Software:Shadow Tower

From HandWiki
Short description: 1998 video game
Shadow Tower
Artwork of a square box. Depicted is an apparently undressed man, with a piece of dark brown fabric covering his eyes and a big necklace around his neck. He sits with his legs crossed, his arms around them, and looking up. The top portion reads "Shadow Tower" in uppercase black letters with a slight gothic style and a white glow around them.
North American PlayStation cover art
Developer(s)FromSoftware
Publisher(s)
Producer(s)Shinichiro Nishida
Designer(s)Daisuke Ito
Hiroyuki Kani
Programmer(s)Hiroyuki Arai
Composer(s)Kota Hoshino
Platform(s)PlayStation
Release
  • JP: June 25, 1998
  • NA: November 23, 1999[1]
Genre(s)Action role-playing
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Lua error in Module:Lang/utilities at line 332: attempt to call field '_transl' (a nil value). is a 1998 action role-playing video game developed by FromSoftware for the PlayStation.[2] The game was originally released in Japan by FromSoftware on June 25, 1998 and in North America by Agetec on November 23, 1999. Shadow Tower shares many similarities with the King's Field series of video games. A sequel, Shadow Tower Abyss, was released for the PlayStation 2 exclusively in Japan.

Gameplay

Shadow Tower is an action-oriented dungeon crawl very similar to King's Field. It features a first person style of gameplay where the player engages in combat with enemies, searches for hidden items and traps, and interacts with NPCs. Unlike most RPGs, it does not feature a system of experience points which the player character uses to grow more powerful. Instead all creatures are non-respawnable and every type of enemy killed will raise fixed stats on the player, so in order to increase specific stats a variety of different enemies need to be killed. The game also includes an item which allows the player to increase any stat by a few points manually, allowing for some character customization. A common issue for new players is that stat names don't refer to what they might be used to from other RPGs; for example, the stat Strength doesn't affect the character's attack power, but their hit points instead. Each piece of the character's equipment has a durability rating, meaning that it will wear down over time and must eventually be repaired or replaced. The game also features no music and no automap. Some differences from the previous King's Field installments are a shield that acts as an actual usable item that must be raised to block attacks, a more in-depth equipment screen, and the new progression system.

Plot

The game is set on the continent of Eclipse, in the Holy Land of Zeptar. The player takes the role of a mercenary named Ruus Hardy. Returning home to Zeptar, he finds that the entire city, as well as the central tower, have been sucked into the underworld. He meets an old man who gives him the Dark One's sword, the only weapon which can injure the demons responsible. Swearing to rescue the old woman who raised him, as well as the rest of Zeptar, Ruus descends into the underworld.

Development and release

Shadow Tower was developed by FromSoftware, a Japanese game company that had made its name with the King's Field series, with which Shadow Tower shared several gameplay and thematic elements.[3] While it bears several tonal and mechanical similarities to the King's Field series, the team wanted to create an entirely different franchise.[4] The aesthetics were inspired by Western fantasy, while the goal with the gameplay was to have it difficult yet rewarding for players.[5][6] It used a similar engine base to the King's Field series, though it was redesigned and polished.[4] The game was produced concurrently with Echo Night, and had some crossover with the sound staff.[7] The game's soundtrack was composed by Kota Hoshino. As the game uses little in-game music, many of his contributions were unused, though some were later used for Evergrace.[8] It was originally published by FromSoftware in Japan on June 25, 1998.[9] The game was localized and published by Agetec, who had previously released multiple FromSoftware titles.[10][11]

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
GameRankings49%[12]
Review scores
PublicationScore
AllGameStarStar[13]
EGM2/10[15]
Famitsu27/40[2]
Game Informer7.5/10[16]
GameProStarStarHalf star[17]
GameSpot3.9/10[18]
OPM (US)Half star[19]
PSMStarStarStarHalf star[20]

The game received an average of 49% according to the review aggregation website GameRankings.[12] In Japan, Famitsu gave it a score of 27 out of 40.[2]

