Software:Metal Dungeon

From HandWiki
Short description: 2002 video game
Metal Dungeon
North American packaging artwork
Developer(s)Panther Software
Publisher(s)
  • JP: Panther Software
  • WW: Xicat Interactive
Platform(s)Xbox
Release
  • JP: February 28, 2002
  • NA: December 3, 2002[1]
  • EU: December 6, 2002
Genre(s)Role-playing video game
Mode(s)Single-player

Metal Dungeon (メタルダンジョン, Metaru Danjon) is a turn-based role-playing video game developed by Panther Software for Microsoft's Xbox game system.

The game takes place in a fictional alternate reality where countries have access to highly advanced magitechnology. In the process of creating monsters with this technology using an ancient creature named "The Gods of Magic"; it broke free of its bonds and took control of the secret facility and proceeded to slay all of the research team and arm the compounds defenses. The player is a commander in charge of the Cyborg Enforcer Teams sent into the dungeon to reclaim it. The game featured 100 levels of randomly generated maps, the first ten being the game's main story mode. The other 90 were extended play for players wanting to continue playing with their strong characters.

Gameplay

As the game starts, you create a team of Enforcers for your expeditions into the dungeon, with the option to create over 40 total. When creating your characters you are given the ability to alter the height, sex, ethnicity, weight and hairstyle as well as given a choice between the Fencer, Caster, Analyzer, Striker, or Broader classes; Each falling into a Dungeons and Dragons styled role. Several Advanced classes were available by finding Class Chips in the dungeon and applying them to your characters. Once inside the dungeon, the player's team must move around, find monsters and equipment while leveling up. A major point unsaid in-game is that you are not expected to be able to beat a level's boss on the first time entering the level; as you could only allocate level up points while out of the dungeon.

Dungeons were randomly generated, most adhering to a typical design that made the map seem less random then it was. Each level has a control room that could possibly be locked, holding a boss monster that must be defeated to win the level and unlock the next one.

Fencer Fighter class that could use Hammers or Swords and had the rare chance of performing a move like a Final Fantasy "Limit Break" that would damage all enemies at once.

Analyzer Ranged in class. Without an Analyzer in the party, the player is unable to know how much health enemies have and their current HP amount. Analyzers used firearms ranging from laser beams, to machine guns, to rocket launchers that all shared the same in-game model.

Caster Basic Spell Caster that could be wired with a variety of Spell Chips either bought from the in-game shop or found in the dungeon. Each spell had a number of charges that had to be refilled by visiting the surface. Casters automatically blocked until the player told them what spell to use.

Broader The Jack-Of-All-Trades class that had a flat rate for all skill gains at the expense of leveling up extremely slowly and was reserved for advanced players that foresaw spending a large time grinding.

Striker A barbarian class that used combat gloves as their weapon. Each strike had a rare chance of instantly killing a non-boss enemy.

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
Metacritic44/100[2]
Review scores
PublicationScore
Famitsu23/40[3]
Game Informer6/10[4]
GamesMaster50%[5]
GameSpot3.1/10[6]
GameZone7/10[7]
IGN3.5/10[1]
Jeuxvideo.com6/20[8]
OXM (US)6.1/10[9]
TeamXbox3.4/10[10]
X-PlayStarStar[11]

The game received "generally unfavorable reviews" according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[2] In Japan, Famitsu gave it a score of 23 out of 40.[3]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Goldstein, Hilary (December 5, 2002). "Metal Dungeon". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/2002/12/05/metal-dungeon. Retrieved May 8, 2020. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Metal Dungeon for Xbox Reviews". CBS Interactive. https://www.metacritic.com/game/metal-dungeon/critic-reviews/?platform=xbox. Retrieved May 8, 2020. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "メタルダンジョン [Xbox"] (in Japanese). Famitsu (Enterbrain). https://www.famitsu.com/cominy/?m=pc&a=page_h_title&title_id=14231&redirect=no. Retrieved May 8, 2020. 
  4. ↑ Mason, Lisa (February 2003). "Metal Dungeon". Game Informer (GameStop) (118): 104. http://www.gameinformer.com/Games/Review/200302/R03.0730.1710.45087.htm. Retrieved May 8, 2020. 
  5. ↑ "Review: Metal Dungeon". GamesMaster (Future plc). 2003. 
  6. ↑ Gallant, Matthew (February 19, 2003). "Metal Dungeon Review". CBS Interactive. https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/metal-dungeon-review/1900-2911186/. Retrieved May 8, 2020. 
  7. ↑ Lafferty, Michael (December 4, 2002). "Metal Dungeon - XB - Review". Archived from the original on March 31, 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20080331000213/http://xbox.gamezone.com/gzreviews/r20705.htm. Retrieved May 8, 2020. 
  8. ↑ Logan (September 9, 2003). "Test: Metal Dungeon" (in French). Webedia. http://www.jeuxvideo.com/articles/0000/00003370_test.htm. Retrieved May 8, 2020. 
  9. ↑ "Metal Dungeon". Official Xbox Magazine (Imagine Media): 78. January 2003. 
  10. ↑ Something, Jeramy (January 15, 2003). "Metal Dungeon Review (Xbox)". IGN Entertainment. Archived from the original on November 22, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20111122154033/http://reviews.teamxbox.com/xbox/429/Metal-Dungeon/p1. Retrieved May 8, 2020. 
  11. ↑ Hudak, Chris (January 20, 2003). "'Metal Dungeon' (Xbox) Review". TechTV. Archived from the original on January 24, 2003. https://web.archive.org/web/20030124030541/http://www.techtv.com/extendedplay/reviews/story/0,24330,3413661,00.html. Retrieved May 8, 2020. 
  • 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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