Wetrix

Wetrix is a 3D puzzle video game developed by Zed Two, the studio of brothers Ste and John Pickford, for the Nintendo 64 and personal computers in 1998, and the Dreamcast and Game Boy Color in 1999 (as Wetrix+ and Wetrix GB respectively). The player's goal is to hold water bubbles falling on a 3D isometric landscape. To do this, enclosures are created with Uppers, which fall in a similar manner to Tetris blocks, that raise the ground. While water can be evaporated with fireballs, hazards such as Mines, Ice Cubes, and earthquakes also fall and ruin the player's construction.

The Pickfords conceived a Tetris-esque puzzle game out of a water demo they worked on for another one of their Zed Two games, the hack and slash Vampire Circus. For design, the biggest focus was on the basic elements' interaction with each other, as well as the puzzle game style's originality; the use of falling blocks was the only similarity between Wetrix and Tetris. Zed Two signed a two-game deal with Ocean Software, a week before its merge with Infogrames. It required the brothers to turn Vampire Circus into Taz Express (2000), while allowing the brothers free rein with Wetrix. The PC version was produced from January to October 1997 by the brothers themselves, while the Nintendo 64 port was developed with three additional programmers from around June to Christmas 1997.

The Nintendo 64 version sold over 105,000 units in the West, and just above 12,000 in Japan, while the PC version sold 30,000 copies. Wetrix was generally well-received by critics, who applauded its addictiveness and original concept but were critical of the limited camera mobility and divided on its difficulty, steep learning curve, and two-player mode. It garnered the highest rating for a review of a Western-developed title from the Japanese magazine Famitsu Weekly in years. The critical and commercial success motivated Imagineer, developers of the Game Boy Color port, to commission Zed Two to develop a sequel, the PlayStation 2 launch title Aqua Aqua, which made little alterations to the main gameplay.

## Contents

* 1 Gameplay
* 2 Development
* 2.1 Origins
* 2.2 Design
* 2.3 Production
* 3 Release and ports
* 4 Reception
* 4.1 General
* 4.2 Difficulty
* 4.3 Other gameplay criticisms
* 4.4 Graphics and sound
* 5 Legacy
* 6 Notes
* 7 References
* 8 External links
* 9 Features
* 10 History
* 11 See also
* 12 References
* 13 External links

## Gameplay

The second level of Wetrix, an isometric puzzle video game. As an L-shaped Upper is about to fall, so is an ice cube that will freeze the water. There is also a rainbow filling the currently-made rivers.

Wetrix is an isometric puzzle video game where the player, on a square landscape, produces mounds to hold water bubbles falling from the sky.[1] Uppers, pieces that raise a part of the landscape that come in the shapes of rectangles, squares, and T-shapes, create walls for the lakes, while Downers do the opposite.[2][3] If there is no wall in its way, water will seep off the edges and into a drain represented by a water meter; the game ends once it is full.[4] Fireballs pop up which can evaporate water, which gives the player an amount of points depending on how much water was vaporized. By evaporating water with fireballs, the player is also able to reduce the level of the drain in order to avoid losing.[4] There are also hazards that ruin the player's structure, such as Mines which blast holes into the ground, Ice Cubes that freeze the water, and earthquakes that quickly turn the landscape flat once it is too high.[2][4]

In addition to the regular Classic mode, Wetrix has Pro, which quickens the speed of the game, and Practice, which teaches basic rules.[1] Challenge modes include those that end after a certain amount of time, such as one minute and five minutes, and others that must be survived within a number of pieces, including 100 and 500.[1][3] There are also Handicap modes that start a game with a half-full water drain, an ice layer, Raised Land, Random Land, and Random Holes.[1] The only multi-player feature is a two-player split screen battle mode, with the same goal as Classic but a different water meter with four colored spaces. One player can launch an attack at the other depending on which color space the water level is at; the meter also can not be lowered by evaporating a lake with a fireball.[4]

