Software:Mega Man (1995 video game)

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Short description: 1995 action-platform video game published by U.S. Gold
Mega Man
Cover art
Developer(s)Freestyle
Publisher(s)U.S. Gold
Producer(s)Richard Siddall
Daniel Llewellyn
Programmer(s)Michael Hart
Paul Carter
Artist(s)Paul Gregory
SeriesMega Man
Platform(s)Game Gear
Release
Genre(s)Action, platform
Mode(s)Single-player

Mega Man is an action-platform video game developed by Freestyle for the Sega Game Gear, and saw a North America-only release in October 1995. The game was sublicensed by British publisher U.S. Gold from Japanese-based company and creator of Mega Man Capcom. The game features Mega Man fighting against the mad scientist Dr. Wily and the six Robot Masters under his control, and features bosses and stages from Mega Man 4 and Mega Man 5.

Mega Man received generally positive reviews from video game critics upon release, though retrospective reviews were more mixed. While the game was praised for its graphics and sound being similar to the NES titles upon which it was based, its gameplay was criticized for its excessive level of zoom and fast enemy movement that led to unfair difficulty.

Gameplay

Mega Man in a boss fight against Toad Man

Mega Man is an action-platform game that is very similar to the original series. The protagonist, Mega Man, is able to run, jump, shoot, and climb his way past obstacles and enemies. It is based on elements from the NES versions of Mega Man 4 and Mega Man 5.[2] Differences from previous entries include the lack of continues after running out of lives.[2] Mega Man's robotic canine companion Rush, using an ability called Rush Coil, assists in helping the character jump higher.[1]

The Robot Masters featured at the beginning are Bright Man, Napalm Man, Star Man, and Stone Man. Mega Man 4 antagonist Dr. Cossack's fortress contains Wave Man's and Toad Man's levels and respective bosses.[3] Wily's fortress is Quick Man's stage from Mega Man 2, with the Wily fight taken from Mega Man 5.[2]

Development

Mega Man was published by British-based publisher U.S. Gold. U.S. Gold sublicensed the series from Capcom and had a different company, Freestyle, develop the game.[3] It was released exclusively in North America on the Game Gear in 1995.[2]

Reception

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
GamePro3.75/5[1]
Mean Machines75%[4]
Sega Power87%[5]

Reception to the game was generally positive. Mega Man received an 87 percent from the UK-based magazine Sega Power.[5] A reviewer for GamePro gave the game a total score of 3.75 out of 5, complimenting its graphics and sound, but noting that the small Game Gear screen increases the difficulty.[1] Mean Machines gave it a 75 percent, with Gus Swan calling it a "close conversion of the Megaman [sic] style".[4]

Retrospective reviews for the game have been mixed. 1UP.com's Nadia Oxford elaborated, "Mega Man often has to fight with his enemies in such close quarters, he might as well hold their hands and try his luck at a friendship. The constant screen-scrolling and sticky controls makes for a very frustrating game, although the Game Gear's low battery life ends the torment in a couple of hours anyway."[6] GameSpot contributors Christian Nutt and Justin Speer described it as "a decent, if somewhat sluggish, translation of the Mega Man series".[3] Damien Butt from Retro Gamer, while giving it praise for its graphics, was more mixed towards its gameplay, criticizing its difficulty and the enemies moving too fast for the player.[7] Robert Workman for GameZone believed the game deserved a second chance for re-release, praising it for its controls, visuals, and sound.[8]

In 2013, due to an ESRB listing, there was speculation that the Game Gear title was being released for the Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console.[9] Despite the listing, nothing came of it. Because of its North American exclusivity, copies of the game garner a high price point, with complete copies going for $200 as of 2013, and $1,800 as of 2023.[7]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Slo Mo (October 1995). "ProReview: Mega Man". GamePro (Boulder, CO: Infotainment World, Inc.) (75): 104. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Foster, Neil (October 2, 2017). "Mega Man (Game Gear)". Hardcore Gaming 101. http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/mega-man-game-gear/. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Nutt, Christian; Speer, Justin (November 6, 2003). "The History of Mega Man". GameSpot. https://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-history-of-mega-man/1100-6076983/. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Merrett, Steve; Swan, Gus (June 1995). "Game Gear Review". Mean Machines (32): 84–85. https://archive.org/details/mean-machines-sega-magazine-32/page/n83. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Reviews: Mega Man". Sega Power (Future Publishing) (67). June 1995. 
  6. ↑ Oxford, Nadia (May 24, 2007). "Mega Manniversary: Mega Mediocrity". http://www.1up.com/do/feature?cId=3159805. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Butt, Damian (August 11, 2008). "Megaman". Retro Gamer. https://www.retrogamer.net/retro_games90/megaman/. 
  8. ↑ Workman, Robert (June 25, 2013). "Forgotten Mega Man games that deserve a second chance". GameZone. https://www.gamezone.com/originals/forgotten-mega-man-games-that-deserve-a-second-chance/. 
  9. ↑ Whitehead, Thomas (June 24, 2013). "Game Gear Mega Man Could be Destined for the 3DS Virtual Console". Nintendo Life. http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2013/06/game_gear_mega_man_could_be_destined_for_the_3ds_virtual_console. 
  • 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 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]

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.[18]

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. 
  18. ↑ "An update on MobyGames leadership". 2025-02-13. https://www.mobygames.com/forum/3/thread/269628/an-update-on-mobygames-leadership/#post-269628. 
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