Software:Ultima: Runes of Virtue II

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Short description: 1990s video game series
Ultima: Runes of Virtue II
Game Boy version cover
Developer(s)Origin Systems
Publisher(s)
  • JP: Pony Canyon
  • NA: FCI
  • JP: Electronic Arts Victor (SNES)
Producer(s)Alan Gardner
Designer(s)Gary Scott Smith
Programmer(s)Gary Scott Smith
Artist(s)Terry Manderfeld
Composer(s)Marc Schaefgen
Martin Galway
SeriesUltima
Platform(s)Game Boy, SNES
ReleaseGame Boy
  • JP: 19 November 1993
  • NA: March 1994
SNES
  • JP: 17 June 1994
  • NA: 1994
Genre(s)Role-playing
Mode(s)Single-player, Multiplayer

Ultima: Runes of Virtue II is a 1993 video game developed by Origin Systems for the Game Boy and Super Nintendo Entertainment System and published by Pony Canyon and FCI. The game is the sequel to the 1991 Game Boy title of the same name and the second Ultima game to be released on a handheld console. Upon release, the game received average reviews, with critics praising the additions, including new animations, larger scope, and cutscenes, as an improvement to the previous game, but found the visual presentation of the game to be lacking.

Gameplay

Gameplay in Runes of Virtue involves exploration of dungeons to solve puzzles and defeat monsters to obtain items to progress the game.

Runes of Virtue II is a role-playing game in which players are summoned by Lord British through a moongate and tasked to rescue Lord Tholden, the mayor of Britain, and other characters, who have been kidnapped by the Black Knight.[1] Players explore the land of Britannia to fight monsters and solve puzzles in caverns and dungeons throughout the world. Puzzles are completed by interacting with objects in the dungeon, including hitting switches, moving objects, or defeating monsters.[2][3] Players select one of four characters: the ranger Shamino, the mage Mariah, the bard Iolo and the soldier Dupre.[4][3] They engage in combat with enemies by using weapons in their hand, which can be changed using the inventory screen, and new weapons are collected throughout the game. Some items are magic items, conferring special abilities, such as restoring health, moving faster, or walking through walls, at the cost of points to the player's magic meter.[1] The Game Boy version of the game features two-player multiplayer using the Game Link Cable.[2]

Reception

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
Game Informer7.5/10[4]
GamePro3.5/5[2]
Nintendo Power3.5/5[5]
Total! (magazine) (de)4.25/6[6]

Runes of Virtue II received average reviews upon release. Reviewers for Game Informer praised the game as a "brilliant use of the Game Boy in a fantasy role-play" due to the game's choices and gameplay options, animated sequences, and the "variety of objects and characters".[4] Describing the game as "bigger and better" than its predecessor, Nintendo Power praised its "involving" [sic] gameplay, cutscenes and save system, but expressed that it featured "small and confusing" graphics and was a "very complex game that isn't for everyone".[5] Reviewing the SNES version, the publication praised the game's "good depth", "interesting story", and conveyance of a "good feeling of exploring a vast world", although critiquing the game's "awkward" overhead perspective.[7] Nintedo Life praised the game for being "much larger in scope" due to the "larger, more challenging dungeons", multiplayer options, explorable settlements, although stated the game "looks rather rough and feels a little out of place when compared to the best Japanese examples of the genre".[8] GamePro highlighted the game's combination of role-playing and "solid" puzzle mechanics as an improvement on the previous game, but found the game "doesn't play particularly fast", stating "the graphics are shrimpy and the music and sound effects are repetitive".[2]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Ultima: Runes of Virtue II - Instruction Booklet. Fujisankei Communications International. 1993. https://archive.org/details/snes_Ultima_Runes_of_Virtue_II_USA. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 The Wizard of Awe (February 1994). "Ultima: Runes of Virtue II". GamePro (55): 142. https://archive.org/details/GamePro_Issue_055_February_1994/page/n143. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Ultima: Runes of Virtue II". Nintendo Power (54): 70–73. November 1993. https://archive.org/details/nintenpo-wer/Nintendo%20Power%20Issue%20054%20November%201993/page/70. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 "Ultima: Runes of Virtue II". GameInformer (13): 28. November–December 1993. https://archive.org/details/game-informer-issue-13-november-december-1993/page/n29. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Now Playing". Nintendo Power (54): 106. November 1993. https://archive.org/details/nintenpo-wer/Nintendo%20Power%20Issue%20054%20November%201993/page/106. 
  6. ↑ "[Review, SNES"] (in German). Total! (1/95). January 1995. https://www.mobygames.com/game/5631/ultima-runes-of-virtue-ii/reviews/. 
  7. ↑ "Ultima: Runes of Virtue II". Nintendo Power (65): 105. October 1994. https://archive.org/details/nintendo-power-issue-065-october-1994/page/104. 
  8. ↑ McFerran, Damien; Cartwright, Jon (25 January 2024). "Best Game Boy / Game Boy Color RPGs". Nintendo Life. https://www.nintendolife.com/guides/best-game-boy-game-boy-color-rpgs?page=2. 
  • 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. 
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