Software:Rampage 2: Universal Tour

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Short description: 1999 video game
Rampage 2: Universal Tour
North American Nintendo 64 box art
Developer(s)Avalanche Software (PS1/N64)
Digital Eclipse Software (GBC)
Publisher(s)Midway
Composer(s)Aubrey Hodges
SeriesRampage
Platform(s)PlayStation, Nintendo 64, Game Boy Color
ReleasePlayStation
Nintendo 64
  • NA: March 31, 1999[1]
  • EU: May 21, 1999
Game Boy Color
Genre(s)Action
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Rampage 2: Universal Tour is a 1999 action game developed by Avalanche Software and published by Midway. It is the third game in the Rampage series and a sequel to 1997's Rampage World Tour.

Plot

George, Lizzie, and Ralph, who are returned to normal size following the events of World Tour, have been captured and confined for the world to see. George is held captive in New York City, Lizzie is imprisoned in Tokyo, and Ralph the Wolf is stored in London (references to King Kong, Godzilla, and Werewolf of London, or possibly An American Werewolf in London). However, Scumlabs, who has just rebuilt their facilities in Salt Lake City, causes another accident that results in three new monsters: Boris (a rhinoceros monster), Curtis (a mouse monster), and Ruby (a lobster monster). Players choose one of the three original monsters to rescue. The player then uses the characters in the part of the world where the rescuee is held. They work as a collective to break buildings, eat people, and destroy cars and this creates competition among players. When a player frees George, Lizzie, or Ralph, then they become playable characters. Once all the monsters are rescued, aliens begin to invade Earth in an attend to conquer it, leaving the monsters the only ones who can save the planet that they just helped partially destroy. After fending off the invasion on Earth, the monsters rescue Myukus (a green cyclops-like alien) from Area 51, who joins them before chasing the aliens through space, destroying the aliens' bases throughout the Solar System and eventually rampaging through their home-world and destroying their capital.

A news channel covers all the destruction caused by the monsters. At the end of the game, it is revealed that the aliens have a news program of their own, but the alien anchorman who runs the program is eaten by Myukus.

Gameplay

Each level in Rampage 2: Universal Tour consists of buildings which the player is able to destroy. When the player has dealt enough damage to a building, it will collapse in on itself. Sometimes, miscellaneous objects and power-ups are revealed in the buildings upon being damaged, and can assist the player if used. When every building in a city has been destroyed, the game will advance to the next level. Around every five or so levels, a mini-game is available for the player to play, and doing so can award the player with extra lives, health, and/or special powers.

Some of the cities that are featured in each level include landmarks from their real-world counterparts. For example, London features the Tower of London and Big Ben, both of which can be destroyed. In Washington, DC, the White House and the US Capitol can be destroyed; in New York City, New York, the Chrysler Building, Empire State Building, and the World Trade Center can be destroyed as well (the game having been released before the 9/11 attacks in 2001); and in Chicago, Illinois, the Sears Tower (now known as the Willis Tower), can be destroyed as well. Many of the fictional alien planets are named after real-life Earth cities.

The PlayStation version of the game differs from the Nintendo 64 one as the former features full-motion video cutscenes and different music for the Asian and European levels, whereas the latter version does not feature cutscenes and re-uses the music used for the North American levels for the European and Asian ones.[3]

Reception

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
GBCN64PS
AllGameStarStarStarHalf star[4]N/AStarHalf star[5]
EGMN/A4.12/10[6]4.12/10[6]
Game InformerN/A5/10[7]5.5/10[8]
GameProN/AN/AStarStarHalf star[9]
GameRevolutionN/AD[10]D[10]
GameSpotN/A4.2/10[11]4/10[12]
IGN6/10[13]5.3/10[14]5.2/10[15]
Nintendo Power6.4/10[16]7.4/10[17]N/A
OPM (US)N/AN/AStar[18]
PSMN/AN/AStarStar[19]
Aggregate score
GameRankings64%[20]57%[21]44%[22]

