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Kabuki Warriors

Topic: Software

 From HandWiki - Reading time: 6 min

Short description: 2001 video game
Kabuki Warriors
Developer(s)Genki, Lightweight
Publisher(s)
Composer(s)Takayuki Nakamura
Platform(s)Xbox
Release
  • NA: November 20, 2001[1]
  • JP: February 28, 2002
Genre(s)Fighting
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Kabuki Warriors (斬 歌舞伎, Zan Kabuki) is a 2001 fighting game developed by Genki and Lightweight for the Xbox. It was published by Crave Entertainment in North America and Genki in Japan. One of the Xbox's earliest exclusive titles, the game received negative reviews.

Gameplay

The game features a kabuki theater theme, where players control kabuki actors battling on stage. It features a single attack button and a "performance meter" that tracks how well players are engaging the crowd (earning more money in Tour Mode).

The core gameplay is Tour Mode, where players travel across Japan with their troupe, battling in 3v3 matches to earn money (for faster travel). Winners can trade warriors to strengthen their team.

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
Metacritic32/100[2]
Review scores
PublicationScore
AllGameStarHalf star[3]
Edge1/10[4]
EGM2.5/10[5]
Famitsu20/40[6]
Game Informer0.5/10[7]
GameProStarStarStarHalf star[8]
GameSpot1.4/10[9]
GameSpy40%[10]
IGN2/10[11]
Next GenerationStar[12]
OXM (US)5.9/10[13]
TeamXbox3.3/10[14]

The game received "unfavorable" reviews according to video game review aggregator Metacritic.[2] It is considered one of the worst video games of all time. Complaints were directed towards a lack of variety between characters and environments, dreadful graphics, a very limited move set, and only utilizing one button for attacks. GameSpot gave it the distinction of being named "Worst Game of 2001".[15]

Edge, giving the game its first one-out-of-ten rating in the publication's history, said that the game is not kabuki, but a Yie Ar Kung-Fu with blusher.[4] Andy McNamara of Game Informer heavily panned the gameplay, difficulty, graphics, and AI, noting that the opponents were easy to beat,[7] a sentiment in which NextGen also agreed.[12] In Japan, Famitsu gave it a score of 20 out of 40.[6]

References

  1. ↑ "GameSpot: Xbox Reviews: Kabuki Warriors Review". 2001-12-05. http://gamespot.com/gamespot/stories/reviews/0,10867,2828164,00.html. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Kabuki Warriors for Xbox Reviews". Red Ventures. https://www.metacritic.com/game/kabuki-warriors/critic-reviews/?platform=xbox. Retrieved March 16, 2016. 
  3. ↑ Scott Alan Marriott. "Kabuki Warriors - Review". All Media Network. Archived from the original on November 15, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20141115000132/http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=36220&tab=review. Retrieved March 16, 2016. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Edge staff (February 2002). "Kabuki Warriors Review". Edge (Future Publishing) (107). Archived from the original on June 4, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110604061453/http://www.next-gen.biz/reviews/kabuki-warriors-review. Retrieved March 16, 2016. 
  5. ↑ EGM staff (January 2002). "Kabuki Warriors". Electronic Gaming Monthly (Ziff Davis) (150): 231. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 "斬 歌舞伎" (in ja). Famitsu (Enterbrain). https://www.famitsu.com/cominy/?m=pc&a=page_h_title&title_id=14241&redirect=no. Retrieved October 22, 2021. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Andy McNamara (December 2001). "Kabuki Warriors". Game Informer (FuncoLand) (104): 109. Archived from the original on June 12, 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20080612204131/http://www.gameinformer.com/Games/Review/200112/R03.0804.1832.31851.htm. Retrieved June 23, 2008. 
  8. ↑ Iron Monkey (November 21, 2001). "Kabuki Warriors Review for Xbox on GamePro.com". GamePro (IDG Entertainment). Archived from the original on February 14, 2005. https://web.archive.org/web/20050214004317/http://www.gamepro.com/microsoft/xbox/games/reviews/18441.shtml. Retrieved March 16, 2016. 
  9. ↑ Jeff Gerstmann (November 28, 2001). "Kabuki Warriors Review". Red Ventures. https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/kabuki-warriors-review/1900-2828164/. Retrieved March 16, 2016. 
  10. ↑ John Murrin (June 3, 2002). "Kabuki Warriors". IGN Entertainment. Archived from the original on February 17, 2005. https://web.archive.org/web/20050217082126/http://archive.gamespy.com/reviews/june02/kabukiwarriorsxbox/. Retrieved March 16, 2016. 
  11. ↑ Anthony Chau (December 3, 2001). "Kabuki Warriors". Snowball.com, Inc.. Archived from the original on December 4, 2001. https://web.archive.org/web/20011204222212/http://xbox.ign.com/reviews/16384.html. Retrieved March 16, 2016. 
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 "Kabuki Warriors". NextGen (Imagine Media) (85): 42. January 2002. https://archive.org/details/NextGen85Jan2002/page/n43/mode/2up. Retrieved October 22, 2021. 
  13. ↑ "Kabuki Warriors". Official Xbox Magazine (Imagine Media). January 2002. 
  14. ↑ Steve Barton (December 9, 2001). "Kabuki Warriors Review (Xbox)". IGN Entertainment. Archived from the original on July 5, 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20080705142510/http://reviews.teamxbox.com/xbox/121/Kabuki-Warriors/p1/. Retrieved March 16, 2016. 
  15. ↑ "The Best and Worst of 2001: Worst Game". CNET. Archived from the original on November 20, 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20081120052249/http://gamespot.com/gamespot/features/video/bestof_2001/p4_02.html. Retrieved March 16, 2016. 
  • 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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