Software:Demolition Man (video game)

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Demolition Man
North American NES cover artwork featuring Sylvester Stallone as Sergeant John Spartan and Wesley Snipes as Simon Phoenix
Developer(s)Alexandria
Publisher(s)Acclaim Entertainment
Designer(s)Doug Modie
Paul O'Connor
Jeffrey Brown
Programmer(s)Eric Yiskis
Edward Chu
Colin Lewis
Michael Poole
Composer(s)Nathan Grigg
Platform(s)Genesis, SNES, Sega CD
ReleaseGenesis
  • AU: 1994
  • NA: January 1995
  • EU: August 1995
SNES
  • NA: August 1995
  • EU: September 28, 1995
Sega CD
  • NA: November 15, 1995
Genre(s)Action
Platform
Mode(s)Single-player

Demolition Man is a pair of action video games based on the film of the same name. Acclaim Entertainment published the 16-bit version, which features run and gun gameplay, for the Super NES, Sega Genesis and Sega CD. Virgin Interactive released a completely different game for the 3DO that combined several distinct gameplay styles. In both games, the player controls John Spartan, the main character from the film, as he attempts to find and defeat his nemesis, Simon Phoenix.

SNES, Sega Genesis, and Sega CD

The first level is displayed in side view platform type, the health bar is displayed in the bottom left. John Spartan enters the stage by jumping with a cable from a helicopter, a scene taken from the movie

The 16-bit game is primarily a platform game, with two overhead top-down shooter segments; in either gameplay type the player character can fire in eight directions. Stages are filled with many enemies, mostly gunmen. Enemy characters and the player character can take a number of hits before dying. Power ups can be found around the stages that increase the characters health or ammunition. The game gives the player limited continues and very few lives. The first stage is set in 1996 and all stages after in 2032, following a simplified plot of the movie. In the two overhead view stages the player must find and rescue hostages in order to unlock doors elsewhere in the level.

Weapons include the basic police-issue handgun, a more powerful magnum, a shotgun which fires in a wide spread, and various types of hand grenades. Even though he is the final boss of the game, the player has to fight Simon Phoenix in short-lived "teaser" battles before defeating him for good at the cryo-prison.

The SNES version included cheat codes that are accessed by pausing the game with the start button, and then followed by a sequence of button presses to acquire a particular power up, or skip to the next level.

The Sega CD version was the last release for the console in North America.

Reception

Reviewing the Genesis version, Scary Larry of GamePro found some problems with the game, in particular the generally "dreary, dark" graphics, but found it overall effective in every respect. He described it as "the kind of game that brings a smile to the faces of 16-bit vets who appreciate a good solid platform/action game."[1] Captain Squideo reviewed the Super NES version for GamePro, and commented that it "parallels the recent Genesis game: it's fast, fun, and explosive." He remarked that though veteran gamers may find the game too simplistic, it is intense and fun overall, and that unlike the Genesis version the graphics are colorful and effectively convey the postapocalyptic settings.[2]

Entertainment Weekly gave the game an A.[3]

Next Generation reviewed the Genesis version of the game, rating it three stars out of five, and stated that "Ultimately Demolition Man is another Acclaim movie game, and if you own one, there's no need for any of the others."[4]

3DO

Demolition Man
Developer(s)Virgin Interactive Entertainment
Alexandria, Inc.
Publisher(s)Virgin Interactive Entertainment
Designer(s)John Alvarado
Ronald Mar
Gary Priest
Stuart Gregg
Barry J. S. Pringle
Douglas W. Cope
Willis Wong
Composer(s)Tommy Tallarico
Platform(s)3DO
Release
  • JP: December 9, 1994
  • NA: 1995
Genre(s)Action
Mode(s)Single-player

The 3DO game was developed in tandem with the film[5] and entails several gameplay styles: of the game's 16 levels, nine are light gun shooter levels, four are one-on-one fighting, two are first-person shooter; and one is a mission-based racing game. Due to the advanced 3DO sound engine, the soundtrack is ripped directly from the movie, and full motion video is heavily used, incorporating both footage from the film and exclusive footage of Sylvester Stallone and Wesley Snipes made specifically for the game. Jesse Ventura reprises his role as a minion to Simon Phoenix as the only actor in the movie to play a cryo-con henchman in the underground level and cryo-prison level.[citation needed] A version of the game was in development by Virgin Interactive and planned to be published by Atari Corporation for the Atari Jaguar CD,[6][7] but it was cancelled after several delays.[8] A PlayStation version was also in development but never released.[9]

The game uses a password system to save progress, while the 3DO's internal memory is used to save the high score list. There are three difficulty modes.

