Software:One Must Fall: 2097

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Short description: 1994 video game
One Must Fall: 2097
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Official box art
Developer(s)Diversions Entertainment
Publisher(s)Epic MegaGames
Designer(s)Rob Elam
Composer(s)Kenny Chou
Platform(s)DOS
Release
Genre(s)Fighting
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

One Must Fall: 2097 is a fighting video game for all IBM-compatible computers on DOS, programmed by Diversions Entertainment, published by Epic MegaGames and released in October 1994. The game was later patched to include multiplayer support. In February 1999, the game was declared freeware by the developers.[2] A sequel titled Software:One Must Fall: Battlegrounds was released in 2003.

Gameplay

Screenshot showing Crystal (in the blue Jaguar HAR) fighting Jean-Paul (in the red Shadow HAR)

One Must Fall: 2097 replaces the human combatants typical of contemporary fighter video games with large Human Assisted Robots (HAR). These HARs are piloted through a physical and mental link to the human pilots, but this is merely a plot concept and is never shown on-screen.

Eleven HARs and ten selectable pilots are available for play, along with five arenas and four tournaments. The pilots vary in strength, speed and endurance, thus the many HAR/pilot combinations allow for large replay value.

Unlike in most fighting games of its time, the arenas (except one, the Stadium) contain hazards. For instance, one arena features spikes coming out of the darkness that can damage a robot.

The game has two main play modes: One-Player Mode, in which the company that markets the robots, World Aeronautics and Robotics (WAR), is holding a competition among its employees to decide who will be selected to oversee the establishment of the first Earth base on Jupiter's moon, Ganymede. The second mode is Tournament Mode, where HAR battles have become the premier source of entertainment for Earth and the player as a new competitor, must win prize money to improve the machine and ultimately become the World Champion.

Each HAR has three special attacks that can be discovered (except for Shadow and Nova, who both have four), along with a "scrap" and "destruction" move (similar to fatalities in Mortal Kombat) that can earn bonus points and, in some cases, unlock secrets.

Using destruction moves in the tournament mode in the higher difficulty levels sometimes results in the player being challenged by an unranked opponent. Defeating that opponent and using a destruction move on their robot occasionally yields secret components which can be installed on the player's HAR, significantly improving the effectiveness of certain special moves and sometimes adding new ones.

History

Development

Eva Earlong from Jazz Jackrabbit
Devan Shell from Jazz Jackrabbit

The game began development under the title of simply One Must Fall and the beta demo was released as freeware in May 1993.[3] It featured two human fighters who resembled the karatekas of Karate Champ. The completed version was officially released in October 1994 by Epic MegaGames.

The music was composed by Kenny Chow of the demoscene group Renaissance using Scream Tracker 3.0.[4]

Different versions of the game had varying AI flaws. For example, certain versions had all AI opponents not guarding themselves against the special moves of Shadow and Thorn.

The full retail version includes shareware versions of Software:Radix: Beyond the Void, Tyrian and Jazz Jackrabbit, the last of which is referenced heavily in One Must Fall: 2097.

Epic MegaGames planned to release a 3D sequel to the game by 1996, but cancelled it.[5] A sequel would eventually release in 2003, with Software:One Must Fall: Battlegrounds.

Legacy

In February 1999, the game was declared freeware by the developers, with allowances for non-commercial redistribution and modification.[2] [6]

In January 2013 a remake project was posted to GitHub, named OpenOMF. Development goals were cross-platform compatibility of the engine and the substitution of the IPX-based network functionality.[7]As of April 2025 the project has declared itself in an alpha state, with all major game-play mechanics implemented.[8]

References

  1. ↑ "Epic MegaNews #4". Epic MegaGames. October 10, 1994. http://www.epicgames.com/news/news4.htm. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Diversions Entertainment". Diversions Entertainment. http://omf.com/diversions/index.html. "Since its release in 1994, the game has been made freeware (available for download) and inducted into the GameSpy Hall of Fame in 2002." 
  3. ↑ "Rich Nagel's One Must Fall: 2097 fan website". http://www.cmoo.com/snor/weeds/OMF2097/One_Must_Fall_2097.htm. 
  4. ↑ In-Game Ordering Information, One Must Fall: 2097 version 2.1
  5. ↑ "Autumn Avalanche". Computer Gaming World (133): 42. August 1995. https://archive.org/stream/Computer_Gaming_World_Issue_133#page/n45. 
  6. ↑ "Who owns the rights to One must fall 2097? and is it freeware?". https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/who-owns-the-rights-to-one-must-fall-2097-and-is-it-freeware/405924. 
  7. ↑ "OpenOMF - One Must Fall: 2097 Remake Project". github.com. 2013. http://www.openomf.org. "OpenOMF is an Open Source remake of "One Must Fall 2097" by Diversions Entertainment. Since the original DOS game from 1994 still uses IPX networking and is a pain to set up, the community needed a better solution to keep playing the game we love. Together with networking, we try to make it easier to play One Must Fall in original glory on multiple platforms (Linux, Mac OSX, Windows, BSD to name a few)." 
  8. ↑ "Release OpenOMF 0.8.0 · omf2097/openomf" (in en). https://github.com/omf2097/openomf/releases/tag/0.8.0. 
  • 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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