Software:Sigma Star Saga

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Short description: 2005 video game
Sigma Star Saga
Developer(s)WayForward Technologies
Publisher(s)
Director(s)Matt Bozon
Producer(s)Matt Bozon
Philip Cohen
Designer(s)Matt Bozon
Hwang Nguyen
Greg Weller
Artist(s)Jeremy Dower
Vuduberi[2][3]
Writer(s)Matt Bozon
Composer(s)Martin Schioeler
Platform(s)
ReleaseGame Boy Advance
  • NA: 16 August 2006
  • EU: 23 June 2006
PlayStation 5
  • WW: 2026
Nintendo Switch
  • WW: 2026
Windows
  • WW: 2026
Genre(s)Role-playing, space-shooter
Mode(s)Single-player

Sigma Star Saga is a 2005 hybrid science fiction role-playing-space-shooter developed by WayForward Technologies and published by Namco Hometek for the Game Boy Advance. The player explores a standard 2-D overworld, but is transported into space for side-scrolling shooter random battles. The story focus on a space pilot named Ian Recker who goes undercover against Earth's enemies, the Krill, in a battle to save the planet.

An updated re-release, titled Sigma Star Saga DX, will feature multiple quality-of-life improvements and fixes, and is scheduled to arrive in 2025 as a physical version for Game Boy Advance[4] , and early 2026 for PC, PS5 and Switch.[5]

Gameplay

There are two distinct portions of the game: an overworld where the player control Recker directly, and side-scrolling shooter random battles.

Overworld

In the overworld, Recker travels around either talking to people to advance the plot or searching for items and data on one of several planets. As the game progresses, his abilities expand: he is given more weapons to fight the local flora and fauna, and he receives power-ups that let him pass different barriers to his progress.[6]

Ship Battles

As the player traverse the various planets, they are frequently transported into space to pilot the Krill defense fleet surrounding each planet. The ships are biological in nature and semiautonomous: they only require a pilot when they sense danger. In most battles, the player are required to shoot down a certain number of enemies to end the sequence.

The ship battles are where the RPG elements of the game come in: as the player kill enemies, they drop experience bubbles, which power up the offensive and defensive capabilities. The player can further increase their abilities through the Gun Data system.

Unlike many shooters, there is no need to have a fixed ship in this game. The player are transported to a different ship in one of half a dozen classes, chosen randomly by the game. In some battles they will fly a small, agile attack ship, in some a bomber, and in some a lumbering cargo vessel.

Gun Data

The Gun Data system allows the player to customize how their ship fires its weapons. There are three categories that can be changed: cannon, bullet, and impact. The cannon alters the direction and manner in which the bullets fire (forwards, backwards, rapid fire, etc.), bullet alters the shot type (large, long-range, chargeable, etc.), and impact determines what the bullet does when it hits an enemy (explodes, drops health, etc.). The game includes dozens of different options for each data, mostly found by exploration in the overworld. The total number of combinations is 15,680, although only one can be used in any given battle.

Story

The main character is Ian Recker, a decorated pilot who goes undercover to investigate the enemy species known as Krill. The Krill attacked Earth by gouging out a hole the size of Canada under the Atlantic Ocean, which caused the oceans to boil, nearly destroying all life on Earth. Recker gets "captured" by the Krill, who outfit him with a Krill parasite suit that makes him stronger and faster than a normal human being, and enables him to fly their biological ships. He quickly becomes embroiled in a race across several planets for control of mysterious "bio-matter" in the cores of the planets. After several betrayals, it becomes apparent that the "bio-matter" is in fact a monstrous weapon, and both the Krill High Command and Recker's superiors are after it. The plot is complicated by the existence of a virus, first considered a biological weapon against the Krill, but which turns out to destroy the "bio-matter".

Characters

Much of the game revolves around the shifting relationships between Recker's female companions: the Krill pilot, Psyme, and the human scientist, Scarlet. Neither trusts the other, and Recker is torn between maintaining his cover with Psyme and protecting his fellow human Scarlet from the Krill.

Other important characters include the commanders of various Krill starbases, Commander Tierney, Recker's commanding officer, and Blune, a Krill officer who complicates matters as the game goes on. Tierney is named after Adam Tierney, part of the development team for the game.

Endings

Depending on the actions taken in the last chapter of the story, there are four different endings with different scenes at the end; specifically, the ending depends on whether Psyme and/or Scarlet die in the last chapter. Although Psyme can be saved in the first playthrough, Scarlet will die in the first playthrough and cannot be saved unless the player resumes from a New Game+ game.

