Software:Excitebike

From HandWiki
Short description: 1984 video game

Excitebike
North American NES box art
Developer(s)Nintendo R&D4[lower-alpha 1]
Publisher(s)
Director(s)Shigeru Miyamoto
Producer(s)Shigeru Miyamoto
Designer(s)Shigeru Miyamoto
Programmer(s)Toshihiko Nakago
Composer(s)Akito Nakatsuka
Soyo Oka (FDS)
SeriesExcite
Platform(s)
Release
Genre(s)Racing
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer
Arcade systemNintendo VS. System, PlayChoice-10

Lua error in Module:Lang/utilities at line 332: attempt to call field '_transl' (a nil value). is a 1984 racing video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Entertainment System. It was ported to arcades for the Nintendo VS. System later that year and Famicom Disk System in 1988. In North America, it became one of the best-selling games on the console. It is the first game in the Excite series.

Designed and directed by Shigeru Miyamoto, the smooth side-scrolling game engine his team developed for Excitebike was later used to develop Super Mario Bros. (1985), which had the effect of Mario smoothly accelerating from a walk to a run, rather than move at a constant speed.

Excitebike was a critical and commercial success. It spawned several sequels and has been re-released multiple times onto other Nintendo platforms, such the Wii and Wii U Virtual Console, and the Nintendo Classics service.

Gameplay

The player jumps high above the computer racers.

Excitebike is a side-scrolling racing game in which the player takes control of a motocross racer. The two gameplay modes are Selection A as a solo race run, and Selection B against computer-controlled opponents. The objective of the game is to finish in third place or higher in a preliminary race to qualify for the Excitebike championship race.[9] The A button accelerates the bike, and the B button activates a turbo boost that enhances the bike's speed, but overheats the engine if it is used for too long, forcing an immobile cooldown period.[10] The engine's temperature can be reset by driving over arrows located along the course.[9] The player can use the directional pad to shift between lanes, and to shift the racer's balance midair after a jump.[10] Landing squarely on both wheels allows the racer to maintain momentum, but an uneven landing will result in a loss of speed or a crash.[9] As the game progresses, the player must contend with additional obstacles on the track such as gaps, rough patches that slow the bike if hit, and bottlenecks with only two lanes instead of four.

Design Mode allows players to create tracks using 19 types of hurdles,[11] with options to save and load created tracks for the Famicom Data Recorder tape drive, which was unreleased outside Japan.[12]

Other releases

VS. Excitebike

There are two enhanced versions, both titled Vs. Excitebike.

The first version was released on VS. UniSystem for arcades in 1984, after the Famicom release. It is similar to its Famicom Disk System counterpart, though this version lacks the Design option, has three difficulty levels, and has other minor differences.

The second was released for the Famicom Disk System peripheral in 1988. The graphics and core gameplay are still the same, and the FDS version has several distinctive features that the NES and arcade versions lack:

  • "VS. Excite" mode puts two players competing against each other. The options include the maximum number of rounds to play, the track, and the number of laps.
  • The music is completely different; none of the songs from the original game are present, and it has a gameplay theme. The music is composed by Soyo Oka.[13]
  • The "Original Excite" mode is based on the main mode of the arcade version, with minor differences such as a different color palette.
  • Its writable disk format can save created tracks.

Excitebike: Bun Bun Mario Battle Stadium

Lua error in Module:Lang/utilities at line 332: attempt to call field '_transl' (a nil value). also known as Mario Excite Bike or BS Excitebike, is a remake of Excitebike released for the Japan-only Satellaview peripheral for Super Famicom. The human racers have been replaced by Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, Wario, Toad, and some of Bowser's Koopa Troopas. The concept was unchanged except for a "SUPER" mode where the player has unlimited turbo and coins spread across the courses to increase top speed in a manner similar to the Mario Kart series.

Re-releases

The original Excitebike is an unlockable in Left Field Productions' Excitebike 64, which was released in 2000 for the Nintendo 64. It is also one of several unlockable NES games in Animal Crossing for the GameCube, released in 2001. The Nintendo 64 version restores the Save and Load functionality in Design mode, though it is limited to saving one custom track on the Game Pak, while the Animal Crossing version can be transferred to the Game Boy Advance by using a link cable. Excitebike was also released for the Game Boy Advance in the form of e-Reader cards, and later as a Game Pak for the Classic NES Series.

