Software:The Pagemaster (video game)

From HandWiki
The Pagemaster
Developer(s)Probe Software
Publisher(s)Fox Interactive
Platform(s)Genesis, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Game Boy
ReleaseSega Genesis
Super NES
Game Boy
Genre(s)Platform
Mode(s)Single-player

The Pagemaster is a platform game released in conjunction with the 1994 film The Pagemaster for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Game Boy, and Sega Genesis. Richard Tyler can be guided through a selection of literature genre-themed levels, ranging from horror to adventure and fantasy worlds. Magic can be used, and stomping enemies to death by jumping on their heads is permitted. Enemies include bats, flying books, giant hands, ghosts, pirates, and more.

Reception

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
Game BoySega GenesisSNES
AllGameN/AStarStarHalf star[4]StarStarHalf star[5]
CVG79/100[6]N/A83/100[6]
EGMN/A6/10[lower-alpha 1]6.5/10[lower-alpha 2]
GamePro3/5[lower-alpha 3]3/5[lower-alpha 4]3.5/5[lower-alpha 5]
HyperN/A60%[12]N/A
Mega FunN/A65%[14]67%[15]
Nintendo PowerN/AN/A3.1/5[lower-alpha 6]
ONM68/100[17]N/A73/100[18]
Total!N/AN/A71/100[20]
Video Games (DE)64%[21]N/A69%[21]
Games WorldN/AN/A78/100[22]
GB Action76%[23]N/AN/A
MegaN/AN/AN/A
Mega ZoneN/AN/AN/A
Nintendo AcciónN/AN/AN/A
Play TimeN/A67%[27]58%[28]
Super GamerN/AN/A68/100[29]

GamePro gave the SNES version a mixed review. They criticized the poor controls and repetitiveness, commenting that "Almost all of Pagemaster is redundant platform jumping against the same enemies who appear over and over again." However, they praised the graphics for their colorful and effective recreations of the settings for famous novels and concluded the game "isn't bad, it just isn't as fun as it could've been."[11] The four reviewers of Electronic Gaming Monthly also considered it a just above average game. They praised the movie-like graphics and audio, but criticized the controls, saying the character tends to slide around, and felt the game to be generally uninteresting.[8] They held the Genesis version in lower regard, commenting that "This game would be enjoyable, but the control just isn't there."[7] GamePro similarly commented that the Genesis version is good in most respects, but that the poor controls make it an overall mediocre game.[10]

Reviewing the Game Boy version, GamePro praised the diverse gameplay, detailed graphics, and atmospheric music, but remarked that the poor control ruins the entire experience. They particularly cited jumps requiring excessive precision and slippery control, remarking that "Richard slides from platforms so often you'll think his soles are oiled."[9]

Sales

The game shipped more than 100,000 copies.[30]

Notes

  1. ↑ In Electronic Gaming Monthly's review of the Genesis version, three critics scored it 6/10, one 5/10, another 7/10.[7]
  2. ↑ In Electronic Gaming Monthly's review of the SNES version, two critics scored it 6/10, two others 7/10.[8]
  3. ↑ GamePro gave the Gameboy version two 3.5/5 ratings for graphics and sound, and two 2.5/5 scores for control and fun factor.[9]
  4. ↑ GamePro scored the Genesis version 3.5/5 twice for graphics and sound, 2/5 for control, and 3/5 for fun factor.[10]
  5. ↑ GamePro scored the SNES version 3.5/5 twice for sound and fun factor, 4/5 for graphics, and 3/5 for control.[11]
  6. ↑ Nintendo Power, in the early 1990s, scored games based on four factors in reviews: graphics/sound, play control, challenge, and theme/fun. The SNES version was ranked 3/5 in all except graphics, which was rated 3.4/5.[16]

