Gods (video game)

Gods

European cover art by Simon Bisley

Developer(s)| The Bitmap Brothers
Publisher(s)|

* EU: Renegade Software
* NA: Mindscape

Designer(s)| Eric Matthews
Steve Tall
Programmer(s)| Steve Tall
Artist(s)| Mark Coleman
Composer(s)| Nation 12
Platform(s)| Amiga, Atari ST, Archimedes, MS-DOS, PC98, Genesis, Super NES
Release| 1991-92
Genre(s)| Platform
Mode(s)| Single-player

Gods is a platform game by The Bitmap Brothers released for the Amiga and Atari ST in 1991. The player is cast as Hercules in his quest to achieve immortality. It was ported to the Acorn Archimedes, Genesis/Mega Drive, PC98, and Super Nintendo Entertainment System.

## Contents

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

## Plot

Four guardians have invaded and usurped the citadel of the gods. The gods offer any hero who can succeed in retaking the citadel one favour. The hero who comes forth asks the gods as their favour to be granted a seat among them as an equal. The gods are only comforted by the hope the hero will fail. After the last boss is beaten, the gods prove true to their word and the last image is the hero becoming a being of light as he ascends to Mount Olympus.

## Gameplay

Precise and timed jumping are required to progress. Planning each move carefully yields better results health-wise than attempting to rush through a level, and there are some puzzles (often involving levers and objects) which require the player to go back and forth in the level, since there is only a four-space inventory where objects required to get bonuses (such as keys) or to complete a level can be carried. The console versions (particularly the Mega Drive/Genesis version) run at a considerably higher speed, which increases the difficulty level. A Game Boy Advance version was also in development but cancelled.[1][2] There was also a Turbografx-CD version in the works, but apparently was canceled for unknown reasons.[3]

The console versions do not share the same opening theme music as the PC versions of the game. They do, however, have background music throughout the game, while the PC version only has background music throughout the game with a Roland LAPC-I.

There are several weapons available in the levels or to buy, and up to three of each can be used simultaneously. It is also possible to vary the focus of the weapons: to destroy more enemies at the same horizontal level as the player, a tight angle is advisable, but in levels with open spaces and enemies in higher places, a diffuse aim might prove more useful. There are also other weapons, such as bouncing axes that can be used to take on enemies at a lower level or fireballs.

The enemy AI adapts to the player position and their skill. Some rooms contain inaccessible items - smaller "thieves" show up from a passage in the wall, try to grab the item and bring it back to another point in the room or disappear with it. The player is able to obtain the item if they shoot the thief at the correct time. Bonuses are awarded for reaching certain parts of the level under a certain limit of time or number of lives, bringing an object to a room or simply by playing poorly, where the game helps the player.[citation needed]

The freedom to "customize" the mod is one of the features that makes FNF so alluring. Players can modify the song, alter the sound, and make their own characters. fnf mods consistently produces fresh, varied, and engaging content because of the imaginative fan base.

There are four levels, each with a Guardian at the end. After completion of a level the player meets a trader, and depending on the wealth accumulated during the game (by catching diamond-shaped jewels or bags) can buy more powerful weapons or items (Xenon 2 Megablast uses the same idea).[citation needed]

## Development

As was common with Bitmap Brothers, an external musician assured the game score, this time John Foxx as Nation 12.[4] The box cover illustration was designed by the British comic book artist Simon Bisley. The graphics were designed using the SpriteFX application.[5]

## Reception

Reception

| Review scores

Publication| Score
CVG| 93% [6]
Dragon|  [7]
Datormagazin| 97% [8]
CU Amiga| 93% [9]
Zero| 90% [10]
Amiga Computing| 90% [11]
Amiga Format| 90% [12]
The One| 93% [13]

Computer Gaming World in 1992 named it one of the year's top four action games for "fast and furious arcade-style action [and] enough exploration and puzzle-solving to raise it above the typical action crowd".[14]

## Legacy

A remastered version of the game, Gods Remastered, was developed by Robot Riot Games and released on 4 December 2018 for Microsoft Windows.[15] It was then announced for Xbox and Steam, and released December 2019, followed by Nintendo Switch and PS4, with 29 March 2020 given as the release date for the latter platforms.[16] Licensing restrictions prevented the distribution of this remastered edition past 27 March 2022.[17]

