Software:Star Wars: Yoda Stories

From HandWiki
Short description: 1997 video game
Star Wars: Yoda Stories
North American Windows box art
Developer(s)LucasArts
Torus Games (Game Boy Color)
Publisher(s)LucasArts
THQ (Game Boy Color)
Director(s)Hal Barwood
Designer(s)Hal Barwood
Mark Crowley
Programmer(s)Mark Crowley
Writer(s)Hal Barwood
SeriesStar Wars
Platform(s)Windows, Game Boy Color
ReleaseWindows
Game Boy Color
Genre(s)Adventure
Mode(s)Single-player

Star Wars: Yoda Stories is a 1997 adventure video game based on the Star Wars franchise, developed by LucasArts. The game is the second and last title in LucasArts' Desktop Adventures series, preceded by Indiana Jones and His Desktop Adventures. The game was released in March 1997 for Microsoft Windows and ported to Game Boy Color by Torus Games in December 1999.

Gameplay

Yoda Stories is a point and click adventure game in the vein of early Windows titles.

Yoda Stories is a short, procedurally generated point-and-click adventure game designed for players to finish in an hour.[4][5] The game has no central plot or ultimate goal. Each time a new game is started, the player is tasked to complete a random mission. This may include rescuing another Star Wars character, obtaining an object, warning the Rebels of an attack, or destroying an Imperial facility.

The player controls Luke Skywalker from a bird's eye perspective. Players move Luke across a 2D grid, equip and use weapons to defeat enemies; push and pull certain objects; and collect items into their inventory to be used later on. Each mission takes place on a new procedurally generated planet, and requires the player to complete a series of item-based puzzles, either by pushing or pulling obstacles to reveal items, using items acquired elsewhere to unlock a new item, or defeating enemies in an area. Once the final puzzle is solved and the mission is accomplished, the player is given a score based on their performance, and may choose to replay the mission or start a new game.

Reception

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
CGWStar (PC)[6]
IGN2/10 (GBC)[7]
PC PowerPlay64% (PC)[8]
Science Fiction WeeklyA−[9]
PC Gamer80%[10]

The PC version of Yoda Stories was received poorly. Robert Coffey of Computer Gaming World derided the game as "really bad" and "graphically dated, featuring cookie-cutter worlds filled with big-headed, cutesified characters and silly monsters that are (almost) flat-out embarrassing".[6] GameSpot provided similar criticisms of the game as a "half-hearted product", stating "combat is awkward and in no way satisfying" and "the backgrounds are as flat and lifeless as the gameplay".[11] Gareth Jones of PC PowerPlay provided some praise for the game as "cute (and) fun, with plenty of lastability", praising its addictive nature.[8]

The Game Boy version of Yoda Stories received more negative reviews. Craig Harris of IGN stated the game was "one of the technically lamest and structurally annoying Game Boy games ever developed", singling out the poor graphics, animations, sound, and controls. Yoda Stories remains IGN's lowest-rated Game Boy Color title.[12]

Retrospective assessments of the game have been mixed. Inverse writer Brian Vanhooker supported the game as "easygoing and accessible", and interviewed lead designer Hal Barwood, who considered that the game was "ahead of its time and (that) its rough reception was unwarranted", as reviewers misinterpreted its purpose as a casual game.[13] Richard Cobbett of PC Gamer noted that the Desktop Adventures series "(had) a fair amount of promise", although the game suffers from "a lack of assets and a lack of content".[14]

References

  1. ↑ LucasArts Entertainment Company | 20th Anniversary
  2. ↑ "News for March 12, 1997". March 12, 1997. http://www.ogr.com/news/news0397.html. 
  3. ↑ "PR - 12/23/99 - The Popular Star Wars Game From LucasArts comes to the Game Boy Color". 2004-04-16. http://www.thq.com/Corporate/PressReleases/press-165.asp. 
  4. ↑ Ars Staff (2015-11-26). "Star Wars beyond the films: Ars' staff picks its fave games, toys, more". https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2015/11/star-wars-beyond-the-films-ars-staff-picks-its-fave-games-toys-more/. 
  5. ↑ "LucasArts: History - Broadening Horizons". http://www.lucasarts.com/20th/history_3.html. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Coffey, Robert (July 1997). "Yoda Stories". Computer Gaming World (156): 190. https://archive.org/details/Computer_Gaming_World_Issue_156/page/n193/mode/2up. 
  7. ↑ Harris, Craig (January 2000). "Star Wars: Yoda Stories". https://www.ign.com/articles/2000/01/29/yoda-stories. 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Jones, Gareth (May 1997). "Star Wars: Yoda Stories". PC PowerPlay (12): 62. https://archive.org/details/PCPowerplay-012-1997-05/page/n62. 
  9. ↑ Peck, Brooks (1997). "Game Reviews: Yoda Stories". http://www.scifi.com/sfw/issue44/games.html. 
  10. ↑ Douglas, Adam (July 1997). "Yoda Stories". Archived from the original on March 2, 2000. https://web.archive.org/web/20000302213149/http://www.pcgamer.com/reviews/1196.html. Retrieved July 5, 2025. 
  11. ↑ "Yoda Stories Review". May 2000. https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/yoda-stories-review/1900-2532035/. 
  12. ↑ "Worst Reviewed Nintendo Console Games". November 2008. https://www.ign.com/articles/2008/10/31/worst-reviewed-nintendo-console-games. 
  13. ↑ Vanhooker, Brian (July 2021). "25 Years Ago, Indiana Jones Met C-3PO in a Game No One Remembers". https://www.inverse.com/gaming/indiana-jones-desktop-adventure-c3po. 
  14. ↑ Cobbett, richard (July 2021). "Crapshoot: Cool Yoda Stories, Bro". https://www.pcgamer.com/saturday-crapshoot-yoda-stories. 
  • Yoda Stories for Game Boy Color review on GameSpot
  • 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. 
  • No URL found. Please specify a URL here or add one to Wikidata.

Template:Atari





Retrieved from "https://handwiki.org/wiki/index.php?title=Software:Star_Wars:_Yoda_Stories&oldid=3964360"