Software:Mister Mosquito

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Short description: 2001 video game


Mister Mosquito
North American box art
Developer(s)Zoom[lower-alpha 1]
Publisher(s)
Director(s)Hiroaki Nakagawa
Producer(s)Yasuhide Kobayashi
Programmer(s)Junichi Takeda
Yoshinori Nakamura
Yuzaburo Maruyama
Masaru Sasaki
Composer(s)Akihito Okawa
Hozo Okazaki
Platform(s)PlayStation 2, PlayStation 4 (PSN), PlayStation 5 (PSN)
ReleasePlayStation 2:
PlayStation 4 / PlayStation 5: September 17, 2024
Genre(s)Simulation, stealth
Mode(s)Single-player

Mister Mosquito, spelled Mr Moskeeto in PAL regions and known in Japan as Ka (蚊, lit. "Mosquito"), is a stealth video game developed by Zoom and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 2. It was released in Japan in June 2001 and internationally by Fresh Games in March 2002.

The player controls a mosquito named "Mister Mosquito", the game's title character, who has taken up residency in the house of the Yamada family, life-sized humans that serve as the protagonist's food source in the game. The goal of the game is to stock up on blood through the summer so that the mosquito will survive the winter ahead. The player is tasked with sucking blood from specific body parts of the family members without being noticed. If the player is not careful, the human will become stressed and eventually attack.

On September 17, 2024, the game was re-released on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 through PlayStation Network. This version downgraded the ESRB rating to E10+ rather than the original T rating.

Gameplay

The gameplay revolves around one thing: sucking blood from the Yamada family while they go about their everyday business. However, the player can only suck from a designated body area which is only available at specific times. Each family member follows a set looping pattern of movements. By following these movements, the player must fill a quota of blood for each stage. The challenge in bloodsucking is that each victim has a "stress meter". The player must make sure that the victim stays unaware. Sucking too fast or too slow will increase the victim's stress level. If Mister Mosquito is swatted while sucking blood, instant death occurs. If the player is noticed by a victim while flying around, Battle Mode begins, played out like a boss battle. The victim tries to attack Mister Mosquito through various means. To calm them, the player must hit a number of pressure points, relieving them of tension. Once they are relaxed enough, they return to their business.

The game is made up of a series of stages which must be unlocked in order by completing each previous stage. Players can choose their own path though each stage. At the start of each stage is a briefing detailing the room where the stage takes place, the victim and area(s) on their body from which blood can be sucked, and any prevalent dangers. The rooms in each stage are fully explorable. Each room has items hidden in obscure places which can bring various benefits.

Development

Mister Mosquito was first announced in March 2001 just prior to the Tokyo Game Show. The tentative title of the game was Ka: Yamada-ke No Natsu (蚊 ～山田家の夏～, lit. "Mosquito: The Summer at Yamada Residence").[5][6] The game was published in Japan by Sony on June 21, 2001.[3] Eidos Interactive published the game in North America and PAL regions on March 13 and 22, 2002, respectively, under its "Fresh Games" label.[2][4][7][8] According to Eidos' Kevin Gill, the company chose to release games like Mister Mosquito because they are often called "quirky" or "odd" with "brilliant" gameplay that are otherwise unlikely to be localized outside Japan.[9]

Reception

Reception
Aggregate scores
AggregatorScore
GameRankings68%[10]
Metacritic65 out of 100[11]
Review scores
PublicationScore
1Up.comB−[12]
AllGameStarStarStarHalf star[13]
Edge5 out of 10[14]
EGM6.5 out of 10[15]
Eurogamer5 out of 10[16]
Game Informer7 out of 10[17]
GameProStarStarStarHalf star[18]
GameRevolutionC[19]
GameSpot6.4 out of 10[20]
GameSpy64%[21]
GameZone7.8 out of 10[22]
IGN7.5 out of 10[23]
PSM7 out of 10[24]
PSM35.2 out of 10
Entertainment WeeklyB[25]

According to Famitsu, Mister Mosquito was the fifth best-selling video game in Japan during its release week at 41,006 copies sold.[26] Approximately 160,210 copies were sold in the country by the end of 2001.[27] The game was released as part of Sony's PlayStation 2 the Best line of budget titles the following year.[28] Sales of Mister Mosquito in other territories were apparently much poorer.[29]