Excitebike was added to the Wii's Virtual Console in Europe on February 16, 2007, the same day its spiritual successor, Excite Truck, was released there. The game was later added to the North American Virtual Console on March 19.[14] It was re-released in North America for the Wii U's Virtual Console on April 26, 2013.[15] 3D Classics: Excitebike was released on the Nintendo 3DS as a launch game for the Nintendo eShop in America, Japan and Europe; the game was initially offered for free for a period but then was sold at £5.40 / €6.00 for European markets[16] and $5.99 in the US.[17] It features 3D stereoscopic support and analog control support. This release was featured among other games from the Nintendo Entertainment System and Super NES to be released for the 3DS on a tech demo called Classic Games at E3 2010.[18][19] It allows the player to save up to 32 custom created tracks that can be played in either 2D or 3D.[20]

Excitebike is one of the 30 games available on the NES Classic Edition, released by Nintendo on November 11, 2016.[21] VS. Excitebike was released on the Nintendo Switch in the Nintendo eShop in September 2018, by Hamster Corporation as part of the Arcade Archives series under license from Nintendo.[22]

Reception

Reviews
Review scores
PublicationScore
ArcadeGBANESWii
1Up.comN/AC+[23]N/AN/A
AllGameN/A3.5/5[24]5/5[25]N/A
CVGN/AN/A8/10[26]
84%[27]		N/A
GameSpotN/A6.2/10[28]N/AN/A
IGNN/A7/10[29]N/A8.4/10[30]
Computer GamerPositive[32]N/AN/AN/A
Play Meter10/10[33]N/AN/AN/A
TiltN/AN/A8/20[34]N/A
Aggregate score
MetacriticN/A71/100[31]N/AN/A

In Japan, Game Machine listed VS. Excitebike as the fifth most successful table arcade unit of January 1985.[35] In North America, the game was number 13 on the RePlay arcade software charts in December 1985.[36] It ended the year as America's second highest-grossing arcade system game of 1985, below Nintendo's own Hogan's Alley.[37]

The game has received generally positive reviews. Allgame gave Excitebike its highest possible rating of five stars and referred to the game as a "staple of any NES collection", praising its graphics as cute and its controls as simple yet still requiring strategy to apply properly. The review noted the design mode, as "the first of its kind in a console game, and greatly extends the life of the title by featuring 19 different components you can piece together to build your own course".[25] IGN praised the NES version in 2007 as "ridiculously addictive" and that it "proves video games don't need to have flashy graphics or complex AI to actually be fun. Sure, there are other racing games out there today, hundreds of them. This one may not necessarily be better than the recent stuff, but it's unique, addictive, and demonstrates what gaming is really about".[30] IGN ranked Excitebike as the 14th best NES game.[38] GamesRadar ranked it as the 12th best game on the NES Classic Edition, saying that it has aged well with "a great sense of speed while driving and an excellent sense of balance while jumping and landing".[39] Game Informer ranked the game 44 on its top 100 games of all time.[40]

Kotaku editor Jason Schreier ranked it as the worst game on the NES Classic Edition, calling it "a truly awful video game" but with no explanation.[41]

Legacy

The side-scrolling gameplay of Excitebike was key to the development of Super Mario Bros. (1985). The same Miyamoto-led team that developed Excitebike went on to develop a 1985 NES port of side-scrolling beat 'em up arcade game Kung-Fu Master (1984) called Kung Fu. Miyamoto's team used the technical knowledge they had gained from working on both side-scrollers to further advance the platforming "athletic game" genre they had created with Donkey Kong (1981) and were key steps towards Miyamoto's vision of an expansive side-scrolling platformer.[42][43] While working on Excitebike and Kung Fu, he devised the concept of a platformer in which the player can "strategize while scrolling sideways" over long distances, and has colorful backgrounds rather than black.[44] Super Mario Bros. utilized the fast scrolling game engine Miyamoto's team had originally developed for Excitebike, which allowed Mario to smoothly accelerate from a walk to a run, rather than move at a constant speed like in earlier platformers.[45]

Excitebike spawned several sequels, including Excitebike 64 (2000), Excite Truck (2006), Software:Excitebots: Trick Racing (2009), and the WiiWare game Software:Excitebike: World Rally (2009). An Excitebike-themed track is downloadable content in Mario Kart 8 and is available by default in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.[12] A group of Excitebike racers cameo as an Assist Trophy in Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

Notes

  1. ↑ PC-88 and X1 versions developed by Hudson Soft; Nintendo 3DS version developed by Arika.