## Development

### Origins

In the mid-1990s, brothers Ste and John Pickford, developers at Software Creations, were dissatisfied with the stillborn projects and perceived declining creativity at the studio. They left to form their own independent company, Zed Two, in an attempt to "re-learn game design from the very basics".[5] The studio's first project was Vampire Circus, a 3D isometric hack and slash video game in the style of Gauntlet (1985).[6][7] John conceived programming methods that would have taken the most advantage of the available technology, such as having hundreds of foes on the screen at a time, and animating environmental elements in a "dynamic" manner.[6] The environmental animations would be incorporated by having almost every part of the level be inflammable, and including flowing water that reacts to the explosions.[6]

While Ste created the backgrounds and monsters, John experimented with water animation in a "testbed" separate from Vampire Circus's code.[6] Unlike other 3D games at the time that used a flat plane moving up and down as water, Vampire Circus was planned to have water moving as a "dynamic fluid".[6] The testbed consisted of a flat plane grid of vectors. Drops of water would fall onto them and combine to form pools of liquid that flowed and dropped off the plane.[6] To further test the water meshing, John programmed the ability to shift the vectors of the plane.[6] The water was a success.[6]

The Pickfords' personal enjoyment of the water demo then gave them the idea to turn it into its own puzzle game.[8] The game was initially named, as a joke, Wetris, but the title was later changed to something less similar to Tetris, Wetrix.[6] Zed Two planned to release it as their first product before Vampire Circus. In their mind, the game would be cheaper and simpler to create, thus less of a risk to potential publishers, than Vampire Circus. Therefore, it could be used to make them established enough to produce the more ambitious hack and slash project.[6]

However, as the Pickfords realized when searching for deals, "publishers only wanted big, ambitious expensive games, and weren't interested in cheap, small games, even if they were profitable", explained Ste.[6] When pitching the puzzle game to Ocean Software, it did not initially grasp the publisher. However, within a week, the water demo was heavily played by testers, as well as a receptionist in-between calls.[6] This won Zed Two a deal with Ocean to publish two games: Vampire Circus and Wetrix.[6] Ocean required the small studio to turn Vampire Circus into a game starring the Tasmanian Devil, which became Taz Express (2000).[7] However, the brothers were allowed free rein with Wetrix.[7] This was the last deal Ocean made, as it began its merging into Infogrames a week later.[6]

### Design

Much brainstorming was done on what type of puzzle game to produce, such as being in the style of Lemmings (1991) or The Incredible Machine series, but they ultimately settled on a Tetris-esque game.[8] Wetrix was the Pickfords' first puzzle video game, a genre that was "surprisingly difficult" for them.[7] Explained Ste, "we tried to think about the thought processes and the emotions involved in playing a great puzzle game -- then tried to re-create and enhance those experiences with our own gameplay."[8] A majority of the Pickfords' focus was on the basic elements of the gameplay, particularly their interaction between each other.[7] Ste described the visuals for the "simplest elements" as the hardest to get right, even more than the special effects; he recalled creating "eight or nine" variations of the uppers and downers, and "quite a few" for the water bubbles.[7] Although a Tetris-style game was the initial concept, the only overlap between the two puzzle games was blocks falling to the ground.[8] From the Pickfords' perspective, most other Tetris-inspired titles made too little changes to the rules, so they intended for Wetrix to be more original.[8] One method was a creativity aspect, where there were infinite ways to build the landscape and, thus, players could experiment with different methods of scoring points.[8]

### Production

Zed Two began the Wetrix project as a PC title, with no plans for porting to consoles.[6] This was because, at the time, no small independent studio had the budget to develop for major consoles.[8] After Zed Two's inquisition, a friend of the Pickfords, who worked at Software Creations, used the PC source to secretly code a Nintendo 64 port with the Manchester company's development kit.[6] The programmer showed the brothers and Ocean the cartridge a week after the deal, and Ocean approved.[6] Then, at an E3 conference, the brothers showed it to Nintendo for approval. As Ste recalled the Japanese company's reaction, "We booted up the game in the meeting room, they took one look and just said, 'Yep, we need all the games we can get!' And that was it, we were in business!"[6]

The PC version was mostly only done by the Pickfords from January to October 1997, while a different team consisting of Amir Latif, David Gill, and Jan van Valburg programmed the Nintendo 64 release from around June to Christmas 1997.[8][9] The brothers had no other source of income, meaning finishing either Wetrix or Vampire Circus needed to be done quickly to pay their rent.[7] This budget limitation meant having to resort to a pre-made 3D model built into a package of 3D Studio 4 for the rubber duck.[7] The polygon meshing and animations for the water flowing and 3D landscape shifting up and down were the easiest parts of development.[7] John described the water animation as "a simple cellular system where each cell compares itself with its neighbours and exchanges water if there's a difference".[7]

