Software:Time Commando

From HandWiki
Short description: 1996 video game
Time Commando
Developer(s)Adeline Software International
Publisher(s)
Director(s)Frédérick Raynal
Producer(s)Serge Plagnol
Designer(s)Didier Chanfray
Composer(s)Philippe Vachey
Platform(s)DOS, Windows, PlayStation, Saturn
Release
Genre(s)Action-adventure
Mode(s)Single player

Time Commando is an action-adventure computer and video game developed by Adeline Software and published by Electronic Arts in Europe, Activision in America (United States [2] and Brazil ), and Virgin Interactive Entertainment (PC and PlayStation versions) and Acclaim Entertainment (Sega Saturn version) in Japan .

It was originally released for the PC on 31 July 1996 in Europe, the United States and Brazil, and was later ported for PlayStation and released on 30 September 1996 in Europe and the United States, and on 15 November 1996 in Japan. A Sega Saturn version of the game was also released in Japan on 5 March 1998.

Time Commando was re-released for modern computer systems on 6 January 2012 by GOG.com.[3]

Story

At the Historical Tactical Center, the military, with the help of a private corporation has created a computer capable of simulating any form of combat from any point in history. However, a programmer from a rival corporation infects the system with a "Predator Virus" that creates a time-distortion vortex, which threatens to swallow the world if it is not destroyed. The player controls Stanley Opar, a S.A.V.E. operative (Special Action for Virus Elimination) at the facility who enters the vortex to try and stop the virus.

In order to accomplish this, Stanley must combat various enemies throughout different time periods. These eras are Prehistoric (featuring cavemen, saber tooth tigers, and cave bears), Roman Empire, Feudal Japan, Medieval, Conquistador, Wild West, Modern Wars (World War I and supposedly World War III), Future (Stanley's era), and finally, inside the main computer (Virus World), culminating in a showdown with the virus itself.

Gameplay

In each level, Stanley collects various weapons exclusive to the time period.[4] Stanley has a small life bar that grows larger when the player picks up life power-ups. Along the same lines, Stanley has multiple lives. As the player plays through a level, a time bar, which counts the time until the virus completely takes over and the player dies, slowly fills. This bar can be emptied by depositing computer chips collected throughout the levels in various "orb pools," which resemble the vortex Stanley first entered.[5]

Music

The music soundtrack was composed by Philippe Vachey.
The PC CD-ROM contains two audio tracks:

  • Track 1 - "Time Commando"
  • Track 2 - "Rush"

Development

Adeline Software International's initial plan after the release of Little Big Adventure was to begin work on a sequel, but it became apparent that there was not enough time to complete it in time for Christmas 1995. Because of this, they decided to create a "quick, small, simple game" to secure a Christmas release. Work began on Time Commando with a focus on graphics but no planning on the actual gameplay. This development approach, along with Adeline's admission that making a small game is not in their nature, meant that the Christmas release date was missed, resulting in an actual release date of 31 July 1996.[6]

The 3D engine used in Time Commando was a re-written version of the engine used in Little Big Adventure which resulted in it being faster, and also having slightly improved animations.[6]

Reception

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
EGM6.125/10 (PS)[7]
GameSpot8.2/10 (PC)[8]
7/10 (PS)[9]
Next GenerationStarStarStar (PS)[10]

By August 1999, Time Commando had sold above 500,000 units.[11]

The four reviewers of Electronic Gaming Monthly liked the game's concept and the weapons the player can use in each era, but criticized the animations and the difficulty in hitting enemies due to the poor controls and full motion video scrolling. Crispin Boyer and Sushi-X in particular remarked that the game is mainly enjoyable due to the unintentionally humorous animations.[7] GameSpot also mentioned problems with the controls and animation but were otherwise more positive, summarizing that "Time Commando's stunning 3-D graphics and innovative gameplay bring action and adventure on the PlayStation to dizzying heights."[9] Atomic Dawg of GamePro actually praised the controls, but agreed that "the overall visual impact is diminished by pokey, lame-looking basic moves." His main criticism was how slowly the game moves whenever the player is not in a fight, and he concluded Time Commando to be an essentially good game that players would need an unusually high amount of patience to enjoy.[12] A Next Generation critic said in a brief review that "It looks good, but it's repetitive, the control is twitchy, and it never quite takes off."[10]

References

  1. ↑ "Online Gaming Review". 1998-02-10. http://www.ogr.com/news/news0896.html. 
  2. ↑ "Activision Not EA". Next Generation (Imagine Media) (18): 15. June 1996. "EA is, in fact, the game's publisher in England, but not in the United States. Activision is the US publisher of Time Commando.". 
  3. ↑ "Time Commando on GOG.com". https://www.gog.com/game/time_commando. 
  4. ↑ "Time Commando". Next Generation (Imagine Media) (17): 72–73. May 1996. 
  5. ↑ "Time Commando: A History Lesson in Combat". Electronic Gaming Monthly (Ziff Davis) (88): 228–9. November 1996. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 "An audience with Adeline". Edge (31): 22–26. April 1996. https://archive.org/details/EDGE.N031.1996.04/page/n21/mode/2up. Retrieved 2020-03-31. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Review Crew: Time Commando". Electronic Gaming Monthly (Ziff Davis) (88): 88. November 1996. 
  8. ↑ Adam, Jeffrey (August 29, 1996). "Time Commando Review". https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/time-commando-review/1900-2534989/. Retrieved 23 November 2017. 
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 "Time Commando Review". December 1, 1996. https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/time-commando-review/1900-2549782/. Retrieved 23 November 2017. 
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 "Every PlayStation Game Played, Reviewed, and Rated". Next Generation (Imagine Media) (25): 60. January 1997. 
  11. ↑ "Jeux; Time Commando". No Cliché. http://www.nocliche.com:80/contenu/jeux/time/default.htm. 
  12. ↑ "ProReview: Time Commando". GamePro (IDG) (99): 126. December 1996. 
  • 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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