Software:Vortex (video game)

From HandWiki
Short description: 1994 video game
Vortex
North American cover art by Roger Loveless
Developer(s)Argonaut Software
Publisher(s)
Producer(s)Neil Jackson
Designer(s)Nic Cusworth
Michael Powell
Programmer(s)Michael Powell
Artist(s)Alistair McNally
Composer(s)Justin Scharvona
Platform(s)Super Nintendo Entertainment System
Release
  • NA: September 1994
  • JP: December 9, 1994
  • PAL: 1995
Genre(s)3D shooter
Mode(s)Single-player

Vortex is a 3D shooter game developed by Argonaut Software and released by Electro Brain for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in September 1994.[1] Titled Citadel during development, it is one of a few games designed to use the enhanced graphics of the Super FX powered GSU-1.

Gameplay

Gameplay screenshot.

The player pilots an experimental mech called the Morphing Battle System against the five worlds of the Aki-Do Forces.[2] The player enters the Vortex, to save the Deoberon system, retrieving the core from the fierce forces, the Aki-Do. The MBS can transform between four different modes: The Walker, Sonic Jet, Land Burner, and Hard Shell.

Development and release

The overall concept of Vortex fueled unconfirmed speculation that the project may have been derived from an unreleased game based on Transformers.[3] However, in a 2015 interview with Retro Gamer, programmer Michael Wong-Powell confirmed that Vortex and Transformers were entirely separate projects, with the latter being cancelled during development.[4]

In March 1994, Argonaut Software was signed as a third-party developer by Atari Corporation to develop games for the Atari Jaguar platform.[5] A port of Vortex for the Jaguar was announced at Spring ECTS '94, but it ultimately was never released.[6][7][8]

Reception

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
AllGameStarStarHalf star[9]
CVG89/100[10]
EGM6/10[11]
GamePro13.5/20[12]
Nintendo LifeStarStarStarStarStarStarStar[13]
Nintendo Power3.55/5[14]
Total!85%[15]
Super Gamer92%[16]
VideoGames8/10[17]

Vortex was criticized for its difficulty and its lag, which was common for Super FX games of its type. Electronic Gaming Monthly's five reviewers remarked that the pace is slow, but complimented the unique concept and high challenge.[11] GameFan's three reviewers scored it 79%, 72%, and 70%.[18]

References

  1. ↑ "Super NES Games". Nintendo of America. https://www.nintendo.com/doc/snes_games.pdf. 
  2. ↑ "Vortex". SNES Central. http://www.snescentral.com/article.php?id=0085. 
  3. ↑ Oxford, Nadia (July 3, 2007). "Transformers: Robots in Disgust". 1UP.com. http://www.1up.com/do/feature?cId=3160736. 
  4. ↑ "The Making of: Vortex". Retro Gamer (147): 38–41. October 2015. 
  5. ↑ "ATARI ANNOUNCES TOTAL OF 86 DEVELOPERS, PUBLISHERS AND LICENSEES FOR JAGUAR". March 7, 1994. http://host.fptoday.com:80/melek/Jaguar/jag-94.htm. 
  6. ↑ "ProNews: Jaguar Licensee Count Grows". GamePro (IDG) (59): 184. June 1994. https://retrocdn.net/index.php?title=File:GamePro_US_059.pdf&page=186. Retrieved 2019-01-05. 
  7. ↑ "Special - Release Schedule ECTS-Messe". Mega Fun (CT Computec Verlag GmbH & Co. KG) (21): 18. June 1994. https://retrocdn.net/index.php?title=File:MegaFun_DE_1994-06.pdf&page=18. Retrieved 2019-01-05. 
  8. ↑ "Scene - Erste CD-ROM-Titel für Jaguar". Mega Fun (CT Computec Verlag GmbH & Co. KG) (21): 24. June 1994. https://retrocdn.net/index.php?title=File%3AMegaFun_DE_1994-06.pdf&page=24. Retrieved 2019-01-05. 
  9. ↑ Weiss, Brett Alan (1998). "Vortex (Super Nintendo Entertainment System) - Review". AllGame. All Media Network. http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=12179&tab=review. 
  10. ↑ Ahmet, Deniz; Patterson, Mark (October 1994). "CVG Review - It's A Whole New World Out There: Vortex - The Real Virtua Fighter". Computer and Video Games (EMAP) (155): 76–79. https://retrocdn.net/index.php?title=File%3ACVG_UK_155.pdf&page=76. 
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Semrad, Ed; Carpenter, Danyon; Manuel, Al; Williams, Ken; Weigand, Mike (October 1994). "Review Crew - Major Mike's Game Roundup: Vortex (Electro Brain/Super NES)". Electronic Gaming Monthly (Sendai Publishing) (63): 32. https://archive.org/stream/Electronic_Gaming_Monthly_63#page/n32/mode/1up. 
  12. ↑ Squideo, Captain (October 1994). "ProReview - SNES: Vortex". GamePro (IDG) (63): 60. https://retrocdn.net/index.php?title=File%3AGamePro_US_063.pdf&page=62. 
  13. ↑ Frear, Dave (July 26, 2010). "Vortex Review (SNES) - Transform and tear your hair out". Nintendo Life. Nlife Media. https://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/2010/07/vortex_retro. 
  14. ↑ "Now Playing - Vortex (Super NES". Nintendo Power (Nintendo of America) (64): 106–107. September 1994. 
  15. ↑ Atko (November 1994). "Total! SNES Review: Vortex". Total! (Future plc) (35): 52–53. https://archive.org/stream/total-35-november-1994#page/52/mode/2up. 
  16. ↑ McDermott, Andy; Pullin, Keith; Butt, Ryan (December 1994). "Super NES Review: Vortex - Polygon perfection!". Super Gamer (Paragon Publishing) (9): 56–57. https://archive.org/stream/super-gamer-09#page/56/mode/2up. 
  17. ↑ Meston, Zach (November 1994). "Reviews - SNES: Vortex". VideoGames - The Ultimate Gaming Magazine (Larry Flynt Publications) (70): 99. https://archive.org/stream/video-games-the-ultimate-gaming-magazine-issue-70#page/n98/mode/1up. 
  18. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named GameFanv
  • 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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