Software:The Mask of Zorro (video game)

From HandWiki
Short description: 1999 video game
The Mask of Zorro
Cover art
Developer(s)Saffire
Producer(s)Sunsoft
Platform(s)Game Boy Color
ReleaseDecember 1999
Genre(s)Platformer
Mode(s)Single-player

The Mask of Zorro is a 1999 Game Boy Color platform game developed by Saffire and published by Sunsoft, based upon and following the plot of the 1998 movie of the same name.

Gameplay

A screenshot of The Mask of Zorro.

In line with the plot of the film, Zorro, the player controls Zorro and his protégé Alejandro Murrieta to defeat Don Rafael in 1821 California.[1] The game is a side-scrolling platformer spanning 30 levels, including churches, mansions, and mines.[2] Gameplay consists of combat involving thrusting, slashing, and parrying with a sword, and navigating platforms and obstacles, including swinging across posts.[3]

Reception

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
AllGameStar[2]
GameSpot3.5[3]
IGN2/10[4]
Game Boy Xtreme40%[5]
Nintendo Official Magazine60%[6]
Nintendo Pro60%[7]

Zorro received uniformly negative reviews, with critics noting the game was a poor-quality licensed platform game that had difficult controls. Writing for Allgame, Jon Thompson dismissed the game as an "absolute failure", noting main gameplay features were "so hopelessly flawed that they make (the game) unplayable", including the "difficult enemies and horrible control".[2] Frank Provo of GameSpot labelled the game as a "poor movie adaptation" with "horrible control and boring gameplay", singling out the "horrid jump mechanics and poor collision detection".[3] Nintendo Official Magazine described the game as "poor to look at and very frustrating".[6] Alec Matias of IGN stated the game was "shameful" and a "prime example of how bad a Game Boy game could be", with the "biggest complaint (being) the control...the jump is totally awkward...you'll often miss and be forced to traverse half the level to try it again".[4]

References

  1. ↑ The Mask of Zorro - Instruction Booklet. Sunsoft. December 1999. https://www.thegameisafootarcade.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/The-Mask-of-Zorro-Game-Manual.pdf. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Cook, Brad. "The Mask of Zorro". http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=21247&tab=review. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Provo, Frank (17 May 2006). "Mask of Zorro Review". https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/mask-of-zorro-review/1900-2592183/. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Matias, Alec (2 February 2000). "Mask of Zorro". https://www.ign.com/articles/2000/02/02/mask-of-zorro. 
  5. ↑ "On The Shelves". Game Boy Xtreme (4): 62. July 2001. https://archive.org/details/GBX-Magazine-Print-Collection/04%20GBX%20October%202001/page/n59/mode/2up. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 "The Mask of Zorro". Nintendo Official Magazine (93): 11. June 2000. https://archive.org/details/nom93/page/n59. 
  7. ↑ "The Mask of Zorro". Nintendo Pro (34): 38. May 2000. https://archive.org/details/nintendo-pro-34/page/38. 
  • 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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