Death Jr.

Short description: 2005 video game

Death Jr.

North American packaging artwork

Developer(s)| Backbone Entertainment
Publisher(s)| Konami
Producer(s)| Jessi Harrison
Designer(s)| Micah Russo
Composer(s)| Robert Baffy
Platform(s)| PlayStation Portable
Release|

* NA: August 16, 2005[1]
* EU: February 10, 2006
* AU: March 17, 2006[2]

Genre(s)| Action, hack and slash
Mode(s)| Single-player

Death Jr. is a 2005 video game for the PlayStation Portable. The PSP iteration was the first PSP game shown publicly and advertised as a killer-app. It was released to a mixed reception and noted for numerous problems about the camera, gameplay and uninspiring graphics, but was praised for its Tim Burton-esque themes and quirky characters. Slightly better received was the comic book adaptation by Gary Whitta and Ted Naifeh, which includes two three-issue miniseries. The game was followed by Software:Death Jr. II: Root of Evil in 2006 and Death Jr. and the Science Fair of Doom in 2007.

Death Jr. was conceived during experiments with the engine of the cancelled game Prime 8, a planned spin-off to the Spyro The Dragon series. [3]

## Contents

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

## Gameplay

In the game, the player has a variety of guns ranging from pistols to a rocket launcher. The controls are simple. The player moves around with the analog nub and attacks people with the square and circle buttons. There is a lot of emphasis in the game on the combos which can be achieved by linking attacks to each other in rapid succession.

## Plot

The game and comic book are about the teenage son of the Grim Reaper, named Death Jr. (DJ for short). His father tried many times (all of them failed) to stop his son from creating chaos at every school he has been in. Now is DJ's last chance. If he creates chaos one more time, he'll be sent to military school. He meets new friends at this school: Pandora, a girl with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and a thing for locked boxes; Stigmartha, a girl who has holes in her hands and bleeds from them whenever she's nervous; Smith and Weston, conjoined twins who are very smart and conjoined at the head; the Seep, an armless, legless, foul-mouthed kid in a vat; and the Dead Guppy, a character who speaks for himself.

The friends go on a field trip to a museum, where they find a locked box that Pandora wants opened, so DJ opens it to impress her. Unfortunately, all hell breaks loose and demons run amok. It's up to DJ to stop them and revert the town back to normal, all the while making sure Dad doesn't find out.

## Reception

Reception

| Aggregate scores

Aggregator| Score
GameRankings| 63.30%[4]
Metacritic| 61/100[5]
Review scores
Publication| Score
1Up.com| C+[6]
Edge| 4/10[7]
EGM| 4.83/10[8]
Game Informer| 7/10[9]
GamePro| [10]
GameRevolution| C−[11]
GameSpot| 6.5/10[12]
GameTrailers| 7.1/10[13]
IGN| 7/10[14]
OPM (US)| [15]
CiN Weekly| 68/100[16]
Detroit Free Press| [17]

The game received average or mixed reviews, as GameRankings gave it a score of 63.30%[4] while Metacritic gave it a score of 61 out of 100.[5]

## See also

* Death Jr. and the Science Fair of Doom
* Software:Death Jr. II: Root of Evil

## References

1. ↑ Adams, David (2005-08-16). "Death Jr. Swings to Retail" (in en). https://www.ign.com/articles/2005/08/16/death-jr-swings-to-retail.
2. ↑ Jastrzab, Jeremy (March 13, 2006). "Updated Australian Release Lists, 13/03/06". http://palgn.com.au/article.php?title=Updated+Australian+Release+Lists,+13/03/06&id=4054&sid=7b6aa57eb03484e07e54922342ab01e8.
3. ↑ "Agent 9 / Prime 8 [PS2 - Cancelled] \- Unseen64". 16 June 2009. https://www.unseen64.net/2009/06/16/agent-9-prime-8-ps2-cancelled/#comments.
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Death Jr. for PSP". GameRankings. http://www.gamerankings.com/psp/920140-death-jr/index.html. Retrieved 2014-01-08.
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Death Jr. Critic Reviews for PSP". https://www.metacritic.com/game/death-jr/critic-reviews/?platform=psp. Retrieved 2014-01-08.
6. ↑ Nutt, Christian (2005-08-16). "Death Jr.". http://www.1up.com/reviews/death-jr_5. Retrieved 2014-09-14.
7. ↑ Edge Staff (November 2005). "Death Jr.". Edge (155): 113.
8. ↑ EGM Staff (September 2005). "Death Jr.". Electronic Gaming Monthly (195): 116.
9. ↑ "Death Jr.". Game Informer (149): 115. September 2005.
10. ↑ Ouroboros (2005-08-17). "Death Jr. Review for PSP on GamePro.com". GamePro. Archived from the original on 2006-01-04. https://web.archive.org/web/20060104163911/http://www.gamepro.com/sony/psp/games/reviews/47744.shtml. Retrieved 2014-01-08.
11. ↑ Reilly, Mike (2005-08-31). "Death Jr. Review". Game Revolution. http://www.gamerevolution.com/review/death-jr. Retrieved 2014-01-08.
12. ↑ Navarro, Alex (2005-08-16). "Death Jr. Review". Archived from the original on 2007-02-07. https://web.archive.org/web/20070207090654/http://www.gamespot.com/psp/action/deathjr/review.html. Retrieved 2014-01-22.
13. ↑ "Death Jr., Review". GameTrailers. August 26, 2005. http://www.gametrailers.com/reviews/2flnzo/death-jr--review. Retrieved 2014-01-08.
14. ↑ Nix, Marc (2005-08-12). "Death Jr.". http://www.ign.com/articles/2005/08/13/death-jr. Retrieved 2014-01-08.
15. ↑ OPM Staff (September 2005). "Death Jr.". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine: 93. Archived from the original on 2014-01-08. https://web.archive.org/web/20140108055426/http://www.1up.com/reviews/death-jr_4. Retrieved 2014-01-08.
16. ↑ Hruschak, PJ (2005-09-21). "Death Jr.". CiN Weekly. Archived from the original on 2005-12-01. https://web.archive.org/web/20051201050417/http://www.cinweekly.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050921/ENT09/509210343/1063. Retrieved 2014-01-08.
17. ↑ Schaefer, Jim (2005-09-04). "THAT LITTLE DEVIL: In 'Death Jr.,' the Grim Reaper's boy must undo the trouble his mischief caused". Detroit Free Press. Archived from the original on 2005-09-17. https://web.archive.org/web/20050917233710/http://www.freep.com/entertainment/videogames/game4e_20050904.htm. Retrieved 2014-01-08.

## External links

* Official 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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