Software:Espgaluda

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Short description: 2003 video game
Espgaluda
Developer(s)Cave
Publisher(s)AMI
Director(s)Tsuneki Ikeda
Producer(s)Kenichi Takano
Designer(s)Akira Wakabayashi
Hideki Nomura
Hiroyuki Tanaka
Kengo Arai
Programmer(s)Takashi Ichimura
Tsuneki Ikeda
Artist(s)Tsukasa Kado
Composer(s)"SOU1"
SeriesEspgaluda
Platform(s)Arcade, EZweb, i-mode, PlayStation 2, Yahoo Mobile
Release
  • JP: November 2003
Genre(s)Bullet hell
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer
Arcade systemPolyGame Master

Lua error in Module:Lang/utilities at line 332: attempt to call field '_transl' (a nil value). is a 2003 manic shooter by Cave and published by AMI. It is the spiritual successor to ESP Ra.De. and is followed by Espgaluda II.

Gameplay

Arcade version screenshot

Espgaluda is an arcade game which involves firing bullets and lasers at enemies, with the ultimate goal being to gain points and make it through all of the game's levels. The player character has an energy gauge that can be depleted either by using a shield attack or being hit by a bullet, which activates an automatic guard barrier. When this barrier is activated, the player fires a laser and is momentarily invincible. If the gauge is depleted when the player character is hit by the bullet, the player loses a life. The player collects gems and, when they enter Kakusei mode, the gem counter drains. While draining, the enemies turn purple, and the bullets and enemies begin to move more slowly. When enemies are defeated, their bullets turn gold, which adds to the score multiplier. When it ends, the player goes into Kakusei Over mode, where bullets turn red and travel faster than normal.

Development

Espgaluda was produced by Kenichi Takano and directed by Tsuneki Ikeda, co-founders of Cave whose previous works include the DonPachi series.[1][2][3][4] Ikeda also served as co-programmer alongside Takashi Ichimura.[1][5] Akira Wakabayashi, Hideki Nomura, Hiroyuki Tanaka and Kengo Arai also acted as co-designers.[1][6][7][8] Artist Tsukasa Kado was responsible for both world building and character designs.[1] The soundtrack was composed by "SOU1" under supervision of Toshiaki Tomizawa, another co-founder of Cave.[2][3][9][10] The team recounted its creation process and history through various publications.[11][12]

Release

Espgaluda was first released in arcades by AMI in November 2003.[13] An soundtrack album containing music from the game was published in Japan by Cave in March 2004.[10][14] The same year in June, a conversion for the PlayStation 2 was developed and published by Arika in Japan.[15] This version included different modes such as arcade, simulation, arrange, and a walkthrough DVD video featuring high-level replays.[16][17][18][19] In arcade mode, players can configure screen orientation and other settings. Simulation mode simulates an arcade mode stage where players can practice of sections under pre-defined conditions.[17][19] Arrange mode is a PlayStation 2-exclusive feature and introduces more aggressive enemy patterns, new playable characters, an arranged soundtrack, among other additions and gameplay changes.[16][17][19]

In 2005, Espgaluda was split into two separate parts and distributed by Cave through the Gaesen Yokocho service for EZweb, i-mode and Yahoo Mobile phones.[16][20] Both parts were later merged into a single release titled Espgaluda DX, featuring enhanced graphics and a special mode.[16][21]

Reception

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
Consoles +(PS2) 14/20[18]
Edge(PS2) 8/10[17]
Famitsu(PS2) 29/40[22]
Game Fan(PS2) 9.1/10[23]

Espgaluda garnered positive reception from critics who reviewed it as an import title,[23] with the PlayStation 2 conversion being regarded by outlets like Kotaku Australia and TheGamer as one of the best shoot 'em ups on the console.[24][25] According to Famitsu, the PlayStation 2 version sold over 10,125 copies in its first week on the market and approximately 17,755 copies were sold during its lifetime in Japan.[26]

Famitsu's four reviewers gave the PlayStation 2 conversion a positive outlook.[22] Game Watch's Toyotomi Kazutaka praised the extra additions of the PlayStation 2 port such as arrange mode, as well as its "Kakusei" and guard barrier mechanics.[19] Edge commended the PlayStation 2 release for its accessibility, "Kakusei" and guard barrier mechanics, scoring system and extra modes but criticized the loss of visual fidelity due to screen resolution differences.[17] Consoles +'s Kael also gave positive remarks to the PlayStation 2 version for its gameplay and music but criticized the short length.[18] Hardcore Gaming 101's Craig Gabrielson noted its scoring system and accessibility in a positive light but criticized the visual variety in terms of stages and soundtrack.[16]

