Software:Mushroom Men

From HandWiki
Mushroom Men
Developer(s)Red Fly Studio
Publisher(s)Gamecock Media Group
Composer(s)Les Claypool
Platform(s)Wii (The Spore Wars), Nintendo DS (Rise of the Fungi)
Release
  • NA: December 2, 2008
  • EU: March 27, 2009
  • AU: May 14, 2009
Genre(s)Action Adventure/Platform
Mode(s)Multiplayer

The Mushroom Men video games were developed for Nintendo DS and Wii systems. Both games were developed by American company Red Fly Studio and published by Gamecock Media Group. The story revolves around a civil war between 3-inch-high (76 mm) Mushroom Men in a human world. According to the game's designer Mushroom Men: Rise of the Fungi for the Nintendo DS is a side-scrolling platformer as well as a prequel to Mushroom Men: The Spore Wars, the Wii version, which is a full 3D platforming game. Red Fly Studio used Gambitious to try to crowdfund a sequel, known as Pax's Truffle Trouble for PC,[1] which eventually came out on Steam as Mushroom Men: Truffle Trouble on March 10, 2015.

Story

The story begins when a comet crashes to the Earth, raining down a strange green dust in its wake. The space dust is harmless to humans and goes unnoticed, but they failed to notice that flora, fauna and fungi including mushrooms, cacti, and kudzu gained sentience. Also, this strange green dust mutated some of the animals too (such as rabbits, moles, spiders and possums). In order to survive, the newly conscious mushroom people soon formed into tribes, and war inevitably followed. The story of The Spore Wars on Wii also chronicles the life of the main character Pax, a lone bolete mushroom who is trying to find his place in mushroom society. As Pax progresses he discovers a lepiota called Pester that plans to take over the world. Pax follows him to a trailer park where Pax battles him and causes him to fall to the floor below them, leaving Pester to be killed by a mutated fungi dog that devours him. Pax returns to the village and says good bye to the mushroom villagers, saying he'll go where ever the wind takes him. [citation needed]

Tribes

In the August 2007 issue of GamePro, five different tribes of mushrooms were revealed. The names and characteristics of all the tribes correspond to the species of real-world mushrooms for which they are named. The tribes are the Bolete, Morel, Amanita, Lepiota, and Shiitake. A short description of each tribe is below.

  • Bolete – These mushrooms are a peaceful, Utopian society, and want nothing more than the entire mushroom world to be at peace. This is the tribe to which the main character, Pax, belongs. They have telekinetic abilities, which they call "Sporekinesis", which most other tribes don't exhibit. They are experts at surprise attacks, and are believed to be the first sentient mushrooms or "alpha" mushrooms.
  • Morel – This mushroom tribe consists of intelligent inventors of machines. This tribe is also peaceful and assists Pax. However, they are poor fighters. They are masters of mechanical defense systems.
  • Amanita – An evil mushroom tribe who started the mushroom wars in the first game "Mushroom Men: Rise of the Fungi" for the DS platform. They are master fighters, and always attack in groups. Their weapon of choice tends to be scavenged spears. Their leader, the Amanita General managed to grow to a massive size. Whether this is natural or caused by involvement with the meteors is unknown.
  • Lepiota – Another evil mushroom tribe, characterized by mystery and dark mysticism. Their cities are shrines and they are very religious. Tough and resourceful, they secure human artifacts and insects to use as weapons, using them in slashing attacks. Pester, their leader, has also exhibited Sporekinesis, although it is unknown if this natural or caused by his tampering with the meteors.
  • Shiitake – An order of elemental monks.

Weapons

The game features weapon construction, as the player finds everyday items that can be converted into weaponry. For example, an axe can be made of a corncob holder attached to a popsicle stick or even a Nintendo DS stylus. These weapons fall into four categories: slashing, bashing, thrusting, and radical. Each weapon category has its strengths in combat; for example, a slashing weapon is excellent when being swarmed by a group of enemies, while the thrusting weapons are useful for eliminating hard-to-reach flying enemies.

Music

The theme song for the games and several original tracks were composed and performed by Les Claypool of Primus fame.[2] He contributed original tracks to the game's soundtrack, which is a groundbreaking metronome-based system developed by Gl33k, a music and sound design group located in Austin, Texas. The songs include "Eye of the Mushroom," "Sidescroll my Heart," and "Opposoumly Dangerous."[citation needed] Some of these are featured on Claypool's 2009 solo album, Of Fungi and Foe.

