Software:The Rugrats Movie (video game)

From HandWiki
The Rugrats Movie
The Rugrats Movie
Cover art
Developer(s)Software Creations
Publisher(s)THQ
Director(s)Seth Jacobson[1]
Producer(s)Trevor Bent
Lorraine Starr
Designer(s)Trevor Bent
Simon Hundelby
Troy McColgan
Programmer(s)Mike Ager
Brian Beuken
Artist(s)James Clarke
Dave Fish
Martin Holland
Composer(s)Martin Goodall
Paul Tonge
Platform(s)Game Boy, Game Boy Color
ReleaseGame Boy (Original)
Game Boy Color
Genre(s)Platform-adventure
Mode(s)Single-player

The Rugrats Movie is a traditional 8-bit 2D platform video game based on the movie of the same name from the Nickelodeon animated series, Rugrats. It was released for original Game Boy in November 1998 and for Game Boy Color in 1999. The game is also compatible with the Super Game Boy.[5]

Gameplay

Tommy Pickles' little brother, Dil, has vanished, so the Rugrats set out to find him.[6] The game features eight levels including the Pickles' house, the hospital, woods, and ancient ruins. There are two levels in which the player drives the Reptar Wagon in a top-down perspective, but the rest features standard side-scrolling platform gameplay.[5][6][7] In each level the player has to collect specific items and get to the exit before time runs out. The game also utilizes a password feature.[5][7]

Development

In 1997, THQ signed an agreement with Nickelodeon to develop and publish video games using the Rugrats license through December 2002. The deal gave THQ exclusive rights to Rugrats for all current and future game systems from Nintendo, Sony and Sega.[8] Among the first projects announced as resulting from this deal was a Game Boy title set to be developed by n-Space and released in 1998.[9]

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
GameRankings61.75%[10]
Review scores
PublicationScore
AllGameStarStarStar[7]
Consoles +84%[11]
Game Informer2.5/10[13]
GameSpot7.3/10[6]
IGN5/10[5]
Jeuxvideo.com13/20[14]
Nintendo Power6.9/10[15]
ONM85%[16]
Total Game Boy87%[17]

The Game Boy Color version has a 61.75 percent score on GameRankings.[10] The Electric Playground praised the graphics and sound of the Game Boy version, but was critical of the gameplay.[12]

Scott Alan Marriott of AllGame rated the Game Boy Color version a 3 out of 5 and wrote, "The Rugrats Movie isn't a classic platform game by any means, but it does what it does admirably, which is to provide a colorful journey through levels based on the 1998 hit movie. And that should be enough to satisfy nearly everyone who saw the film, as this title definitely leans toward a younger audience. Control involves moving left or right and jumping -- that's it." Marriott praised the "entertaining" vehicle levels for adding variety to the game, and also enjoyed its colorful and "well-defined" graphics, writing that "the levels could pass for something you'd see on the Nickelodeon animated television series." Marriott wrote about the sound: "The music is surprisingly catchy, although it does grow repetitive the longer you play the game. The sound effects are ordinary."[7]

Cameron Davis of GameSpot rated the Game Boy Color version a 7.3 out of 10 and wrote that "to the great astonishment of many, it's actually pretty good. Not groundbreaking or innovative in any way, to be sure, but it does what it sets out to do well." Davis said of the game's vehicle levels: "They're a nice addition and break up the gameplay well - a shame, then, that they're over too quickly." Davis praised the game's "well-detailed and extremely colorful locations," but also wrote, "The stages are impressively large and full of hidden areas to explore, although the way the screen sometimes doesn't scroll until you're almost at the edge leads to a few needless deaths. [...] Grown-ups who are brave enough to admit they like watching the cartoon won't find a particularly challenging game here. The fact that the game only uses one button is a good indication of this."[6]

Peer Schneider of IGN gave the Game Boy Color version a 5 out of 10, and did not feel that the game could "hold the attention of older gamers". Schneider wrote, "Graphically, Rugrats stays true to the series with large, recognizable characters and decent animation. The scrolling still needs some work, but Creations pulled off a slew of vibrant, nicely drawn backgrounds that really shine on the Game Boy Color or Super Game Boy. Sound effects are sparse, but the memorable Rugrats music would quickly overshadow any potential sounds anyway. But remember: Enjoy Rugrats music only in small doses. If you're planning to play the game for a long time, we suggest switching off the music to prevent yourself from going nuts."[5]

