Software:Ninja Five-O

From HandWiki
Short description: 2003 video game


Ninja Five-O
European cover art
Developer(s)Hudson Soft
Publisher(s)Konami
Director(s)Gen Suzuki
Producer(s)Hitoshi Kimoto
Designer(s)Gen Suzuki
Programmer(s)
  • Hajime Hosokawa
  • Katsuhiko Hosogai
  • Yasukazu Majima
Artist(s)Osamu Ōe
Composer(s)
  • Aya Tanaka
  • Hiroyuki Tsuboguchi
Platform(s)Game Boy Advance
Release
Genre(s)Action, platform
Mode(s)Single-player

Ninja Five-O, known in the PAL region as Ninja Cop, is a 2003 action-platform video game developed by Hudson Soft and published by Konami. It was released for the Game Boy Advance in North America and Europe in April 2003. Players take the role of Joe Osugi, a ninja who must stop a terrorist group influenced by mystical masks. It was first announced at "Konami Gamers' Day" in early 2003.

The game received generally positive reviews from video game critics, but it failed to garner sales and is often regarded as one of the most sought-after handheld games.

The original version was re-released on February 25, 2025 for Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5.[4][5]

Gameplay

Ninja Five-O is an action game centered around Joe Osugi, a ninja tasked with stopping a terrorist group influenced by the Mad Masks, masks that give the wearer obscene power.[6] As Osugi, the player must defeat the terrorists and rescue hostages through five missions with three levels and a boss battle.[7][8]

Development

The game was developed by Hudson Soft.[9] Ninja Five-O was first announced in January 2003 during "Konami Gamers' Day", where they announced along with fifteen other games they would publish in 2003.[10]

Despite being developed and published by Japanese video game companies, it was never released in Japan for reasons unknown.[8] The US box art was illustrated by Julie Giles, who designed other Konami packaging such as the Castlevania and Metal Gear franchises.[11]

Ninja Five-O was released in North America and Europe in April 2003.[9]

In February 2024, it was announced that Limited Run Games will develop a version in cooperation with Konami for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5.[12]

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
Metacritic82/100[13]
Review scores
PublicationScore
Game Informer8.25/10[14]
GameProStarStarStarStar[15]
GameSpot7.9/10[16]
GameSpyStarStarStarStar[17]
GameZone8.5/10[18]
IGN8.5/10[7]
Nintendo Power4/5[19]
Nintendo World Report9/10[20]
The Cincinnati EnquirerStarStarStarStar[21]

Upon release of the game, Ninja Five-O received "favorable" reviews according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[13] It was chosen as runner-up for "GBA Game of the Month" by IGN for the month of April 2003, behind Software:Golden Sun: The Lost Age.[22]

In a retrospective review from Nintendo Life, Perry Wild praised its level design for having a balance between the platforming and combat aspects in the game.[23]

Ninja Five-O received awards and nominations from several gaming publications. GameSpy named it the third best Game Boy Advance game of 2003,[24] as well as the Best Platform Game for the system.[25] It was also chosen as the "Best Game No One Played" by IGN.[26] IGN later listed it at number 23 in their list of the top 25 Game Boy Advance games of all time.[27] In 2008, CraveOnline featured the game among top 10 Ninja games of all time, calling it "weird, fun, challenging, and a great homage to another awesome ninja game from the 8-bit era, Shadow of the Ninja".[28] According to GameFan, "Ninja Five-O was one of the biggest sleeper hits of 2003. Given lackluster sales it's unlikely to spawn a sequel, but with everything it got right the first time one can only imagine what might have been."[6]

Ninja Five-O is now seen as one of the most sought-after games for the Game Boy Advance, with IGN listing it as "Extremely Rare".[29] By 2013, Pocket Gamer listed it as one of the most expensive handheld games, noting that a copy of the game was being sold on eBay for £70 while a boxed copy went for £200.[30]

