Software:Daikatana (Game Boy Color)

From HandWiki
Daikatana
Developer(s)Will
Publisher(s)Kemco
Director(s)Takeo Mogi
Producer(s)
  • Seijiro Okuhara
  • Mitsuo Shinjo
Designer(s)Takumi Takahashi
Tatsuo Masuda
Programmer(s)Kazuyuki Makishima
Tomokazu Yoshida
Artist(s)Masayuki Tsuboi
Noboru Matsumura
Hideki Ujiie
Writer(s)Noriyuki Saeki
Kazuhiro Takada
Norihiro Onodera
Composer(s)Hideki Sakamoto
Platform(s)Game Boy Color
Release
  • EU: September 29, 2000
  • JP: May 1, 2001
Genre(s)Action-adventure
Mode(s)Single-player

Daikatana is a 2000 action-adventure game developed by Will and published by Kemco for the Game Boy Color. It is based on the first-person shooter of the same name, which was released earlier in 2000. Players control a swordsmaster who travels through various time periods in an effort to obtain the eponymous Daikatana, a powerful sword tied to the fate of the world.

Developed separately from the original game, the Game Boy Color version of Daikatana was designed as an adventure game at the request of creator John Romero. It was released in Europe in September 2000 and in Japan as a download for the Nintendo Power peripheral in May 2001; a planned North American release was cancelled due to the original version's negative reputation. The game received generally positive reviews, with critics regarding it as superior to the original Daikatana.

Gameplay

Daikatana features gameplay similar to early entries in The Legend of Zelda series. It has a top-down perspective as opposed to the first-person perspective of its PC and console counterparts. It features dungeons, which have puzzles to solve and bosses to defeat. It features super-deformed character designs.[1][2]

Plot

Daikatana stars Hiro Miyamoto, who is told that an enemy of his family, Kage Mishima, had stolen the Daikatana with the intention of using its time-warping abilities to change history. Mishima then kidnaps his friend Mikiko and attacks the family dojo.

Development

Daikatana was directed by Takeo Mogi and developed and published by Kemco. It was designed to resemble The Legend of Zelda for the Nintendo Entertainment System and The Legend of Zelda at John Romero's request.[3] It was announced that Kemco would be responsible for publishing the game in the United States.[4] It had a set release date of December 17, 1999, but Kemco said it could be pushed back to January or February of 2000.[5] When informed of the planned release of Daikatana for the Game Boy Color in 2000, IGN staff joked that it would end up coming out before the PC version, which was infamous for delays. Other media outlets picked up on this as a story, and Kemco did a press release to clarify that this was not the case.[1] Kemco cancelled its North American release due to the negative reception the brand had received, while the Japanese version was distributed as a download for the Nintendo Power peripheral.[3][6] An unreleased version of Daikatana was released by Romero on his website.[7]

Reception

The pre-release reception for Daikatana was positive. E3 footage of the game seemed promising to IGN staff, noting that its differences from the PC version were a good thing due to the PC version's issues. They praised the E3 demo's visuals and gameplay, specifically noting that its Japanese-inspired design benefits it.[1] It was the runner-up for IGN's "best handheld adventure" award at E3.[citation needed] GameSpot writer Yukiyoshi Ike Sato compared it to The Legend of Zelda and Secret of Mana, noting that the game's demo seemed easy but showed promise.[2]

Daikatana has received generally positive reception and is noted for being quality despite the poor critical reception of other versions. It holds a 79.38% on GameRankings.[8] Writer Frank Provo found the game fun, praising the game's puzzles and instant save feature but criticizing its lack of overworld and stiff control. He found the visuals appealing, noting that while the character models lacked color diversity, the world was rich with color and the characters with strong animation. He was more negative towards the sound quality, owing to a limited selection of sound effects and poor use of the GBC's two-channel MIDI.[9] Writer Lucas Sullivan called it a "little GBC gem for those who bothered to give it a chance."[6] Writer Scott Sharkey expressed disappointment in its cancellation due to it being a better game than its PC/N64 release. He felt that the translation was "wonky" and that the characters were not very different from one another mechanically, but noted that these were ultimately minor issues.[10]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Daikatana". IGN. May 26, 2000. https://www.ign.com/articles/2000/05/27/daikatana-4. Retrieved August 20, 2019. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Sato, Yukiyoshi Ike (May 17, 2006). "Hands OnDaikatana for Game Boy Color". GameSpot. https://www.gamespot.com/articles/hands-ondaikatana-for-game-boy-color/1100-2620409/. Retrieved August 20, 2019. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Romero, John (December 10, 2004). "Ion Storm And Daikatana". Planet Rome.ro. Archived from the original on December 10, 2004. https://web.archive.org/web/20041210180700/https://rome.ro/games_daikatana.htm. Retrieved August 20, 2019. 
  4. ↑ Gerstmann, Jeff (May 9, 2000). "Daikatana for the N64 and GBC". GameSpot. https://www.gamespot.com/articles/daikatana-for-the-n64-and-gbc/1100-2565984/. Retrieved August 20, 2019. 
  5. ↑ "Daikatana Still on the Board". IGN. September 21, 1999. https://www.ign.com/articles/1999/09/22/daikatana-still-on-the-board. Retrieved August 20, 2019. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Sullivan, Lucas (March 23, 2017). "Legendary PC games you completely forgot were on console". GamesRadar. https://www.gamesradar.com/legendary-pc-games-you-completely-forgot-were-on-console/. Retrieved August 20, 2019. 
  7. ↑ Burnes, Andrew (December 9, 2004). "The History Of Daikatana". IGN. https://www.ign.com/articles/2004/12/09/the-history-of-daikatana. Retrieved August 20, 2019. 
  8. ↑ "Daikatana". Game Rankings. https://www.gamerankings.com/gbc/256402-daikatana/index.html. Retrieved August 20, 2019. 
  9. ↑ Provo, Frank (May 17, 2006). "Daikatana Review". GameSpot. https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/daikatana-review/1900-2642310/. Retrieved August 20, 2019. 
  10. ↑ Sharkey, Scott (December 13, 2004). "A brief history of Daikatana". 1up.com. Archived from the original on June 4, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150604024304/http://www.1up.com/features/freeloader-daikatana. Retrieved August 20, 2019. 

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. 
  • No URL found. Please specify a URL here or add one to Wikidata.

Template:Atari





Retrieved from "https://handwiki.org/wiki/index.php?title=Software:Daikatana_(Game_Boy_Color)&oldid=696246"