Software:Samurai Champloo: Sidetracked

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Short description: 2006 video game
Samurai Champloo: Sidetracked
North American box art
Developer(s)Grasshopper Manufacture
Publisher(s)Namco Bandai Games[lower-alpha 1]
Director(s)Goichi Suda
Producer(s)
  • Takahiro Sasanoi
  • Yoshinobu Matsuo
Artist(s)Akihiko Ishizaka
Writer(s)
  • Goichi Suda
  • Masahi Ooka
Composer(s)Masafumi Takada
Platform(s)PlayStation 2
Release
  • JP: February 23, 2006
  • NA: April 11, 2006
Genre(s)Action-adventure
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Samurai Champloo: Sidetracked[lower-alpha 2] is a 2006 action-adventure game. A tie-in with the 2004 anime television series Samurai Champloo, the game was developed by Grasshopper Manufacture and published by Namco Bandai Games for PlayStation 2. Described as an untold story set within the series, the game has storylines following series protagonists Mugen, Jin and Fuu, and new protagonist Worso Tsurumaki during a political conflict in Edo period Hokkaido.

Premise and gameplay

An early combat section from Samurai Champloo; Mugen fights a group of enemies.

Samurai Champloo: Sidetracked is an action-adventure game based on the 2004 anime television series Samurai Champloo.[2][3] Set in the Edo period, the anime's storyline follows the adventures of three wanderers; the outlaw swordsman Mugen, the ronin Jin, and the itinerant Fuu who saved the two from execution in exchange for help finding a samurai who smells of sunflowers.[2][4][5] The storyline is described as a "missing episode" of the trio's travels through Japan. They end up taking a ship to Ezo (modern day Hokkaido), which is suffering from conflicts between the ruling Matsumae clan and the indigenous people. Mugen and Jin's storylines run on separate yet parallel paths, and they interact with original character Worso Tsurumaki, who is associated with the native resistance of Ezo.[2][6][7]

Players take control of three characters; they first complete a story campaign as either Mugen or Jin, and after one of these is completed Worso's campaign is unlocked.[3] The remaining character Fuu is only playable in minigames.[6] Gameplay focuses on melee hack and slash combat with the chosen player character, completing basic combos using alternating weak and strong attacks. The battle system is split into multiple styles, which are influenced by what musical track is playing through equippable record albums, switched using the analog sticks. Filling a tension metre activates Tate mode, where a quick time event is triggered to kill a number of enemies within a time limit. The game is split into stages divided between the different campaigns, and separated by visits to the main town where new weapons and music discs can be purchased after being unlocked through high scores when in Tate.[6][7][8] The game also features a two-player competitive multiplayer mode, with the winner being determined by their kill number and combo count.[8]

Development and release

Samurai Champloo was created by director Shinichirō Watanabe and anime studio Manglobe, with the aim of blending a traditional Japanese setting with the culture and music of hip hop.[5][9] Sidetracked was one of two licensed anime titles created by Grasshopper Manufacture for the PlayStation 2, the other being Blood+: One Night Kiss based on the series Blood+.[10] During the period after completing Killer7, Grasshopper Manufacture were left in a financially precarious position, taking on contract work including licensed titles.[11] Company founder Goichi Suda selected Sidetracked from a group of potential projects presented by Namco Bandai Games, coincidentally after he had watched and liked the anime's first episode.[12] Speaking in 2006, Suda cited these licensed projects as the first sign of the company's international recognition following the release of Killer7.[13] Suda acted as the game's director and co-writer.[14] It was co-produced by Namco Bandai's Takahiro Sasanoi and Yoshinobu Matsuo.[15][16] The original cast (Ayako Kawasumi as Fuu, Kazuya Nakai as Mugen, and Ginpei Sato as Jin) returned, with new character Worso being voiced by Akira Ishida.[17]

