Software:Small Soldiers (video game)

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Small Soldiers
Cover art, PAL version
Developer(s)DreamWorks Interactive
Tiertex Design Studios (GB)
Publisher(s)Electronic Arts
THQ (GB)
Composer(s)Michael Giacchino
Platform(s)PlayStation
Game Boy
Release
  • GB: November 13, 1998[2]
Genre(s)Action-adventure
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Small Soldiers is an action video game, based on the film of the same name.[3] Unrelated games were released for the PC and Game Boy.

Plot

The game does not follow the plot of the 1998 film, instead existing on the fictional world of Gorgon, where the characters are living beings, rather than animatronic toys. This is of note, as the driving force of the Gorgonites is to find Gorgon, a mythical world of peace and freedom. The Gorgonites originally come from a variety of planets, one per race, with the "Land of Gorgon" being something of a creation myth.[4]

The game begins with the Commando Elite having already invaded Gorgon and ready to strike. Archer, as leader, takes it upon himself to fight the enemy head on. This is again notable, as the core programming of the Gorgonite toys in the movie is to "hide and be defeated by the Commando Elite", and they are a canonically passive tribe (pro-Commando marketing aside).

While the game begins with a pre-rendered cutscene, there is very little plot beyond the mission objectives, and the game ends on a static image.

Gameplay

Single-player

The PS1 release of this game is a 3D, third-person shooter with tank controls. Players take the role of Archer, Emissary of the Gorgonites, as he battles against the forces of the game's antagonist, Major Chip Hazard, leader of the Commando Elite. You progress through small, open levels, collecting keys to progress to the next level, while defending yourself against enemies. The player is equipped with a rapid-fire crossbow, which can receive new ammunition types to modify gameplay. Players can also use turrets and vehicles, as well as summon allies in two-player mode.

Multiplayer

In multiplayer mode, players can play as either Archer or Chip Hazard. The gameplay is the same as single-player. For Chip Hazard his default weapon is a rapid-fire pistol, which can receive new ammunition types.

There are two game modes in multiplayer mode; frag mode where a player must score five kills before the other player does so and flag mode; where a player must return all three flags to their base.

Game Boy Version

It is important to note that cross-platform video game tie-ins of this era might have shared titles and marketing graphics, but were in fact substantially different games. The Game Boy version of this title is no exception (as one would expect from a handheld console), being a mono-colour 2D platformer.

Soundtrack

The soundtrack for the game was composed by Michael Giacchino.

Reception

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
Game Informer7.25/10[5]
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette3.5/5[6]

Game Informer gave the game an overall score of 7.25 out of 10, praising the challenging action and easy puzzles but criticizing the gameplay controls, especially when the player gets stuck on invisible barriers concluding it is "fun, but it's nothing to get excited about."[5]

References

  1. ↑ "EA Company Information - Press Releases". 1999-01-28. http://www.ea.com/companyinfo/pressreleases/smallsoldiers.html. 
  2. ↑ "Small Soldiers on PSX Data Center". https://psxdatacenter.com/games/P/S/SLES-01581.html. 
  3. ↑ "Electronic Arts Ships Small Soldiers for the PlayStation". Berkshire Hathaway. November 2, 1998. Archived from the original on January 28, 1999. https://web.archive.org/web/19990128052935/http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/981102/electronic_1.html. Retrieved June 17, 2019. 
  4. ↑ Dreamworks (1998). "Small Soldiers Top Secret Dossier", ISBN 0-14-130242-9
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Small Soldiers Review". Game Informer. December 1998. http://www.gameinformer.com/cgi-bin/review.cgi?sys=psx&path=dec98&doc=small. Retrieved December 3, 2020. 
  6. ↑ Collins, Tracy (February 7, 1999). "Small Soldiers wins big". p. 77. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/99386587/pittsburgh-post-gazette/. Retrieved April 9, 2022. 
  • 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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