Software:Dick Tracy (video game)

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Short description: Video game
Dick Tracy patrolling the city (NES version)

Dick Tracy appeared in the following video game tie-ins for the motion picture:

NES version

thumb|left|NES box art

Bandai released their version of Dick Tracy in August 1990,[1] which was developed by Realtime Associates. The game was loosely based on the comic strip, and not the movie. The objective is to solve several mysteries without accusing the wrong person or shooting too many unarmed villains.

Each level starts out with a case to solve and some possible clues. The player drives Tracy's vehicle through the city, avoiding snipers and other cars, to various locations mentioned in the clues, where the action shifts to a side-scrolling adventure game. If the player goes to the right location, he will find, during the course of his side-scrolling fighting, a clue icon that provides additional clues for the case, or the player will be able to speak with a character from the comics who gives clues. There is one car chase in each level. Once the player has collected enough clues, he can drive to the location where the perpetrator is and arrest him. The game will end if Tracy's energy meter is depleted, or if Tracy commits three abuses of power in one case, such as interrogating someone who was not involved or arresting someone without complete evidence.

Side-scrolling mode

In the side-scrolling mode, Tracy can jump, duck, punch, shoot from his pistol, or collect more powerful weapons (with limited ammo). These include full-auto Tommy guns and tear gas, the latter of which eliminates all on-screen enemies. If the player shoots unarmed crooks, then some life energy is lost. The game provides two ways to restore health. One, if the player is down to half a life point, he can visit one of the police stations and recover an additional half-point. The second requires a "first aid", an icon found in some levels that looks like a heart and is used by pressing B and Select at the same time. The game is considered very difficult to win, but there is a password feature to help players continue at a later time, as the game does not have any extra lives or continues.

Game Boy version

In December 1991,[1] Bandai also released a version of the game for the Game Boy which was also developed by Realtime Associates. The game's introduction shows that Big Boy has escaped from the state penitentiary and kidnapped Tess, Tracy's love interest. The gameplay itself is purely level-based platforming, foregoing the overhead driving sequences of its NES counterpart.

Stylistically, the Game Boy version bears a strong resemblance to the side-scrolling mode of the NES version. Dick Tracy can punch and use the same weapons (hand gun, Tommy gun, tear gas), as well as grenades (which will instantly kill all non-boss enemies on the screen). This game also shares some common music with the NES version. Each of the five levels contains 12 hidden pieces of a photograph used to solve a puzzle at the end of each level.

At the end of each level, Dick Tracy would fight one of the antagonists from the film, including Shoulders, Flattop, and Pruneface. After defeating the boss, the player would need to solve the twelve-piece puzzle using the pieces found throughout the level to reveal a photo of the next boss to be pursued. If the puzzle could be solved within the allotted period of time, the player would be awarded a bonus life. For every two pieces placed correctly, the player would be awarded with one extra hit point. If any of the missing pieces were missed or if the puzzle is not solved in time, then the game will automatically piece the whole image together (without any bonuses, of course). Then, Tracy would interrogate the fallen boss for where to search next for clues leading to Big Boy and Tess.

Sega version

thumb|right|Genesis box art

Dick Tracy, released in February 1991 for the Sega Genesis and Master System, was a side-scrolling arcade video game where players control the famous hero through various stages to bring down Big Boy. Tracy can walk, jump, duck, shoot a pistol, and use a Tommy gun to hit enemies and objects in the background. Each level had a series of sub-levels to it and bonus points awarded if the players could avoid hitting any of the various objects in the background; i.e., windows, fire hydrants, and street lights. One of the levels switches the action up slightly by having control Tracy during a police chase. Several of the villains from the comic book appear, and the final battle with Big Boy takes place in a scene similar to the climax of the feature film.

The Sega version of the game was developed by Sega Technical Institute as their first game,[2] based on the 1990 movie for which Sega obtained a license. Sega gave STI five months to complete development, while STI still had only two employees, Mark Cerny and Yutaka Sugano—who had developed Shinobi—on staff. American staff were hired to program the game, and Japanese graphic artist Takeshi Doi worked on the animation. Despite STI's efforts, which including having each character's likeness approved by their actor in the movie—including Warren Beatty, Madonna, and Al Pacino—Dick Tracy did not sell well. The game's late release in February 1991, eight months after the movie debuted in theaters and two months after its home video release, prompted Sega to insist on being a part of movie-based projects at least a year before the film's release date.[3]

MS-DOS and Amiga version

Dick Tracy: The Crime Solving Adventure was developed by Distinctive Software and released in 1991 for MS-DOS and Amiga by Walt Disney Software. Players are encouraged to rise through the ranks of the detective bureau by using their detective skills, as well as their arcade prowess, to solve a series of crimes. Those familiar with the movie will recognize an approach to closer famous Warren Betty incarnation of Tracy rather than the square-jawed comic strip caricature. Basic comic strip colors are used. Voice balloons are employed for dialogue. Pointer balloons indicate objects that might otherwise have been obscured.

Game elements

The first of two major mechanics of gameplay is driving the squad car through the city. Detectives must steer their squad car through traffic, avoiding collisions with other cars. The second of the major gameplay mechanics is shooting out with bad guys. Once the player has stopped a villain in his car (either by pulling him over or colliding with his car and running him off the road) or entered a villain's hideout, he will almost invariably fin himself in a shootout with the villain, who shouts something like, "Eat lead, copper!" once he has shot the villain's strength down to nothing, the villain will surrender, leaving it up to Tracy whether to arrest or interrogate him. All in-game villains are male.

Interrogation plays a major role solving crimes. Tracy will find clues at the crime scene and at various criminal hideouts. Clues must be processed by the crime lab.

Game objective

The goal of the game is to advance through the four ranks in the detective bureau, which range from detective junior grade to Chief of Detectives.

Reviews

David M. Wilson from Computer Gaming World Magazine said that Dick Tracy: The Crime-Solving Adventure offered an interesting blend of action and puzzle, but criticized the arcade action and the limited difficulty.[4]

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
AllGameStarStar (NES)[5]
CVG64% (SMS)[6]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Website Staff. "completeoldgameslist". http://www.nintendo.com/consumer/downloads/completeoldgameslist.pdf. 
  2. ↑ Horowitz, Ken (June 11, 2007). "Developer's Den: Sega Technical Institute". Ken Horowitz. http://www.sega-16.com/2007/06/developers-den-sega-technical-institute/. 
  3. ↑ Horowitz, Ken (2016). Playing at the Next Level: A History of American Sega Games. McFarland & Company. pp. 77–86. ISBN 9780786499946. 
  4. ↑ Wilson, David M. (April 1992). ""Calling Dick Tracy! Calling Dick Tracy!": Walt Disney Software's Dick Tracy". Computer Gaming World 1 (93): 62–63. 
  5. ↑ "Dick Tracy". http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=14150&tab=review. 
  6. ↑ Computer & Video Games Issue 112. March 1991. p. 78. https://archive.org/stream/computer-video-games-magazine-112/CVG112_Mar_1991#page/n77. Retrieved July 6, 2016. 
  • 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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