Software:Return of the Ninja

From HandWiki
Return of the Ninja
Developer(s)Act Japan
Publisher(s)Natsume Inc.
Producer(s)Naoki Eriguchi
Hiro Maekawa
Designer(s)Tarō Sasahara
Programmer(s)Kunihiro Takahashi
Takanori Kuwana
Artist(s)Reiko Hirota
Kōichi Mashimo
Masanori Kitsuta
Composer(s)Kiyoshi Kusatsu
Yoshio Watanabe
Platform(s)Game Boy Color
Release
  • PAL: March 30, 2001
  • NA: April 28, 2001[1]
Genre(s)Platform, stealth
Mode(s)Single-player

Return of the Ninja is a platform game with stealth elements developed by Act Japan and published by Natsume Inc. for the Game Boy Color in 2001 as a spiritual successor to 1990's Shadow of the Ninja.

Gameplay

The player takes role of a ninja (either the male Tsukikage and or the female Saiyuri), using the D-pad to move and the buttons to jump and attack. Various special items called Shinobi Tools need be collected to master the five arts of ninjutsu (Earth, Wind, Fire, Water, and Heaven) and proceed through the game. Guards may alert the others and can be avoided. The player's rank at the end of each stage is determined by how fast the level was completed and how many times the protagonist has been spotted by human enemies, and cards can be awarded to the player.[1][2]

Plot

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
GameRankings70%[3]
Review scores
PublicationScore
AllGameStarStarStar[4]
GameProStarStarStarStar[5]
Nintendo PowerStarStarStar[6]

Return of the Ninja received "average" reviews according to the review aggregation website GameRankings.[3] Retro Gamer highlighted it as one of the most memorable games about Japanese warriors.[7] Nintendo Power gave it an average review nearly four months before the game was released.[6]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Harris, Craig (November 16, 2000). "Return of the Ninja (Preview)". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/2000/11/17/return-of-the-ninja. 
  2. ↑ Schou, Henrik (April 4, 2001). "Return of the Ninja" (in Danish). http://www.gamesector.dk/2001/04/04/return-of-the-ninja/. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Return of the Ninja for Game Boy Color". CBS Interactive. https://www.gamerankings.com/gbc/579227-return-of-the-ninja/index.html. 
  4. ↑ Thompson, Jon. "Return of the Ninja - Review". All Media Network. Archived from the original on November 16, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20141116092633/http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=26018&tab=review. Retrieved February 1, 2019. 
  5. ↑ Uncle Dust (April 13, 2001). "Return of the Ninja Review for Game Boy Color on GamePro.com". GamePro (IDG Entertainment). Archived from the original on March 18, 2005. https://web.archive.org/web/20050318183746/http://gamepro.com/nintendo/gameboy_color/games/reviews/13206.shtml. Retrieved February 1, 2019. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Return of the Ninja". Nintendo Power (Nintendo of America) 141. February 2001. 
  7. ↑ "Return of the Ninja". Retro Gamer (Imagine Publishing) (129): 47. 
  • 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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