Deadly Creatures

Short description: 2009 video game

Deadly Creatures

Developer(s)| Rainbow Studios
Publisher(s)| THQ
Designer(s)| Jordan Itkowitz
Platform(s)| Wii
Release|

* NA: February 9, 2009
* AU: February 12, 2009
* EU: February 13, 2009

Genre(s)| Action
Mode(s)| Single-player

Deadly Creatures is an action video game for the Wii released in February 2009. It was developed by Rainbow Studios and published by THQ.[1] The game allows players to play as a tarantula and a scorpion, engaging in combat against other creatures.

## Contents

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

## Gameplay

Players can control a young male scorpion and an adult female tarantula and engage in brutal battles against other arachnids, insects, rats, and reptiles.

The two creatures have different playing styles, with the scorpion's levels featuring more action-oriented gameplay, while the tarantula is more stealth-oriented, with less linear levels.[2] The Wii Remote and Nunchuk are used for both movement and attacks, with motion controls incorporated for special attacks and finishing moves, while the tarantula also utilizes the pointer function to shoot webs.[3] New abilities are also gained as the player progresses through the game.

Along with dispatching common arthropods such as pill bugs, crickets, beetles, and wolf spiders, most of which can be devoured to regain health, the player also faces bosses including a Gila Monster, a rattlesnake and eventually a human.[3] The clashes between the creatures are described as similar to monster movies, with a similar impact to battles in King Kong and Jurassic Park albeit on a smaller scale.[1]

## Plot

Two men, George Struggs and Wade (voiced by Dennis Hopper and Billy Bob Thornton[4]), are looking for a location in the Sonoran Desert where they believe gold from the American Civil War has been buried.[5] The story is told from the point of view of both a tarantula and a scorpion with both creatures often seeing the same thing but from a different perspective, both also being stalked by a rattlesnake that the tarantula battled in the first level, as well as continuously fighting each other. When Struggs and Wade finally find the gold, Struggs turns on Wade, knocking him out with a shovel and taking the gold for himself. On his way back to his gas station, he finds the tarantula and rattlesnake and keeps them in glass tanks; the tarantula is able to climb out of the tank, with the rattlesnake escaping as well. Meanwhile, the scorpion finds its way into Struggs' gas station and "battles" him by repeatedly stinging his crotch. Outside, the tarantula is attacked by the rattlesnake and the two fight on one of the station's gas tanks. Struggs chases the scorpion outside and is startled by the rattlesnake. Both the tarantula and scorpion are able to flee, and Struggs shoots at the rattlesnake and hits one of the gas lines, causing the gas tank to explode, presumably killing the rattlesnake. Wade's narration at the beginning of the game implies that Struggs survived, having slipped into a coma due to the explosion and being bitten by a Gila Monster during his battle with the scorpion. The scorpion and the tarantula manage to escape the explosion and meet each other once again, but instead of fighting this time, they decide to simply leave each other alone. The game ends with a final shot of a piece of the Spanish gold rolling toward the screen and landing on the ground.

## Development

The game's concept was inspired when lead designer Jordan Itkowitz had a dream about using the Wii Remote to control a snake, slithering through the grass and striking a mouse.[6] In brainstorming, the idea of the snake and other creatures were left on the cutting room floor, leaving the scorpion and tarantula.[3]

For promotion, Rainbow Studios released a fake "behind-the-scenes" video dated from January 2008 revealing a motion capturing session involving a scorpion. However, the video shows a computer generated creature from the game itself with motion capturing dots on its body doing tasks.[7]

## Reception

Reception

| Aggregate score

Aggregator| Score
Metacritic| 72/100[8]
Review scores
Publication| Score
Edge| 5/10[9]
Eurogamer| 4/10[10]
Game Informer| 7/10[11]
GameSpot| 7.5/10[12]
GameSpy| [13]
GameTrailers| 7.3/10[14]
GameZone| 8.6/10[15]
IGN| 8/10[16]
Nintendo Power| 7.5/10[17]
X-Play| [18]
411Mania| 7.8/10[19]

Deadly Creatures received an "average" review of 72 out of 100 according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[8]

Video game and entertainment news website IGN reviewed Deadly Creatures as "Great" with an eight out of 10 score.[20]

Nordic Games, now referred to as THQ Nordic, acquired "substantially all" of THQ's remaining intellectual property in April 2013, and has cited interest in re-releasing Deadly Creatures on modern platforms, pending acquisition of the game's source code from the original developers.

