Software:Shadows of Cairn

From HandWiki
Short description: 1994 video game
Shadows of Cairn
MS-DOS title screen for Shadows of Cairn.
Developer(s)Ant Software[1]
Publisher(s)Masque Publishing[2]
Platform(s)DOS, Windows 3.1x
ReleaseNovember 1994[2]
Genre(s)Platform
Mode(s)Single-player

Shadows of Cairn is a side-scrolling platformer available for DOS and Windows 3.1x, where the player assumes the role of Quinn, an apprentice thief in the land of Cairn.

Plot

Although Quinn is an apprentice thief, he is too honest to steal anything of value and prove himself to his guild. As a result, his guild master sets him up to take the fall for the murder of the Duke of Cairn.[3]

After managing to escape his holding cell, Quinn must use a combination of fighting and stealth to traverse several areas of the tiered outpost city in the mountains of Cairn. His mission is to prove his innocence and thwart the plans of his former master and associates, who are plotting to exploit the outpost for their own selfish gain.

Gameplay

Screenshot

Similar to Prince of Persia,[3] Shadows of Cairn features two major gameplay elements. In the game, the player takes control of Quinn and must navigate him through treacherous terrain, overcoming pits and obstacles by utilizing running, jumping, climbing, and hiding abilities. Additionally, the player must engage in combat with enemies to progress. Quinn does not fight automatically; the player must manually activate fight mode and employ high, medium, and low punches or kicks to defeat opponents.

Unlike Prince of Persia, Shadows of Cairn offers four difficulty levels. In addition to Easy, Normal, and Hard, there is a fourth difficulty level called "Very Easy." This mode allows players to cheat their way through the game by granting them infinite hit points or complete immunity to being hit. The only potential drawback of this mode is the risk of getting trapped in certain traps that would otherwise result in immediate death.

The game guides the player by providing waypoints directly on Quinn's compass, indicating the locations they need to reach to progress the story. These waypoints can lead the player to various places, ranging from local taverns to magical towers located on different tiers of the city. The game's linear nature ensures that it is unlikely for the player to become lost or stuck. Notably, there is no inventory system in the game. However, chests can be found throughout the world containing useful items such as medicinal herbs or quest-related items like the Crazy Guy's Rat, which advance the story or can be traded for other items, including new weaponry.

Periodically, the player is treated to in-game animated cutscenes. These cutscenes feature full voice-acting (using tracks from the CD-ROM) and distinct animation styles, differing from both the cover art and the in-game sprites.

Reception

The game received poor reviews from critics. PC Gamer scored it a 40%, characterizing it generally as boring. They also noted intensely frustrating fighting dynamics and excessively difficult mazes.[4] The Swedish High Score magazine was even harsher, giving the game a score of 20% and specifically critiquing its content and playability.

James V. Trunzo reviewed Shadows of Cairn in White Wolf Inphobia #55 (May, 1995), rating it a 3.5 out of 5 and stating that "For gamers who enjoy arcade-style play, Shadows of Cairn is an amusing diversion with some depth of play."[5]

Despite the negative playability aspects, the "high resolution" (44.1 kHz) rock soundtrack received favorable attention, earning praise from reviewers such as Computer Gaming World[3] and the Sydney Morning Herald.[1] New Media Magazine awarded it an Invision Award Finalist for "Best Audio/Soundtrack of the Year 1995".[6]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Murphy, Trish. "Computers - Games: Catch me if you Cairn." Sydney Morning Herald, Late Edition. Pg.41. 30 May 1995.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Shadows of Cairn. IGN. 2012. Accessed 11 November 2012
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Wilson, Johnny, ed. "Now Playing: Shadows of Cairn". Computer Gaming World. Pg.260-261. January 1995.
  4. ↑ Bennett, Dan. "Shadows of Cairn". PC Gamer. June 1995.
  5. ↑ Trunzo, James V. (May 1995). "The Silicon Dungeon". White Wolf Inphobia (55): 78. https://imgur.com/a/HLlIuzf. 
  6. ↑ Ant Software (1994). Shadows of Cairn. Masque Publishing, Inc.. "NewMedia Invision Awards Finalist 1995 Finalist Best Audio/Soundtrack of the Year" 
  • 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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