Suda co-wrote the scenario with Masahi Ooka, with whom he had worked since The Silver Case (1999).[15][18] Grasshopper Manufacture had to work on the project with two restrictions; no mention was to be made of the word Edo, and the "samurai who smells of sunflowers" was not to be included. Outside those restrictions the team were given complete creative freedom, influencing Suda to set the game in the Ezo region, intending it as a deliberate contrast with the characters going to Kyushu in the anime.[11] He described the relationship with the original studio Manglobe as "easy-going", with Grasshopper being allowed to choose the game's genre and Watanabe checking the script and voice work so it remained consistent with the anime. Suda enjoyed working with the staff, citing it as a positive interaction between game designers and animators that was rare in Japan.[12]

The gameplay was designed with a North American audience in mind, also incorporating the musical elements the anime was known for.[12] According to Matsuo, the genre was chosen as it fit in with the series's tone and action.[16] Suda felt Grasshopper and Samurai Champloo were a good fit due to the studio's reputation for games with a non-traditional style,[12] though he later noted that when contracted Grasshopper were asked to hold back the studio's "signature style".[19] The art director was Akihiko Ishizaka, while Katsu Fukamachi, Junya Iwata and Kazuhiko Enzaki acted as character designers.[15] The team used their experience creating cel-shaded graphics for Killer7 when creating the art design. The CGI opening was created by Jet Studio, re-creating the anime's opening using realistic versions of the anime's protagonists.[12] Motion capture was handled by Dynapix.[20]

The game was first announced by Namco Bandai in August 2005.[21] It was previewed to the public at that year's Tokyo Game Show.[2] The localization was handled by Bang Zoom! Entertainment, the same studio who handled the original series.[15][22] The original English cast returned with the exception of Mugen's voice actor Steve Blum, who was replaced by Liam O'Brien.[2][23] Worso is voiced by Lex Lang, who voiced the characters Shoryu and Xavier III in the anime dub.[15][24] It was released on February 23, 2006 in Japan, and on April 11 in North America.[3] His work on Sidetracked together with Blood+: One Night Kiss, both using more action-based gameplay, informed Suda's design on his next project No More Heroes.[25]

Music

Main article: Music of Samurai Champloo

The anime's opening theme "Battlecry", composed by Nujabes and performed by Shing02, is used in the game's CGI opening.[6][26] Due to difficulties with licensing, none of the anime's soundtrack was used for the in-game music.[12] The music was composed by Masafumi Takada, a long-time collaborator of Suda's and a core member of Grasshopper's in-house sound team.[12][27] Takada was a fan of the anime's soundtrack, listening to it and emulating it as much as he could within his original music.[27] Sidetracked was Takada's first time using the Logic Pro workstation, finding it well suited to creating the game's soundtrack.[28] A soundtrack album was released on March 1, 2006 by Scitron Digital Contents.[29]

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
Metacritic66/100[30]
Review scores
PublicationScore
1Up.comB−[32]
Edge6/10[31]
Famitsu31/40[1]
Game Informer6.75/10[33]
GameProStarStarStarHalf star[34]
GameZone7.5/10[35]
IGN7.2/10[36]
OPM (US)StarStar[37]
PSM6/10[38]
X-PlayStarStar[39]

The game received "average" reviews according to video game review aggregator Metacritic.[30] In Japan, Famitsu gave it a score of three eights and one seven, for a total of 31 out of 40.[40]

