Software:Moto Racer Advance

From HandWiki
Short description: 2002 motocross racing video game
Moto Racer Advance
Developer(s)Adeline Software International
Delphine Software International
Publisher(s)Ubi Soft
Platform(s)Game Boy Advance
Release
  • EU: October 4, 2002
  • NA: December 4, 2002
Genre(s)Racing
Mode(s)Single player, Multiplayer

Moto Racer Advance is a motocross racing game developed by Adeline Software International, produced by Delphine Software International and published by Ubisoft for the Game Boy Advance. It was released in 2002 in PAL regions on October 4 and in North America on December 4. It is part of the Moto Racer series and was the last game to be developed by Adeline Software and also the last with any involvement from Delphine Software.

Moto Racer Advance features several different modes, but much of it centers on a "Progression" mode, which requires the player to compete in races in a variety of environments. Multiplayer is supported through the link cable. Moto Racer Advance garnered positive reception from critics, noting its graphical quality and overall presentation as two of the main reasons for its success. IGN's Craig Harris called it one of the top racing games from 2002. As of 2009, Moto Racer Advance has received compilation scores of 86/100 and 83% on Metacritic and GameRankings respectively.

Gameplay

The game uses both dirt roads and paved roads as tracks.

The player controls a motorcyclist and must try to win races on various terrain and settings. Each motorcycle in the game handles differently with some performing better on paved roads and others working better on rougher terrain.[1]

There are a number of different modes: Grand Prix (GP), Motocross, and Traffic. GP takes place at a number of different locations across the world on paved tracks in places such as San Francisco and Russia.[2] The paved tracks require the player to learn how to effectively use their brakes around corners.[3] The GP courses contain small differences between them, giving more variety to the courses in the game.[2] Motocross requires the player to drive on off-road terrain and to master the act of "powersliding" on corners.[3] The courses found in Motocross races are less hospitable and often take place in arid and unkept locales and with obstacles.[1] Traffic mixes both GP and Motocross, having mixed pavement courses and traffic on roads that serve as obstacles.[3]

There are three different methods of gameplay: Championship, Progression, and Single Race. The single race mode must be earned through playing the progression mode. Progression is the game's "main mode" and places the player in a number of different tournaments and races in all three racing styles. It allows the player to earn hidden content, including new bikes which handle differently.[3] The game contains link cable support for up to four players, provided that all four people own a copy of the game.[1]

Reception

Reception
Aggregate scores
AggregatorScore
GameRankings83%[4]
Metacritic86/100[5]
Review scores
PublicationScore
GameProStarStarStarStarHalf star[6]
GameSpyStarStarStarStarHalf star[7]
GameZone7 of 10[8]
IGN9 of 10[3]
Nintendo Power3.1 out of 5[9]
The Sydney Morning HeraldStarStarStarStar[2]

Moto Racer Advance was first displayed at the 2002 Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3). IGN gave the game two awards for portable games after its E3 2002 coverage: "Best Graphics" and "Best Racing Game".[10] IGN praised the early version of the game for its high draw distance and smooth frame rate.[11] The game was built from the ground up to be a racing game for the Game Boy Advance and to take advantage of the hardware offered by the system.[3] IGN previewed the game six months before it was made available for retail and called the graphics the game's highlight, while noting that tune-ups in the physics engine were needed before release.[12] The game manipulated 2D sprites and backgrounds to give the impression of 3D to the player. By keeping the core graphics engine simple, the game was able to contain elongated draw distances and a smooth frame rate.[3]

Moto Racer Advance garnered positive reaction from critics for its graphics and gameplay; it received 86/100 and 83% ratings on review aggregate websites Metacritic and GameRankings, respectively.[4][5] IGN's Craig Harris praised the smooth graphics engine of the game, noting that the designers had succeeded in creating a satisfying racing game for the Game Boy Advance. He called it one of the top racing games from 2002.[3] The Sydney Morning Herald's Dan Toose praised the game's "smooth, minimalist graphics",[2] while GameSpy's Steve Steinberg noted that the physics of the game felt "dead-on" and enjoyed the overall presentation of the game.[7] GamePro's Vicious Sid was surprised by the game's long draw distance, calling it a technical feat on the Game Boy Advance.[6] The sound design from the game received a mixed response from critics. GameZone's Code Cowboy stated that the Motocross bikes sounded "like gravel in a blender-- being chopped up".[8] IGN noted otherwise, saying that the sound stayed to the background and was mostly pleasant, while The Sydney Morning Herald praised the realistic sound the bikes created.[2][3] The game received Editors' Choice Awards from GameSpy, GamePro, and IGN.[3][6][7] In a retrospective article, Moto Racer Advance was listed as the 6th-most "Forgotten Game Boy Advance classic" by PC Magazine's Benj Edwards.[13]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Frankle, Gavin. "Moto Racer Advance - Overview". AllGame. http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=39612. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Toose, Dan (November 16, 2002). "Building China". The Sydney Morning Herald: p. 2. 
  3. ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 Harris, Craig (January 13, 2003). "Moto Racer Advance". http://www.ign.com/articles/2003/01/13/moto-racer-advance-2. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Moto Racer Advance for Game Boy Advance". GameRankings. http://www.gamerankings.com/gba/582307-moto-racer-advance/index.html. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Moto Racer Advance for Game Boy Advance Reviews". https://www.metacritic.com/game/moto-racer-advance/critic-reviews/?platform=game-boy-advance. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Vicious Sid (December 13, 2002). "MotoRacer Advance Review for Game Boy Advance on GamePro.com". GamePro. http://www.gamepro.com/nintendo/gameboy_advance/games/reviews/27441.shtml. Retrieved November 25, 2014. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Steinberg, Steve (January 5, 2003). "GameSpy: Moto Racer Advance". GameSpy. http://gba.gamespy.com/gameboy-advance/moto-racer-advance/5504p1.html. 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Code Cowboy (January 12, 2003). "Moto Racer Advance - GBA - Review". GameZone. http://www.gamezone.com/reviews/moto_racer_advance_gba_review. 
  9. ↑ "Moto Racer Advance". Nintendo Power 166: 138. March 2003. 
  10. ↑ IGN Staff (May 29, 2002). "IGNpocket's Best of E3 2002". http://www.ign.com/articles/2002/05/29/ignpockets-best-of-e3-2002-awards. 
  11. ↑ IGN Staff (May 24, 2002). "E3 2002: Moto Racer Advance". http://www.ign.com/articles/2002/05/24/e3-2002-moto-racer-advance. 
  12. ↑ Harris, Craig (July 1, 2002). "Moto Racer Advance (Preview)". http://www.ign.com/articles/2002/07/01/moto-racer-advance. 
  13. ↑ Edwards, Benj (June 16, 2016). "7 Forgotten Game Boy Advance Classics". PC Magazine. https://www.pcmag.com/feature/345309/7-forgotten-game-boy-advance-classics. Retrieved March 31, 2018. 
  • 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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