References

  1. ↑ "Ninja Five-O". http://www.ebgames.com/ebx/categories/products/product.asp?pf_id=233235. 
  2. ↑ "Ninja Five-O". http://gameboy.gamezone.com/gamesell/p21860.htm. 
  3. ↑ "Ninja Cop". http://www.chipsworld.co.uk/detProd.asp?ProductCode=8199. 
  4. ↑ Bailey, Kat (February 21, 2024). "EXCLUSIVE: GBA Classic Ninja Five-O Announced for PlayStation and Switch | IGN Fan Fest 2024". https://www.ign.com/articles/exclusive-gba-classic-ninja-five-o-announced-for-playstation-and-switch-ign-fan-fest-2024. 
  5. ↑ "Ninja Five-O for PS5, PS4, Switch, and PC launches February 25" (in en-US). January 21, 2025. https://www.gematsu.com/2025/01/ninja-five-o-for-ps5-ps4-switch-and-pc-launches-february-25. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Crisman, Michael (July 6, 2011). "Ninja Five-O RETROspective". GameFan. Archived from the original on November 3, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20111103073820/http://gamefanmag.com/gf-retro/ninja-five-o-retrospective. Retrieved June 18, 2016. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Harris, Craig (April 21, 2003). "Ninja Five-O". http://www.ign.com/articles/2003/04/21/ninja-five-o. Retrieved June 18, 2016. 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Kalata, Kurt (August 1, 2017). "Ninja Five-O / Ninja Cop - Game Boy Advance (2003)". Hardcore Gaming 101. http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/ninja-five-o/. Retrieved January 18, 2018. 
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Harris, Craig (January 16, 2003). "Ninja Five-O". IGN. Ziff Davis. http://www.ign.com/articles/2003/01/16/ninja-five-o-2. Retrieved January 18, 2018. 
  10. ↑ Bramwell, Tom (January 17, 2003). "Konami Gamers' Day launches 2003". Eurogamer. Gamer Network. http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/article_47238. Retrieved January 18, 2018. 
  11. ↑ Caoili, Eric (March 9, 2008). "Promotional Consideration: Behind the boxart". Joystiq. AOL. Archived from the original on March 17, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110317132915/https://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/09/promotional-consideration-behind-the-boxart/. 
  12. ↑ "Konami's re-releasing one of the rarest Game Boy Advance games". February 21, 2024. https://www.polygon.com/24079053/konami-ninja-five-o-gba-switch-ps5-limited-run-games. 
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 "Ninja Five-O for Game Boy Advance Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. https://www.metacritic.com/game/ninja-five-0/critic-reviews/?platform=game-boy-advance. Retrieved June 18, 2016. 
  14. ↑ "Ninja Five-O". Game Informer (123): 122. July 2003. 
  15. ↑ DJ Dinobot (April 29, 2003). "Ninja Five-O Review for Game Boy Advance on GamePro.com". GamePro. Archived from the original on March 8, 2005. https://web.archive.org/web/20050308183609/http://www.gamepro.com/nintendo/gameboy_advance/games/reviews/29134.shtml. Retrieved June 19, 2016. 
  16. ↑ Davis, Ryan (May 1, 2003). "Ninja Five-0 Review [sic"]. GameSpot. CBS Interactive. http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/ninja-five-0-review/1900-6026090/. Retrieved June 18, 2016. 
  17. ↑ Steinberg, Steve (May 2, 2003). "GameSpy: Ninja Five-O". GameSpy. Archived from the original on November 10, 2005. https://web.archive.org/web/20051110135326/http://gba.gamespy.com/gameboy-advance/ninja-five-o/5834p1.html. Retrieved June 18, 2016. 
  18. ↑ Zacarias, Eduardo (June 23, 2003). "Ninja Five-O Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on November 21, 2007. https://web.archive.org/web/20071121025506/http://gameboy.gamezone.com/gzreviews/r21860_GBA.htm. Retrieved June 19, 2016. 
  19. ↑ "Ninja Five-O". Nintendo Power 168: 140. May 2003. 
  20. ↑ Sklens, Mike (May 30, 2003). "Ninja Five-O". Nintendo World Report. http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/review/4093/ninja-five-o-game-boy-advance. Retrieved June 19, 2016. 
  21. ↑ Saltzman, Marc (May 20, 2003). "Three for the road". The Cincinnati Enquirer. Archived from the original on November 20, 2007. https://web.archive.org/web/20071120210919/http://cincinnati.com/freetime/games/reviews/052003_3gba.html. Retrieved June 18, 2016. 
  22. ↑ IGN Staff (May 2, 2003). "GBA Game of the Month: April 2003". IGN. Ziff Davis. http://www.ign.com/articles/2003/05/02/gba-game-of-the-month-april-2003. Retrieved January 23, 2018. 
  23. ↑ Wild, Perry (November 5, 2016). "Review: Ninja Five-O". Nintendo Life. Gamer Network. http://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/gba/ninja_five-o. Retrieved January 30, 2018. 
  24. ↑ GameSpy Staff. "GameSpy's Game Boy Advance Games of the Year". GameSpy. Archived from the original on December 22, 2004. https://web.archive.org/web/20041222115802/http://archive.gamespy.com/goty2003/gba/index8.shtml. 
  25. ↑ GameSpy Staff. "GBA Winners Wrapup". GameSpy. Archived from the original on February 16, 2005. https://web.archive.org/web/20050216134552/http://archive.gamespy.com/goty2003/gba/index14.shtml. 
  26. ↑ IGN Staff. "IGN.com 2003 Awards: Best Game No One Played". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on October 18, 2006. https://web.archive.org/web/20061018071312/http://bestof2003.ign.com/articles/463/463091p1.html. 
  27. ↑ Harris, Craig (March 16, 2007). "Top 25 Game Boy Advance Games of All Time". http://www.ign.com/articles/2007/03/17/top-25-game-boy-advance-games-of-all-time. Retrieved June 18, 2016. 
  28. ↑ Azevedo, Jeremy (September 18, 2008). "Top 10 Ninja Games Of All Time". CraveOnline. http://www.craveonline.com/site/150214-top-10-ninja-games-of-all-time. Retrieved June 18, 2016. 
  29. ↑ Harris, Craig (June 15, 2005). "GBA Gems: Ninja Five-O". IGN. Ziff Davis. http://www.ign.com/articles/2005/06/15/gba-gems-ninja-cop. Retrieved January 18, 2018. 
  30. ↑ Brown, Mark (July 18, 2013). "Top 10 most expensive and valuable handheld games of all time". Pocket Gamer. Steel Media. http://www.pocketgamer.co.uk/r/3DS/Shantae/feature.asp?c=52396. Retrieved January 18, 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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