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Hatris

Topic: Software

 From HandWiki - Reading time: 8 min

Short description: 1990 video game
For the ancient city, see Hatra.
Hatris
North American NES box art
Developer(s)ParaGraph
Publisher(s)Bullet-Proof Software
Video System Co. (arcade)
Designer(s)Alexey Pajitnov
Vladimir Pokhilko
Composer(s)Hiroshi Suzuki
Ikki Nakamura (NES)
SeriesTetris
Platform(s)Arcade, NES, Game Boy, PC Engine, PC-9801, Sharp Wizard, mobile phone
Release
Genre(s)Puzzle
Mode(s)Single-player

Hatris (ハットリス, Hattorisu) is a 1990 puzzle video game developed by Alexey Pajitnov and Vladimir Pokhilko of ParaGraph for Bullet-Proof Software. An arcade version was manufactured by Video System.[6]

Gameplay

The player must stack five hats of the same style to remove them from the board.

Hatris plays similarly to Pajitnov's previous Tetris, in that game objects falling from the top of the screen must be arranged in specific patterns to gain points and to keep the play area clear. In Hatris, hats of different styles fall from the top of the screen and accumulate at the bottom. To eliminate hats from the play area, five hats of identical style must be stacked. Different style hats stack differently.

Development and release

Hatris was originally developed with different ideas, such as using utensils and other kitchen objects before eventually settling on hats. Alexey Pajitnov decided the team settled on hats as it was the most fun of the objects.[7]

Hatris was showcased by Bullet-Proof Software at the Nintendo booth of the Consumer Electronics Show in 1990.[8] An arcade version was developed by Video System.[7]

Ports

Hatris was released in arcades, on the Nintendo Entertainment System, Game Boy and PC Engine, and on the NEC PC-9801 home computer.[9] Additionally, two versions of the game exist on the Sharp Wizard, the first of which released in December 1990,[10] and the second, called Organizer Hatris, releasing in 1991.[11]

Hatris DX, a mobile remake of the game, was released by Alti in 2004.[12] Another mobile version of the game was released by G-Mode in 2006.[13]

An unofficial port of Hatris exists on the Acorn Archimedes, being developed by Joeri De Winter and first releasing on 18 September 1997.[14]

The Famicom, Game Boy and NES versions of the game are included in the compilation title Tetris Forever, released on November 12, 2024 for PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S.[15]

Reception

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
CVG88%[16]
Advanced Computer Entertainment91.5%[18]

In Japan, Game Machine listed the arcade version of Hatris as the eighteenth most successful table arcade unit of May 1990.[19]

Entertainment Weekly gave the Game Boy version of Hatris an "A" and wrote: "There is, after all, a cure for Tetris addiction. It’s Hatris, a habit that's even harder to kick."[20]

Pajitnov later said in a 2018 interview with Retro Gamer that "sales didn't match our expectations, I still can't explain what was wrong with it and why it was not as addictive as we wanted it to be. We thought it had some smart moves so it was a big disappointment."[7]

References

  1. ↑ "Hatris, Arcade Video game by Video System Co., Ltd. (1990)". https://www.arcade-history.com/?n=hatris&page=detail&id=1094. 
  2. ↑ "NES Games". Nintendo of America. https://www.nintendo.com/consumer/downloads/nes_games.pdf. 
  3. ↑ "All Famicom games sorted from the latest release to the earliest". Famitsu. https://www.famitsu.com/schedule/recent/fc/. 
  4. ↑ "Hatris". https://www.pcengine.co.uk/HTML_Games/Hatris.htm. 
  5. ↑ "Game Boy (original) Games". Nintendo of America. http://www.nintendo.com/consumer/downloads/dmg_games.pdf. 
  6. ↑ Hatris at the Killer List of Videogames
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Crookes, David (2018). "The History of Tetris Attack". Retro Gamer (Future Publishing) (183). 
  8. ↑ "CES Fun & Games". Game Player's CES Videogame and Computer Game Guide (Signal Research): 4. 1990. https://archive.org/details/game-players-ces-videogame-and-computer-game-guide. 
  9. ↑ "PC98 - ハットリス". https://refuge.tokyo/pc9801/pc98/01958.html. 
  10. ↑ Hatris for Sharp PA-9500 Manual. Micro Cabin. December 1990. https://archive.org/details/hatris-pa-5c01-manual. 
  11. ↑ Organizer Hatris for Sharp OZ/IQ-8600 Manual. Sharp. 1991. https://archive.org/details/hatris-iq-8a01-manual. 
  12. ↑ "Alti launches "Hatris DX" for Vodafone". 1 April 2004. https://k-tai.watch.impress.co.jp/cda/article/news_toppage/18309.html. 
  13. ↑ "G-mode releases V-app "Hatris"". https://game.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/20060412/hatris.htm. 
  14. ↑ "Index of /archive/Games/H/Hatris (FR)/". https://arcarc.nl/archive/Games/H/Hatris%20%28FR%29/. 
  15. ↑ Wales, Matt (2024-10-15). "Atari 50 studio's Tetris Forever interactive documentary is out in November with 15+ games" (in en). https://www.eurogamer.net/atari-50-studios-tetris-forever-interactive-documentary-is-out-in-november. 
  16. ↑ Rand, Paul; Boone, Tim (August 1991). "Hatris". Computer & Video Games (117): 48–9. https://worldofspectrum.org/archive/magazines/pages/computer--video-games/117/5#48. 
  17. ↑ "Hatris". Video Games and Computer Entertainment: 80–2. January 1991. https://archive.org/details/video-games-and-computer-entertainment-january-1991/page/81/mode/2up. 
  18. ↑ Upchurch, David (September 1991). "Hatris". Advanced Computer Entertainment (48): 77. https://archive.org/details/ace-magazine-48/page/n75/mode/2up. 
  19. ↑ "Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25 - テーブル型TVゲーム機 (Table Videos)". Game Machine (Amusement Press, Inc.) (381): 29. 1 June 1990. 
  20. ↑ Strauss, Bob (May 24, 1991). "New Videogames". Entertainment Weekly (Time Inc). https://ew.com/article/1991/05/24/new-videogames/. 
  • 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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