Notes

  1. ↑ Released under the Bandai brand in Japan.
  2. ↑ Known in Japan as simply Samurai Champloo (Japanese: サムライチャンプルー, Hepburn: Samurai Chanpurū)[1]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 (in ja)Famitsu. https://www.famitsu.com/cominy/?m=pc&a=page_h_title&title_id=11131. Retrieved January 13, 2022. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 "TGS 2005: Samurai Champloo -- First Look". September 15, 2005. https://www.ign.com/articles/2005/09/15/tgs-2005-samurai-champloo-first-look. Retrieved December 14, 2021. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "Error: no |title= specified when using {{Cite web}}" (in ja). https://www.grasshopper.co.jp/projects/samuraichamploo.html. Retrieved December 14, 2021. 
  4. ↑ "Samurai Champloo". Newtype USA (Kadokawa Shoten) 2 (10). October 2003. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Road Trip: Samurai Champloo". Newtype USA (Kadokawa Shoten) 4 (7). July 2005. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 "Samurai Champloo: Sidetracked Updated Hands-On". May 17, 2006. https://www.gamespot.com/articles/samurai-champloo-sidetracked-updated-hands-on/1100-6145543/. Retrieved January 13, 2022. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Turner, Benjamin (January 24, 2006). "Previews - Samurai Champloo: Sidetracked". http://ps2.gamespy.com/playstation-2/samurai-champloo/683068p1.html. Retrieved January 13, 2022. 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Li, Richard (January 24, 2006). "Preview: Samurai Champloo". http://www.1up.com/previews/samurai-champloo_2. Retrieved January 13, 2022. 
  9. ↑ "'Cowboy Bebop' director Watanabe talks anime". February 14, 2006. Archived from the original on July 15, 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20090715113817/http://www.dailytexanonline.com/life-arts/cowboy-bebop-director-watanabe-talks-anime-1.971462. Retrieved January 6, 2015. 
  10. ↑ Ciolek, Todd (21 July 2015). "The Art of Japanese Video Game Design With Suda51". Anime News Network. Anime News Network. Archived from the original on 9 April 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160409040852/http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interview/2015-07-21/the-art-of-japanese-video-game-design-with-suda51/.90633. Retrieved 8 December 2016. 
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 (in ja). PIE Corporation. 30 June 2018. ISBN 978-4-8356-3857-7. 
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4 12.5 12.6 Halverson, Dave (April 2006). "Samurai Champloo: An Interview with Goichi Suda". Play (Fusion Publishing) (52): 47–49. https://archive.org/details/Play_052_April_2006/page/n47/mode/2up. 
  13. ↑ "Into The Darkness". Edge. April 2006. http://www.edge-online.co.uk/archives/2006/04/into_the_darkne_1.php. Retrieved January 13, 2022. 
  14. ↑ "Kojima Productions - Hideoblog". October 5, 2009. http://www.kjp.konami.jp/gs/hideoblog/2006/10/000182.html. 
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 15.4 Grasshopper Manufacture (April 11, 2006). Samurai Champloo: Sidetracked. PlayStation 2. Namco Bandai Games. Scene: Credits. 
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 "Bandai Announces Samurai Champloo for PlayStation 2". September 20, 2005. https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/press-release/2005-09-20/bandai-announces-samurai-champloo-for-playstation-2. Retrieved January 13, 2022. 
  17. ↑ "Error: no |title= specified when using {{Cite web}}" (in ja). 2006. https://www.bandainamcoent.co.jp/cs/side_876/backnumber/pdf08/Side-B-08-P08-09.pdf. 
  18. ↑ Wojnar, Zack (March 1, 2017). "Suda 51 Shares The Secrets Of The Silver Case And His Legendary Career". Game Informer. https://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2017/03/01/suda-51-shares-the-secrets-of-the-silver-case-and-his-legendary-career.aspx. Retrieved January 13, 2022. 
  19. ↑ Sheffield, Brandon (July 6, 2007). "Die Without Regret: An Interview With Goichi Suda". https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/die-without-regret-an-interview-with-goichi-suda. 
