Software:Mazes of Fate

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Short description: 2006 video game

Mazes of Fate
Developer(s)Sabarasa
Publisher(s)
Designer(s)Javier Otaegui
Platform(s)Game Boy Advance
Nintendo DS
ReleaseGame Boy Advance
  • NA: December 12, 2006
Nintendo DS
  • EU: July 25, 2008
  • NA: September 9, 2008
Genre(s)Role-playing
Mode(s)Single-player

Mazes of Fate is a first-person role-playing video game developed by Argentinian[1] studio Sabarasa and published by Graffiti Entertainment for the Game Boy Advance and the Nintendo DS. The Game Boy Advance version was released in North America on December 12, 2006.[1][2][3]

A reconversion, titled Mazes of Fate DS, was released for the Nintendo DS on July 25, 2008 in Europe and on September 9, 2008 in North America. It improved on the original by fixing bugs present in the original, introducing a 3D engine in dungeons as a replacement of fake-3D, adding new secret areas in dungeons, and including new dungeon maps. A major bug in the DS port removed the challenge of combat by making nearly all enemies killable before they can approach the player and start counterattacking.[4]

The game's Game Boy Advance release received mixed-to-positive reviews, whilst the DS re-release was looked upon more unfavourably.[5]

Plot

The dark fantasy world where the story is set is soon to be facing divine punishment. The ancient gods, disgusted by humanity’s pride, intend to wipe mankind out and replace it with a new, more submissive race of goatmen, but this plan is not unavoidable. One party of adventurers take it upon themselves to fight back "against overwhelming odds" so that humanity is not sentenced to a fate "that may be worse than death."[6]

Traveling with the protagonist are potentially six allies, who gradually get recruited, or ask to join the adventurers.[6]

Gameplay

Mazes of Fate is a real-time first-person role-playing game in which the player takes controls of up to three characters. It bears similarities to older games in its genre, including Eye of the Beholder. When the player starts the game, he or she can either choose from three different pre-generated characters - a Warrior, a Rogue, and a Mage - or create a custom character. The Warrior's abilities are tilted towards power, the Rogue's abilities are tilted towards speed and thief-related abilities, and the Mage's abilities are tilted towards magic and spells. In the DS version of the game, the number of pre-generated characters player may choose from is increased to seven. In addition to the original three characters, he or she can also play as a Priest, an Assassin (an agile warrior using mostly daggers and knives), a Valkyrie (a different type of warrior specializing in two-handed and ranged weapons), or as an alternative type of Warrior specializing in two-handed weapons.
The game has three different types of areas the player can explore - dungeons, the overworld, and civilized locations such as towns and villages. The dungeons are the primary area where battles are fought, the overworld is a hub which leads to dungeons and civilized locations, and civilized locations often act to advance the story and purchase and sell items.

Development

Mazes of Fate was developed by Argentinean developer Sabarasa for the Game Boy Advance and directed by Javier Otaegui. The development team consisted of approximately 15 people as well as some external workers assisting. Development began in 2003, taking approximately 2 and a half years to finish. The GBA was chosen for Mazes of Fate because of it being comparatively easier to make games on. Otaegui took inspiration from multiple role-playing games, including Chrono Trigger, Fallout, and Eye of the Beholder. The visual design of the game is a combination of Japanese anime and South American art styles. He stated that the choice of making a first-person role-playing game on the GBA was due to a lack of quality attempts on the platform. The developer experienced issues during development due to them being relatively new to game development and their region's lack of console game development history. The game's publisher, Graffiti Entertainment, assisted in development.[7]

Reception

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
DSGBA
GameSpotN/A6.6/10[8]
GameZoneN/A7.8/10[9]
IGN4/10[4]6.5/10[10]
Nintendo World ReportN/A6.5/10[11]
Aggregate score
Metacritic49/100[5]65/100[12]

The Game Boy Advance version received "mixed" reviews, earning an average score of 65 out of 100, while the DS version received "generally unfavorable reviews", earning a score of 49 out of 100 according to video game review aggregator Metacritic.[5][12]

Reviewing the Game Boy Advance version for IGN, Jack Devries called it "the very definition of old school", praising it's "engrossing", yet "hard to follow" story and the variety and scale of content, though noted the visuals as "dated" and criticized the audio as having "some of the worst sound effects on the system", giving the game a 6.5 out of 10.[13]

The DS version received generally lower scores; for IGN, Devries also reviewed its port, criticizing the game heavily for its AI being so much worse that "the game lost all of its challenge", panning the updated graphics, and ultimately stated that the developers "butchered their own game and completely ruined it", giving the game a 4 out of 10.[14]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Mazes of Fate" (in en). March 27, 2006. https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/mazes-of-fate. 
  2. ↑ "Protothea (PC) Specs" (in en). https://www.cnet.com/products/protothea-pc/. 
  3. ↑ "Scratches Release Information for PC - GameFAQs". https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/pc/931243-scratches/data. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 DeVries, Jack (October 9, 2008). "Mazes of Fate DS Review". IGN. http://www.ign.com/articles/2008/10/09/mazes-of-fate-ds-review. Retrieved January 13, 2016. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 "Mazes of Fate DS for DS Reviews". Metacritic. https://www.metacritic.com/game/mazes-of-fate/critic-reviews/?platform=ds. Retrieved January 13, 2016. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 (in en) Mazes of Fate - IGN, https://www.ign.com/games/mazes-of-fate, retrieved 2019-07-11 
  7. ↑ Wood, Ben (December 27, 2006). "Interview with Javier Otaegui – Sabarasa Entertainment". N-Philes. Archived from the original on February 14, 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20080214151147/https://www.n-philes.com/features.php?id=319. Retrieved May 18, 2023. 
  8. ↑ VanOrd, Kevin (January 9, 2007). "Mazes of Fate Review". GameSpot. http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/mazes-of-fate-review/1900-6163945/. Retrieved January 13, 2016. 
  9. ↑ Platt, Dylan (December 28, 2006). "Mazes of Fate - GBA - Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on November 14, 2007. https://web.archive.org/web/20071114111309/http://gameboy.gamezone.com/gzreviews/r31079.htm. Retrieved January 13, 2016. 
  10. ↑ DeVries, Jack (February 23, 2007). "Mazes of Fate Review". IGN. http://www.ign.com/articles/2007/02/24/mazes-of-fate-review. Retrieved January 13, 2016. 
  11. ↑ Trammell, David (February 17, 2007). "Mazes of Fate (GBA)". Nintendo World Report. http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/review/12928/mazes-of-fate-game-boy-advance. Retrieved January 13, 2016. 
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 "Mazes of Fate for Game Boy Advance Reviews". Metacritic. https://www.metacritic.com/game/mazes-of-fate/critic-reviews/?platform=game-boy-advance. Retrieved January 13, 2016. 
  13. ↑ DeVries, Jack (2007-02-24). "Mazes of Fate Review" (in en). https://www.ign.com/articles/2007/02/24/mazes-of-fate-review. 
  14. ↑ DeVries, Jack (2008-10-09). "Mazes of Fate DS Review" (in en). https://www.ign.com/articles/2008/10/09/mazes-of-fate-ds-review. 

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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