Software:Jaws Unleashed

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Short description: 2006 video game

Jaws Unleashed
Developer(s)Appaloosa Interactive
Publisher(s)Majesco Entertainment
Platform(s)
Release
  • NA: May 23, 2006
  • EU: September 22, 2006 (PC)
  • NA: October 18, 2006 (PC)
  • EU: October 20, 2006
  • AU: October 26, 2006
Genre(s)Action-adventure
Mode(s)Single player

Jaws Unleashed is a 2006 action-adventure video game inspired by the 1975 film Jaws. It was developed by Appaloosa Interactive and published by Majesco Entertainment. This game features open world gameplay, with the player assuming control of a large great white shark and being able to roam freely throughout the water, eating other animals and humans, while destroying everything in its path. Jaws Unleashed was released for Microsoft Windows, Xbox and PlayStation 2.

Gameplay

In Jaws: Unleashed, the player assumes the role of the shark. The shark first enters the island from the southern end and finds itself in a cove. The cove has tutorials to allow the player to become familiar with the controls, such as the ones for moving the shark and attacking other creatures. The shark has a menu for upgrades as well. These can be accessed from either the main menu or the pause menu. Upgrade points are earned by causing destruction around Amity Island (in levels and in free-roam mode), completing levels, and/or collecting bonus items, the most frequently found of which being treasure chests. There are numerous upgrade criteria to choose from. Players can choose to upgrade the shark's power, speed, hunger, health, or accuracy.

During gameplay, there is a HUD in the lower-right corner of the screen. This HUD has four meters and a sonar that informs players of the positions of important objects, prey, and enemies. The two parallel meters above the sonar are for the shark's health (right side, red-colored), and hunger (left side, green-colored). As the shark becomes hungry, its health will diminish, forcing the player to "eat" constantly. The health bar will also diminish as the shark takes damage. The last two meters are used to charge the shark's tail-whip and head-butt attacks. The more each meter fills, the stronger the attack is. The meters are on the left quadrant of the sonar, running along the arc with the head-butt meter on the outside and the tail-whip meter on the inside. The head-butt meter is orange when charging, flashing when fully charged, and is the same as the tail-whip meter, but it is purple instead of orange.

The shark has unique attacks in its arsenal. The shark can ram objects with its snout, whip enemies with its caudal tail, bite, and when the player earns enough points to upgrade their abilities, new attacks become unlocked, such as the "corkscrew" and the "body bomb". To perform a corkscrew attack, the player must charge up the head-butt meter and tail-whip meter; head-butt first, then release the tail-whip button and the shark will spin around, causing damage to anything caught in its wake. To perform a body-bomb, they simply charge the head-butt meter, point the shark upward, release the movement button and the shark will fly up in the air, and smash back down.

Plot

30 years after the events of the first film, Amity Island is growing, making corporate connections with prestigious companies like Environplus to improve the island's economy. The increased population around the island and industrial activity has also attracted the Earth's most fearsome creature and the game's main character: an enormous, 35 ft (11 m) great white shark. When the son of Environplus CEO Steven Shaw is eaten by the ferocious beast, Shaw hires renowned shark hunter Cruz Raddock to track down and kill the shark. Meanwhile, marine biologist Michael Brody tries to capture the shark for research. Players are introduced to the controls and abilities of the shark in a tutorial, where the player kills several divers, learns to attack swimmers at a beach, and must destroy a set of docks. Brody shows up at this point, captures the shark, and transports it to Amity's marine theme park, similar to SeaWorld.

The shark is put in a holding tank, where Brody, Vaughn Jr., and Shaw argue about what to do with the shark. Shaw wants the shark to be killed, as it killed his son and is endangering the beaches, whereas Mayor Vaughn wants to put it on display for tourists. After they leave, the shark escapes from its holding tank and destroys the waterpark. In one of the exhibit tanks, the shark kills the resident orca. After this, the player is free to roam.

Brody tells the mayor that his research has discovered that the subsonic frequencies emitted by Environplus's Seaseeker submarines are causing the sharks around Amity to become more aggressive and attack humans. The mayor brushes off Brody's advice and insists on keeping the submarines.