  20. ↑ "Error: no |title= specified when using {{Cite web}}" (in Japanese). Dynapix. http://dynapix.jp/motion_capture.html. 
  21. ↑ Gantayat, Anoop (August 23, 2005). "Samurai Champloo to PS2". https://www.ign.com/articles/2005/08/23/samurai-champloo-to-ps2. Retrieved January 13, 2022. 
  22. ↑ Bertschy, Zac (2007-11-07). "Eric P. Sherman, President of Bang Zoom! Entertainment". https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interview/2007-11-07/eric-sherman-president-of-bang-zoom-entertainment. Retrieved January 8, 2022. 
  23. ↑ "Samurai Champloo - Mugen". http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/characters/Samurai-Champloo/Mugen. Retrieved January 13, 2022. 
  24. ↑ "Anime". http://www.lexlang.com/anime.html. 
  25. ↑ Vazquez, Suriel (November 22, 2018). "The Strange History Of Grasshopper Manufacture". Game Informer. https://www.gameinformer.com/2018/11/22/the-strange-history-of-grasshopper-manufacture. Retrieved January 16, 2022. 
  26. ↑ Samurai Champloo Roman Album. Dark Horse Comics. March 13, 2017. pp. 98–99. ISBN 978-1-5930-7642-9. 
  27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 Sheffield, Brandon (June 27, 2008). "Masafumi Takada: Grasshopper's Musical Craftsman". p. 2. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/audio/masafumi-takada-grasshopper-s-musical-craftsman. 
  28. ↑ Napolitano, Jayson (July 15, 2010). "A Blast From The Bast: The Original No More Heroes With Masafumi Takada". http://www.originalsoundversion.com/a-blast-from-the-past-the-original-no-more-heroes-with-masafumi-takada/. Retrieved January 13, 2022. 
  29. ↑ "Error: no |title= specified when using {{Cite web}}" (in ja). http://www.webcity.jp/ds/detail.php?pid=SCDC-00507. Retrieved January 13, 2022. 
  30. ↑ 30.0 30.1 "Samurai Champloo: Sidetracked for PlayStation 2 Reviews". https://www.metacritic.com/game/samurai-champloo-sidetracked/critic-reviews/?platform=playstation-2. Retrieved March 24, 2015. 
  31. ↑ Edge staff (June 2006). "Samurai Champloo: Sidetracked". Edge (163): 96. 
  32. ↑ Li, Richard (April 11, 2006). "Review - Samurai Champloo". http://www.1up.com/reviews/samurai-champloo_2. Retrieved January 13, 2022. 
  33. ↑ Juba, Joe (May 2006). "Samurai Champloo: Sidetracked". Game Informer (157): 101. http://gameinformer.com/NR/exeres/2D4AEF0C-03BB-440B-B4B9-0D3970603401.htm. Retrieved March 24, 2015. 
  34. ↑ Burner, Rice (April 11, 2006). "Samurai Champloo: Sidetracked". GamePro. Archived from the original on April 20, 2006. https://web.archive.org/web/20060420141910/http://www.gamepro.com/sony/ps2/games/reviews/53251.shtml. Retrieved March 24, 2015. 
  35. ↑ Bedigian, Louis (April 11, 2006). "Samurai Champloo: Sidetracked - PS2 - Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on January 25, 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20090125224313/http://ps2.gamezone.com/gzreviews/r27807.htm. Retrieved March 24, 2015. 
  36. ↑ Roper, Chris (April 11, 2006). "Samurai Champloo: Sidetracked". Archived from the original on October 2, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20181002020159/https://www.ign.com/articles/2006/04/12/samurai-champloo-sidetracked. Retrieved March 24, 2015. 
  37. ↑ "Samurai Champloo: Sidetracked". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine: 94. June 2006. 
  38. ↑ "Review: Samurai Champloo: Sidetracked". PSM: 78. May 2006. 
  39. ↑ "Samurai Champloo: Sidetracked". X-Play. May 23, 2006. Archived from the original on April 17, 2007. https://web.archive.org/web/20070417045254/http://www.g4tv.com/xplay/reviews/1146/Samurai_Champloo_Sidetracked.html. Retrieved March 24, 2015. 
  40. ↑ Gantayat, Anoop (March 1, 2006). "Now Playing in Japan". Archived from the original on November 8, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171108155219/http://www.ign.com/articles/2006/03/01/now-playing-in-japan-159. Retrieved March 24, 2015. 
  • 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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