Software:Lost Kingdoms

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Short description: 2002 video game
Lost Kingdoms
European cover art
Developer(s)FromSoftware
Publisher(s)Activision
  • JP: FromSoftware
Producer(s)Atsushi Taniguchi
Designer(s)Takashi Kojō
Programmer(s)Masaaki Sakamoto
Artist(s)
  • Norimasa Kawano
  • Makoto Sato
Composer(s)Kota Hoshino
Platform(s)GameCube
Release
  • JP: April 25, 2002
  • NA: May 29, 2002[1]
  • EU: August 9, 2002
Genre(s)Action role-playing
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Lost Kingdoms[lower-alpha 1] is a 2002 action role-playing game developed by FromSoftware and published by Activision. The game was released in Japan in April, in North America in May, and in Europe in August. Lost Kingdoms is a card-based action role-playing game where battles are fought in real-time. A sequel, Lost Kingdoms II, was released in 2003.

Story

The story begins with a substance known in the game as black fog. This fog is known for consuming people, towns, and other signs of civilization or life, nothing ever to escape from within. In Lost Kingdoms, the fog invades the land of Argwyll, home of the main character Katia, who is also the princess of this kingdom. The fog has been terrorizing the land for a long time, and Katia's father - the king - eventually ventured out to help try and deal with the deadly substance. However, since her father hadn't returned in some time, Katia soon leaves to find him.

Before she leaves, however, she is granted access to the castle's runestone, a key item in this game. With the runestone, Katia is able to use special magic cards to battle for her against the monsters that have spawned inside the black fog. Using this runestone, Katia is granted to leave the castle in the hopes of saving the kingdom, as well as finding and possibly rescuing her father. Unfortunately for her, she later finds that monsters killed her father. Later Katia finds a new enemy in the form of another runestone wielder, a girl named Helena that she repeatedly runs into. Eventually, Katia fights and kills Helena, but before she dies Helena reveals to Katia that she was trying to save her own land from the black fog. Katia eventually discovers that a man named Thalnos is behind the black fog, as well as the existence of a malevolent entity known as the God of Destruction. After fighting and killing Thalnos, it turns out that he was just a vessel for the God of Destruction. Katia then fights and defeats the evil god as the final boss of the game.

Gameplay

Lost Kingdoms is best known for its unique system of combat. Battles are played in real-time, where the player has to keep their character moving to avoid enemy attacks and plot tactical points to attack. Katia uses her cards for battle purposes only, as she cannot fight. Lost Kingdoms also has a multiplayer system in which two players can use their own decks to battle one another. When compared to single-player, the multiplayer has various restrictions to make the fight fair. Healing and one-hit kills are forbidden. Since some cards have the ability to return used cards back to the deck, these types of cards are also prohibited.

Cards

There are three special types of cards. Along with the battle types are elements. The elements of these cards includes fire, water, wood, earth, and neutral. Each type has its own advantage over another: Fire is strong against wood, but weak against water. Water is strong against fire, but weak against earth. Wood is strong against earth, but weak against fire. Earth is strong against water, but weak against wood. Neutral is a special and rare element, as it has no strengths and weaknesses against the other elements. Aside from finding new cards, Katia can also buy, sell, transform, and capture new cards.

Katia is capable of purchasing, finding, or getting her foes to submit to becoming new cards. Katia can also sell unwanted cards, and have her old cards transformed into new and/or stronger cards. Only a couple of cards are available after each level is completed, and they are not always completely new. Transforming cards is a part of the games experience point aspect, since defeating enemies with a card will earn the card experience points. Once cards earn enough experience, the shop will transform them into a different card for a certain number of experience points. Capturing cards is a special process that allows Katia to transform her foes into cards. By initiating a capture throw, Katia can force weakened enemies into submission and transform them. If a capture throw fails, then the enemy only lose a small part of their life.

