Software:Frogger: Ancient Shadow

From HandWiki
Short description: 2005 video game
Frogger: Ancient Shadow
North American GameCube box art
Developer(s)Hudson Soft
Publisher(s)Konami
Director(s)Koji Matsuura
Designer(s)Hidenori Oikawa
Composer(s)Hironobu Yahata
SeriesFrogger
EngineRenderWare
Platform(s)GameCube, PlayStation 2, Xbox, Windows[note 1]
Release
  • NA: September 27, 2005[2]
Genre(s)Platform
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Frogger: Ancient Shadow is a 2005 platform video game developed by Hudson Soft and published by Konami for GameCube, PlayStation 2, Xbox and Windows. It is a sequel to 2003's Software:Frogger's Adventures: The Rescue, and is part of the Frogger series.

Plot

One sunny morning, Frogger was taking a nap and was woken up by his friend Lily. Lily tells Frogger that something is going on in Firefly Swamp. The insects are frightened, and Lily saw a suspicious shadow lurking in the forest. Lily says she will be fine as long as there are not any last minute script changes.

After the first boss, Lumpy comes and finds Frogger at his fishing spot. When Lumpy is determined to catch the "Big One" and "have a big filet tonight", Frogger confesses "that he had caught the Big One". Frogger then tells Lumpy that weird things have been happening lately around Firefly Swamp, like the insects have been acting strange lately.

As Frogger meets the Little Lion in White Savanna Level 2, a scary monster came and stole the Amulet of Mastery, then Mr. Lion began acting strange and climbed the cliff and took off. The monster also used the Amulet of Mastery to make Mr. Lion and the other fairies act strange. Frogger decides to save Mr. Lion.

At White Savanna Level 3, Frogger sees a monster with a suit and a hood. He threatens to shoot an arrow at Frogger but he shoots a fairy instead. Luckily, Frogger was not hurt. The monster jumps off.

After defeating Mr. Lion, Frogger spots Finnius. Little Lion reunites with Mr. Lion. His family has guarded the Amulet of Mastery since ancient times, but it's been taken by an unknown person. Finnius admits he is responsible for the ancient documents to help save the Amulet. Frogger has gotten mixed up in some trouble once more.

Meanwhile, in Hidden Caves, Frogger confronts the monster again. He shoots an arrow but Frogger avoids it at first. After he shoots an arrow at Frogger, he explains that the place is not a place for kids. Frogger should leave if he wants to be safe, however, the monster leaves. Frogger infiltrates the mini-game called "Firefly Surfing" unharmed.

At the boss, Frogger meets the stranger along with Dr. Wani and his minions in TRIP. He noted that he has the Amulet of Mastery. Dr. Wani has no choice but to leave while the stranger shoots the Wani minions. He then takes off. Frogger is forced to defeat the minions in combat. After that, they swim away and Frogger catches up with Dr. Wani, stating that his strategy is as laughable as a one-legged squirrel.

Windows version

Unlike the earlier releases in the series, Frogger: Ancient Shadow released on Windows as a plug-and-play USB game controller.[3]

This controller was based on Net Jet technology, and when it was plugged in it would download the installer from remote servers managed by Oberon Media. The installer would then install the game executable, without any of the game assets. Game assets were downloaded during loading screens for the area about to be loaded. This was presumably done so the amount of time it took to set up the game was near-zero, making it a truly plug-and-play experience. However, since the servers hosting these files went offline sometime after July 2012, the game has been rendered unplayable and the assets lost.[1] There is an effort currently spearheaded by Highway Frogs to restore the game into a playable state.

