Deflektor

Deflektor is a puzzle video game developed by Vortex Software and published by Gremlin Graphics in December 1987. The game was followed by a 1989 sequel, Mindbender.

The game was also ported to the Sharp X68000 by Bullet-Proof Software and the Atari 8-bit computers developed by Atari Corporation in 1988, but was not published.[1] According to Deflektor X4 remake programmer Ignacio Pérez Gil, Deflektor developer Costa Panayi endorsed the creation and distribution of the non-commercial open-source freeware in the 2000s.[2]

Deflektor has been well received by reviewers. Critics emphasized its high appeal and originality. The game also received positive feedback for its graphics, difficulty, and in-depth exploration.

## Contents

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

## Gameplay

The beam is transferred by fibre optics.

Deflektor is a real-time puzzle game that takes place in an optical circuit. The player must rotate mirrors to deflect a beam in order to destroy all the cells of each level. There are also other devices which the player cannot touch with the beam for too long because it will make the system overload. The player only has a certain amount of time to complete each level.[3] There are also various other items on each level which can be collected and a practise mode.[3]

## Development

Costa Panayi was the principal programmer, game designer and artist for Vortex Software, when Panayi was programming primarily on the ZX Spectrum. He developed and released Revolution, which later influenced the creation of Deflektor. The game was based on a simple physical phenomenon which was further modified in terms of game mechanics. Panayi was inspired to create the game by observing scientific software that worked with lasers. The development was carried out with the idea of being different from existing trends in the gaming industry.

The development of the original game for the ZX Spectrum was handled by Panayi himself and was published by Gremlin Graphics. A month before its release date, the game was announced in magazines.[4]

## Reception

Reception

| Review scores

Publication| Score
Amiga| C64| ZX
ACE| 94%| 91%| 91%
CVG| N/A| 10/10| 10/10
Your Sinclair| N/A| N/A| 90%[5]
Zzap!| N/A| 81%[6]| N/A
| Award

Publication| Award
Amstrad Action| Mastergame[7]

Writing for Zzap! magazine in February 1988, Julian Rignall wrote that "Deflektor is very enjoyable, and provides an original and worthwhile way to kill time".[6] According to Amstrad Action, Deflektor was the best game of March 1988.[8] In 1988, Deflektor was included in the 100 best games by ACE where the game was described as unique, but easy because passing the level is enough to test all the conditions of the mirror. In 1990, the author of an article in Your Sinclair ranked Deflektor seventh out of the nine best puzzles and described it as distinctive and interesting.[9]

## References

1. ↑ Reichert, Matt. "Deflektor". http://www.atariprotos.com/8bit/software/deflektor/deflektor.htm. Retrieved September 19, 2014.
2. ↑ Deflektor x4 on retrospec.sgn.net
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Inlay English Instructions". http://www.worldofspectrum.org/pub/sinclair/games-info/d/Deflektor.txt.
4. ↑ "Popular Computing Weekly". Popular Computing Weekly: 25. January 6, 1988. https://wos.meulie.net/pub/sinclair/magazines/PopularComputingWeekly/Issue871231/Pages/PopularComputingWeekly87123100025.jpg.
5. ↑ Berkmann, Marcus (January 1988). "Deflektor". Your Sinclair (25). http://www.ysrnry.co.uk/articles/deflektor.htm. Retrieved 2023-05-25.
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Deflektor review in Zzap! issue 34, feb. 1988, p. 20, ISSN 0954-867X here
7. ↑ Game review, Amstrad Action magazine, Future Publishing, issue 30, March 1988
8. ↑ "Amstrad Action vol. 40". Amstrad Action (40). December 1988. https://archive.org/stream/AmstradAction052/AmstradAction/AmstradAction040#page/n20/mode/1up.
9. ↑ "The YS Complete Guide To Puzzle Games". Your Sinclair (57). September 1990. http://ysrnry.co.uk/articles/completeguidetopuzzlegames.htm.

## 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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* Deflektor X4: authorised remake
* Deflektor I: for Atari 8-bit
* Deflektor II: for Atari 8-bit

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