Reception

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
DSWii
1Up.comN/AC[3]
DestructoidN/A7.5/10[4]
EdgeN/A6/10[5]
Game InformerN/A5.75/10[6]
GameProStarStarHalf star[7]N/A
GameSpot4.5/10[8]7/10[9]
GameSpyStarStar[10]StarStarStarHalf star[11]
GameZone5.5/10[12]7.6/10[13]
IGN5.1/10[14]7.9/10[15]
Nintendo Power5/10[16]8/10[17]
411Mania5.5/10[18]7/10[19]
Aggregate score
Metacritic45/100[20]72/100[21]

The game received mixed or average reviews for the Wii version, and mixed to negative reviews for the Nintendo DS version. The Spore Wars received "average" reviews, while Rise of the Fungi received "generally unfavorable reviews", according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[20][21]

References

  1. ↑ Patrick Klepek (August 5, 2008). "I've Seen 'Mushroom Men''s Hidden Fungi Civil War". MTV. http://www.mtv.com/news/2456830/ive-seen-mushroom-mens-hidden-fungi-civil-war/. Retrieved October 3, 2017. 
  2. ↑ "MUSHROOM MEN VIDEO GAMES – Featuring Music From Les Claypool!". Les Claypool. Archived from the original on December 16, 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20081216033439/http://www.lesclaypool.com/news/. Retrieved October 3, 2017. 
  3. ↑ Nick Suttner (December 4, 2008). "Mushroom Men: The Spore Wars Review". Archived from the original on May 30, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160530023728/http://www.1up.com/reviews/mushroom-men-spore-wars. Retrieved October 3, 2017. 
  4. ↑ Nick Chester (January 20, 2009). "Destructoid review: Mushroom Men: The Spore Wars". https://www.destructoid.com/destructoid-review-mushroom-men-the-spore-wars-118635.phtml. Retrieved October 4, 2017. 
  5. ↑ Edge staff (February 2009). "Mushroom Men: The Spore Wars". Edge (198): 88. 
  6. ↑ Joe Juba (December 2008). "Mushroom Men: The Spore Wars". Game Informer (188): 124. Archived from the original on December 6, 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20081206044738/http://gameinformer.com/Games/Review/200812/R08.1202.1331.10848.htm. Retrieved October 4, 2017. 
  7. ↑ Aaron Koehn (March 30, 2009). "Mushroom Men: Rise of the Fungi". GamePro. Archived from the original on April 25, 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20090425020951/http://www.gamepro.com/article/reviews/209511/mushroom-men-rise-of-the-fungi/. Retrieved October 4, 2017. 
  8. ↑ Austin Light (January 5, 2009). "Mushroom Men: Rise of the Fungi Review". https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/mushroom-men-rise-of-the-fungi-review/1900-6202708/. Retrieved October 4, 2017. 
  9. ↑ Austin Light (January 6, 2009). "Mushroom Men: The Spore Wars Review". https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/mushroom-men-the-spore-wars-review/1900-6202707/. Retrieved October 4, 2017. 
  10. ↑ Phil Theobald (December 22, 2008). "GameSpy: Mushroom Men: Rise of the Fungi". GameSpy. http://ds.gamespy.com/nintendo-ds/mushroom-men/940662p1.html. Retrieved October 4, 2017. 
  11. ↑ Phil Theobald (December 22, 2008). "GameSpy: Mushroom Men: The Spore Wars". GameSpy. http://wii.gamespy.com/wii/mushroom-men/940598p1.html. Retrieved October 4, 2017. 
  12. ↑ Dakota Grabowski (December 21, 2008). "Mushroom Men – Rise of the Fungi – NDS – Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on December 25, 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20081225072428/http://nds.gamezone.com/gzreviews/r31821.htm. Retrieved October 4, 2017. 
  13. ↑ Louis Bedigian (December 15, 2008). "Mushroom Men – [The Spore Wars – WII – Review"]. GameZone. Archived from the original on December 17, 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20081217071241/http://wii.gamezone.com/gzreviews/r31821.htm. Retrieved October 4, 2017. 
  14. ↑ Daemon Hatfield (December 16, 2008). "Mushroom Men: Rise of the Fungi Review". http://www.ign.com/articles/2008/12/16/mushroom-men-rise-of-the-fungi-review. Retrieved October 4, 2017. 
  15. ↑ Daemon Hatfield (December 8, 2008). "Mushroom Men: The Spore Wars Review". http://www.ign.com/articles/2008/12/08/mushroom-men-the-spore-wars-review. Retrieved October 4, 2017. 
  16. ↑ "Mushroom Men: Rise of the Fungi". Nintendo Power 236: 86. December 25, 2008. 
  17. ↑ "Mushroom Men: The Spore Wars". Nintendo Power 236: 84. December 25, 2008. 
  18. ↑ Natalie Shoemaker (January 29, 2009). "Mushroom Men: Rise of the Fungi (DS) Review". 411Mania. Archived from the original on February 4, 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20090204070728/http://www.411mania.com/games/reviews/95591/Mushroom-Men:-Rise-of-the-Fungi-(DS)-Review.htm. Retrieved October 4, 2017. 
  19. ↑ Sean Garmer (January 25, 2009). "Mushroom Men [The Spore Wars (Wii) Review"]. 411Mania. Archived from the original on February 4, 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20090204071317/http://www.411mania.com/games/reviews/95191/Mushroom-Men-(Wii)-Review.htm. Retrieved October 4, 2017. 
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 "Mushroom Men: Rise of the Fungi for DS Reviews". https://www.metacritic.com/game/mushroom-men-rise-of-the-fungi/critic-reviews/?platform=ds. Retrieved October 3, 2017. 
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 "Mushroom Men: The Spore Wars for Wii Reviews". https://www.metacritic.com/game/mushroom-men-the-spore-wars/critic-reviews/?platform=wii. Retrieved October 3, 2017. 

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. 
  • No URL found. Please specify a URL here or add one to Wikidata.

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  • 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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