to its max", while admitting the 3D effects are "a little timid". The reviewer hailed the gameplay as being "as addictive as Zoop or Tetris."[16]

See also

Notes

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Noda, Sawadhi; Uchisawa, Goro; Nagano, Isabella; Taco X (January 20, 1995). "New Games Cross Review" (in Japanese). Famicom Tsūshin (Japan: ASCII Corporation) (318). 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Tsūshin, Hamamura; Doitsu, Suzuki; Watanabe, Miki; Chuji, Giorgio (March 24, 1995). "New Games Cross Review" (in Japanese). Famicom Tsūshin (Japan: ASCII Corporation) (327). 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Noda, Sawadhi; Pin, Mizu; Nagano, Isabella; Masuda, Ninja (August 11, 1995). "New Games Cross Review" (in Japanese). Famicom Tsūshin (Japan: ASCII Corporation) (347). 
  4. ↑ "Backwards Compatible: The Virtual Boy". Good Game. 2009-06-01. http://www.abc.net.au/tv/goodgame/stories/s2585841.htm. 
  5. ↑ "バーチャルコンソール | ダウンロードゲーム | 株式会社ハドソン". http://www.hudson.jp/searches/result.php?pf=vc#. 
  6. ↑ "ボンバーマン ぱにっくボンバー | Wii U | 任天堂". https://www.nintendo.co.jp/titles/20010000018147. 
  7. ↑ "Bomberman Panic Bomber for Wii U - Nintendo Game Details". https://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/bomberman-panic-bomber-wii-u. 
  8. ↑ "Bomberman Panic Bomber". https://www.nintendo.co.uk/Games/TurboGrafx/Bomberman-Panic-Bomber-1315741.html. 
  9. ↑ "WCES Special - Winter CES '95 - SNK". GameFan (Shinno Media) 3 (3): 109. March 1995. https://archive.org/stream/Gamefan_Vol_3_Issue_03#page/n109/mode/1up. Retrieved 2019-06-02. 
  10. ↑ Knight, Kyle (1998). "Panic Bomber - Review". All Media Network. http://allgame.com/game.php?id=17042&tab=review. 
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 "Panic Bomber". Next Generation (Imagine Media) (15): 87. March 1996. https://archive.org/details/nextgen-issue-015/page/n89/mode/2up. 
  12. ↑ Frear, Dave (May 25, 2009). "Panic Bomber Review (VB)". Gamer Network. https://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/2009/05/panic_bomber_retro. 
  13. ↑ "Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25". Game Machine (Amusement Press) (490): 21. March 1, 1995. 
  14. ↑ "Review Crew: Panic Bomber". Electronic Gaming Monthly (Sendai Publishing) (70): 36. May 1995. https://retrocdn.net/images/d/d6/EGM_US_070.pdf. 
  15. ↑ "ProReview: Panic Bomber". GamePro (IDG) (82): 69. July 1995. 
  16. ↑ "ProReview: Panic Bomber". GamePro (IDG) (90): 69. March 1996. https://archive.org/details/GamePro_Issue_090_Volume_08_Number_03_1996-03_IDG_Publishing_US/page/n69/mode/2up. 
  • 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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