## Release and ports

IGN was the first publication to announce Wetrix on 14 August 1997, although only the Nintendo 64 version. It revealed Zed Two to be the developer, Ocean the publisher, and with no screenshot, only had the following description: "players must create (or open) channels of water and evaporate it using balloons that also fall onto the screen. The more water you dispose of the more points you acquire."[10] On 12 March 1998, the cover art was revealed, and the date for the Nintendo 64 version was set at April 1998.[11] It was delayed to June 1998, IGN suspecting it was due to issues of manufacturing copies.[12]

In North America, the Nintendo 64 version of Wetrix was released on 12 June 1998.[13] Ocean released the Nintendo 64 and PC versions on 19 June 1998 in Europe.[14][15] Imagineer published the game on 27 November 1998 in Japan.[16][17][18] It sold over 105,000 units in the West, and just above 12,000 in Japan.[7] Despite selling well, Wetrix had its budget cut by Infogrames, which was moved to other projects, feeling the puzzle title would not fit their reputation of producing "mega hit" games.[6] This prevented Ocean US from selling more copies of the Nintendo 64 version than they did, and caused a seven-player LAN mode the brothers worked on to remain unfinished.[6] The PC version was announced by Infogrames on 19 November 1998, and released on 15 January 1999, selling 30,000 copies worldwide.[7][19][20]

Ocean hired Imagineer to develop a Game Boy Color port. Although the IP rights were held between Ocean and Zed Two, the port's development began without the knowledge of the Pickfords.[7] The brothers were angry once they found out.[7] Ocean and Zed Two settled by having the latter hold intellectual property rights for future iterations.[7] John also created his own prototype of a Wetrix water level on the Game Boy Color, but Imagineer went with theirs instead.[7] The port was released in Japan on 29 October 1999 and in Europe on 29 September 2000.[21] The Dreamcast port, Wetrix+ was released by Xicat Interactive in the United States on 16 December 1999 with distribution handled by Acclaim Entertainment, and by Take-Two Interactive in Europe on 31 March 2000.[22][23][24] A Japanese version of Wetrix for the Dreamcast, named Aquapanic, was commissioned but dropped near its completion, at the end of the console's lifespan.[7]

## Reception

Reception

| Review scores

Publication| Score
Dreamcast| GBC| N64| PC
AllGame| 4/5[29]| N/A| 4/5[30]| 4.5/5[31]
CGSP| N/A| N/A| N/A| 1.5/5[32]
Consoles +| 50%[33]| N/A| 75%[34]| N/A
CVG| N/A| N/A| 4/5[35]| N/A
Edge| N/A| N/A| 7/10[17]| N/A
EGM| N/A| N/A| 5.5/10
5.5/10
6/10
5.5/10[36]| N/A
Famitsu| N/A| N/A| 31/40[7]| N/A
Game Informer| 5/10[38]| N/A| 8.25/10[39]| N/A
GamePro| N/A| N/A| 4.5/5
4/5
4/5
4/5[40]| N/A
GameSpot| 6/10[41]| N/A| 8.8/10[3]| 6.8/10[42]
GameSpy| 8/10[43]| N/A| N/A| N/A
Hyper| 84/100[44]| N/A| 83%[45]| 78/100[46]
IGN| 8.7/10[47]| N/A| N/A| 7.8/10[48]
Jeuxvideo.com| 15/20[49]| N/A| N/A| N/A
N64 Magazine| N/A| N/A| 74%[18]| N/A
Next Generation| N/A| N/A| 3/5[50]| N/A
Nintendo Power| N/A| N/A| 7.4/10[51]| N/A
ONM| N/A| 70%[52]| 91%[4]| N/A
PC Zone| N/A| N/A| N/A| 5/10[53]
DC-UK| 7/10[23]| N/A| N/A| N/A
Ultimate PC| N/A| N/A| N/A| 81/100[54]
Aggregate scores
GameRankings| 72%[25]| N/A| 78.94%[26]| 64%[27]
Metacritic| N/A| N/A| 81/100[28]| N/A