The light gun shooter levels support the 3DO Gamegun in addition to the standard gamepad. The Gamegun can be daisy-chained to a standard gamepad, which then acts as an extension cord and allows the player to navigate the pause menu and play the non-light gun levels without having to switch out controllers; in fact, Demolition Man will not acknowledge the Gamegun if it is plugged into the controller port on the 3DO itself. The light gun levels are set on a static background on which digitized enemies pop out at random, in a shooting gallery style of gameplay.

The one-on-one fighting levels are similar to Mortal Kombat, in that they feature digitized sprites viewed from a side perspective. In all four levels the player controls John Spartan and plays against Simon Phoenix, but Phoenix's AI is different in each level.

The first-person shooter levels are extremely simple compared to most games in the genre: there are no doors, switches, or health or ammunition pickups, and the player has only one weapon (a pistol) with unlimited ammunition. In lieu of health pickups, John Spartan slowly recovers health over time. The level designs are on a two dimensional square grid and are maze-like, with a great number of branching paths. The player's objective is to reach a specific location within the level.

In the racing level, the player must catch up to Simon Phoenix's car before his own car runs out of fuel, avoiding other cars on the road while picking up fuel refills.

Reception

GamePro gave the game a positive review. While they criticized the fighting game sections for the delayed attacks and limited number of moves, they overall approved of the variety of gameplay styles and applauded the digitized graphics, high quality audio, and the realism invoked by the game's deep level of detail.[10]

Next Generation rated it two stars out of five, and stated that "if any of the individual stages were crafted very well it might have worked. Unfortunately, that didn't happen."[11]

The game received the 1994 "Movie Translation Game of the Year" Award from Die Hard Game Fan magazine.[12]

References

  1. ↑ "ProReview: Demolition Man". GamePro (IDG) (85): 58. October 1995. 
  2. ↑ "ProReview: Demolition Man". GamePro (IDG) (86): 90. November 1995. 
  3. ↑ "Demolition Man" (in en). EW.com. https://ew.com/article/1995/01/27/demolition-man/. 
  4. ↑ "Finals". Next Generation (Imagine Media) (9): 102. September 1995. 
  5. ↑ "Demolition Man". GamePro (IDG) (76): 192. January 1995. 
  6. ↑ "Jaguar Plugs into the CD Revolution". Next Generation (Imagine Media) (6): 19. June 1995. https://archive.org/stream/nextgen-issue-006/Next_Generation_Issue_006_June_1995#page/n19. 
  7. ↑ "Electronic Entertainment Expo Special Report - Jaguar on the Prowl". GamePro (IDG) (83): 37. August 1995. https://archive.org/stream/GamePro_Issue_073_August_1995#page/n38/mode/1up. 
  8. ↑ "Atari Jaguar - Creature Shock". http://www.atarimania.com/game-atari-jaguar-creature-shock_31083.html. Retrieved 2018-09-11. 
  9. ↑ "News - The Sony PlayStation - Sega and Sony go Head to Head". Hyper (Next Media Pty Ltd) (11): 8. October 1994. https://retrocdn.net/index.php?title=File%3AHyper_AU_011.pdf&page=8. 
  10. ↑ "ProReview: Demolition Man". GamePro (IDG) (77): 76. February 1995. 
  11. ↑ "Finals". Next Generation (Imagine Media) (1): 90. January 1995. 
  12. ↑ "3DO Hardware, Software Products Sweep Awards; Holiday Sales Soar". December 14, 1994. Archived from the original on February 1, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140201220814/http://www.thefreelibrary.com/3DO+Hardware%2c+Software+Products+Sweep+Awards%3b+Holiday+Sales+Soar.-a015978482. Retrieved August 13, 2021. 
  • 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



  • 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.

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