Tomb Raider: The Prophecy

Short description: 2002 video game

Tomb Raider: The Prophecy

Developer(s)| Ubi Soft Milan
Publisher(s)| Ubi Soft
Producer(s)| Nicola Aitoro
Designer(s)| Riccardo Landi
Composer(s)| Lionel Payet-Pigeon
Series| Tomb Raider
Platform(s)| Game Boy Advance
Release|

* NA: 12 November 2002
* EU: 15 November 2002

Genre(s)| Action-adventure
Mode(s)| Single-player

Tomb Raider: The Prophecy is a 2002 action-adventure video game developed by Ubi Soft Milan and published by Ubi Soft for the Game Boy Advance. Part of the Tomb Raider series, it follows protagonist Lara Croft as she explores multiple temples in search of keys to a world-destroying power. Gameplay features exploration, combat and platforming displayed from a top-down isometric perspective.

## Contents

* 1 Gameplay
* 2 Plot
* 3 Development
* 4 Reception
* 5 References
* 6 External links
* 7 Features
* 8 History
* 9 See also
* 10 References
* 11 External links

## Gameplay

Lara Croft faces off against a skeleton warrior in King Heort's Tomb. Her health and choice of weaponry is visible in the top right.

Unlike previous handhelds in the series such as the Software:Tomb Raider: Curse of the Sword, which played in a side-scrolling two-dimensional form, reminiscent of 8-bit games, The Prophecy instead plays in an isometric viewpoint, giving the player a viewpoint from above the player character's head.[1] The game contains many familiar elements of the franchise such as being able to jump, run, climb and shoot. As the game was the first Tomb Raider to be rendered in an isometric view until Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light, the game was also given a new combat system to suit the view style. The system does not include the regular player-controlled lock on gun play of previous games. It does instead contain an auto-lock system to make combating enemies easier. There are three weapons that the player can use: Lara's signature handguns, Uzi pistols and golden guns. The controls were designed to be simple, with the directional pad assigned to movement, the A button is used as a jump button, the R button pulls out or holsters weapons, and the L button allows the player to sprint.[2]

## Plot

The game is based around an ancient prophecy written in the Tome of Ezekiel, which tells of three magical stones, used by various powerful rulers around the world. Lara Croft must find these stones before a cult known as the Teg-du-Bhorez can collect them all and use them to revive a mystical being known as the Great Grey One, thus bringing about the end of the world. Throughout the game Lara searches for the stones and thinks that she has found them. However, she realises that she was mistaken and has to come back to defeat the game's villain.

## Development

Tomb Raider: The Prophecy was developed for the Game Boy Advance by Ubi Soft Milan, a division of Ubi Soft, under license from Tomb Raider owners Eidos Interactive.[3][4] During this period, series developer Core Design, who had worked on the previous portable Tomb Raider titles for Game Boy Color, was developing the next mainline title The Angel of Darkness (2003).[5][6] The development team was eleven people, all veterans of developing for the Game Boy portable console family.[7] The staff included producer Nicola Aitoro, Riccardo Landi as lead designer, and Lionel Payet-Pigeon as composer.[2] The team designed the environments, characters and camera movements to reproduce established elements from the main series.[3] Lara's moveset was modelled on the first two Tomb Raider games. A challenge for the team was giving Lara smooth animations within the limited hardware, with one of the sacrifices being the ability to use two-handed weapons such as the shotgun.[7]

The Prophecy was announced in May 2002: its full title was given as "Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Prophecy".[8] The game was released in North America on 12 November that year.[9] It later released in Europe on 15 November,[10] and in Japan on 6 December.[11]

## Reception

Reception

| Aggregate score

Aggregator| Score
Metacritic| 66/100[12]
Review scores
Publication| Score
Eurogamer| 6/10[13]
GameSpy| [14]
GameZone| 7/10[15]

Tomb Raider: The Prophecy received "mixed or average" reviews, according to review aggregator Metacritic.[12]

The game received a ​3 1⁄2-out-of-5 score from GameSpy reviewer Scott Steinberg, who praised it for the aesthetic effects of the game camera, which give the illusion that the player can see into a 3-dimensional space. However, Steinberg criticized the repetitive nature of the game, as it largely consists of the player having to trigger a switch, and opening a door or shutting off a trap, only to come to the next switch and repeat it again.[14] GameSpy concluded that although the game has some merits, it falls short in terms of gameplay standards of many of its greatest assets are related to audio and visuals.