The Game Boy Color and Nintendo 64 versions received "mixed" reviews, while the PlayStation version received "unfavorable" reviews, according to the review aggregation website GameRankings.[20][21][22]

Craig Harris of IGN criticized the PlayStation version as being "dull" and "repetitive", although stating that it was better than its predecessor, Rampage World Tour.[15]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Midway Unleashes Rampage Universal Tour". March 31, 1999. http://www.psxnation.com/news/033199c.shtml. 
  2. ↑ "GB Station - Release Dates". http://www.gbstation.com/releases.html. 
  3. ↑ "Rampage 2: Universal Tour | Playstation Longplay". https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbDlXbyYRHo. 
  4. ↑ Cook, Brad. "Rampage 2: Universal Tour (GBC) - Review". AllGame. Archived from the original on November 16, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20141116022002/http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=20362&tab=review. Retrieved September 30, 2016. 
  5. ↑ Marriott, Scott Alan. "Rampage 2: Universal Tour (PS) - Review". AllGame. Archived from the original on November 16, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20141116021508/http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=18430&tab=review. Retrieved September 30, 2016. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Rampage 2: Universal Tour". Electronic Gaming Monthly. June 1999. 
  7. ↑ "Rampage 2: Universal Tour (N64)". Game Informer (72). April 1999. 
  8. ↑ "Rampage 2: Universal Tour (PS)". Game Informer (74). June 1999. 
  9. ↑ "Rampage 2: Universal Tour (PS)". GamePro. June 1999. 
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Liu, Johnny (April 1999). "Rampage 2: Universal Tour Review". Game Revolution. Archived from the original on September 17, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150917190702/http://www.gamerevolution.com/review/rampage-2-universal-tour. Retrieved September 30, 2016. 
  11. ↑ Gerstmann, Jeff (April 28, 1999). "Rampage 2: Universal Tour Review (N64)". GameSpot. https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/rampage-2-universal-tour-review/1900-2543709/. Retrieved September 30, 2016. 
  12. ↑ Stahl, Ben (April 30, 1999). "Rampage 2: Universal Tour Review (PS)". GameSpot. https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/rampage-2-universal-tour-review/1900-2546058/. Retrieved September 30, 2016. 
  13. ↑ Harris, Craig (December 15, 1999). "Rampage 2: Universal Tour (GBC)". IGN. IGN Entertainment, Inc.. http://www.ign.com/articles/1999/12/16/rampage-2-universal-tour. Retrieved September 30, 2016. 
  14. ↑ Casamassina, Matt (April 5, 1999). "Rampage 2: Universal Tour (N64)". IGN. IGN Entertainment, Inc.. http://www.ign.com/articles/1999/04/06/rampage-2-universal-tour-4. Retrieved September 30, 2016. 
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 Harris, Craig (April 5, 1999). "Rampage 2: Universal Tour (PS)". IGN. IGN Entertainment, Inc.. http://www.ign.com/articles/1999/04/06/rampage-2-universal-tour-3. Retrieved April 7, 2013. 
  16. ↑ "Rampage 2: Universal Tour (GBC)". Nintendo Power 126. November 1999. 
  17. ↑ "Rampage 2: Universal Tour (N64)". Nintendo Power 118. March 1999. 
  18. ↑ "Rampage 2: Universal Tour". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine. June 1999. 
  19. ↑ "Rampage 2: Universal Tour". PSM. June 1999. 
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 "Rampage 2: Universal Tour for Game Boy Color". GameRankings. http://www.gamerankings.com/gbc/576083-rampage-2-universal-tour/index.html. Retrieved September 30, 2016. 
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 "Rampage 2: Universal Tour for Nintendo 64". GameRankings. http://www.gamerankings.com/n64/198408-rampage-2-universal-tour/index.html. Retrieved September 30, 2016. 
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 "Rampage 2: Universal Tour for PlayStation". GameRankings. http://www.gamerankings.com/ps/198409-rampage-2-universal-tour/index.html. Retrieved September 30, 2016. 
  • 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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