Software:Crisis Zone

From HandWiki
Short description: 1999 video game
Crisis Zone
North American arcade flyer
Developer(s)Bandai Namco Studios
Publisher(s)Namco
PlayStation 2
Producer(s)Takashi Sano
SeriesTime Crisis
Platform(s)Arcade, PlayStation 2
ReleaseArcade
PlayStation 2
  • PAL: September 17, 2004
  • NA: October 19, 2004
Genre(s)Light gun shooter, rail shooter
Mode(s)Single player
Arcade systemNamco System 23 Evolution 2

Crisis Zone is a 1999 light-gun shooter video game developed and published by Namco for arcades. It is a spin-off of the Time Crisis series.

A port to the PlayStation 2 was released in 2004 as Time Crisis: Crisis Zone, with improved polygon textures and details and an additional mission.

Gameplay

In Crisis Zone, the player controls the elite anti-terrorist Special Tactical Force (STF) leader, Claude McGarren. The game uses the same pedal system to reload and hide; however, the player uses a machine gun, a customized Heckler & Koch MP5K with a sight laser and a capacity of 40 rounds. Players take cover behind a portable ballistic shield that is strapped to the character's left arm. The "crisis flash" is replaced with a warning target icon to remind players to hide from a threatening shot, though it is possible to interrupt the enemy from shooting. Crisis Zone is the first Time Crisis game to date to allow the player to select between three levels to play in any order. Upon completion of all three of them, the player can then play the final level to beat the game.

PlayStation 2 version

European cover art

A PlayStation 2 version of the game was released in 2004 in North America, Europe and Korea. The North American and Korean versions of the game were released as Time Crisis: Crisis Zone. The PS2 version comes with more detailed polygons and textures, higher difficulty, re-recorded voice acting and an additional three-level mission taking place six months after the events of the original game; unlike the original mission, the additional missions can only be played in a linear order. The PS2 version is compatible with the Guncon 2 lightgun, and is available with a special two-player cooperative gameplay mode named "Two-Gun Mode" which allows two players to play simultaneously on a single screen without the use of split-screen. The weapon switching system is similar to Time Crisis 3, allowing the player to switch between a fully automatic machine gun, a standard 8-round handgun and a 6-shell shotgun; unlike its predecessor, all weapons now have unlimited ammunition in Crisis Zone, though they all must be reloaded. As with the PS2 versions of Time Crisis II and Time Crisis 3, the Crisis Mission exercise menu is unlocked through gradual play.

The PS2-exclusive story mode also features special weapons such as the flamethrower, the missile launcher, the laser rifle, the Gatling gun, and the grenade launcher. The downside to these weapons is that they can only be used once per area.

Plot

In 2000, Garland Electric launched a new complex known as "Garland Square" on the outskirts of London. Full of modern amenities, it is considered the future of urban living. Shortly after its grand opening, however, the entire complex is taken over by the URDA, a terrorist group. The terrorists have taken no hostages and made no demands upon takeover, causing a string of confusion among intelligence officials around the world. With an unknown threat, Scotland Yard and MI6 dispatch the Special Tactical Force's (STF) First Platoon Unit (led by Claude McGarren, spelled as Croad Macgalain in the arcade version) to suppress the URDA, and to ensure that the terrorists don't access their hidden agenda, whatever it may be.

Slowly but surely, the STF liberates the Drycreek Plaza shopping mall, Garland Park, and the Garland Technology Center, eliminating the URDA's twin lieutenants Tiger and Edge (Edgey in the arcade version) and wiping out their air force and tank defenses. After securing Garland Square, McGarren receives word from Vital Situation, Swift Elimination (VSSE) officials that Derrick Lynch, the terrorists' ringleader, is attempting to overload Geyser 1, an experimental nuclear reactor built by Garland Electric to power the complex (via an Eyes Only broadcast). Making their way down to the control room, five kilometres below the complex, McGarren and his men defeat Lynch's troops before taking out the ringleader himself. McGarren shuts down and secures the nuclear reactor seconds before it melts down. After the STF evacuate and enter a nearby lift, the control room explodes. The unit declares their mission a success.

PlayStation 2 remake mission

Six months after the main story's events, Lynch's successor Jared Hunter launches another attack, seizing control of the Grassmarket District and holding STF Director Grant Kessler's daughter Melissa as a hostage. Hunter demands that the surviving URDA members be released from custody in return for Melissa's life.