The Prophecy was a runner-up for GameSpot's annual "Best Action Game on Game Boy Advance" award, which went to Metroid Fusion.[16]

## References

1. ↑ "Tomb Raider: The Prophecy". IGN. 13 August 2002. http://uk.ign.com/articles/2002/08/13/tomb-raider-the-prophecy-2.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Tomb Raider: The Prophecy Instruction Booklet. Ubi Soft. 13 November 2002. https://archive.org/details/NintendoGameBoyAdvanceManuals/Lara Croft Tomb Raider - The Prophecy (USA) (En,Fr,De,Es,It)/mode/2up.
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "La Nuova Lara Croft E' Nata A Milano" (in Italian). August 2002. http://guide.supereva.it/console/interventi/2002/11/124330.shtml.
4. ↑ Chrismas, Warren (29 August 2002). "New, minaturised Lara Croft". http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=79606.
5. ↑ Minkley, Johnny (1 October 2002). "Handheld Lara continues to impress". http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=81240.
6. ↑ "Tomb Raider: Lara Shines On Game Boy Color". Nintendo Power (Nintendo of America) (120): 72–76. March 2000.
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Croft Original". Nintendo Official Magazine (EMAP) (120): 14. 2002-08-16.
8. ↑ "Ubi Soft Signs an Exclusive Global Agreement with Eidos to Develop and Publish Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Prophecy for the Game Boy Advance". 22 May 2002. http://gameboy.gamezone.com/news/05_22_02_12_11PM.htm.
9. ↑ "Tomb Raider: The Prophecy". http://gameboy.ign.com/objects/487/487781.html.
10. ↑ Bramwell, Tom (15 November 2002). "What's New?". https://www.eurogamer.net/article-46991.
11. ↑ "Error: no `|title=` specified when using {{Cite web}}" (in ja). Ubi Soft. http://www.ubisoft.co.jp/tombraider/.Error:+no+`|title=`+specified when+using+{{[[Template:Cite+web|Cite+web]]}}&rft.atitle=&rft.pub=Ubi+Soft&rft_id=http://www.ubisoft.co.jp/tombraider/&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikibooks.org:Software:Tomb_Raider:_The_Prophecy">
12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 "Tomb Raider: The Prophecy for Game Boy Advance". Metacritic. https://www.metacritic.com/game/lara-croft-tomb-raider-the-prophecy/critic-reviews/?platform=game-boy-advance.
13. ↑ "Tomb Raider: The Prophecy Review". Eurogamer. 3 December 2002. http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/r_tombraider_gba.
14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 "Tomb Raider: The Prophecy". Gamespy. 12 November 2002. http://uk.gba.gamespy.com/gameboy-advance/tomb-raider-the-prophecy/573269p1.html.
15. ↑ "Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Prophecy-GBA-Review". Gamezone. 1 December 2002. http://www.gamezone.com/reviews/lara_croft_tomb_raider_the_prophecy_gba_review.
16. ↑ GameSpot Staff (30 December 2002). "GameSpot's Best and Worst of 2002". GameSpot. http://gamespot.com/gamespot/features/all/bestof2002/.'s+Best+and+Worst+of+2002&rft.atitle=GameSpot&rft.aulast=''GameSpot''+Staff&rft.au=''GameSpot''+Staff&rft.date=30+December+2002&rft_id=http://gamespot.com/gamespot/features/all/bestof2002/&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikibooks.org:Software:Tomb_Raider:_The_Prophecy">

## External links

* 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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Tomb Raider

Lara Croft

Video games|

| Main titles|

| First series|

* Tomb Raider (1996)
* II
* III
* The Last Revelation
* Chronicles
* The Angel of Darkness

|

Second series|

* Legend
* Anniversary
* Underworld

Third series|

* Tomb Raider (2013)
* Rise of the Tomb Raider
* Shadow of the Tomb Raider

Spin-offs|

| Handheld series|

* Tomb Raider (GBC)
* Curse of the Sword
* The Prophecy

|

Lara Croft series|

* Guardian of Light
* Temple of Osiris
* Relic Run
* Go

Films|

* Lara Croft: Tomb Raider
* The Cradle of Life
* Tomb Raider (2018)

Other media|

* Revisioned: Tomb Raider
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