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Casamassina, Matt (February 14, 2008). "Introducing Deadly Creatures". http://www.ign.com/articles/2008/02/14/introducing-deadly-creatures. Retrieved October 15, 2016.
2. ↑ Casamassina, Matt (April 2, 2008). "Hands-on Deadly Creatures". http://www.ign.com/articles/2008/04/02/hands-on-deadly-creatures. Retrieved October 15, 2016.
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 NGamer staff (April 2, 2008). "Deadly Creatures - first look". GamesRadar (Nintendo Gamer). http://www.gamesradar.com/deadly-creatures-first-look/. Retrieved October 15, 2016.
4. ↑ Deadly Creatures (Video Game 2009), https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1608124/fullcredits/, retrieved 2017-09-26
5. ↑ "Making of Featurette with Dennis Hopper". December 5, 2008. http://www.ign.com/videos/2008/12/05/deadly-creatures-wii-making-of-featurette-with-dennis-hopper. Retrieved October 15, 2016.
6. ↑ Alexander, Leigh (February 10, 2009). "Interview: How Rainbow Studios Dreamed up Deadly Creatures". http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=22170.
7. ↑ G4 Videogame Trailers (December 10, 2009). "Deadly Creatures Scorpion MoCap Sketch". YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2P0YzbqN0I. Retrieved October 15, 2016. [|permanent dead YouTube link|dead YouTube link}}]
8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Deadly Creatures for Wii Reviews". https://www.metacritic.com/game/deadly-creatures/critic-reviews/?platform=wii. Retrieved October 15, 2016.
9. ↑ Edge staff (March 2009). "Review: Deadly Creatures". Edge (199): 91. Archived from the original on February 21, 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20090221114122/http://www.edge-online.com/magazine/review‭-‬deadly-creatures. Retrieved October 15, 2016.
10. ↑ Whitehead, Dan (February 18, 2009). "Deadly Creatures". http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/deadly-creatures-review. Retrieved October 16, 2016.
11. ↑ Helgeson, Matt (March 2009). "Deadly Creatures: Spiders...Scorpions...Unwieldy Wii Controls". Game Informer (191). https://www.gameinformer.com/games/deadly_creatures/b/wii/archive/2009/09/22/review.aspx. Retrieved October 15, 2016.
12. ↑ McShea, Tom (February 10, 2009). "Deadly Creatures Review". http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/deadly-creatures-review/1900-6204422/. Retrieved October 15, 2016.
13. ↑ Graziani, Gabe (February 12, 2009). "GameSpy: Deadly Creatures". GameSpy. http://wii.gamespy.com/wii/deadly-creatures/954023p1.html. Retrieved October 16, 2016.
14. ↑ "Deadly Creatures Review". GameTrailers. February 20, 2009. Archived from the original on March 13, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150313004651/http://www.gametrailers.com/reviews/6lqaxc/deadly-creatures-review. Retrieved October 15, 2016.
15. ↑ Grabowski, Dakota (February 24, 2009). "Deadly Creatures - WII - Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on March 1, 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20090301174008/http://wii.gamezone.com/gzreviews/r34754.htm. Retrieved October 16, 2016.
16. ↑ Casamassina, Matt (February 6, 2009). "Deadly Creatures Review". http://www.ign.com/articles/2009/02/07/deadly-creatures-review. Retrieved October 15, 2016.
17. ↑ "Deadly Creatures". Nintendo Power 239: 89. March 2009.
18. ↑ Youngblood, James (February 19, 2009). "Deadly Creatures Review". X-Play. http://www.g4tv.com/games/wii/50341/deadly-creatures/review/. Retrieved October 16, 2016.
19. ↑ Robbins, Derek (April 2, 2009). "Deadly Creatures (Wii) Review". 411Mania. http://411mania.com/games/deadly-creatures-wii-review/. Retrieved October 16, 2016.
20. ↑ Casamassina, Matt (February 7, 2009). "Deadly Creatures Review". IGN. https://www.ign.com/articles/2009/02/07/deadly-creatures-review. Retrieved January 15, 2023.

## External links

* Official Rainbow Studios Website
* 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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