Reception

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
GCPS2Xbox
GameSpot5/10[7]5/10[7]5/10[8]
GameSpyStarStar[9]N/AStarStar[10]
GameZoneN/A5/10[11]N/A
IGN5.3/10[12]5.3/10[12]5.3/10[12]
Nintendo Power5.5/10[13]N/AN/A
OPM (US)N/AStarStarHalf star[14]N/A
OXM (US)N/AN/A2.5/10[15]
PSMN/A6.5/10[16]N/A
TeamXboxN/AN/A6/10[17]
X-PlayStarStar[18]StarStar[18]StarStar[18]
Aggregate score
Metacritic54/100[4]54/100[5]47/100[6]

The GameCube and PlayStation 2 versions received "mixed" reviews, while the Xbox version received "generally unfavorable reviews", according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[4][5][6]

Notes

  1. ↑ The Windows version of the game was distributed as a USB plug-and-play controller, unplayable after 2012. There is currently an effort led by Highway Frogs to recover/restore the game.[1]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 NetJetLives (February 7, 2017). Konami Live! Online Game Controller. YouTube. Google. Archived from the original on December 19, 2021. Retrieved August 22, 2020.
  2. ↑ Sinclair, Brendan (September 27, 2005). "Konami ships quartet". Fandom. https://www.gamespot.com/articles/konami-ships-quartet/1100-6134495/. 
  3. ↑ "Frogger Live Controller Official Purchase Page". http://www.konami.com/Konami/ctl3810/cp20119/si1728326/cl1/konami_live_online_game_controllers_frogger/. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Frogger: Ancient Shadow critic reviews (GC)". Fandom. https://www.metacritic.com/game/frogger-ancient-shadow/critic-reviews/?platform=gamecube. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Frogger: Ancient Shadow critic reviews (PS2)". Fandom. https://www.metacritic.com/game/frogger-ancient-shadow/critic-reviews/?platform=playstation-2. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Frogger: Ancient Shadow critic reviews (Xbox)". Fandom. https://www.metacritic.com/game/frogger-ancient-shadow/critic-reviews/?platform=xbox. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Provo, Frank (October 12, 2005). "Frogger: Ancient Shadow Review (GC, PS2)". Fandom. https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/frogger-ancient-shadow-review/1900-6135552/. 
  8. ↑ Provo, Frank (October 13, 2005). "Frogger: Ancient Shadow Review (Xbox)". Fandom. https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/frogger-ancient-shadow-review/1900-6135714/. 
  9. ↑ Stratton, Bryan (October 4, 2005). "GameSpy: Frogger: Ancient Shadow (GCN)". IGN Entertainment. http://cube.gamespy.com/gamecube/frogger-ancient-shadow/655627p1.html. 
  10. ↑ Stratton, Bryan (October 4, 2005). "GameSpy: Frogger: Ancient Shadow (Xbox)". IGN Entertainment. http://xbox.gamespy.com/xbox/frogger-ancient-shadow/655633p1.html. 
  11. ↑ Bedigian, Louis (October 3, 2005). "Frogger: Ancient Shadow - PS2 - Review". https://gamezone.com/reviews/frogger_ancient_shadow_ps2_review/. 
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 Casamassina, Matt (September 27, 2005). "Frogger: Ancient Shadow". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/2005/09/27/frogger-ancient-shadow. 
  13. ↑ "Frogger: Ancient Shadow". Nintendo Power (Nintendo of America) 197: 118. November 2005. 
  14. ↑ "Frogger: Ancient Shadow". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine (Ziff Davis) (100): 100. January 2006. 
  15. ↑ "Frogger: Ancient Shadow". Official Xbox Magazine (Future US): 73. Christmas 2005. 
  16. ↑ Sewart, Greg; Bratcher, Eric (November 2005). "Frogger: Ancient Shadow". PSM (Future US) (103): 82. https://archive.org/details/psm-103-2005/page/n87/mode/2up. Retrieved September 2, 2024. 
  17. ↑ Fisher, Matthew (November 29, 2005). "Frogger: Ancient Shadow Review (Xbox)". IGN Entertainment. http://reviews.teamxbox.com/xbox/1086/Frogger-Ancient-Shadow/p1/. 
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 Leeper, Justin (November 29, 2005). "Frogger Ancient Shadow Review". G4 Media. http://www.g4tv.com/xplay/features/53057/Frogger_Ancient_Shadow_Review.html. 
  • 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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