Software:Mad Dog II: The Lost Gold

Short description: 1992 video game

Mad Dog II: The Lost Gold
Developer(s)	American Laser Games Digital Leisure (Wii)
Publisher(s)	American Laser Games Philips Media (CD-i) IBM (MS-DOS) Digital Leisure (DVD) Majesco Entertainment (Wii)
Platform(s)	Arcade, 3DO, Sega CD, CD-i, MS-DOS, DVD, Wii, PlayStation Network
Release	Arcade NA: 1992 3DO, Sega CD, CD-i NA: 1994 EU: 1994 MS-DOS NA: 1996 DVD NA: June 12, 2003 Wii NA: June 16, 2009 EU: August 28, 2009 PlayStation Network NA: April 16, 2013 EU: May 15, 2013
Genre(s)	Interactive movie, light gun shooter
Mode(s)	Single-player

Mad Dog II: The Lost Gold is a live-action laserdisc video game released by American Laser Games for arcades in 1992. Ports were published for Sega CD, 3DO, and CD-i in 1994, then MS-DOS in 1996. A sequel to the moderately popular Mad Dog McCree, the game adds dynamic shootout scenes and in-game music. Like the first game, the player follows the storyline and is required to quickly shoot certain enemies to proceed on the quest.

The game was re-released by Digital Leisure in 2003 on DVD-Video and again in 2009 on the Wii as part of the Mad Dog McCree Gunslinger Pack, a compilation that also includes the first Mad Dog game as well as The Last Bounty Hunter.

Plot

The anonymous main character must track down the wanted outlaw himself, eliminating any and all gang members and hostiles along the way; from the introduction, one can conclude that he or she will be up against renegade Indians, banditos and "Mad Dog's sleazy crew".

The player proceeds through the game, first by taking a preparatory shooting lesson with a stagecoach driver – played by Ben Zeller, who appeared in the role of the prospector in the original game – and then by choosing one of three guides: "Buckskin" Bonnie, the Professor and Shooting Beaver. Each guide takes the player along a different, unique route, but they converge in the game's final shootouts, which take place inside a moving train and in Mad Dog's hideout; the latter scene is especially lengthy and culminates with a showdown with McCree himself.

However, hunting down and defeating the infamous gunfighter is not the player's only goal; Mad Dog has hidden a chest full of treasure in his hideout and it is up to the player to get it back from him. At times, the player will discover that the treasure chest is full of sand and obviously does not contain the "lost gold". However, this scene does not always occur unless the player has reached the end using more than one credit. The sand scene does not appear on the CD-i or DVD versions of the game.

Gameplay

The player is guided along a path and must shoot the villains before they manage to hit the player character. A special cursor is used to specify the location the player is aiming at. There is also a limited number of bullets in the chamber; however, reloading can be done an infinite number of times.

Like Mad Dog McCree, The Last Bounty Hunter and Fast Draw Showdown, Mad Dog II contains random scenes in which the player takes part in a showdown against one or more gunfighters. The player starts out with an empty chamber and must quickly reload when given the chance, and proceed to eliminate the enemy as fast as possible. Shooting practice at the beginning of the game involves hitting cow skulls, signposts and such from a stagecoach in motion.

The player must avoid getting shot and hitting innocent civilians; if one of these occurs, the player loses one of three lives, and a short clip is displayed often showing an undertaker giving advice or criticizing the player's actions.

Ports

In the CD-i, 3DO, and MS-DOS versions, a mouse or light gun is used to shoot, reload, and choose paths or guides. There is one load/save slot and three difficulty levels.

Reception

Reception
Review scores Publication Score AllGame (ARC) EGM 6.2/10 (3DO) Next Generation (3DO) (Sega CD) CDi 83% (CD-i) Power Unlimited 85% (CD-i)

The MS-DOS version of Mad Dog II received a 9% from the US version of PC Gamer magazine.

The 3DO version received a 6.2 out of 10 from Electronic Gaming Monthly; their reviewers commented the game was fun but lacked longevity. GamePro gave it a rave review, deeming it "a shot ahead of the original" and "a powerful Western shootout that helps justify the cost of a 3DO." They particularly praised the sharp graphics, the accuracy of the Gamegun peripheral, and the importance of paying attention to the sounds in order to succeed in the game. Next Generation reviewed the 3DO version of the game, rating it two stars out of five, and stated that "American Laser Games claims that Mad Dog II ends with the longest interactive battle ever filmed, but after having played through a tedious half an hour, you'll probably wonder whether or not this is a good thing." Power Unlimited gave the CD-i version a score of 85% summarizing: "An excellent follow-up to the first success. Because you can reach the treasure via three ways and because you have three difficulty levels, it won't get boring quickly. Lightning fast and difficult."

GamePro gave the Sega CD version a more subdued but still positive review, saying it improved upon the graphics and sound quality of the original Mad Dog McCree. They also praised the choice of three different guides, which they said "adds greater depth and replay value to the game." Next Generation reviewed the Sega CD version of the game, rating it two stars out of five, and stated that "this is still the kind of stimulus-response, shooting-gallery action that defines gaming at its most basic level."

External links

• 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. 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". This approval process after submission can range from minutes to days or months. 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. A ranking system allows users to earn points for contributing accurate information.

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. 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. 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.

In mid-2010, MobyGames was purchased by GameFly for an undisclosed amount. This was announced to the community post factum , and the site's interface was given an unpopular redesign. 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). Blue Flame Labs reverted MobyGames' interface to its pre-overhaul look and feel, and for the next eight years, the site was run by Freyholtz and Independent Games Festival organizer Simon Carless.

On November 24, 2021, Atari SA announced a potential deal with Blue Flame Labs to purchase MobyGames for $1.5 million. The purchase was completed on 8 March 2022, with Freyholtz remaining as general manager. 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. This was accomplished by investing in full-time development of the site instead of its previously part-time development.

In 2024, MobyGames began offering a paid "Pro" membership option for the site to generate additional revenue. Previously, the site had generated income exclusively through banner ads and (from March 2014 onward) a small number of patrons via the Patreon website.

On February 13, 2025, Freyholtz stepped down as the site lead to move onto new projects, leaving operations to Tracy Poff, a veteran coder on the site, and Atari staff.

See also

• IGDB – game database used by Twitch for its search and discovery functions