In 2008, Game Informer named Mister Mosquito one of "The Top Ten Weirdest Games of All Time".[30] The game was also included by G4 on its own list of weird games.[31] GamesRadar included Mister Mosquito on its list of "The Top 7... games that are cheaper than therapy" as a cure for entomophobia and on its list of "Rubbish animals that got turned into video game heroes". Contributor Matt Cundy comically summarized in the latter list, "Given that mosquitoes kill millions of people every year, we'd have thought a game that put players in control of such a notorious serial killer would have met with more controversy".[32][33]

Legacy

On July 3, 2003, a sequel called Ka 2: Let's Go Hawaii (蚊2 レッツゴーハワイ) was released only in Japan.[34] The game takes place in Hawaii, after the Yamada family wins a vacation from a local shop.[35] The gameplay is essentially the same as in Mister Mosquito, but adds a number of new features. It allows the player to suck blood from any part of a human's body, not just designated points. Pressure points now allow the player to suck more blood from certain points. Finally, a new relaxation point system gives the player the opportunity to calm down an attacker if he is being chased.[35] In 2004, Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine named the sequel as one of several Japanese and European games the publication wanted localized in North America.[36]

Mr.Mosquito makes a cameo as a unlockable bot in Astro Bot.

Notes

  1. ↑ Additional work by Sony Computer Entertainment Japan.[1]