McGarren and Squad 1 are deployed into Grassmarket Street in response. Fighting their way through Grassmarket Street, they defeat an experimental defense droid called the A-0940. They then storm the Belforte Hotel, where Melissa is held on the rooftop swimming pool. There, they are confronted by Hunter and his airborne attack squad. Declaring his intent for revenge, Hunter engages and loses to Squad 1, forcing him to retreat on a modified, heavily armed speedboat, but is killed when the boat is destroyed by McGarren's chopper. McGarren and his men then take Melissa to safety, having ended the URDA's terror once and for all.

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
Metacritic66/100[3]
Review scores
PublicationScore
1Up.comB−[4]
EGM7/10[5]
Eurogamer7/10[6]
Game Informer6.75/10[7]
GameProStarStarStarHalf star[8]
GameSpot6/10[9]
GameSpyStarStarStarHalf star[10]
GameZone7/10[11]
IGN5/10[12]
OPM (US)StarStarStarHalf star[13]
The Sydney Morning HeraldStarStarStarHalf star[14]

In Japan, Game Machine listed Crisis Zone on their February 1, 2000 issue as being the third most-successful dedicated arcade game of the month.[15]

The 2004 remake received "average" reviews, due to being "Too much like Time Crisis 2", according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[3]

References

  1. ↑ Akagi, Masumi (2006). アーケードTVゲームリスト国内•海外編 (1971–2005). Japan: Amusement News Agency. p. 54. ISBN 978-4990251215. https://archive.org/details/ArcadeGameList1971-2005/page/n55/mode/2up. 
  2. ↑ Akagi, Masumi (2006). アーケードTVゲームリスト国内•海外編 (1971–2005). Japan: Amusement News Agency. p. 127. ISBN 978-4990251215. https://archive.org/details/ArcadeGameList1971-2005/page/n127/mode/2up. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Time Crisis: Crisis Zone Critic Reviews for PlayStation 2". https://www.metacritic.com/game/time-crisis-crisis-zone/critic-reviews/?platform=playstation-2. Retrieved 2014-02-20. 
  4. ↑ Parish, Jeremy (2004-10-04). "Crisis Zone". http://www.1up.com/reviews/crisis-zone_3. Retrieved 2014-02-20. 
  5. ↑ EGM Staff (December 2004). "Time Crisis: Crisis Zone". Electronic Gaming Monthly (156): 170. 
  6. ↑ Reed, Kristan (2004-08-27). "Crisis Zone Review". http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/r_crisiszone_ps2. Retrieved 2014-02-20. 
  7. ↑ "Time Crisis: Crisis Zone". Game Informer (139): 158. November 2004. 
  8. ↑ Bones (2004-10-19). "Time Crisis: Crisis Zone Review for PS2 on GamePro.com". GamePro. http://gamepro.com/sony/ps2/games/reviews/38871.shtml. Retrieved 2014-02-20. 
  9. ↑ Davis, Ryan (2004-10-18). "Time Crisis: Crisis Zone Review". http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/time-crisis-crisis-zone-review/1900-6110802/. Retrieved 2014-02-20. 
  10. ↑ Leeper, Justin (2004-10-18). "Time Crisis: Crisis Zone". GameSpy. http://ps2.gamespy.com/playstation-2/time-crisis-crisis-zone/558039p1.html. Retrieved 2014-02-20. 
  11. ↑ Lafferty, Michael (2004-10-19). "Time Crisis: Crisis Zone - PS2 - Review". GameZone. http://www.gamezone.com/reviews/time_crisis_crisis_zone_ps2_review. Retrieved 2014-02-20. 
  12. ↑ Sulic, Ivan (2004-10-11). "Time Crisis: Crisis Zone". http://www.ign.com/articles/2004/10/12/time-crisis-crisis-zone. Retrieved 2014-02-20. 
  13. ↑ Baker, Chris (November 2004). "Time Crisis: Crisis Zone". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine: 138. http://www.1up.com/reviews/crisis-zone. Retrieved 2014-02-20. 
  14. ↑ Hill, Jason (2004-09-16). "Mind games". The Sydney Morning Herald. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/09/15/1095221649347.html. Retrieved 2014-02-20. 
  15. ↑ "Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25 - 完成品夕イプのTVゲーム機 (Dedicated Videos)". Game Machine (Amusement Press, Inc.) (603): 17. 1 February 2000. 
  • Official Japanese Page
  • 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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