Software:Brutal: Paws of Fury

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Short description: 1994 video game
Brutal: Paws of Fury
Developer(s)GameTek
Eurocom (SNES)
Publisher(s)GameTek
Platform(s)Sega CD, Super NES, Genesis, Amiga, CD32, MS-DOS, 32X
Release
Genre(s)Fighting
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Brutal: Paws of Fury (Titled Paws of Fury in Germany) is a 1994 fighting game developed and published by GameTek. The game features a cast of various anthropomorphic animals as selectable fighters. It also features the ability to learn new attacks and save them via passwords. Originally a Sega CD exclusive, it was later ported to other game consoles.

Brutal: Paws of Fury was published in 1994 by GameTek in Europe, Cybersoft in North America, and Kemco in Japan. The game was released for the Sega CD, Amiga, CD32, Genesis, and Super Nintendo Entertainment System. An updated version, Brutal Unleashed: Above the Claw (also titled Brutal: Above the Claw), was released for the Sega 32X and MS-DOS compatible computers in 1995 with two new playable characters, new arenas, a remixed intro, and new music. The general content and gameplay mechanics remained constant throughout all incarnations. Reviews for the game were mixed, with praise for the graphics, soundtrack, and gameplay innovations, but criticism for the sluggish play and controls.

Plot

Brutal: Paws of Fury

Every four years on the uncharted Brutal Island, the world's toughest martial artists are invited to compete in the most grueling tournament, aptly referred to as the Brutal Island Tournament. Only the winner of this tournament gains the privilege to challenge Dali Llama, the greatest fighter in the world, for the coveted Belt of Heaven championship.

Brutal Unleashed: Above the Claw

Four years after the Paws of Fury tournament, the participants return to Brutal Island to once again compete for the match against Dali Llama for the Belt of Heaven. The tournament is also Dali Llama's way of "testing" the warriors, judging whom among them possess the deepest "warrior's spirit."

Characters

All of the characters in the game are anthropomorphic animals. The original Brutal: Paws of Fury includes:

  • Kung-Fu Bunny – A rabbit monk.
  • Prince Leon of Kenya – A lion rock star, who has an undisclosed vendetta with Tai Cheetah and Kendo Coyote.
  • Rhei Rat – A rat who is an accomplished and arrogant Thai boxer.
  • Tai Cheetah – A cheetah who is mentoring Kendo Coyote.
  • Kendo Coyote – A coyote who is motivated by greed, an estranged pupil of Tai Cheetah.
  • Foxy Roxy – A lycra-wearing vixen who is a politician and social activist.
  • Ivan the Bear – A bear who is an ex-Soviet commando and claims to be the strongest animal in the world.
  • The Pantha – A panther who is a member of a sinister cult.
  • Karate Croc – A crocodile bar brawler.
  • Dali Llama – A llama who is currently the holder of the Belt of Heaven championship.

Notes: Karate Croc and Dali Llama are only playable by means of inputting a secret button sequence. Also, The Pantha and Karate Croc are absent from the 16-bit versions of the game.

Brutal Unleashed: Above the Claw introduces two additional characters:

  • Chung Poe – A mole who transforms into an anthropomorphic bat-dragon hybrid during battle.
  • Psycho Kitty – A cat who apparently suffers from hyperactivity.

Development

The Amiga port of Brutal: Paws of Fury is a straight port of the Genesis/Mega Drive version.[3] Despite the Amiga's smaller memory, the Amiga version includes the two characters from the Sega CD version which the Genesis/Mega Drive version had to drop, Pantha and Croc. This was possible due to new compression techniques for the Amiga and the exclusion of the left-facing character sprites from the disk; the left-facing sprites are instead created while the software is running by flipping the right-facing sprites.[3] In the Genesis/Mega Drive version, each character has its own 16-colour palette. Since the Amiga cannot easily accomplish this, the Amiga version instead uses one palette for all the characters.[3]

Since the Amiga version is controlled by a single-button joystick, the three different attack strengths (weak, medium, and hard) are determined by how long the button is held down before being released, and special moves are more joystick-based.[3]

Reception

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
EGM7/10, 7/10, 5/10, 7/10 (SNES)[4]
6.5/10, 6.5/10, 6.5/10, 6/10 (Sega 32X)[5]
6.25/10 (Sega CD)[6]
7/10, 6/10, 5/10, 6/10, 6/10 (Genesis)[7]
Next Generation3/5 (SNES, MS-DOS & Sega 32X)[8][9][10]
The One69% (Amiga)[11]

Electronic Gaming Monthly praised the music and the cinemas as stunning and among the best seen on the Sega CD, and also approved of the mechanic of learning special moves. However, they criticized the gameplay action as sluggish and unresponsive.[6] GamePro commented that the game "tries a few new things", but shared EGM's stance that the Sega CD version plays too slow, and also criticized that the way the backgrounds often block the view of the action, while intentional, is unduly frustrating.[12]

