Software:Scud: The Disposable Assassin (video game)

From HandWiki
Scud: The Disposable Assassin
North American Saturn cover art
Developer(s)Syrox Developments
Publisher(s)SegaSoft
Platform(s)Sega Saturn
Release
Genre(s)Run and gun, light gun shooter
Mode(s)Single player, multiplayer

Scud: The Disposable Assassin is a Sega Saturn video game based on the comic book series of the same name. It was released on March 20, 1997 in North America only, though it is region-free. It is unusual in that it can be played either as a run and gun game, or with a light gun. The main characters and plotline are mostly the same from the comic series, and Scud creator Rob Schrab said that he felt it did justice to his characters.[2]

The storyline revolves around Scud, a Heart Breaker Series 1373 model assassin, a fictional type of robotic assassin, his partner, Drywall, a bizarre character whose body can hold an unlimited amount of storage space, Sussudio, a bounty hunter that at first tries to kill Scud, and several other characters from the series.

A second game, Scud: Industrial Evolution, was released in 1997 for Microsoft Windows.

Gameplay

The game includes modes to play using either the standard Saturn gamepad or the Saturn Stunner light gun, as well as a mode intended to be played with two Stunners in order to emulate Scud's characteristic dual-wielding.[2]

If the player finds Drywall, he is unlocked as a playable character, in the process unlocking a two-player mode in which one player controls Scud and another controls Drywall.[2] The two players can use standard gamepads, Stunners, or a combination of the two.[3]

Critical reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
GameRankings63% (5 reviews)[7]
Review scores
PublicationScore
AllGameStar[8]
EGM7.125/10[4]
Next GenerationStarStar[6]
The Electric Playground5/10[5]

Scud received mediocre reviews. While critics generally complimented the graphics for their design, detailed rendering, and touches of humor,[4][9][5][6] and noted the originality of the game having three modes with different control methods,[4][9][5][6][10] they also concurred that all three modes suffer to some extent from repetitiveness and lack of depth.[4][9][5][6][10] While critics from Electronic Gaming Monthly and Next Generation found the one player with two guns mode fun, the EGM reviewers said it was also too easy,[4][6] and most critics found this mode as dull as the others.[9][5][10] Commenting on the combination of innovative ideas and weak execution, Next Generation summarized it as "another noble failure."[6]

Other elements of the game aroused varying opinions, particularly the music. Jeff Gerstmann from GameSpot said it was "surprisingly good",[9] Sushi-X of EGM called it "corny",[4] Bonehead of GamePro claimed it "induces headaches",[10] and Victor Lucas of The Electric Playground opined that, "Grungy guitar licks and kick ass percussion prevail, and busloads of screaming rock stars get you appropriately riled up to start blasting away. This is great music to shoot by."[5] And while Sushi-X and Lucas described the game's full motion video as "nicely rendered" and "positively brilliant" respectively,[4][5] Gerstmann said the video quality "could be compared to a movie that's been projected onto a glob of cottage cheese".[9]

References

  1. ↑ "EB Industry News - Segasoft SCUD". 1997-07-14. http://www.ebworld.com/news/articles/scud.html. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Scud: Not Even a Patriot Can Stop this Scud". Electronic Gaming Monthly (Ziff Davis) (90): 168–9. January 1997. 
  3. ↑ "Have Gun Game, Will Travel: Scud the Disposable Assassin". GamePro (IDG) (101): 40–41. February 1997. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 "Review Crew: Scud". Electronic Gaming Monthly (Ziff Davis) (94): 54. May 1997. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 Lucas, Victor. "Scud: The Disposable Assassin". http://www.elecplay.com/reviewfull_2833.html. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 "Finals: Scud". Next Generation (Imagine Media) (29): 152, 154. May 1997. https://archive.org/stream/NEXT_Generation_29#page/n153. 
  7. ↑ "Scud: The Disposable Assassin Review Score". https://www.gamerankings.com/saturn/198564-scud-the-disposable-assassin/index.html. 
  8. ↑ Williamson, Colin. "Scud: The Disposable Assassin Review". http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=1940&tab=review. 
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named GSrev
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 "Saturn ProReview: Scud". GamePro (IDG) (103): 88. April 1997. 
  • 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 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]

On February 13, 2025, Freyholtz stepped down as the site lead to move onto new projects, leaving operations to Tracy Poff, a veteran coder on the site, and Atari staff.[18]

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. 
  18. ↑ "An update on MobyGames leadership". 2025-02-13. https://www.mobygames.com/forum/3/thread/269628/an-update-on-mobygames-leadership/#post-269628. 
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