Software:Pac-Man Party

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Short description: 2010 video game
Pac-Man Party
North American Wii box art
Developer(s)Tose
Namco Networks (Windows Mobile)
Publisher(s)Namco Bandai Games[lower-alpha 1]
Namco Networks (Windows Mobile)
Director(s)Daisuke Ichihara
Producer(s)Yasuhiro Minamimoto
Designer(s)Hirokazu Yasuhara
SeriesPac-Man
Platform(s)Wii, Nintendo 3DS, Windows Mobile
Release
Genre(s)Party
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Lua error in Module:Lang/utilities at line 332: attempt to call field '_transl' (a nil value). is a 2010 party video game released by Namco Bandai Games for the Wii, Windows Mobile, and Nintendo 3DS (with the latter released as Pac-Man Party 3D). It is similar to the Mario Party series and Monopoly games for the Wii. In the game's story mode, players must retrieve a stolen cookie recipe from Pac-Man's enemies Blinky, Pinky, Inky, and Clyde and return it to its rightful owner, Mr. Cookie. The game was released to coincide with Pac-Man's 30th anniversary.[1] The game is notable for featuring redesigns of the main characters that would carry over to subsequent Pac-Man titles in the mid-2010s, culminating with Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures.

Gameplay

The game includes a story mode known as "Mr. Cookie's Recipe". It also has a party mode for up to four players. It also has over 50 minigames, which when played, allows players to unlock bonus content. It also has a "Classic Games" mode where players can play three classic Namco arcade games—Pac-Man, Galaga, and Dig Dug[2]—with either the Wii Remote turned sideways or a Classic Controller. The 3DS version of the game allows players to do link-up 4 player with only one cartridge. The Wii version has two extra boards that the 3DS version does not have. A scaled-down version on Windows Phone has 2D graphics and contains 10 mini games. It lacks the "Classic Games" mode that the Wii and 3DS versions have but all three of the games from that mode have had their own separate releases on Windows Phone.

In the game all players start at Mr. Cookie's factory with 1,000 cookies. The main object is to collect a number of cookies and get to the cookie factory to win. When a player goes to an empty space or an empty castle, the player can build a castle or claim it. When players go to their own castle they receive cookies (depending on the level). A player landing on an opponent's castle will battle in a minigame (attack and defense). If the attacking player wins, the player takes the opponent's castle. If the defending player wins, the attack player/players lose the number of cookies (depending on the castle's level). If a player lands on a Millionaire Manor, something good may happen. If a player lands on a Tarot Tent, something bad may happen. If a player lands on Dr. Labo's Lab, the player might go to a different space. Should the player pass an exclamation point (!) space enough times, and something major will happen, and then the player will play a boss minigame. The player can then return to the cookie factory to get a cookie bonus along with a castle bonus for each castle gained.

Reception

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
3DSWii
Famitsu28/40[5]26/40[6]
GameRevolutionD[7]D+[8]
GamesMaster40%[9]N/A
GamesRadar+N/A2.5/5[10]
GameZone5/10[11]3.5/10[12]
Jeuxvideo.com13/20[13]13/20[14]
NGamer50%[15]45%[16]
Nintendo Power4.5/10[17]N/A
Nintendo World Report5/10[18]8/10[19]
ONM37%[20]69%[21]
411ManiaN/A5/10[22]
Aggregate score
Metacritic43/100[3]59/100[4]

Pac-Man Party received "mixed or average" reviews, while Pac-Man Party 3D received "generally unfavorable" reviews, according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[3][4] Many critics would criticize the minigames for being too repetitive or similar to others, and for the game going on for too long. In Japan, Famitsu gave the game a score of one six, one seven, one six, and one seven for the former;[6] and two sevens, one six, and one eight for the latter.[5]

Eurogamer Italy was the most critical of the game, disliking its slow-paced gameplay, "uninspired" soundtrack and repetitive minigames, saying that the board game aspect was "convoluted" in comparison to the Mario Party series.[23] GamesRadar+ criticized its low difficulty level in the single-player campaign and sound effects for being "annoying",[10] while Nintendojo criticized the tilt controls in some of the minigames.[24] Nintendo World Report, Eurogamer Italy, Nintendojo and GamesRadar+ would all criticize some of the minigames for being too similar to each other and for being repetitive after a while,[10][19][24] with Eurogamer in particular labeling many of them as "unoriginal".[23] Nintendo World Report also criticized the lack of other Pac-Man series characters such as Ms. Pac-Man, and that the included arcade games should have been those from the Pac-Man franchise instead of other Namco titles.[19]

