Software:Micro Machines V4

From HandWiki
Short description: 2006 video game
Micro Machines V4
Developer(s)Supersonic Software
Publisher(s)Codemasters
Composer(s)Dan Selby
SeriesMicro Machines
EngineRenderWare
Platform(s)Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, Nintendo DS
ReleaseMicrosoft Windows, PlayStation 2 & PlayStation Portable
Nintendo DS
  • EU: 1 December 2006
  • NA: 6 February 2007
  • AU: 9 February 2007
Genre(s)Racing
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Micro Machines V4 is a racing video game developed by Supersonic Software and published by Codemasters for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable and Nintendo DS.

Gameplay

The player controls a toy Micro Machines vehicle and drives it through a course.[4] As in most games, the objective is to beat the other racers to the finish line. However, as in other games in the Micro Machines video game series, there is an alternate way to victory as well; in racing, the "screen" is shared amongst all racers (opposed to split screen), and if a player can drive far enough ahead of the other racer(s) so that they fall off out of the viewing area, they receive a point.[5] If enough points are received or lost, the player will win or lose.[5] Upon winning races, new vehicles to race as are earned, with a total of 750 to be collected.[6][7] As the game entails driving toy cars, the race course settings typically reflect that, with courses being set up on pool tables, around the edge of bathtubs, on furniture, or other household type settings.[5]

Along the track, players may pick up orbs containing different power-ups that can be used to heal yourself, or attack other players. These orbs could contain items including; Hammers, Health Pills, Tesla Chess Pieces, Plasma Cannons, Machine Guns, Peashooters and Mines among others. Weapons vary in damage but all roughly dealing one section of health each attack (apart from the pill which heals the player a full five bars of health). Once a player falls below five bars, they will lose a wheel, causing them to drive slower and have less grip. This keeps on occurring until 20 bars are lost. From that point, no more damage can be inflicted onto the racer. A pill is not able to gain wheels back after they are lost. Once a round is over, all players will be set to max health and all lost wheels will be returned.

Apart from power-up orbs, a variety of other pick-ups can be found along the track. These include speed boost tiles, health tiles and equaliser tiles. Speed boost tiles speed the player up for roughly a second before going back to their original speed. Health tiles will often be present in rows of four or five. Each health tile the player runs over will regain them one bar of health. The equaliser tile changes all racers health to that of the racer who activated it. However, even though the health is the same, players will not lose any wheels right away. Once a tile is activated, that tile may not be activated until the following round.

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
Metacritic(DS) 62/100[8]
(PC) 57/100[9]
(PS2) 64/100[10]
(PSP) 61/100[11]
Review scores
PublicationScore
Eurogamer6/10[12][13]
GameSpot5.3/10[7]
GameSpyStarStarStarHalf star[5]
GamesRadar+StarStarStarHalf star[16]
(DS) StarStarStar[17]
GameZone(PC) 6/10[14]
(DS) 5.7/10[15]
IGN7/10[4]
Pocket Gamer(PSP) StarStarStar[18]
(DS) StarStarStar[19]
VideoGamer.com5/10[20]

Micro Machines V4 received "mixed or average" reviews, according to review aggregator Metacritic[8][9][10][11] Several review outlets noted that the game was competent, but that its poor graphics and shallow, unremarkable gameplay hindered the experience.

IGN gave the game a 7/10, stating that "Micro Machines V4 is definitely the strongest version to come along since the franchise debuted on the NES almost 20 years ago. A solidly-designed title aimed at young children and inexperienced gamers, V4 is a nice, entry-level piece of software that offers just enough challenge and variety for juveniles without the inevitable frustrations and complications found in most of today's racers".[4] GameSpot gave the game a 5.5/10, while they praised the game to its number of cars to collect, they largely criticized the generic nature of the cars, the trial and error-based gameplay and poor camera view.[7]