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
Metacritic72/100[2]
Review scores
PublicationScore
Edge8/10[3]
EGM8/10[4]
Eurogamer6/10[5]
Famitsu33/40[6][7]
Game Informer8/10[8]
GameProStarStarStarStarHalf star[9]
GameRevolutionC[10]
GameSpot7.1/10[11]
GameSpyStarStarStarStar[12]
GameZone6.8/10[13]
IGN5.9/10[14]
Nintendo Power3.9/5[15]
RPGamer5/10[16]

Lost Kingdoms received "average" reviews according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[2] Fran Mirabella III of IGN cited the game's smooth framerate, deck customization, and two player mode as pros, but cited repetitive music, stiff graphics, average gameplay, trial-and-error, and random battles as cons.[14] Mike Bracken of RPGFan was more positive, calling it a solid game marred by lack of polish and short length. In his review he praised the gameplay as addictive and a highly polished and impressive mix of its influences, but tempered his review by noting the simplistic story, graphics, sound, and translation.[17] However, Chris Holoka of AllGame gave the game three stars out of five, calling it "A well-conceived concept suffering from a somewhat lackluster execution."[18] In Japan, Famitsu gave it a score of 33 out of 40.[6]

Notes

  1. ↑ known as Rune (ルーン, Rūn) in Japan

References

  1. ↑ Villoria, Gerald (May 29, 2002). "Lost Kingdoms ships to retailers today". http://www.gamespot.com/gamecube/rpg/lostkingdoms/news_2868398.html. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Lost Kingdoms for GameCube Reviews". Red Ventures. https://www.metacritic.com/game/lost-kingdoms/critic-reviews/?platform=gamecube. 
  3. ↑ Edge staff (August 2002). "Lost Kingdoms". Edge (Future Publishing) (113). 
  4. ↑ EGM staff (August 2002). "Lost Kingdoms". Electronic Gaming Monthly (Ziff Davis) (157): 136. 
  5. ↑ Bramwell, Tom (August 8, 2002). "Lost Kingdoms". Gamer Network. https://www.eurogamer.net/r-lostkingdoms-gc. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 "ニンテンドーゲームキューブ - ルーン" (in ja). Famitsu (Enterbrain) 915: 99. June 30, 2006. 
  7. ↑ "ルーン" (in ja). Famitsu (Enterbrain) (698). https://www.famitsu.com/cominy/?m=pc&a=page_h_title&title_id=9747&redirect=no. Retrieved 2022-07-14. 
  8. ↑ "Lost Kingdoms". Game Informer (FuncoLand) (111): 84. July 2002. 
  9. ↑ Fennec Fox (June 5, 2002). "Lost Kingdoms Review for GameCube on GamePro.com". GamePro (IDG Entertainment). http://www.gamepro.com/nintendo/gamecube/games/reviews/24035.shtml. Retrieved July 28, 2017. 
  10. ↑ Liu, Johnny (June 2002). "Lost Kingdoms Review". CraveOnline. https://www.gamerevolution.com/review/32430-lost-in-the-fog-review. 
  11. ↑ Kasavin, Greg (June 4, 2002). "Lost Kingdoms Review". Red Ventures. https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/lost-kingdoms-review/1900-2869195/. 
  12. ↑ Pavlacka, Adam (June 28, 2002). "GameSpy: Lost Kingdoms". IGN Entertainment. http://cube.gamespy.com/gamecube/lost-kingdoms/596689p1.html. 
  13. ↑ Lafferty, Michael (June 13, 2002). "Lost Kingdoms Review". http://gamecube.gamezone.com/gzreviews/r19880.htm. 
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Mirabella III, Fran (June 4, 2002). "Lost Kingdoms". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/2002/06/04/lost-kingdoms. 
  15. ↑ "Lost Kingdoms". Nintendo Power (Nintendo of America) 157: 146. June 2002. 
  16. ↑ Alley, Jake (November 10, 2004). "Lost Kingdoms - Review". CraveOnline. https://archive.rpgamer.com/games/other/gamecube/rune/reviews/runestrev1.html. 
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 Bracken, Mike (June 4, 2002). "Lost Kingdoms". Emerald Shield Media LLC. https://www.rpgfan.com/review/lost-kingdoms/. 
  18. ↑ Holoka, Chris. "Lost Kingdoms - Review". All Media Network. http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=38563&tab=review. 
  • 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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