Software:Fatal Labyrinth

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Short description: 1990 video game
Fatal Labyrinth
European cover art
Developer(s)Sega
Publisher(s)Sega
Designer(s)Hirokazu Yasuhara
Artist(s)Naoto Ohshima
Platform(s)Genesis
Release
  • JP: November 21, 1990[1]
  • WW: 1991
Genre(s)Roguelike, role-playing
Mode(s)Single-player

Fatal Labyrinth, titled Shi no Meikyuu: Labyrinth of Death (死の迷宮) in Japan, is a 1990 roguelike role-playing video game developed and published by Sega for the Sega Genesis. Originally available exclusively on the Sega Meganet multiplayer gaming service in Japan, it was later released physically in 1991.[2][3] The game is similar to and shares assets with Dragon Crystal, which was released around that time.

The game appears in Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, and was later included in Sega Genesis Classics for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.

Gameplay

The player controls an undistinguished hero who has agreed to enter a forbidden labyrinth, battle various monsters, and make their way up to the 30th floor where an evil dragon guards a stolen Holy Goblet. The hero can walk around town and talk to villagers for advice before entering the labyrinth. Upon defeating the dragon and reclaiming the Goblet, the player flies back to the village to speak to the inhabitants, who offer praise and congratulations for the hero's efforts.

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The hero engaged in combat

On each level of the labyrinth, weapons, armor, magic rings, and other items are found, which can be equipped or thrown. Melee weapons include axes, swords and polearms (although the length of the weapon determines its characteristics). Short weapons (axes, short swords) are more powerful, but less accurate while longer weapons (broadswords, polearms) usually hit for less damage, but are more accurate. Bows and shurikens are included for projectile combat. Body armor, helmets and shields can also be found. The effects of magic rings vary from powering-up the hero to using them as magical throwing projectiles.

Fatal Labyrinth also has a wide variety of other items, including scrolls, canes and potions. A key part of the game revolves around identifying which of these items benefit the character and which ones have curses. Sometimes throwing these items can cause projectile damage. After defeating monsters, the hero levels-up and gains health points, increased attack power and receives a better title.

Enemies only move and attack in response to the player's actions; i.e., when the player takes a step, the enemies take a step. Checkpoints exist on every fifth floor; upon dying, the player is returned to those floors if they were reached. If the hero wanders around a level for too long, the screen will flash and the monsters will respawn. Some floors have pits in which the character falls down one level and has to fight monsters on that level again. The hero may also step on an alarm and may become trapped by monsters. Sometimes the hero respawns in a room with no visible doors, and may need to search for a hidden exit.

Food is a vital part of the game. When fed, the hero slowly regenerates health. If unfed for extended periods of time, the hero becomes hungry and loses health. Conversely, if too much food is eaten, the character dies of over-eating. Some items can help or hinder the digestion of the hero.

Like many role-playing games, gold is present, though the only purpose it serves is to provide the player with a better funeral service upon death. The more gold collected in the game, the more detailed the hero's grave. More people will attend the hero's funeral based on their level when killed.

Release

Fatal Labyrinth appeared in Sega Genesis Classics for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.[4]

Reception

Ars Technica noted that Fatal Labyrinth was "the earliest Japanese-made roguelike of note" and said its gameplay was very similar to Rogue.[2] Hardcore Gaming 101 gave a positive review, stating that "the appeal of [Fatal Labyrinth] is found in that “just one more” feeling of attempting to top a previous best, to go down farther than before and eke out another floor or two."[5] Destructoid stated that the game is very challenging, but was fun to beat, and noted that the checkpoint system sets it apart from other roguelikes.[6]

References

  1. ↑ "BEぁ ゲ ー ム 図書: (死の迷宮" (in ja). Beep! Mega Drive (SoftBank Creative) (16): 137. January 1991. https://archive.org/details/beep-megadrive-1991-01/page/136/mode/2up. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Moss, Richard (2020-03-19). "ASCII art + permadeath: The history of roguelike games" (in en-us). https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2020/03/ascii-art-permadeath-the-history-of-roguelike-games/. 
  3. ↑ Lord-Moncrief, Devon (2023-10-12). "Sega Genesis: 10 Most Overlooked Games" (in en). https://www.cbr.com/underrated-sega-genesis-games/. 
  4. ↑ Smith, Graham. "Sega are delisting over 60 'classic' games from Steam, including Crazy Taxi and Streets Of Rage". https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/sega-are-delisting-over-60-classic-games-from-steam-including-crazy-taxi-and-streets-of-rage. 
  5. ↑ Bottorff, Jared (2017-09-08). "Fatal Labyrinth – Hardcore Gaming 101" (in en-US). http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/fatal-labyrinth/. 
  6. ↑ Zimmerman, Conrad (2009-05-13). "RetRose Tinted: Fatal Labyrinth" (in en-US). https://www.destructoid.com/retrose-tinted-fatal-labyrinth/. 
  • 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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