Notes

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Cave (2003). Espgaluda. PolyGame Master. AMI. Level/area: Staff. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "CAVE 15th Anniversary ~Shoot'em All!!~". Monthly Arcadia (Enterbrain) (118): 46–55. March 2010. https://archive.org/stream/arcadia-118-march-2010#page/n47/mode/2up.  (Translation by Shmuplations. ).
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Dossier Shoot 'em up". IG Magazine (Ankama Presse) (8). May–June 2010.  (Translation by Gaming.moe. ).
  4. ↑ "池田 恒基" (in ja). ケイブシューティング史 こんにちは17年 ありがとう16年. Cave. 24 August 2010. pp. 199-202.  (Translation by Shmuplations. ).
  5. ↑ "市村 崇志" (in ja). ケイブシューティング史 こんにちは17年 ありがとう16年. Cave. 24 August 2010. pp. 180-182.  (Translation by Shmuplations. ).
  6. ↑ "田中 周幸" (in ja). ケイブシューティング史 こんにちは17年 ありがとう16年. Cave. 24 August 2010. pp. 183-186.  (Translation by Shmuplations. ).
  7. ↑ "野村秀樹" (in ja). ケイブシューティング史 こんにちは17年 ありがとう16年. Cave. 24 August 2010. pp. 191-194.  (Translation by Shmuplations. ).
  8. ↑ "若林 明" (in ja). ケイブシューティング史 こんにちは17年 ありがとう16年. Cave. 24 August 2010. pp. 195-198.  (Translation by Shmuplations. ).
  9. ↑ "エログラサンとか言うな - SOU1インタビュー" (in ja). The Interviews. paperboy&co.. 2012. http://theinterviews.jp/sou1.  (Translation by Shmuplations. .)
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Fuentes, Edgar S. (June 10, 2020). "Vandal Game Music: CAVE. Un rítmico despliegue balístico — Repasamos la amplia carrera musical de una las compañías más importantes en shooters de nave" (in es). Vandal. El Español. https://vandal.elespanol.com/vandalgamemusic/cave-un-ritmico-despliegue-balistico. 
  11. ↑ "ボーナス！ケイブ事実！ - 怒首領蜂" (in ja). ケイブシューティング史 こんにちは17年 ありがとう16年. Cave. 24 August 2010. pp. 203-224.  (Translation by Shmuplations. ).
  12. ↑ "Espgaluda – Developer Interviews". August 20, 2015. http://shmuplations.com/espgaluda/. 
  13. ↑ Akagi, Masumi (13 October 2006). "AMI; ケイブ Cave" (in ja). アーケードTVゲームリスト 国内•海外編 (1971-2005) (1st ed.). Amusement News Agency. pp. 17, 26. ISBN 978-4990251215. https://archive.org/stream/ArcadeGameList1971-2005#page/n15/mode/1up. 
  14. ↑ Greening, Chris (August 1, 2012). "ESPGaluda Original Soundtrack". Video Game Music Online. http://www.vgmonline.net/espgaluda/. 
  15. ↑ "エスプガルーダ (PS2)" (in ja). PlayStation Official Site Software Catalog. Sony Interactive Entertainment. 2021. https://www.jp.playstation.com/software/title/slps25352.html. 
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 16.4 Gabrielson, Craig (March 14, 2014). "Espgaluda". Hardcore Gaming 101. http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/espgaluda/. 
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 17.3 17.4 "Testscreen - Espgaluda (PS2)". Edge (Future plc) (139): 104. August 2004. https://archive.org/stream/edgeuk139#page/n85/mode/1up. 
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 Kael (August–September 2004). "Test (Import): Espgaluda - Vole, Petit Papillon... (PS2)". Consoles + (fr) (M.E.R.7 (fr)) (151): 100. http://download.abandonware.org/magazines/Consoles%20Plus/consoleplus_numero151/Consoles%20%2B%20151%20-%20Page%20100%20%28ao%C3%BBt%20-%20septembre%202004%29.jpg. 
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 19.3 Kazutaka, Toyotomi (June 30, 2004). "★PS2ゲームレビュー★: 弾幕シューティングの登竜門 -「エスプガルーダ」" (in ja). GAME Watch. Impress Corporation. https://game.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/20040630/esp.htm. 
  20. ↑ "iモードシューティング「エスプガルーダ 前編」" (in ja). ITmedia Mobile. ITmedia (ja). February 25, 2005. https://www.itmedia.co.jp/mobile/articles/0502/25/news108.html. 
  21. ↑ Tsuda, Keimu (May 18, 2005). "ケイブ、256KB Vアプリ対応シューティング「エスプガルーダDX」" (in ja). K-Tai Watch. Impress Corporation. https://k-tai.watch.impress.co.jp/cda/article/news_toppage/23883.html. 
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 "NEW GAMES CROSS REVIEW: エスプガルーダ". Famitsu (Enterbrain) (810). June 11, 2004. 
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 "Espgaluda (PS2)". GameFan (French magazine (fr) (Japan Culture Press) (2). July–August 2004. 
  24. ↑ Vas, Gergo (April 18, 2013). "The Coolest Japanese Video Games With Over-The-Top Action". Kotaku Australia. G/O Media. https://www.kotaku.com.au/2013/04/the-coolest-japanese-video-games-with-over-the-top-action/. 
  25. ↑ Cheeseman, Ian (July 25, 2020). "10 Of The Best Shoot Em' Ups For The Playstation 2 - There were a lot of great shoot em' ups present on the Playstation 2 over the years. Here's a look at 10 of the all-time best". TheGamer. https://www.thegamer.com/playstation-2-best-shoot-em-ups/. 
  26. ↑ "Game Search". https://sites.google.com/site/gamedatalibrary/game-search. 

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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