References

  1. ↑ "What Lurks In The Dreaded Shadow Tower?". November 23, 1999. http://www.gameinformer.com/news/news_story.cfm?NEWS_ID=301. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "シャドウタワー [PS"] (in Japanese). Famitsu (Enterbrain). https://www.famitsu.com/cominy/?m=pc&a=page_h_title&title_id=11787&redirect=no. Retrieved June 15, 2019. 
  3. ↑ Ciolek, Todd (2015-03-16). "The History of FromSoftware". Archived from the original on 2015-03-18. https://web.archive.org/web/20150318103835/http://www.ign.com/articles/2015/03/16/the-history-of-from-software. Retrieved 2018-07-03. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "World Republic Interview - FromSoftware". Gamers' Republic (Millennium Publications) (7): 112–113. December 1998. https://archive.org/details/Gamers_Republic_Issue_07_December_1998/page/n115/mode/2up. 
  5. ↑ "Error: no |title= specified when using {{Cite web}}" (in Japanese). Archived from the original on March 24, 2004. https://web.archive.org/web/20040324071743/http://www.st-abyss.net/top/column/03_settei.html. Retrieved 2 November 2020. 
  6. ↑ "Error: no |title= specified when using {{Cite web}}" (in Japanese). Archived from the original on March 1, 2004. https://web.archive.org/web/20040301014233/http://www.st-abyss.net/top/column/02_kaihatsu.html. Retrieved 2 November 2020. 
  7. ↑ (in Japanese). Softbank Creative. 1998. pp. 128–131. ISBN 978-4797306996. 
  8. ↑ "RocketBaby's video game and anime music journal: Interview with Kota Hoshino". RocketBaby.net. 2003. http://www.rocketbaby.net/interviews_hoshino_egac2_1.html. 
  9. ↑ "PRODUCTS (Shadow Tower)". https://www.fromsoftware.jp/ww/detail.html?csm=006. Retrieved May 27, 2018. 
  10. ↑ "AGETEC - Center Panel". http://www.agetec.com/games/sub/center.html. 
  11. ↑ "Hardcore Gaming 101: King's Field". http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/kingsfield/kf05.htm. 
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 "Shadow Tower for PlayStation". CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on May 21, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190521115109/https://www.gamerankings.com/ps/198605-shadow-tower/index.html. Retrieved February 11, 2021. 
  13. ↑ Wigmore, Glenn. "Shadow Tower - Review". All Media Network. Archived from the original on November 17, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20141117082820/http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=20714&tab=review. Retrieved June 15, 2019. 
  14. ↑ D'Aprile, Jason (February 11, 2000). "Shadow Tower". CNET. Archived from the original on August 16, 2000. https://web.archive.org/web/20000816210354/http://www.gamecenter.com/Consoles/Sony/Shadtower/. Retrieved February 11, 2021. 
  15. ↑ "Shadow Tower". Electronic Gaming Monthly (Ziff Davis). 2000. 
  16. ↑ Reppen, Erik (November 1999). "Shadow Tower". Game Informer (FuncoLand) (79). Archived from the original on May 21, 2000. https://web.archive.org/web/20000521150121/http://gameinformer.com/reviews/review_detail.cfm?ITEM_ID=4293. Retrieved June 15, 2019. 
  17. ↑ Ash (December 1999). "Shadow Tower". GamePro (IDG Entertainment) (135): 234. https://archive.org/details/GamePro_Issue_135_December_1999_U/page/n227/mode/2up. Retrieved February 11, 2021. 
  18. ↑ Sato, Yoshiyuki Ike (November 15, 1999). "Shadow Tower Review [date mislabeled as "May 2, 2000""]. CBS Interactive. https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/shadow-tower-review/1900-2549258/. Retrieved June 15, 2019. 
  19. ↑ "Shadow Tower". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine (Ziff Davis). 2000. 
  20. ↑ "Review: Shadow Tower". PSM (Future US). 2000. 
  • Short description: Video game database
MobyGames
Logo since March 2014
Screenshot
Frontpage as of April 2012
Type of site
Gaming
Available inEnglish
OwnerAtari SA
Websitemobygames.com
CommercialYes
RegistrationOptional
LaunchedJanuary 30, 1999; 26 years ago (1999-01-30)
Current statusOnline

MobyGames is a commercial website that catalogs information on video games and the people and companies behind them via crowdsourcing. This includes nearly 300,000 games for hundreds of platforms.[1] The site is supported by banner ads and a small number of people paying to become patrons.[2] Founded in 1999, ownership of the site has changed hands several times. It is currently owned by Atari SA.

Content

The database began with games for IBM PC compatibles. After two years, consoles such as the PlayStation, were added. Older console systems were added later. Support for arcade video games was added in January 2014 and mainframe computer games in June 2017.[3]

Edits and submissions go through a leisurely verification process by volunteer "approvers". The approval process can range from immediate (minutes) to gradual (days or months).[4] The most commonly used sources are the video game's website, packaging, and credit screens. There is a published standard for game information and copyediting.[5]

Registered users can rate and review any video game. 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 subforum.

History

Logo used until March 11, 2014

MobyGames was founded on March 1, 1999 by Jim Leonard and Brian Hirt, then joined by David Berk 18 months later, three friends since high school.[6] Leonard had the idea of sharing information about computer games with a larger audience.

In mid-2010, MobyGames was purchased by GameFly for an undisclosed amount.[7] This was announced to the community post factum and a few major contributors left, refusing to do volunteer work for a commercial website.

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).[8] Blue Flame Labs reverted MobyGames' interface to its pre-overhaul look and feel.[9]

On November 24, 2021, Atari SA announced a potential deal with Blue Flame Labs to purchase MobyGames for $1.5 million.[10] The purchase was completed on 8 March 2022, with Freyholtz remaining as general manager.[11][12]

See also

  • IGDB – game database used by Twitch for its search and discovery functions

References

  1. ↑ "MobyGames Stats". https://www.mobygames.com/moby_stats. 
  2. ↑ "MobyGames Patrons". http://www.mobygames.com/info/patrons. 
  3. ↑ "New(ish!) on MobyGames – the Mainframe platform.". Blue Flame Labs. 18 June 2017. http://www.mobygames.com/forums/dga,2/dgb,3/dgm,237200/. 
  4. ↑ "MobyGames FAQ: Emails Answered § When will my submission be approved?". Blue Flame Labs. 30 March 2014. http://www.mobygames.com/info/faq7#g1. 
  5. ↑ "The MobyGames Standards and Practices". Blue Flame Labs. 6 January 2016. http://www.mobygames.com/info/standards. 
  6. ↑ "20 Years of MobyGames" (in en). 2019-02-28. https://trixter.oldskool.org/2019/02/28/20-years-of-mobygames/. 
  7. ↑ "Report: MobyGames Acquired By GameFly Media". Gamasutra. 2011-02-07. http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/32856/Report_MobyGames_Acquired_By_GameFly_Media.php. 
  8. ↑ 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. 
  9. ↑ Wawro, Alex (31 December 2013). "Game dev database MobyGames getting some TLC under new owner". Gamasutra. http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/207882/Game_dev_database_MobyGames_getting_some_TLC_under_new_owner.php. 
  10. ↑ "Atari invests in Anstream, may buy MobyGames". https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2021-11-24-atari-invests-in-anstream-may-buy-mobygames. 
  11. ↑ "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/. 
  12. ↑ "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/. 





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