Reviewing the Super NES and Genesis versions, though Electronic Gaming Monthly again praised the idea of learning special moves, some of their reviewers commented that this mechanic ultimately makes the game less exciting rather than more, and all of them remarked that the controls are weak.[4] GamePro, in contrast, remarked that the controls of the Super NES and Genesis versions are greatly improved from the Sega CD original, and that the action is much faster and more responsive in these versions as well. Though they noted that some of the Sega CD version's content was cut and that the view-blocking backgrounds are still a problem, they gave both versions an overall positive recommendation.[13][14] Next Generation agreed that the Super NES version was a notable improvement over the Sega CD original, particularly the "rich, shaded backgrounds". They further remarked that "The gameplay is fine, although the character control is delayed, and special moves are tricky."[8]

GamePro gave the 32X version a positive review. They remarked that the game can be unfairly difficult, but praised the graphics, lack of slowdown, unique and enjoyable music, and the use of real life martial arts techniques and philosophies.[15] Though the reviewers of Electronic Gaming Monthly concurred that the 32X version has far better graphics and sound than previous versions, they contended that this is irrelevant since it still suffers from the same shallow and sluggish gameplay and mediocre controls.[5] Next Generation disagreed, stating that "New animation, a pumping techno soundtrack, and four additional characters ... infuse enough fresh blood to make this new game really shine." They further praised the game's uniqueness and said its only problem was that it is possible to win most fights by using one kick or punch over and over.[10]

Next Generation reviewed the PC version of the game, and stated that "Brutal is a solid fighting game that should please any fan of the genre. If you don't need to see blood and gore to be entertained, check it out."[9]

The One gave the Amiga version of Brutal an overall score of 69%, stating it "looks stunning but unfortunately it is all let down by the severe lack of gameplay. The fighting isn't as fluid as [other fighting games], and instead of blending quick reactions with simple joystick combinations it all ends up with you frantically waggling the stick without much thought or skill involved at all ... Brutal is superbly presented but leaves you with the feeling that something is lacking ... a match can be won simply by repeating the same moves over and over again."[11]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Chop for fluffy bunnies". Huddersfield Daily Examiner: pp. 26. June 13, 1995. https://www.newspapers.com/image/831251267. "Paws of Fury is out this month on PC and will retail at £39.99." 
  2. ↑ "Front Page". Game Players (GP Publications): 11. February 1995. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 "Rabbit Punches!". The One (emap Images) (79): 30-31. May 1995. https://archive.org/details/theone-magazine-79. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Semrad, Ed; Carpenter, Danyon; Manuel, Al; Sushi X (December 1994). "Review Crew". Electronic Gaming Monthly (Sendai Publishing) 7 (12): 38. ISSN 1058-918X. https://archive.gamehistory.org/item/ae5970f5-14e0-4dbb-9b6d-23e4fe97a85b. Retrieved October 9, 2025. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Semrad, Ed; Carpenter, Danyon; Manuel, Al; Sushi-X (April 1995). "Review Crew". Electronic Gaming Monthly (Sendai Publishing) (69): 35. https://archive.gamehistory.org/item/bd623047-e81f-4041-82e9-8d7e530ba335. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Review Crew: Brutal". Electronic Gaming Monthly (Sendai Publishing) (61): 34. August 1994. 
  7. ↑ Semrad, Ed; Carpenter, Danyon; Manuel, Al; Sushi X; Weigland, Mike (December 1994). "Review Crew". Electronic Gaming Monthly (Sendai Publishing) 7 (12): 44. ISSN 1058-918X. https://archive.gamehistory.org/item/ae5970f5-14e0-4dbb-9b6d-23e4fe97a85b. Retrieved October 9, 2025. 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Brutal". Next Generation (Imagine Media) (3): 102. March 1995. 
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 "Finals". Next Generation (Imagine Media) (9): 94. September 1995. 
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 "Throwback". Next Generation (Imagine Media) (6): 103. June 1995. 
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 "Brutal: Paws of Fury Review". The One (emap Images) (83): 22–25. September 1995. https://archive.org/details/theone-magazine-83/page/n23. 
  12. ↑ Scary Larry (September 1994). "ProReview: Brutal: Paws of Fury". GamePro (IDG) (72): 66. 
  13. ↑ Drumhead (January 1995). "ProReview: Brutal: Paws of Fury". GamePro (IDG) (76): 44. 
  14. ↑ Captain Squideo (January 1995). "ProReview: Brutal: Paws of Fury". GamePro (IDG) (76): 76. 
  15. ↑ Scary Larry (May 1995). "ProReview: Brutal: Above the Claw". GamePro (IDG) (70): 60. 
  • Brutal: Paws of Fury[Usurped!] at Eurocom
  • 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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