Software:Wave Rally

From HandWiki
Short description: 2001 video game
Wave Rally
Developer(s)Opus Studio
Publisher(s)Eidos Interactive
Platform(s)PlayStation 2
Release
  • NA: November 27, 2001[1]
  • EU: December 14, 2001
Genre(s)Racing
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Wave Rally, also known as Jet Ski Riders, is a 2001 Jet Ski racing game developed by Opus Studio and published by Eidos Interactive exclusively for the PlayStation 2. It was also to be released on the Xbox but was canceled.[2]

Gameplay

The game provides players with both a Jet Ski and runabout on which to race. Five modes of play are offered: Arcade, Championship, Time Trial, Multiplayer, and Freestyle. The Championship mode awards points based on the player's final position in each race. The objective is to be the rider with the most points at the end of the season. The Arcade mode forces the player to reach checkpoints within a given time limit in order to continue with the race. The freestyle arena requires the player to perform various tricks with the aid of waves and ramps scattered around the open area. Tricks are performed using button and directional pad combinations and are judged according to composition, appeal and technical merit, among others.

Dynamic waves which vary in frequency and height can help or hinder the progress during the race. Races take place during different times of the day and in variable weather conditions. A cast of eight selectable characters, consisting of female and male riders, makes up the field for each race. Races take place in a variety of real world locations, such as the Maldives, New Zealand, Florida, and Venice. The official Kawasaki and Jet Pilot licenses allow for official watercraft and wetsuits. A two-player split-screen mode is also included.[3]

Soundtrack

The Western release of the game had a soundtrack provided by Moving Shadow record label, featuring music from Omni Trio, E-Z Rollers, Technical Itch, 2 Bad Mice, Dom & Roland, Aquasky, Perfect Combination, 60 Minute Man & Tekniq, with additional remixes provided from breakbeat maestros Hybrid and Rennie Pilgrem.[4]

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
Metacritic62 out of 100[5]
Review scores
PublicationScore
Famitsu28 out of 40[6]
Game Informer4 out of 10[7]
GameProStarStarStarStar[8]
GameRevolutionD+[9]
GameSpot6.3 out of 10[10]
GameSpy74%[11]
GameZone5.9 out of 10[12]
IGN7.1 out of 10[13]
OPM (US)StarHalf star[14]
PSM5 out of 10[15]

Wave Rally received "mixed" reviews according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[5] In Japan, where the game was ported for release on January 31, 2002, Famitsu gave it a score of 28 out of 40.[6]

Game Revolution commented, "It's got some nice waves, but a bad camera, tough controls, and some unsatisfying gameplay cause an evil tsunami of massive proportions."[9] Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine stated, "This game looks so great, but the controls may very well be the worst I have ever seen in a racing game."[14] IGN stated, "Wave Rally isn't bad to look or listen to, but in the end it seems like more trouble to play in view of the rewards it offers. Shoving yourself around the courses is a frequently frustrating task, even with a touch of catch-up to the AI. You can learn a better way around the tracks, sussing out the lines and finding shortcuts (of which there are many), but it's still entirely possible for the strange behavior of the water to throw you off, no matter how hard you try."[13]

References

  1. ↑ "GameSpot: PlayStation2 News: Eidos ships Wave Rally". 2001-11-28. http://gamespot.com/gamespot/stories/news/0,10870,2827810,00.html. 
  2. ↑ "Wave Rally - Xbox". Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on February 19, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170219101939/http://www.ign.com/games/wave-rally/xbox-480932. Retrieved February 18, 2017. 
  3. ↑ Frankle, Gavin. "Wave Rally - Overview". All Media Network. Archived from the original on November 15, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20141115100554/http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=35146&tab=overview. Retrieved February 18, 2017. 
  4. ↑ HQ, Moving Shadow (2001-11-01). "Exclusive Soundtrack Deal For Eidos 'Jet Ski Riders'" (in en-us). https://movingshadow.com/news/archive/2001/exclusive-jet-ski-riders/. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Wave Rally for PlayStation 2 Reviews". CBS Interactive. https://www.metacritic.com/game/wave-rally/critic-reviews/?platform=playstation-2. Retrieved October 17, 2011. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 "ウェーブラリー [PS2"] (in Japanese). Famitsu (Enterbrain). https://www.famitsu.com/cominy/?m=pc&a=page_h_title&title_id=9240&redirect=no. Retrieved March 19, 2019. 
  7. ↑ "Wave Rally". Game Informer (FuncoLand) (106): 84. February 2002. 
  8. ↑ The D-Pad Destroyer (January 11, 2002). "Wave Rally Review for PS2 on GamePro.com". GamePro (IDG Entertainment). Archived from the original on February 9, 2005. https://web.archive.org/web/20050209083315/http://gamepro.com/sony/ps2/games/reviews/19762.shtml. Retrieved February 18, 2017. 
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Gee, Brian (December 2001). "Wave Rally Review". Archived from the original on September 12, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150912225003/http://www.gamerevolution.com/review/wave-rally. Retrieved March 19, 2019. 
  10. ↑ Varanini, Giancarlo (December 10, 2001). "Wave Rally Review". CBS Interactive. https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/wave-rally-review/1900-2831466/. Retrieved February 18, 2017. 
  11. ↑ Tsotsos, Alex (March 10, 2002). "Wave Rally". IGN Entertainment. Archived from the original on February 8, 2005. https://web.archive.org/web/20050208234240/http://archive.gamespy.com/reviews/february02/waverallyps2/. Retrieved February 18, 2017. 
  12. ↑ Bedigian, Louis (December 20, 2001). "Wave Rally Review". Archived from the original on September 28, 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20080928200809/http://ps2.gamezone.com/gzreviews/r18634.htm. Retrieved February 18, 2017. 
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Smith, David (November 27, 2001). "Wave Rally". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/2001/11/28/wave-rally. Retrieved February 18, 2017. 
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 "Wave Rally". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine (Ziff Davis): 114. February 2002. 
  15. ↑ "Review: Wave Rally". PSM (Future US): 40. February 2002. 
  • 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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