References

  1. ↑ "JAPANスタジオ作品一覧 2002年～2001年" (in ja). Sony Interactive Entertainment. 2021. https://www.playstation.com/ja-jp/corporate/playstation-studios/japan-studio/history-2001-2002/. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 IGN Staff (March 13, 2002). "Fresh Games Ship To Retail". http://ps2.ign.com/articles/355/355502p1.html. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Sony staff. "蚊 | ソフトウェアカタログ | プレイステーション® オフィシャルサイト" (in Japanese). Sony Computer Entertainment. http://www.jp.playstation.com/software/title/scps11009.html. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Amazon staff. "Mr Moskeeto (PS2)". https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B000065SP1/. 
  5. ↑ GameStop Staff (March 7, 2001). "Sony's quirky new mosquito-based PS2 game". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. http://www.gamespot.com/ps2/action/mistermosquito/news.html?sid=2693655&mode=all. 
  6. ↑ IGN Staff (March 30, 2001). "TGS 2001: Updated Tokyo Game Show Coverage". http://ps2.ign.com/articles/092/092952p1.html. 
  7. ↑ IGN staff (January 24, 2002). "Eidos Establishes Fresh Games". http://ps2.ign.com/articles/101/101216p1.html. 
  8. ↑ Minkley, Johnny (March 8, 2002). "Mr. Moskeeto hits the right spot". Computer and Video Games. Future plc. http://www.computerandvideogames.com/26321/mr-moskeeto-hits-the-right-spot/. 
  9. ↑ Klepek, Adam (February 18, 2002). "Discovering the Freshness". Gaming Age. http://www.gaming-age.com/cgi-bin/specials/special.pl?spec=fresh&pagenum=1. 
  10. ↑ "Mister Mosquito for PlayStation 2". GameRankings. CBS Interactive. http://www.gamerankings.com/ps2/551241-mister-mosquito/index.html. 
  11. ↑ "Mister Mosquito for PlayStation 2". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. https://www.metacritic.com/game/mister-mosquito/critic-reviews/?platform=playstation-2. 
  12. ↑ 1UP Staff (May 9, 2004). "Mr Mosquito Review for PS2". 1UP.com. http://www.1up.com/reviews/mr-mosquito. 
  13. ↑ Deci, T.J.. "Mister Mosquito – Review". Allgame. http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=38004&tab=review. 
  14. ↑ Anon. Edge staff (September 2001). "Ka". Edge (Bath: Future plc) (101): 80. 
  15. ↑ Electronic Gaming Monthly staff (May 2002). "Reviews: Mister Mosquito". Electronic Gaming Monthly (Ziff Davis) (175): 108. ISSN 1058-918X. 
  16. ↑ Taylor, Martin (May 7, 2002). "Mr. Moskeeto Review". Eurogamer. http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/r_mrmoskeeto. 
  17. ↑ Kato, Matthew (April 2002). "Mister Mosquito". Game Informer (GameStop Corporation): 77. ISSN 1067-6392. http://www.gameinformer.com/Games/Review/200204/R03.0801.1840.26586.htm. Retrieved October 16, 2013. 
  18. ↑ Four-Eyed Dragon (April 11, 2002). "Mr. Mosquito Review". GamePro (IDG). http://www.gamepro.com/article/reviews/22482/mister-mosquito/. Retrieved September 4, 2011. 
  19. ↑ Silverman, Ben (April 1, 2002). "Mister Mosquito Review". Game Revolution. Net Revolution Inc.. http://www.gamerevolution.com/review/mister-mosquito. 
  20. ↑ Villoria, Gerald (March 22, 2002). "Mister Mosquito Review". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. http://www.gamespot.com/mister-mosquito/. 
  21. ↑ Alupului, Andrei (April 5, 2002). "Mister Mosquito (PS2)". GameSpy. http://gamespy.com/reviews/april02/mistermosquitops2/. 
  22. ↑ McElfish, Carlos (May 6, 2002). "Mister Mosquito Review". GameZone. http://ps2.gamezone.com/gzreviews/r19716.htm. 
  23. ↑ Perry, Douglas C. (March 14, 2002). "Mister Mosquito – PlayStation 2 Review". http://www.ign.com/articles/2002/03/14/mister-mosquito. 
  24. ↑ PSM staff (May 2002). "Reviews: Mister Mosquito". PSM (Future US): 28. ISSN 1940-0721. 
  25. ↑ Walk, Gary Eng (April 26, 2002). "Mister Mosquito Review". Entertainment Weekly. https://ew.com/article/2002/04/26/mister-mosquito/. Retrieved May 19, 2012. 
  26. ↑ Famitsu staff (June 28, 2001). "ゲームソフト販売ランキング TOP30" (in Japanese). Famitsu (Enterbrain). http://www.famitsu.com/game/rank/2001/06/28/index.html. Retrieved April 23, 2011. 
  27. ↑ "2001年テレビゲームソフト売り上げTOP300" (in Japanese). Geimin.net. http://geimin.net/da/db/2001_ne_fa/index.php. 
  28. ↑ Sony staff. "蚊 PlayStation 2 the Best" (in Japanese). Sony Computer Entertainment. http://www.jp.playstation.com/software/title/scps19101.html. 
  29. ↑ Reed, Kristan (August 19, 2008). "Cult Classics: PlayStation 2". http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/cult-classics-playstation-2_3. 
  30. ↑ Game Informer staff (April 2008). "The Top 10 Weirdest Games of All Time". Game Informer (GameStop Corporation) (180): 28. ISSN 1067-6392. 
  31. ↑ Zivalich, Nicole (December 22, 2010). "Strange Games: Video Games That We Can't Believe Exist". G4. http://www.g4tv.com/thefeed/blog/post/709321/strange-games-video-games-that-we-cant-believe-exist/. 
  32. ↑ Reparaz, Mikel (January 17, 2007). "The Top 7... games that are cheaper than therapy". GamesRadar. Future plc. http://www.gamesradar.com/the-top-7-games-that-are-cheaper-than-therapy/?page=3. 
  33. ↑ Cundy, Matt (November 26, 2009). "Rubbish animals that got turned into video game heroes". GamesRadar. Future plc. http://www.gamesradar.com/rubbish-animals-that-got-turned-into-video-game-heroes/?page=2. 
  34. ↑ Famitsu staff (June 30, 2003). (in Japanese)Famitsu (Enterbrain). http://www.famitsu.com/game/coming/1140521_1407.html. Retrieved April 4, 2011. 
  35. ↑ 35.0 35.1 GameSpot staff (April 16, 2003). "Mister Mosquito 2 announced". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. http://www.gamespot.com/ps2/action/ka2/news.html?sid=6025216&om_act=convert&om_clk=newsfeatures&tag=newsfeatures;title. 
  36. ↑ Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine staff (January 2004). "Japan and Europe have a bunch of games that may or may not make it here.". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine (Ziff Davis). ISSN 1094-6683. 
  • 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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