## References

1. ↑ Bitmap Brothers Website
2. ↑ "Gods [GBA – Cancelled"]. 4 July 2008. https://www.unseen64.net/2008/04/07/gods-gba-unreleased/.
3. ↑ https://twitter.com/PCEngineCLUB/status/1526547932803395585/photo/3
4. ↑ COMPUTE! ISSUE 147 / DECEMBER 1992 / PAGE 104 from http://www.atarimagazines.com
5. ↑ "Indies Corner". ST Format (Future Publishing) (63): 54. October 1994. https://archive.org/details/ST_Format_Issue_063_1994-10_Future_Publishing_GB/page/n53.
6. ↑ Leadbetter, Richard; Swan, Robert (May 1991). "Gods Atari ST Review". Computer + Video Games (114): 82–84. https://archive.org/details/computer-video-games-magazine-114/page/n81.
7. ↑ Lesser, Hartley; Lesser, Patricia; Lesser, Kirk (January 1993). "The Role of Computers". Dragon (189): 57–62. https://archive.org/stream/DragonMagazine260_201801/DragonMagazine189#page/n59.
8. ↑ Janson, Lars (May 1991). "Crush Your Piggy Bank or Sell Your Bike!". Datormagazin (Egmont Publishing) 1991 (10): 64. https://archive.org/stream/Datormagazin1991Nr22/Datormagazin_1991_nr10#page/n63.
9. ↑ Slingsby, Dan (March 1991). "Gods Amiga Review". CU Amiga (EMAP): 34–36. https://archive.org/stream/cuamiga-magazine-013/CUAmiga_013_Mar_1991#page/n33/mode/2up.
10. ↑ McCandless, David (April 1991). "Gods Atari ST Review". Zero (Dennis Publishing) (18): 43–44. https://archive.org/details/zero-magazine-18/page/n42.
11. ↑ Clarkson, Nick (July 1991). "Gods Amiga Review". Amiga Computing (Europress Publications) (38): 54–55. https://archive.org/details/amiga-computing-magazine-038/page/n53.
12. ↑ Webb, Trenton (June 1991). "Gods Amiga Review". Amiga Format (Future plc.) (23): 54–56. https://archive.org/details/Amiga_Format_Issue_023_1991-06_Future_Publishing_GB/page/n153.
13. ↑ Scotford, Laurence (March 1991). "Gods". The One: 48–50.
14. ↑ "CGW Salutes The Games of the Year". Computer Gaming World: 110. November 1992. http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1992&pub=2&id=100. Retrieved 4 July 2014.
15. ↑ Caldwell, Brendan (27 November 2018). "The unnaturally muscular Hercules of Gods returns next week". Rock Paper Shotgun. https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/11/27/the-unnaturally-muscular-hercules-of-gods-returns-next-week/.
16. ↑ "Gods Remastered". http://www.nintendolife.com/games/switch-eshop/gods_remastered.
17. ↑ "End of distribution". 30 January 2022. https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/628720/view/4515423468947477869.

## 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.

| Wikidata has the property:

* NO LABEL (P1933) (see uses)

|

## External links

* No URL found. Please specify a URL here or add one to Wikidata.

* v
* t
* e

Atari

Corporations|

| Primary|

* Atari, Inc. (1972–1992)
* Atari Corporation (1984–1996)
* Atari SA, Atari, Inc. (2003–present)

|

Subsidiaries and
spin-offs|

* Atari Games
* Atari Interactive
* AtariAge
* Chuck E. Cheese (1977–1978)
* Cyan Engineering
* Digital Eclipse
* Kee Games
* MobyGames
* Nightdive Studios
* Tengen

Arcades games
and amusements|

* Anti-Aircraft
* Asteroids
* Asteroids Deluxe
* Atari Basketball
* Atari Football
* Avalanche
* Battlezone
* Black Widow
* Breakout
* Canyon Bomber
* Centipede
* Cloak & Dagger
* Crash 'N Score
* Crystal Castles
* Destroyer
* Dominos
* Fire Truck
* Firefox
* Food Fight
* Gotcha
* Gran Trak 10
* Gran Trak 20
* Gravitar
* Hi-way
* I, Robot
* Indy 4
* Indy 800
* Jet Fighter
* LeMans
* Liberator
* Lunar Lander
* Major Havoc
* Millipede
* Missile Command
* Night Driver
* Outlaw
* Pin-Pong
* Pong
* Pong Doubles
* Pursuit
* Quadrapong
* Quantum
* Quiz Show
* Qwak!
* Rebound
* Red Baron
* Return of the Jedi
* Shark Jaws
* Sky Diver
* Space Duel
* Space Race
* Sprint 1
* Sprint 2
* Sprint 4
* Sprint 8
* Star Wars
* Starship 1
* Steeplechase
* Stunt Cycle
* Super Breakout
* Super Bug
* Super Pong
* Tank
* Tank 8
* Tempest
* Tournament Table
* Triple Hunt
* Ultra Tank
* Video Pinball
* Warlords

| Prototypes|

* Tank II

|

Software and utilities|

* Atari BASIC
* Atari Calculator
* Atari DOS

Video game
consoles|

* Home Pong
* Stunt Cycle
* Atari Video Music
* Video Pinball
* 2600
* 2800
* 5200
* 7800
* XEGS
* Lynx
* Jaguar
* CD
* VCS (2021)
* 2600+

| Prototypes|

* Game Brain
* Cosmos
* 2700
* Atari Mindlink
* Panther
* Sierra

|

Personal
computers|

* Atari 8-bit computers
* Atari ST
* MEGA STE
* TT030
* Transputer Workstation
* Falcon

| Portables|

* STacy
* ST Book
* Portfolio

|

Prototypes|

* Sierra

Peripherals|

| Printers|

* 825 80-Column Printer
* 1020 Color Printer

|

Gaming devices|

* CX40 joystick
* Atari joystick port
* XG-1 light gun

Other|

* Atari Democrat
* Atari Flashback
* Intellivision
* Sears

0.00

(0 votes)

Original source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MobyGames. Read more

|

* Gods can be played for free in the browser at the Internet Archive
* Gods Atari ST version review, 1992

0.00

(0 votes)

Original source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gods (video game). Read more

|

Retrieved from "https://handwiki.org/wiki/index.php?title=Software:Gods_(video_game)&oldid=3967265"
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template