Also, a special ending is shown if both Psyme and Scarlet are saved and all of the Gun Data is collected.

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
Metacritic68/100[7]
Review scores
PublicationScore
1Up.comB[8]
Edge5 of 10[9]
Game Informer8.5 of 10[10]
GameProStarStarStarHalf star[11]
GameSpot7.2 of 10[12]
GameSpyStarStarHalf star[13]
GameZone7.4 of 10[14]
IGN6 of 10[15]
Nintendo Power8.5 of 10[16]
X-PlayStarStarStar[17]
Detroit Free PressStar[18]

Sigma Star Saga received "average" reviews according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[7] Greg Kasavin of GameSpot praised the game's original ideas of blending elements from the shoot 'em up genre with the role-playing genre, but noted that gameplay can get tedious after backtracking certain areas of the game.[12]

References

  1. ↑ "Atari Announces European Publishing Partnership with Namco Bandai". https://www.webwire.com/ViewPressRel.asp?aId=13710. 
  2. ↑ "Sigma Star Saga Developer Diary". 8 July 2005. https://www.ign.com/articles/2005/07/08/sigma-star-saga-developer-diary-2. 
  3. ↑ "Patara.me". http://patara.me/artworks.html. 
  4. ↑ Romano, Sal (2025-03-07). "Sigma Star Saga DX Game Boy Advance physical edition pre-orders now available" (in en-US). https://www.gematsu.com/2025/03/sigma-star-saga-dx-game-boy-advance-physical-edition-pre-orders-now-available. 
  5. ↑ Romano, Sal (2025-10-29). "Sigma Star Saga DX coming to PS5, Switch, and PC in early 2026" (in en-US). https://www.gematsu.com/2025/10/sigma-star-saga-dx-coming-to-ps5-switch-and-pc-in-early-2026. 
  6. ↑ "WayForward". https://wayforward.com/games/sigma-star-saga-dx. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Sigma Star Saga for Game Boy Advance Reviews". CBS Interactive. https://www.metacritic.com/game/sigma-star-saga/critic-reviews/?platform=game-boy-advance. Retrieved October 11, 2019. 
  8. ↑ Parish, Jeremy (August 15, 2005). "Sigma Star Saga". Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160305010716/http://www.1up.com/reviews/sigma-star-saga. Retrieved October 10, 2019. 
  9. ↑ Edge staff (October 2005). "Sigma Star Saga". Edge (Future plc) (154): 95. 
  10. ↑ "Sigma Star Saga". Game Informer (GameStop) (148): 109. August 2005. 
  11. ↑ Ouroboros (August 17, 2005). "Sigma Star Saga Review for Game Boy Advance on GamePro.com". GamePro (IDG Entertainment). Archived from the original on January 6, 2006. https://web.archive.org/web/20060106035337/http://www.gamepro.com/nintendo/gameboy_advance/games/reviews/47743.shtml. Retrieved October 11, 2019. 
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Kasavin, Greg (August 15, 2005). "Sigma Star Saga Review". CBS Interactive. https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/sigma-star-saga-review/1900-6131068/. Retrieved October 11, 2019. 
  13. ↑ Turner, Benjamin (August 16, 2005). "GameSpy: Sigma Star Saga". IGN Entertainment. Archived from the original on December 12, 2005. https://web.archive.org/web/20051212204059/http://gba.gamespy.com/gameboy-advance/star-sigma-saga/642285p1.html. Retrieved October 11, 2019. 
  14. ↑ Bedigian, Louis (August 26, 2005). "Sigma Star Saga - GBA - Review". Archived from the original on October 6, 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20081006152927/http://gameboy.gamezone.com/gzreviews/r25643.htm. Retrieved October 11, 2019. 
  15. ↑ Harris, Craig (August 18, 2005). "Sigma Star Saga". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/2005/08/18/sigma-star-saga. Retrieved September 9, 2012. 
  16. ↑ "Sigma Star Saga". Nintendo Power (Nintendo of America) 195: 83. September 2005. 
  17. ↑ Bemis, Greg (October 10, 2005). "Sigma Star Saga Review". G4TV. Archived from the original on January 5, 2006. https://web.archive.org/web/20060105050701/http://www.g4tv.com/xplay/features/52744/Sigma_Star_Saga_Review.html. Retrieved October 10, 2019. 
  18. ↑ Gardner, Omari (September 18, 2005). "Sigma Star Saga". Detroit Free Press (Gannett Company). Archived from the original on September 19, 2005. https://web.archive.org/web/20050919114900/http://www.freep.com/entertainment/videogames/gmini18e_20050918.htm. Retrieved October 11, 2019. 

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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