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
PCPS2Xbox
EdgeN/A4/10[1]4/10[1]
EurogamerN/AN/A3/10[2]
Game InformerN/A4.75/10[3]4.75/10[3]
GameProN/A2.75/5[4]2.75/5[4]
GameRevolutionN/AD−[5]D−[5]
GameSpot3.8/10[6]3.8/10[7]3.8/10[7]
GameSpyN/AStarStar[8]StarStar[8]
GameZoneN/A4.5/10[9]6.9/10[10]
IGN6.1/10[11]7.4/10[12]7.4/10[12]
OPM (US)N/AStarHalf star[13]N/A
OXM (US)N/AN/A6.5/10[14]
PC Gamer (US)71%[15]N/AN/A
The A.V. ClubN/AD+[16]D+[16]
Aggregate score
Metacritic55/100[17]52/100[18]51/100[19]

The shark finds its way into a beach party in the middle of the night and attacks the swimmers. When a truck starts throwing explosive barrels in the water, the shark grabs one and throws it at a pipe line filled with oil. The barrel explodes, causing a chain reaction as the oil ignites that causes the entire Environplus refinery to catch fire and collapse into the ocean. After this, it causes more carnage, such as destroying an underwater facility, destroying an oil shipment, and killing Shaw and Mayor Vaughn by ramming his yacht into a barge filled with fireworks. Seeing this as the last straw, Cruz sets to blow up the shark, but he is killed when his boat is destroyed. Brody drops a bomb over the wreckage of Cruz's boat, The Orca II. Assuming that the shark is dead, Brody, aboard the Coast Guard helicopter, flies away, but the shark is revealed to be alive and begins to follow the helicopter.

Reception

Jaws Unleashed received "mixed" reviews on all platforms, according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[17][18][19] Most complaints center around the game's glitches, freezes and camera problems.

Despite this, the game was a commercial success, selling over 250,000 copies on Xbox alone, therefore earning it GameSpot's "Worst Game Everyone Played of 2006" award.[20]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Edge staff (August 2006). "Jaws Unleashed (PS2, Xbox)". Edge (165): 90. 
  2. ↑ MacDonald, Keza (December 9, 2006). "Jaws Unleashed (Xbox)". http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/r_jawsunleashed_x. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Jaws Unleashed (PS2, Xbox)". Game Informer (160): 84. August 2006. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Rice Burner (June 1, 2006). "Review: Jaws Unleashed (PS2, Xbox)". GamePro. http://www.gamepro.com/sony/ps2/games/reviews/60848.shtml. Retrieved April 24, 2017. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Silverman, Ben (June 8, 2006). "Jaws Unleashed Review (PS2, Xbox)". Game Revolution. http://www.gamerevolution.com/review/jaws-unleashed. 
  6. ↑ Navarro, Alex (November 10, 2006). "Jaws Unleashed Review (PC)". https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/jaws-unleashed-review/1900-6161493/. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Navarro, Alex (May 26, 2006). "Jaws Unleashed Review (PS2, Xbox)". https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/jaws-unleashed-review/1900-6151938/. 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Klepek, Patrick (June 1, 2006). "GameSpy: Jaws Unleashed (PS2, Xbox)". GameSpy. http://ps2.gamespy.com/playstation-2/sole-predator/710995p1.html. 
  9. ↑ Hopper, Steven (June 11, 2006). "JAWS Unleashed – PS2 – Review". GameZone. http://www.gamezone.com/reviews/jaws_unleashed_ps2_review. 
  10. ↑ Kuvin, Scott "M Balmer" (June 11, 2006). "JAWS Unleashed – XB – Review". GameZone. http://www.gamezone.com/reviews/jaws_unleashed_xb_review. 
  11. ↑ Dunham, Jeremy (October 23, 2006). "Jaws Unleashed Review (PC)". http://www.ign.com/articles/2006/10/23/jaws-unleashed-review. 
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Dunham, Jeremy (May 26, 2006). "JAWS Unleashed (PS2, Xbox)". http://www.ign.com/articles/2006/05/26/jaws-unleashed. 
  13. ↑ "Jaws Unleashed". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine: 77. August 2006. 
  14. ↑ "Jaws Unleashed". Official Xbox Magazine: 81. August 2006. 
  15. ↑ "Jaws Unleashed". PC Gamer: 72. February 2007. 
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 Tobias, Scott (June 28, 2006). "Jaws Unleashed (PS2, Xbox)". The A.V. Club. http://www.avclub.com/article/jaws-unleashed-8883. 
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 "Jaws Unleashed for PC Reviews". https://www.metacritic.com/game/jaws-unleashed/critic-reviews/?platform=pc. 
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 "Jaws Unleashed for PlayStation 2 Reviews". https://www.metacritic.com/game/jaws-unleashed/critic-reviews/?platform=playstation-2. 
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 "Jaws Unleashed for Xbox Reviews". https://www.metacritic.com/game/jaws-unleashed/critic-reviews/?platform=xbox. 
  20. ↑ "Best & Worst 2006 (Worst Game Everyone Played)". http://www.gamespot.com/special_features/bestof2006/honors/index.html?page=8. 

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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