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Panic! (video game)

Topic: Software

 From HandWiki - Reading time: 6 min

Panic!
North American cover art
Developer(s)Sega
Office I
Publisher(s)
Producer(s)Hajime Tabe
Artist(s)Renzo Kinoshita
Composer(s)Kei Tani
Platform(s)Sega CD, PlayStation 2
ReleaseSega CD
  • JP: April 23, 1993
  • NA: October 1994
PlayStation 2
  • JP: August 8, 2002
Genre(s)Puzzle
Point and click
Mode(s)Single player

Panic![lower-alpha 1] is a puzzle point and click video game developed by Sega and Office I and published by Sega in Japan and Data East USA in North America for the Sega CD, in collaboration with the Theatrical Group WAHAHA Hompo. It was released on April 23, 1993 in Japan, localized to North America in October 1994, and later released for the PlayStation 2 in Japan on August 8, 2002. The game involves pressing numerous buttons in order to transverse a young boy, called Slap, or his dog, called Stick, through a complex labyrinth. It is one of the few Sega CD games that supports the Sega Mega Mouse.[1]

Story

During the intro, the game explains that a virus has infected the world's computer systems. Slap and his dog Stick (who has been sucked into his TV) must carry an antidote to the central computer to fix it. To this end, Slap and Stick must traverse a grid of levels, pushing buttons to advance.

Gameplay

Each level is presented as a new area with a mechanical device, and a set of buttons to press. Each button causes an animation and/or teleports Slap to another room. Sometimes the buttons are booby-trapped and cause the destruction of a variety of monuments. The grid also features a few game overs on the grid, marked by flashing skulls on the map. The buttons themselves have no indication on what they do when pressed. It is possible to backtrack into previous levels, and buttons once pressed are not marked, unless they were booby-trapped.

Version differences

Two stages were removed for the North American release: Level 2-B, a scene with a cigarette machine, and Level 9-B, featuring a Japanese typewriter. The level 12-D sends the player to the Japanese Mega-CD BIOS screen, but this scene was not changed in the North American version and still showed the Japanese BIOS screen instead of the American one.

Reception

Reception
Review score
PublicationScore
Sega PowerSega CD: 81%[2]

The four reviewers of Electronic Gaming Monthly noted that Panic! is not actually a game, but opined that it is nonetheless very original and enjoyable for a while, though all but one of them also felt it gets boring fairly quickly. They particularly enjoyed the high quality animations and often "sick" sense of humor, and gave it a score of 5.75 out of 10.[1] GamePro panned the game, chiefly for its trial-and-error gameplay which requires players to watch many "pointless" scenes. They added, "You might feel differently if there were at least great jokes coming from the switches, but the humor is mostly simplistic cartoons with childish graphics, like basic versions of animations from Monty Python." They gave Panic! a 2.0 out of 5 for graphics, 4.0 for sound, and 1.0 for both control and funfactor,[3] making it one of only 12 games in GamePro history to earn a score of 1.0 or lower.[4] Game Players magazine described the game as being made "for people on drugs, by people on drugs."[citation needed]

Richard Leadbetter, editor of Mean Machines Sega, awarded the Japanese version of the game a score of 90%.[5]

Next Generation reviewed the Sega CD version of the game, rating it two stars out of five, and stated that "Panic wants to defy description and critical analysis. [...] In a word, weird."[6]

Notes

  1. ↑ Known in Japan as SWITCH (Japanese: スイッチ, Hepburn: Suitchi)

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Review Crew: Panic". Electronic Gaming Monthly (Sendai Publishing) (63): 34. October 1994. 
  2. ↑ Bennet, Dale (February 1995). "Eye of the Beholder". Sega Power (63): 75. https://archive.org/details/sega-power-63/page/n73/mode/2up. Retrieved March 13, 2021. 
  3. ↑ "ProReview: Panic!". GamePro (IDG) (82): 49. July 1995. 
  4. ↑ "The Worst of the Worst". GamePro (200): 53. May 2005. 
  5. ↑ Leadbetter, Richard; Rignall, Julian (1993). Mean Machines: The Essential Sega Guide. London: Virgin Books. p. 126. ISBN 0-86369-708-9. 
  6. ↑ "Finals". Next Generation (Imagine Media) (2): 99. February 1995. 

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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