References

  1. ↑ Bramwell, Tom (June 23, 2006). "Micro Machines V4 demo". https://www.eurogamer.net/news230606micromachinesv4demo. 
  2. ↑ Hatfield, Daemon (2006-06-27). "Micro Machines v4 Ships" (in en). https://www.ign.com/articles/2006/06/27/micro-machines-v4-ships. 
  3. ↑ "Micro Machines V4 available in stores now!". http://www.atari.com.au/games/newsDetails.do?id=526&newsId=784. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Dunham, Jeremy (26 June 2006). "Micro Machines V4 Review". IGN. http://uk.ign.com/articles/2006/06/26/micro-machines-v4-review-2. Retrieved 20 January 2014. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Villoria, Gerald (2006-06-29). "GameSpy: Micro Machines V4 Review". Ps2.gamespy.com. Archived from the original on 2006-07-20. https://web.archive.org/web/20060720091408/http://ps2.gamespy.com/playstation-portable/micro-machines-v4/715951p1.html. Retrieved 2012-09-20. 
  6. ↑ "Micro Machines V4 - Review - play.tm". http://www.play.tm/review/7953/micro-machines-v4/. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Mueller, Greg (27 June 2006). "Micro Machines V4 Review". GameSpot. http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/micro-machines-v4-review/1900-6153254/. Retrieved 20 January 2014. 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Micro Machines V4 for Nintendo DS Reviews". Metacritic. https://www.metacritic.com/game/micro-machines-v4/critic-reviews/?platform=ds. Retrieved 20 January 2014. 
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 "Micro Machines V4 for PC Reviews". Metacritic. https://www.metacritic.com/game/micro-machines-v4/critic-reviews/?platform=pc. Retrieved 28 December 2024. 
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 "Micro Machines V4 for PlayStation 2 Reviews". Metacritic. https://www.metacritic.com/game/micro-machines-v4/critic-reviews/?platform=playstation-2. Retrieved 20 January 2014. 
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 "Micro Machines V4 for PlayStation Portable Reviews". Metacritic. https://www.metacritic.com/game/micro-machines-v4/critic-reviews/?platform=psp. Retrieved 20 January 2014. 
  12. ↑ Bramwell, Tom (4 February 2007). "Micro Machines V4". https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/micro-machines-v4-review. Retrieved 9 February 2022. 
  13. ↑ Reed, Kristan (30 June 2006). "Micro Machines V4". https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/r_micromachinesv4_ps2. Retrieved 9 February 2022. 
  14. ↑ jkdmedia, GameZone. "Micro Machines v4 - PC - review". https://www.gamezone.com/reviews/micro_machines_v4_pc_review/. Retrieved 9 February 2022. 
  15. ↑ jkdmedia, GameZone. "Micro Machines v4 - NDS - review". https://www.gamezone.com/reviews/micro_machines_v4_nds_review/. Retrieved 9 February 2022. 
  16. ↑ Elston, Brett (28 June 2006). "Micro Machines v4 review". https://www.gamesradar.com/micro-machines-v4-review/. Retrieved 9 February 2022. 
  17. ↑ Antista, Chris (19 January 2007). "Micro Machines v4 review". https://www.gamesradar.com/micro-machines-v4-10/. Retrieved 9 February 2022. 
  18. ↑ Byron, Jeremy (5 July 2006). "Micro Machines V4". https://www.pocketgamer.com/micro-machines-v4/micro-machines-v4-psp-review/. Retrieved 9 February 2022. 
  19. ↑ Cook, Mike (1 February 2007). "Micro Machines V4". https://www.pocketgamer.com/micro-machines-v4/micro-machines-v4-ds-review/. Retrieved 9 February 2022. 
  20. ↑ Orry, Tom (28 June 2006). "Micro Machines v4 Review". https://www.videogamer.com/reviews/micro-machines-v4-review/. 
  • Short description: Video game database
MobyGames
Logo since March 2014
Screenshot
Frontpage as of April 2012
Type of site
Gaming
Available inEnglish
OwnerAtari SA
Websitemobygames.com
CommercialYes
RegistrationOptional
LaunchedJanuary 30, 1999; 26 years ago (1999-01-30)
Current statusOnline

MobyGames is a commercial website that catalogs information on video games and the people and companies behind them via crowdsourcing. This includes nearly 300,000 games for hundreds of platforms.[1] The site is supported by banner ads and a small number of people paying to become patrons.[2] Founded in 1999, ownership of the site has changed hands several times. It is currently owned by Atari SA.

Content

The database began with games for IBM PC compatibles. After two years, consoles such as the PlayStation, were added. Older console systems were added later. Support for arcade video games was added in January 2014 and mainframe computer games in June 2017.[3]

Edits and submissions go through a leisurely verification process by volunteer "approvers". The approval process can range from immediate (minutes) to gradual (days or months).[4] The most commonly used sources are the video game's website, packaging, and credit screens. There is a published standard for game information and copyediting.[5]

Registered users can rate and review any video game. 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 subforum.

History

Logo used until March 11, 2014

MobyGames was founded on March 1, 1999 by Jim Leonard and Brian Hirt, then joined by David Berk 18 months later, three friends since high school.[6] Leonard had the idea of sharing information about computer games with a larger audience.

In mid-2010, MobyGames was purchased by GameFly for an undisclosed amount.[7] This was announced to the community post factum and a few major contributors left, refusing to do volunteer work for a commercial website.