Despite its criticism, reviewers would praise its minigame selection, presentation and inclusion of Namco arcade games. Nintendo World Report was the most positive towards the game, praising its cartoony art-style, entertaining minigames and easy accessibility for players, saying that it has enough unique ideas to distinguish it from being a Mario Party clone. They also praised the board game aesthetic for its quick pace.[19] Nintendojo commented that it made for a good family game, praising its soundtrack, minigame selection, and for the arcade games being a "great bonus".[24] Eurogamer Italy echoed a similar response, saying that the inclusion of the arcade games was one of the only few positives for the game, alongside its interesting control layouts for some of the minigames.[23] GamesRadar+ applauded the game's presentation and graphical style, which they commented look good for a Wii title.[10]

Notes

  1. ↑ Released under the Namco brand

References

  1. ↑ "PAC-MAN Party". Bandai Namco Entertainment. http://pacman.com/en/pac-man-games/pac-man-party. 
  2. ↑ "PAC-MAN Party". http://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/XTSXF8Vwn72XsQNidrQ_I2rH51aJr3PV#game-overview. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Pac-Man Party critic reviews (3DS)". Fandom. https://www.metacritic.com/game/pac-man-party/critic-reviews/?platform=3ds. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Pac-Man Party critic reviews (Wii)". Fandom. https://www.metacritic.com/game/pac-man-party/critic-reviews/?platform=wii. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Romano, Sal (March 13, 2012). "Famitsu Review Scores: Issue 1215". https://www.gematsu.com/2012/03/famitsu-review-scores-issue-1215. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Valay, Brian (December 7, 2010). "Famitsu review scores". https://nintendoeverything.com/famitsu-review-scores-114/. 
  7. ↑ Schaller, Kevin (November 28, 2011). "Pac-Man Party 3D Review". CraveOnline. https://www.gamerevolution.com/review/53620-pacman-party-3d-review. 
  8. ↑ Fettig, Eddy "DS" (August 10, 2011). "Pac-Man Party Review". CraveOnline. https://www.gamerevolution.com/review/52517-pac-man-party-review. 
  9. ↑ "Review: Pac-Man Party 3D". GamesMaster (Future plc): 96. April 2012. 
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 Deesing, Jonathan (December 3, 2010). "Pac-Man Party review (Wii)". Future plc. https://www.gamesradar.com/pac-man-party-review/. 
  11. ↑ Hooker, Heath (December 9, 2011). "Pac-Man Party 3D Review". https://gamezone.com/reviews/pac-man-party-3d-review-3ds/. 
  12. ↑ Workman, Robert (December 3, 2010). "Pac-Man Party Review". https://gamezone.com/reviews/pac-man_party_review_nintendo_wii/. 
  13. ↑ Romendil (February 27, 2012). "Test: Pac-Man Party 3D" (in fr). Webedia. https://www.jeuxvideo.com/articles/0001/00016567-pac-man-party-3d-test.htm. 
  14. ↑ Logan (December 3, 2010). "Test: Pac-Man Party" (in fr). Webedia. https://www.jeuxvideo.com/articles/0001/00013961-pac-man-party-test.htm. 
  15. ↑ "Review: Pac-Man Party 3D". Nintendo Gamer (Future plc) (73): 99. March 2012. 
  16. ↑ "Review: Pac-Man Party". NGamer (Future plc) (56): 60. December 2010. 
  17. ↑ "Pac-Man Party 3D". Nintendo Power (Future US) 273: 85. November 2011. 
  18. ↑ Miller, Zachary (December 2, 2011). "Pac-Man Party 3D". NINWR, LLC. https://www.nintendoworldreport.com/review/28591/pac-man-party-3d-nintendo-3ds. 
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 19.3 Hernandez, Pedro (December 3, 2010). "Pac-Man Party". NINWR, LLC. https://www.nintendoworldreport.com/review/24505/pac-man-party-wii. 
  20. ↑ Scullion, Chris (February 10, 2012). "Pac-Man Party 3D review". Official Nintendo Magazine (Future plc). http://www.officialnintendomagazine.co.uk/35289/pac-man-party-3d-review/. Retrieved August 19, 2024. 
  21. ↑ "Pac-Man Party review". Official Nintendo Magazine (Future plc): 86. Christmas 2010. 
  22. ↑ Martin, Ron (December 5, 2010). "Pac-Man Party (Wii) Review". http://www.411mania.com/games/reviews/164846/Pac-Man-Party-%28Wii%29-Review.htm. 
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 23.2 Bernesi, Lucio (December 7, 2010). "Pac-Man Party (Wii)" (in it). Gamer Network. https://www.eurogamer.it/pac-man-party-recensione. 
  24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 24.2 Roberts, Aaron (December 13, 2010). "Pac-Man Party Review (Wii)". https://www.nintendojo.com/reviews/pac-man-party-review. 
  • 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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