References

  1. ↑ "The Rugrats Movie Credit Information - GameFAQs". https://www.gamefaqs.com/gameboy/562858-the-rugrats-movie/credit. 
  2. ↑ "PR - 11/24/98 - THQ AND NICKELODEON SHIP 'THE RUGRATS MOVIE' FOR GAME BOY". 2004-04-16. http://www.thq.com/Corporate/PressReleases/press-77.asp. 
  3. ↑ "PR - 4/12/99 - THQ AND NICKELODEON SHIP 'THE RUGRATS MOVIE' FOR GAME BOY COLOR". 2004-04-16. http://www.thq.com/Corporate/PressReleases/press-104.asp. 
  4. ↑ "Rugrats: The Movie (Game Boy Color)". https://www.nintendo.co.uk/Games/Game-Boy/Rugrats-The-Movie-266175.html. Retrieved 2018-05-18. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 Schneider, Peer (1999-07-14). "Rugrats: The Movie (GBC)". http://www.ign.com/articles/1999/07/15/rugrats-the-movie. Retrieved 2014-03-17. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Davis, Cameron (2000-01-28). "Rugrats: The Movie Review (GBC)". http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/rugrats-the-movie-review/1900-2536205/. Retrieved 2014-03-17. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Marriott, Scott Alan. "The Rugrats Movie (GBC) - Review". Archived from the original on 2014-11-15. https://web.archive.org/web/20141115161918/http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=17949&tab=review. Retrieved 2014-12-13. 
  8. ↑ "THQ Inks Rugrats Agreement". February 16, 1999. https://www.ign.com/articles/1999/02/17/thq-inks-rugrats-agreement. Retrieved July 3, 2011. 
  9. ↑ "Rugrats Crawl to Console". Electronic Gaming Monthly (Ziff Davis) (102): 22. January 1998. 
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 "The Rugrats Movie for Game Boy Color". http://www.gamerankings.com/gbc/198523-the-rugrats-movie/index.html. Retrieved 2014-03-17. 
  11. ↑ "Lez Razmoket" (in fr). Consoles + (88): 138. http://download.abandonware.org/magazines/Consoles%20Plus/consoleplus_numero088/Consoles+_N88-Page%200138.jpg. Retrieved 2021-10-01. 
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 "The Rugrats Movie (Game Boy)". 1999-08-26. Archived from the original on 2001-02-10. https://web.archive.org/web/20010210224841/http://www.elecplay.com/review_917.html. 
  13. ↑ "The Rugrats Movie – Game Boy". Game Informer (70): 57. February 1999. https://archive.org/details/Game_Informer_Issue_070_February_1999/page/n57/mode/2up?q=%22The+Rugrats+Movie%22+. Retrieved 2021-10-01. 
  14. ↑ Lightman (1999-06-03) (in fr). Test Les Razmoket : Le Film. https://www.jeuxvideo.com/articles/0000/00000251_test.htm. Retrieved 2021-10-01. 
  15. ↑ "The Rugrats Movie (GBC)". Nintendo Power 116. January 1999. 
  16. ↑ "The Rugrats Movie". Official Nintendo Magazine (81): 42. June 1999. https://archive.org/details/nintendo-official-magazine-uk-81-june-1999/page/42/mode/2up?q=%22The+Rugrats+Movie%22. Retrieved 2021-10-01. 
  17. ↑ "Rugrats: The Movie". Total Game Boy (2): 12. 1999. https://archive.org/details/Total_Game_Boy_Issue_02. 
  • 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. 
  • No URL found. Please specify a URL here or add one to Wikidata.



Warning: Default sort key "Rugrats Movie, The" overrides earlier default sort key "Mobygames".



Retrieved from "https://handwiki.org/wiki/index.php?title=Software:The_Rugrats_Movie_(video_game)&oldid=785948"