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).[8] Blue Flame Labs reverted MobyGames' interface to its pre-overhaul look and feel.[9]

On November 24, 2021, Atari SA announced a potential deal with Blue Flame Labs to purchase MobyGames for $1.5 million.[10] The purchase was completed on 8 March 2022, with Freyholtz remaining as general manager.[11][12]

See also

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

References

  1. ↑ "MobyGames Stats". https://www.mobygames.com/moby_stats. 
  2. ↑ "MobyGames Patrons". http://www.mobygames.com/info/patrons. 
  3. ↑ "New(ish!) on MobyGames – the Mainframe platform.". Blue Flame Labs. 18 June 2017. http://www.mobygames.com/forums/dga,2/dgb,3/dgm,237200/. 
  4. ↑ "MobyGames FAQ: Emails Answered § When will my submission be approved?". Blue Flame Labs. 30 March 2014. http://www.mobygames.com/info/faq7#g1. 
  5. ↑ "The MobyGames Standards and Practices". Blue Flame Labs. 6 January 2016. http://www.mobygames.com/info/standards. 
  6. ↑ "20 Years of MobyGames" (in en). 2019-02-28. https://trixter.oldskool.org/2019/02/28/20-years-of-mobygames/. 
  7. ↑ "Report: MobyGames Acquired By GameFly Media". Gamasutra. 2011-02-07. http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/32856/Report_MobyGames_Acquired_By_GameFly_Media.php. 
  8. ↑ 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. 
  9. ↑ Wawro, Alex (31 December 2013). "Game dev database MobyGames getting some TLC under new owner". Gamasutra. http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/207882/Game_dev_database_MobyGames_getting_some_TLC_under_new_owner.php. 
  10. ↑ "Atari invests in Anstream, may buy MobyGames". https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2021-11-24-atari-invests-in-anstream-may-buy-mobygames. 
  11. ↑ "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/. 
  12. ↑ "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/. 



  • Short description: Video game database
MobyGames
Logo since March 2014
Screenshot
Frontpage as of April 2012
Type of site
Gaming
Available inEnglish
OwnerAtari SA
Websitemobygames.com
CommercialYes
RegistrationOptional
LaunchedJanuary 30, 1999; 26 years ago (1999-01-30)
Current statusOnline

MobyGames is a commercial website that catalogs information on video games and the people and companies behind them via crowdsourcing. This includes nearly 300,000 games for hundreds of platforms.[1] The site is supported by banner ads and a small number of people paying to become patrons.[2] Founded in 1999, ownership of the site has changed hands several times. It is currently owned by Atari SA.

Content

The database began with games for IBM PC compatibles. After two years, consoles such as the PlayStation, were added. Older console systems were added later. Support for arcade video games was added in January 2014 and mainframe computer games in June 2017.[3]

Edits and submissions go through a leisurely verification process by volunteer "approvers". The approval process can range from immediate (minutes) to gradual (days or months).[4] The most commonly used sources are the video game's website, packaging, and credit screens. There is a published standard for game information and copyediting.[5]

Registered users can rate and review any video game. 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 subforum.

History

Logo used until March 11, 2014

MobyGames was founded on March 1, 1999 by Jim Leonard and Brian Hirt, then joined by David Berk 18 months later, three friends since high school.[6] Leonard had the idea of sharing information about computer games with a larger audience.

In mid-2010, MobyGames was purchased by GameFly for an undisclosed amount.[7] This was announced to the community post factum and a few major contributors left, refusing to do volunteer work for a commercial website.

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).[8] Blue Flame Labs reverted MobyGames' interface to its pre-overhaul look and feel.[9]

On November 24, 2021, Atari SA announced a potential deal with Blue Flame Labs to purchase MobyGames for $1.5 million.[10] The purchase was completed on 8 March 2022, with Freyholtz remaining as general manager.[11][12]

See also

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

References

  1. ↑ "MobyGames Stats". https://www.mobygames.com/moby_stats. 
  2. ↑ "MobyGames Patrons". http://www.mobygames.com/info/patrons. 
  3. ↑ "New(ish!) on MobyGames – the Mainframe platform.". Blue Flame Labs. 18 June 2017. http://www.mobygames.com/forums/dga,2/dgb,3/dgm,237200/. 
  4. ↑ "MobyGames FAQ: Emails Answered § When will my submission be approved?". Blue Flame Labs. 30 March 2014. http://www.mobygames.com/info/faq7#g1. 
  5. ↑ "The MobyGames Standards and Practices". Blue Flame Labs. 6 January 2016. http://www.mobygames.com/info/standards. 
  6. ↑ "20 Years of MobyGames" (in en). 2019-02-28. https://trixter.oldskool.org/2019/02/28/20-years-of-mobygames/. 
  7. ↑ "Report: MobyGames Acquired By GameFly Media". Gamasutra. 2011-02-07. http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/32856/Report_MobyGames_Acquired_By_GameFly_Media.php. 
  8. ↑ 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. 
  9. ↑ Wawro, Alex (31 December 2013). "Game dev database MobyGames getting some TLC under new owner". Gamasutra. http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/207882/Game_dev_database_MobyGames_getting_some_TLC_under_new_owner.php. 
  10. ↑ "Atari invests in Anstream, may buy MobyGames". https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2021-11-24-atari-invests-in-anstream-may-buy-mobygames. 
  11. ↑ "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/. 
  12. ↑ "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/. 



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