Software:Ghoul Patrol

From HandWiki
Short description: 1994 video game
Ghoul Patrol
North American SNES cover art
Developer(s)
Publisher(s)JVC Musical Industries
Lucasfilm Games (Re-release)
Director(s)Kalani Streicher
Producer(s)
  • Kalani Streicher (LucasArts)
  • Andrew Carter (Motion Pixel)
Designer(s)Kalani Streicher
Programmer(s)Andrew Carter
Artist(s)
  • Harrison Fong
  • Holger Liebnitz
  • Liu Pee Hieng
Composer(s)
Platform(s)Super Nintendo Entertainment System
Microsoft Windows
Nintendo Switch
Xbox One
PlayStation 4
ReleaseSuper NES
  • NA: November 1994
  • PAL: 1994
  • JP: May 26, 1995
Microsoft Windows, Switch, Xbox One
  • WW: June 29, 2021
PlayStation 4
  • WW: October 28, 2021
Genre(s)Run and gun
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Ghoul Patrol is a run and gun video game developed by LucasArts and published by JVC Musical Industries for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in 1994.

It is a sequel to the Zombies Ate My Neighbors (1993). Both games were re-released together as part of Lucasfilm Classic Games: Zombies Ate My Neighbors and Ghoul Patrol for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Windows in 2021 by Disney Interactive.

Gameplay

The game stars Zeke and Julie, the protagonists from Zombies Ate My Neighbors, who must travel through five worlds to save their town from a horror exhibit come to life.

Development

According to Toshiyasu Morita, a programmer and technology manager at LucasArts during the mid-1990s, this sequel was made by a third party that licensed the use of the Zombies Ate My Neighbors engine for this purpose.[1]

The game was developed by LucasArts, but most of the development work was outsourced by a small Malaysian studio called Motion Pixel.[2] It serves as a sequel to Zombies Ate My Neighbors, although it originally did not begin development as a sequel to the game, but merely as an unrelated game that used the same gameplay engine.

Release

It was released by JVC Musical Industries in November 1994 in North America, and later in the year in Europe.[3] A Japanese version was published by the JVC subsidiary Victor Entertainment in 1995.

It was later re-released digitally on the Wii Virtual Console in 2010, and for the Nintendo Switch, Xbox One and Windows in 2021 together with its predecessor.[4]

A Genesis version was under development, but was not released.[5]

Reception

GamePro commented that "Ghoul Patrol is the closest you can get to the acclaimed Zombies Ate My Neighbors, and it's a worthy successor." They particularly praised the "outrageous 360-degree shoot-em-up action" and detailed, cartoony graphics.[6] Electronic Gaming Monthly gave it a 7.8 out of 10, calling it "A worthy sequel to Zombies Ate My Neighbors" and "A great salute to old, late-night horror movies."[7]

Notes

  1. ↑ Lucasfilm Classic Games version developed by DotEmu.

References

  1. ↑ "Interview: Toshiyasu Morita at Sega-16.com". http://www.sega-16.com/2008/02/interview-toshiyasu-morita/. Retrieved 2010-02-05. 
  2. ↑ "Ghoul Patrol - Hardcore Gaming 101". hardcoregaming.net. 2011-01-31. http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/ghoul-patrol/. Retrieved 2021-04-01. 
  3. ↑ "LucasArts Entertainment Company | 20th Anniversary". June 23, 2006. http://www.lucasarts.com/20th/history_2.htm. 
  4. ↑ Romano, Sal (May 11, 2021). "Lucasfilm Classic Games: Zombies Ate My Neighbors and Ghoul Patrol announced for PS4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC". https://www.gematsu.com/2021/05/lucasfilm-classic-games-zombies-ate-my-neighbors-and-ghoul-patrol-announced-for-ps4-xbox-one-switch-and-pc. 
  5. ↑ Derboo, Sam (January 31, 2011). "Ghoul Patrol". Hardcore Gaming 101. http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/ghoul-patrol/. 
  6. ↑ "ProReview: Ghoul Patrol". GamePro (IDG) (74): 148. November 1994. 
  7. ↑ "Review Crew: Ghoul Patrol". Electronic Gaming Monthly (Sendai Publishing) (65): 38. December 1994. 
  • 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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