Software:Rockin' Kats

From HandWiki
Rockin' Kats
Cover art
Developer(s)Atlus
Publisher(s)Atlus
Designer(s)Hideyuki Kubota
Programmer(s)Masami Satō
Hidetoshi Takagi
Artist(s)Sawako Satō
Composer(s)Tsukasa Masuko
Platform(s)Nintendo Entertainment System, PlayChoice-10
Release
  • JP: April 5, 1991
  • NA: September 1991
  • EU: November 19, 1992
Genre(s)Platform
Mode(s)Single-player

Rockin' Kats[lower-alpha 1] is a platform video game produced by Atlus Software Inc. in 1991 for the Nintendo Entertainment System. The side-scrolling game involves the adventures of a cartoon cat in his quest to defeat a criminal gang of dogs that has taken over the city.

Plot

The player takes control of Willy, a rising young jazz cat in New York City who goes by the stage name of "The Rockin' Kat." However, the local crime boss, Mugsy, kidnaps Willy's girlfriend, Jill. To rescue Jill and defeat the gangster, Willy must venture through seven different levels or "channels" (from a television set) that feature various themes, thugs and bosses.

Gameplay

thumb|left|Channel 1

Willy is armed with a punch gun, that he can launch at the various thugs, or to hook onto and swing from. Willy can also use the punch gun to grab and throw certain objects. Mastering the punch gun is critical to the player's success in the game.

There are a total of five stages. The first four stages can be played in any order and are selected at the start of the game as "channels" on a TV monitor. The fifth and final stage or "channel" becomes available only after the other four have been beaten. The levels include a carnival, a flight atop a moving plane, and a park. There's also a "shopping channel", where the player can buy power-ups with cash obtained through the game. The items include:

  • Bomb - Bombs fly from Willy's glove when used
    • Twin Balls - Every punch releases two projectile balls
    • Hammer Punch - A spiked metal ball replaces the glove
    • Jet Sneakers - Can be used with jump to land slowly
    • Extra Life - Provides an extra life for Willy

There is also a "bonus channel" where minigames can be played for additional cash and extra lives. The games are:

  • Roulette - Willy uses his glove on a roulette wheel and perform a spin attack. Stopping on a specific number wins a prize.
  • Pipe Toss - Willy uses his glove to catch falling balls and then tosses them into moving pipes to earn cash.
  • Basketball - Willy uses his glove to perform a super spin jump to toss himself into moving basketball hoops.

A password feature is available that helps the player keep track of their progress.

After the final credits roll, the player is given a chance to play an additional "secret" stage. In it, the player character is stripped of all the money and power-ups acquired, is only given three lives (without a chance to get more) and the stage's levels are vastly more challenging than any of those seen previously in the game and requires complete mastery of the punching gun's functions. In addition to that, the character's health is not replenished after completing a level as it is in the other stages.

Reception

Reception
Review score
PublicationScore
Power Unlimited70%(NES)[1]

Spanish magazine Super Juegos gave the game 83 for interest, 80 for fun, 79 for graphics, 81 for originality, and 84 for sound.[2] Hobby Consolas, another Spanish magazine, gave the game 69.[3]

Notes

  1. ↑ Known in Japan as N.Y. Nyankies (Japanese: ニューヨークニャンキーズ, Hepburn: Nyū Yōku Nyankīzu)

References

  1. ↑ "Power Unlimited Game Database". September 1993. Archived from the original on August 29, 2003. https://web.archive.org/web/20030829164933/http://www.powerweb.nl:80/database/index.php?&query%5border%5d=datum&ending=ASC&query%5bstart%5d=60. Retrieved September 11, 2022. 
  2. ↑ "Superjuegos 012". https://archive.org/stream/Superjuegos_012#page/n127. 
  3. ↑ "Hobby Consolas 019". April 1993. https://archive.org/stream/HobbyConsolas019/Hobby_Consolas_019#page/n111. 
  • "Rockin' Kats Feature". Nintendo Power 26: 26–33. July 1991. 
  • NY Nyankies at Wazap (in Japanese)
  • 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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