References

  1. ↑ "Mean Machines Sega No 27 pg. 80". Sega Retro. January 1995. https://segaretro.org/index.php?title=File:MeanMachinesSega27UK.pdf&page=80. 
  2. ↑ Nichols, Peter (November 21, 1994). "Games, movies starting to meet in marketplace". p. 12. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/86002316/. Retrieved September 26, 2021. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "Press release: 1994-11-15: YOU'VE NEVER CHECKED OUT A LIBRARY LIKE THIS: 'THE PAGEMASTER'". Sega Retro. https://segaretro.org/Press_release:_1994-11-15:_YOU%27VE_NEVER_CHECKED_OUT_A_LIBRARY_LIKE_THIS:_%27THE_PAGEMASTER%27. 
  4. ↑ Weiss, Brett Alan. "The Pagemaster – Review". AllGame. Archived from the original on November 16, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20141116213004/http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=1663&tab=review. Retrieved March 4, 2021. 
  5. ↑ Weiss, Brett Alan. "The Pagemaster – Review". AllGame. Archived from the original on November 15, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20141115075308/http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=2569&tab=review. Retrieved March 4, 2021. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Lord, Gary; Rad Automatic (December 1994). "Pagemaster". Computer and Video Games (157): 94–95. https://segaretro.org/index.php?title=File:CVG_UK_157.pdf&page=94. Retrieved March 4, 2021. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Review Crew: The Pagemaster". Electronic Gaming Monthly (65): 40. December 1994. https://archive.org/details/Electronic_Gaming_Monthly_65/page/n43/mode/2up. 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Review Crew: Pagemaster". Electronic Gaming Monthly (65): 38. December 1994. https://archive.org/details/Electronic_Gaming_Monthly_65/page/n41/mode/2up. 
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 "ProReview: The Pagemaster". GamePro (IDG) (65): 212. December 1994. https://retrocdn.net/images/b/b1/GamePro_US_065.pdf. 
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 "ProReview: The Pagemaster". GamePro (66): 50. January 1995. https://retrocdn.net/images/5/5d/GamePro_US_066.pdf. 
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 "ProReview: The Pagemaster". GamePro (65): 140. December 1994. https://retrocdn.net/images/b/b1/GamePro_US_065.pdf. 
  12. ↑ Armstrong, Stretch (February 1995). "The Pagemaster". Hyper (15): 44–45. https://archive.org/details/hyper-015/page/n43/mode/2up. Retrieved March 4, 2021. 
  13. ↑ Steve; Gus (January 1995). "Page Master". Mean Machines Sega (27): 80–82. https://archive.org/details/meanmachinessega27/page/n79/mode/2up. Retrieved March 4, 2021. 
  14. ↑ Noak, Philipp (January 1995). "Pagemaster" (in de). Mega Fun: 40. https://www.kultboy.com/index.php?site=t&id=13554. Retrieved March 4, 2021. 
  15. ↑ Noak, Philipp (February 1995). "Pagemaster" (in de). Mega Fun: 102. https://segaretro.org/index.php?title=File%3AMegaFun_DE_1995-02.pdf&page=102. Retrieved March 4, 2021. 
  16. ↑ "Now Playing". Nintendo Power (67): 102–107. December 1994. https://archive.org/details/nintendo-power-issue-127-december-1999/Nintendo%20Power%20Issue%20067%20December%201994/page/102/mode/2up. Retrieved March 4, 2021. 
  17. ↑ Paul D. (February 1995). "The Pagemaster". Nintendo Magazine System (29): 38. https://archive.org/details/nms-29/page/38/mode/2up. Retrieved March 4, 2021. 
  18. ↑ Paul D. (February 1995). "The Pagemaster". Nintendo Magazine System (29): 36–37. https://archive.org/details/nms-29/page/36/mode/2up. Retrieved March 4, 2021. 
  19. ↑ Per Mejorie Bros (March 1995). "The Pagemaster" (in pt). Super Game Power: 37. https://archive.org/details/SuperGamePower_Ano_01_No._012_1995-03_Nova_Cultural_BR_pt/page/n35/mode/2up. Retrieved March 4, 2021. 
  20. ↑ Andy; Atko (February 1995). "The Pagemaster". Total! (38): 30–31. https://archive.org/details/total-38/page/n29/mode/2up. Retrieved March 4, 2021. 
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 Zengerle, Robert (January 1995). "Pagemaster" (in de). Video Games: 110. https://www.kultboy.com/index.php?site=t&id=9724. Retrieved March 4, 2021. 
  22. ↑ Dave; Nick; Nick R; Adrian (January 1995). "The Pagemaster". Games World (7): 16. https://archive.org/details/games-world-07/page/n17/mode/2up. Retrieved March 4, 2021. 
  23. ↑ "The Pagemaster". GB Action (34): 18–19. December 1994. https://archive.org/details/gb-action-34/page/n17/mode/2up. Retrieved March 4, 2021. 
  24. ↑ "The Pagemaster". Mega (28): 50–51. January 1995. https://archive.org/details/mega28_202004/page/n49/mode/2up. Retrieved March 4, 2021. 
  25. ↑ Sariban, Mark; Matt (March 1995). "The Pagemaster". Mega Zone (49): 25. https://archive.org/details/megazoneau49/page/n23/mode/2up. Retrieved March 4, 2021. 
  26. ↑ Tatoover (January 1995). "The Pagemaster" (in es). Nintendo Acción (26): 50–51. https://archive.org/details/Nintendo_Accion_026/page/n49/mode/2up. Retrieved March 4, 2021. 
  27. ↑ "Pagemaster" (in de). Play Time: 102. January 1995. https://archive.org/details/playtime199501/page/n101/mode/2up. Retrieved March 4, 2021. 
  28. ↑ "The Pagemaster" (in de). Play Time: 115. March 1995. https://archive.org/details/playtime199503/page/n113/mode/2up. Retrieved March 4, 2021. 
  29. ↑ Ryan; Keith (February 1995). "The Pagemaster". Super Gamer: 62. https://archive.org/details/super-gamer-11/page/n61/mode/2up. Retrieved March 4, 2021. 
  30. ↑ Gelmis, Joseph (November 22, 1994). "Pagemaster and Kong Look Like Video Game Winners". p. 128. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/86002435/newsday-suffolk-edition/. Retrieved September 26, 2021. 
  • 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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