References

  1. ↑ "Archived copy". https://www.famitsu.com/games/t/9069/. 
  2. ↑ Akagi, Masumi (October 13, 2006) (in ja). アーケードTVゲームリスト国内•海外編(1971-2005). Japan: Amusement News Agency. p. 128. ISBN 978-4990251215. https://archive.org/details/ArcadeGameList1971-2005/page/n129. 
  3. ↑ Akagi, Masumi (October 13, 2006) (in ja). アーケードTVゲームリスト国内•海外編(1971-2005). Japan: Amusement News Agency. p. 57. ISBN 978-4990251215. https://archive.org/details/ArcadeGameList1971-2005/page/n58. 
  4. ↑ "FAMILY COMPUTER Software List 1988" (in ja). http://tk-nz.game.coocan.jp/gamedatabase/software/DB_NTC1_FC1988.html. 
  5. ↑ Harris, Craig (October 10, 2002). "NES Series 2 Pack Art". https://www.ign.com/articles/2002/10/10/nes-series-2-pack-art. 
  6. ↑ "Nintendo Announces NES GBA SP, Plus Retro Games". March 29, 2004. https://www.nintendoworldreport.com/pr/9456/nintendo-announces-nes-gba-sp-plus-retro-games. 
  7. ↑ Harris, Craig (January 14, 2004). "GBA SP Goes Back in Time". https://www.ign.com/articles/2004/01/14/gba-sp-goes-back-in-time. 
  8. ↑ Reed, Kristan (June 18, 2004). "Which NES classic do you want released on GBA?". https://www.eurogamer.net/news-180604-nesclassics. 
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Nintendo 1985, pp. 5–9.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Nintendo 1985, pp. 3–4.
  11. ↑ Nintendo 1985, pp. 9–12.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Scullion, Chris (2019). The NES Encyclopedia. Pen & Sword Books. p. 72. ISBN 9781526737809. https://books.google.com/books?id=IE8IEAAAQBAJ&dq=%22Excitebike%22+-wikipedia&pg=PA72. Retrieved March 19, 2023. 
  13. ↑ Oka, Soyo (March 2011). Greening, Chris (ed.). "Game Music :: Interview with Soyo Oka (March 2011)" (Interview). Interviewed by Chris Greening, Dave Harris. Trans. & local. Ben Schweitzer, Shota Nakama. Archived from the original on April 3, 2011. Retrieved November 3, 2018.
  14. ↑ "Three new releases for Virtual Console". N-Sider.com. March 19, 2007. http://www.n-sider.com/newsview.php?type=story&storyid=2681. 
  15. ↑ "Excitebike". https://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/excitebike-wii-u. 
  16. ↑ "3D Classics Excitebike". Nintendo of Europe. https://www.nintendo.co.uk/NOE/en_GB/games/nintendo_3ds_download_software/3d_classics_excitebike_43152.html. 
  17. ↑ "3D Classics Excitebike". Nintendo of America. https://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/rzR2UbTBHzXgiibdHhfKQZD3PTzDUTG3. 
  18. ↑ Stephen Totilo (June 18, 2010). "Mega Man 2, Yoshi's Island Among Teased 3DS Sorta-Remakes". Kotaku.com. http://kotaku.com/5566935/mega-man-2-yoshis-island-among-teased-3ds-sorta+remakes. 
  19. ↑ Craig Harris (June 15, 2010). "E3 2010: Classic NES in 3D! - Nintendo 3DS Feature at IGN". Ds.ign.com. http://ds.ign.com/articles/109/1098405p1.html. 
  20. ↑ "3D Classics Excitebike Will Be Free in North America - News". Nintendo World Report. http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/26461. 
  21. ↑ Paul, Ian (July 14, 2016). "Nintendo's releasing a miniature NES console packed with 30 classic games". http://www.pcworld.com/article/3095790/hardware/nintendos-releasing-a-miniature-nes-console-packed-with-30-classic-games.html. 
  22. ↑ Lane, Gavin (March 13, 2020). "Guide: Every Arcade Archives Game On Nintendo Switch, Plus Our Top Picks" (in en-GB). http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2020/03/guide_every_arcade_archives_game_on_nintendo_switch_plus_our_top_picks. 
  23. ↑ "Excitebike (NES Classic)". 1up. http://www.1up.com/reviews/excitebike-nes-classic. 
  24. ↑ "Excitebike [Classic NES Series - Review"]. AllGame. http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=45134. 
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 Miller, Skyler. "Excitebike - Review". AllGame. http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=11901&tab=review. 
  26. ↑ Takoushi, Tony (December 15, 1987). "Mean Machines: Reviews". Computer and Video Games (United Kingdom: EMAP) (75 (January 1988)): 134–5. https://archive.org/details/cvg-magazine-075/page/n133/mode/2up. 
