Software:Klustar

From HandWiki
Short description: 1999 video game
Klustar
Cover art
Developer(s)Rebellion Developments
Producer(s)Infogrames
Platform(s)Game Boy Color
ReleaseApril 1999[1]
Genre(s)Puzzle
Mode(s)Single-player, Multiplayer

Klustar is a 1999 Game Boy Color game developed by Rebellion Developments Ltd. and published by Infogrames. Similar to Tetris, the game is a puzzle game requiring the player to manipulate and match patterns on a grid of blocks.

Gameplay

A screenshot of Klustar.

The player controls a klustar of colored blocks that can be moved in four directions and rotated at right angles. In Klustar, colored tetrominoes appear from all sides of the screen and attach to the center. The goal of the game is to match the colors by fitting blocks together by forming squares of at least three blocks with the same color, which disappear. The game continues until the klustar becomes so big it can no longer move, or blocks shapes entering the screen. The game contains two modes: an endurance game that lasts indefinitely, or a 'countdown game' where the aim is to get the highest score with a limited number of matches, with additional types of incoming shapes.[2] The game is scored by the number and size of the paired squares, and the difficulty level set in the game.[3]

Development

Klustar was developed by Chris and Jason Kingsley of Rebellion Developments,[3] and was one of the first titles developed by the pair and the first developed for the Game Boy. The game was designed and owned independently by the duo.[4] Klustar was developed by Rebellion Developments as the first title in four years following a series of unsuccessful developments for the Atari Jaguar. The duo stated "we had always been big fans of the Game Boy and worked on various iterations of the hardware over the years", and had "put together (their) own software tools for the Game Boy from off-the shelf tools".[5]

Reception

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
AllGameStarStarStarStar[2]
CVGStarStarStarStar[6]
IGN6/10[7]
Game Boy Xtreme67%[8]
N64 Gamer75%[9]
Planet Game BoyStar[10]
Total Game Boy58%[11]

Klustar received mixed reviews, with many critics assessing the merits of the game in comparison to Tetris.[10][11] Positive reviews of Klustar considered the game as an innovative interpretation of Tetris. Q64 stated "Klustar is an interesting twist on the Tetris theme, and puzzle fans of this type will want to give Klustar a try".[12] In a milder review, Craig Harris of IGN stated that Klustar was "one of the most unique" interpretations of Tetris, although "it doesn't have the same addictive quality as the original puzzle stacker".[7]

Negative reviews focused upon the overly simplistic design and visual presentation of Klustar. Dave Perrett of Planet Game Boy stated that Klustar was "dull and unnecessary", as the "simple" idea behind the game "doesn't come close to challenging you", particularly once the player "(gets) the hand of how things work".[10] Total Game Boy dismissed the game as a "second-rate version of Tetris", noting the "minimal" presentation and considering that "adding color was a pointless idea".[11] Game Boy Xtreme stated that Klustar "captures little of the excitement of the original".[8]

References

  1. ↑ "Release Schedule". Game Week 5 (14): 22. 21 April 1999. https://archive.org/details/game-week-april-21-1999. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Miller, Skyler. "Klustar". http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=20968. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Klustar: Instruction Booklet. Infogrames. 1999. https://www.thegameisafootarcade.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Klustar-Game-Manual.pdf. 
  4. ↑ "Jason Kingsley of Rebellion: Rebellion co-founder interviewed". 3 March 2000. https://www.eurogamer.net/rebellion. 
  5. ↑ "Interview: Jason & Chris Kingsley". Retro 8: 100. December 2015. https://issuu.com/michelfranca/docs/retro_vol.8. 
  6. ↑ Huhtala, Alex (May 1999). "Klustar". Computer and Video Games. https://archive.org/details/Computer_and_Video_Games_Issue_210_1999-05_EMAP_Images_GB/page/n51/mode/2up. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Harris, Craig (28 August 1999). "Klustar". https://www.ign.com/articles/1999/08/27/klustar. 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 "On The Shelves". Game Boy Xtreme (1): 63. July 2001. https://archive.org/details/GBX-Magazine-Print-Collection/01%20GBX%20July%202001/page/n61. 
  9. ↑ Girdler, Meghan Jane (June 2000). "Klustar". N64 Gamer (28): 82. https://archive.org/details/N64_Gamer_Issue_28_2000_06_Next_Publishing_AU_a/page/82. 
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Perrett, Dave (May 1999). "Klustar". Planet Game Boy (1): 50. https://archive.org/details/Planet_Game_Boy_Issue_01_1999-06_Future_Publishing_GB/page/n47. 
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 "Klustar". Total Game Boy (3): 50. July 2001. https://archive.org/details/total-game-boy-03/page/n17. 
  12. ↑ "Klustar". Q64: 108. 31 August 1999. https://archive.org/details/Q64_1999_Volume_2_Summer/page/n107. 
  • 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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