Bloodshot (video game)

Bloodshot

Cover artwork by Tom Carney[1]: 15

Developer(s)| Domark
Publisher(s)| Acclaim Entertainment
Producer(s)| Jim Blacker
Programmer(s)| Jim Blacker
Artist(s)| Joe Groombridge
Composer(s)| Mike Ash
Platform(s)| Mega Drive, Mega-CD
Release|

* EU: 1994

Genre(s)| First-person shooter
Mode(s)| Single-player, multiplayer

Bloodshot, also released as Battle Frenzy, is a video game developed by Jim Blackler for Domark and published by Acclaim in 1994 for the Mega Drive and the Mega-CD in Europe. A North American release was planned, and reviewed in gaming magazines,[2][3] but was only released through the Sega Channel service.[4]

## Contents

* 1 Gameplay
* 2 Synopsis
* 3 Reception
* 4 References
* 5 External links
* 6 Features
* 7 History
* 8 See also
* 9 References
* 10 External links

## Gameplay

A gameplay screenshot of a level in progress

Bloodshot is a first-person maze game which can be played by either one or two players. The game consists of twelve levels. Players must fight their way from the starting point to the end of each level, where the plasma node is located.[1]: 6 Once the node is destroyed, players must return to where they started the level before the time runs out.[5] If players fail to escape, they will lose a life; if they have any lives left, they must destroy the node again before being given another attempt to escape.[1]: 6

The player's default weapon is a simple pulse reserve gun. Players can find one of ten special weapons scattered around the level. Each special weapon has a limited amount of ammo, and the player must obtain a new weapon to refresh the ammo;[1]: 9 however, collecting a special ammo pickup will replenish the ammo for all of the weapons.[5] The player cannot use the reserve gun if they have any special weapons.[1]: 9 Areas in each level are separated by sliding doors, in which players can open unconditionally; some of the doors are locked, and players must find and use the passkeys to unlock them.[1]: 8 The game features the on-screen map to help players navigate the level.[5] The health is represented by an oxygen supply, which depletes whenever a hit from enemy fire or a mine is taken. A life is lost when the player's oxygen is emptied. Players start the game with three lives; the game is over when all the lives are exhausted. Extra oxygen and lives can be found throughout the maze.[1]: 7

The game features the bonus light system. When an enemy is killed, the light is lit on the bonus panel; when the player is taking a hit, the light is lost. When the three lights are lit, the player is awarded with bonuses, such as a complete oxygen bonus, extra weapons and an extra life.[1]: 10 The levels include secret areas that are hidden behind sliding camouflaged wall panels and not shown on the on-screen map. Secret areas contain special weapons and other bonuses, as well as extra enemies. They can also act as a shortcut between parts of the level.[1]: 9 Players can obtain special white passkeys either via the bonus light system or in concealed areas of the level. White passkeys can unlock white doors to rooms which contain weapons and other bonuses.[1]: 10 Bloodshot also features a special head-to-head mode, in which two players face off against each other in one of three specially designed arenas.[1]: 10

## Synopsis

In the year 2049, the Earth moon base Yaz 67 is destroyed by an alien battlecruiser. The Earth Federation Starfleet Command retaliates by sending two of its own space battlecruisers against the alien ship with the goal of damaging the ship's defenses and taking as many prisoners as possible. When soldiers enter the battered alien ship, they find it completely controlled by robotic soldiers who outgun and outclass the boarding humans. The ship is eventually taken to Earth's orbit and human scientists successfully shut-off the alien robot crew using electromagnetic fields. However, when the scientists reactivate the cruiser's computers, they find an invincible space carrier containing even more robot soldiers and armed with extremely destructive Nova bombs is on its way to Earth. If the ship is disabled before it reaches Earth, then it is programmed to crash onto Earth's surface and detonate the bombs. The only way to completely destroy the carrier is to destroy its twelve plasma nodes. Once the plasma node is destroyed however, the entire deck the node is located on will explode.[1]: 4–5

A year later, the Earth Federation makes it their mission to board the carrier once it has entered the Solar System and destroy the ship from the inside. Players assume the role of the cybernetically enhanced trooper (starfleet elite marines) assigned to the mission, who has the special combat Battle Frenzy Chip implanted into them which gives the soldier an unstoppable desire to kill, a condition known as "Bloodshot".[1]: 5

## Reception

GamePro gave the Mega Drive version a mixed review. They praised the high tension level and the pressure of having to beat the clock, but cited a number of control problems, such as the imprecise aiming and the "sticky" walls which can easily cause the player to lose lives during the timed destruction sequences.[2] Electronic Gaming Monthly scored the Sega CD version a 6.4 out of 10 but remarked that while it was a major improvement over the Mega Drive version, "as a derivative of the Doom theme, Battle Frenzy holds its own, but it just isn't anything special."[3]

Next Generation reviewed the Genesis version of the game, rating it two stars out of five, and stated that "Battle Frenzy is a tough game, though the challenge doesn't come from nasty enemies, it comes from fuzzy graphics instead, no gunsight, and jerky control."[6]

## References

1. ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 Blacker, Jim (1994). Bloodshot Instruction Manual. Domark. 672-2149-50.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "ProReview: Battle Frenzy". GamePro (IDG) (66): 46. January 1995.
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Review Crew: Battle Frenzy". Electronic Gaming Monthly (Sendai Publishing) (68): 38. March 1995.
4. ↑ Gazza, Brian (November 27, 2008). "The Sega Channel". http://www.blamethecontrolpad.com/segachannel/segachannel.htm. Retrieved 2019-02-06.
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Lord, Gary; Patterson, Mark (January 1995). "Review: Bloodshot (Mega Drive)". Computer and Video Games (United Kingdom) (158): 68–69.
6. ↑ "Finals". Next Generation (Imagine Media) (5): 98. May 1995.

## 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.

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