  27. ↑ "Complete Games Guide". Computer and Video Games (Complete Guide to Consoles): 46–77. October 16, 1989. https://retrocdn.net/images/9/98/CompleteGuideToConsoles_UK_01.pdf#page=46. Retrieved June 15, 2021. 
  28. ↑ Gerstmann, Jeff (April 6, 2004). "Classic NES Series: Excitebike". GameSpot. http://www.gamespot.com/gba/driving/famicomminiexcitebike/review.html. 
  29. ↑ Harris, Craig (June 4, 2004). "Classic NES Series: Excitebike". IGN. http://ca.ign.com/articles/2004/06/04/classic-nes-series-excitebike. 
  30. ↑ 30.0 30.1 Birnbaum, Mark (March 21, 2007). "Excitebike Review". IGN. http://ca.ign.com/articles/2007/03/22/excitebike-review. 
  31. ↑ "Classic NES Series: Excitebike". Metacritic. https://www.metacritic.com/game/excitebike/critic-reviews/?platform=game-boy-advance. 
  32. ↑ Roberts, Mike; Phipps, Steve (September 1985). "Coin-Op Connection". Computer Gamer (6): 18–9. https://archive.org/details/Computer_Gamer_Issue_06_1985-09_Argus_Press_GB/page/n17/mode/2up. Retrieved May 7, 2021. 
  33. ↑ Lewin, Gene (June 15, 1985). "Gene's Gudgements". Play Meter 11 (11): 38–9. https://retrocdn.net/images/c/c0/PlayMeter_US_Volume_11_No._11.pdf#page=34. Retrieved January 5, 2024. 
  34. ↑ "Excitebike". Tilt. https://download.abandonware.org/magazines/Tilt/tilt_numero049/TILT%20-%20n%C2%B049%20-%20decembre%201987%20-%20page102%20et%20page103.jpg. Retrieved October 4, 2024. 
  35. ↑ "Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25 - テーブル型TVゲーム機 (Table Videos)". Game Machine (Amusement Press, Inc.) (252): 27. January 15, 1985. 
  36. ↑ "RePlay: The Players' Choice". RePlay 11 (3): 4. December 1985. https://archive.org/details/re-play-volume-11-issue-no.-3-december-1985-600dpi/RePlay%20-%20Volume%2011%2C%20Issue%20No.%203%20-%20December%201985%20%28Compressed%29/page/4. 
  37. ↑ "1985 Operator Survey: This Poll Says Go Gettum!". RePlay 11 (2): 91–102 (94). November 1985. https://archive.org/details/re-play-volume-11-issue-no.-2-november-1985-600DPI/RePlay%20-%20Volume%2011%2C%20Issue%20No.%202%20-%20November%201985/page/94. 
  38. ↑ "Top 100 NES Games". https://www.ign.com/lists/top-100-nes-games/. 
  39. ↑ Trinske, Connor (December 19, 2016). "The Best (And Worst) Games on the NES Classic Edition". https://www.gamesradar.com/the-best-and-worst-games-on-the-nes-classic-edition/2/. 
  40. ↑ Cork, Jeff. "Game Informer's Top 100 Games Of All Time (Circa Issue 100)" (in en). Game Informer. https://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2009/11/16/game-informer-s-top-100-games-of-all-time-circa-issue-100.aspx. Retrieved November 30, 2020. 
  41. ↑ Schreier, Jason (November 10, 2016). "All 30 NES Classic Games, Ranked". Kotaku. http://kotaku.com/all-30-nes-classic-games-ranked-1788813360. 
  42. ↑ Gifford, Kevin. "Super Mario Bros.' 25th: Miyamoto Reveals All". http://www.ugo.com/games/super-mario-bros-25th-miyamoto-reveals-all.html. 
  43. ↑ Horowitz, Ken (July 30, 2020). Beyond Donkey Kong: A History of Nintendo Arcade Games. McFarland & Company. p. 149. ISBN 978-1-4766-4176-8. https://books.google.com/books?id=UXD0DwAAQBAJ&pg=PA149. Retrieved April 28, 2021. 
  44. ↑ Shigeru Miyamoto (December 2010). Super Mario Bros. 25th Anniversary - Interview with Shigeru Miyamoto #2 (in Japanese). Nintendo Channel. Archived from the original on August 18, 2021. Retrieved April 12, 2021.{{cite AV media}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
  45. ↑ Williams, Andrew (March 16, 2017). History of Digital Games: Developments in Art, Design and Interaction. CRC Press. pp. 152–4. ISBN 978-1-317-50381-1. 

Bibliography

  • 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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  • Excitebike on the Famicom 40th Anniversary page (in Japanese)
  • Vs. Excitebike on the Famicom 40th Anniversary page (in Japanese)

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