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Tenchu

Topic: Software

 From HandWiki - Reading time: 9 min

Short description: 2005 video game
Tenchu: Time of the Assassins
European box art
Developer(s)K2
Publisher(s)
Composer(s)Noriyuki Asakura
SeriesTenchu
Platform(s)PlayStation Portable
Release
  • JP: July 28, 2005
  • EU: June 23, 2006
Genre(s)Action-adventure, stealth
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Tenchu: Time of the Assassins[lower-alpha 1] (published in Japan as "Tenchu Shinobi Taizen") is an action-adventure stealth video game developed by K2 and published by FromSoftware in Japan and Sega in Europe for the PlayStation Portable in 2005. This marks the first game in the series not to be released in North America.

The game features many characters from previous Tenchu games, including some deceased from previous titles. Time of the Assassins includes a "buffed up" mission editor, first introduced in Tenchu Shinobi Gaisen.

Gameplay

The gameplay is like a standard Tenchu title. The player takes control of a skilled ninja assassin and sneak your way through the levels, while eliminating any opposition along the way. The game has a similar control scheme to the previous two Tenchu titles, but the game is harder to play due to the player's field of vision being hampered by a black fog.

The game also features two-player gameplay via ad-hoc, however there is no online infrastructure play in the game. Players can engage in versus and co-op modes, originally from Wrath of Heaven. Multiplayer maps that have been created can be played, as well as some pre-made ones by K2 with various objectives. Playing multiplayer or custom missions now allows the player choose most of the character from the entire Tenchu franchise thus far, including many characters who were killed off in past games.

The game revives the mission editor from Tenchu 2, now returning with even more features. Players can create their own Story Missions, or make custom multiplayer maps which the Versus and Co-op game modes can be played on. Players can save as many maps as they wanted provided they have enough memory stick space. Players can also share maps via memory stick or by uploading them to various fan sites.

One of the more prominent fansites named 'Tenchu Missions' hosts custom missions built for both the Japanese–Asian and European versions of the game. Anyone who has registered and logged in at the website can be able to either upload custom missions of their own to share with other members or download user created missions directly to their memory sticks. As of December 2007 there are roughly 60 custom missions available for download.

Plot

The opening cinematic shows Rikimaru, Ayame, Tesshu (Wrath of Heaven), and Rin (Fatal Shadows) slaying rival ninjas for unknown reasons. Ayame appears again when Tatsumaru (Software:Tenchu 2: Birth of the Stealth Assassins, Wrath of Heaven) appears and challenges Ayame. The recurring villain Onikage appears fighting Rikimaru and the two charge for each other, right before the game's title appears and gets engulfed in flames.

Each character has their own story, which like previous games, follows the basic story-line (defending Lord Gohda and rescuing Princess Kiku) but with new twists. Whereas with Tesshu, his story is a prequel of his Wrath of Heaven appearance, and the player finds out how he was first employed by Zenosuke. Rin's story is a sequel to Fatal Shadows, she finds a man fleeing from his burned down village, where he passes away, Rin promises to get revenge, a lot like what happened to her village. Players can play as Rikimaru, Ayame, Tesshu and Rin from the beginning, and Onikage's story can be unlocked upon the other four characters' story mode completion.

Unlike its predecessors, Time of the Assassins is not driven by a single linear plot, but is actually composed of short stories from the views of each of the characters (including Onikage). Each character has one video that plays as their story begins and one when their story ends. The characters each have their own reasons for embarking on the adventures depicted, yet they all eventually end up encountering Onikage.

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
GameRankings51%[1]
Review scores
PublicationScore
Edge5/10[2]
Eurogamer3/10[3]
GamesMaster65%[4]
OPM (UK)6/10[5]
PALGN5/10[6]
Play38%[7]
PSM366%[8]
VideoGamer.com3/10[9]
The Sydney Morning HeraldStarHalf star[10]


Tenchu: Time of the Assassins received "mixed or average" reviews, according to review aggregator GameRankings.[1]

Notes

  1. ↑ Tenchu Shinobi Taizen (天誅 忍大全, Tenchū Shinobi Taizen, lit. "Divine Retribution: Shinobi Chronicles")

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Tenchu: Time of the Assassins for PlayStation Portable". GameRankings. http://www.gamerankings.com/psp/924599-tenchu-time-of-the-assassins/index.html. Retrieved July 27, 2013. 
  2. ↑ Edge staff (August 2006). "Tenchu: Time of the Assassins". Edge (165): 92. 
  3. ↑ Gibson, Ellie (July 5, 2006). "Tenchu: Time of the Assassins Review". Eurogamer. http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/r_tenchutimeoftheassassins_psp. Retrieved December 18, 2013. 
  4. ↑ "Tenchu: Time of the Assassins". GamesMaster: 81. September 2006. 
  5. ↑ "Tenchu: Time of the Assassins". Official UK PlayStation 2 Magazine: 94. August 2006. 
  6. ↑ Jastrzab, Jeremy (July 6, 2006). "Tenchu: Time of the Assassins Review". PALGN. Archived from the original on October 25, 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20091025091503/http://palgn.com.au/sony-psp/4806/tenchu-time-of-the-assassins-review/. Retrieved December 18, 2013. 
  7. ↑ "Tenchu: Time of the Assassins". Play (142): 100. August 2006. 
  8. ↑ PSM2 Staff (August 2006). "Review: Tenchu: Time of the Assassins". PSM2: 78. Archived from the original on December 4, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20141204150914/http://www.computerandvideogames.com/151956/reviews/tenchu-time-of-the-assassins-review/. Retrieved October 12, 2015. 
  9. ↑ Young, Andy (July 17, 2006). "Tenchu: Time of the Assassins Review". VideoGamer.com. http://www.videogamer.com/psp/tenchu_time_of_the_assassins/review.html. Retrieved October 12, 2015. 
  10. ↑ Fish, Eliot (August 26, 2006). "Tenchu: Time of the Assassins". The Sydney Morning Herald. http://www.smh.com.au/news/game-reviews/tenchu-time-of-the-assassins/2006/08/24/1156012730274.html. Retrieved October 12, 2015. 
  • Official website Script error: The function "in_lang" does not exist.
  • 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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