### General

Wetrix received generally positive reviews, including one in Famitsu, which had the highest rating for a Western-developed product in years.[lower-alpha 1] A common highlight was its unique puzzle game concept, which Nintendo Power described as a mixture of Tetris and Populous (1989).[1][36][39][51] Due to the fact that it involves falling pieces, Wetrix was heavily compared to not only Tetris entries, but the Nintendo 64 titles Tetrisphere and Bust-A-Move 2 (1998).[lower-alpha 2] Edge considered Welltris (1990) the Tetris game most similar to Wetrix due to its use of falling pieces within a 3D perspective.[17] The Electric Playground critic Victor Lucas and Hyper journalists Eliot Fish and Tom Holloway found its spin on Tetris elements refreshing, given the amount of other titles that copied Tetris mechanics without doing anything innovative.[2][44][45] IGN's Trent C. Ward noted that with previous puzzle video games, "the further developers got from Tetris, the more annoyed people got", making Wetrix's success as both an original and enjoyable puzzle game profound.[48]

### Difficulty

The high difficulty and steep learning curve generally garnered a mixed response; critics suggested that while it would appeal to hardcore puzzle game veterans, it may not be suited for all players, especially first-timers.[lower-alpha 3] Reviewers from Edge and N64 Magazine claimed an individual's first playthrough can end in seconds.[17][18] Lucas, a frequent player of puzzle gamers and self-admitted pro at Rampart (1990), which also involved building enclosures, was still in the first tutorial stage an hour into Wetrix.[2] The challenge was attributed to the controls, fast object dropping, and the randomization of what falls.[1][3][17][45] Official Nintendo Magazine found the Game Boy Color port inferior to the original Nintendo 64 release for its slower falling speed.[52]

Also brought up was the game's addictiveness.[lower-alpha 4] It was attributed to the difficulty, high-score list, multipliers, different methods of earning points, visual rewards, and additional modes.[lower-alpha 5] Excitedly wrote N64 Magazine's James Price, "As it brooks little familiarity with lesser skilled players, you actually feel as if you're achieving something by reaching level 15 with an unbelievably high number of points."[18]

Supporters of the challenge argued that it teaches players to long-term plan and not panic over small water drains.[2][29][37][45] Detractors complained it was artificial and made the game more obnoxious than enjoyable.[32][33][36] Consoles + found the board too small to create enough lakes to handle the overwhelming amount of water.[33] Anne Royal of Computer Games Strategy Plus wrote that the slightest mistake could instantly end a play-through.[32] She and Schneider felt the game should have adequately accustomed beginners to the gameplay, and John Davison argued the amount of randomization between uppers and water was too much.[1][32][36] Jeff Gerstmann of GameSpot criticized the earthquake mechanic for effectively ending games, and opined it prevented Wetrix from being a truly amazing puzzle title.[41] The PC version was also criticized for its controls. GameSpot's Ron Dulin had trouble placing pieces with the mouse, and Ward struggled with the controls overall, especially the keyboard setups.[42][48]

### Other gameplay criticisms

Reviewers found it excessively tricky to position the falling pieces, an issue mostly attributed to the limited camera mobility. There are only three choices for viewing the map. Critics though two were distant to the point of harming visibility, and another was too close to see the entire map.[1][2][45][51] Nintendo Power felt the issue was worsened by lack of sensitivity in the controls.[51] The problem was also blamed on misleading shadows and other visuals that distracted the player from them.[29][34][40] Water trickles were also hard to spot from the few choices of angles, not helped by the draining water's lack of graphical detail, argued Fish and Game Informer critics Jon and Reiner.[39][45] Official Nintendo Magazine criticized the Game Boy Color version's color palette for making it hard to notice the location of lakes.[52]

Reviewers also brought up the general product's limited depth and replay-ability. For them, the experience was repetitive due to a lack of variation in gameplay and level aesthetics, wearing thin after a few hours.[3][36][38][50] Huhtala noted the maximum difficulty to be at the tenth level.[35] PC Zone journalist Paul Presley found Wetrix "colourful and flashy on the surface", but "staggeringly ordinary" underneath. His main criticism was that the typical appealing elements of puzzle games, such as simplicity, quirkiness, and addictiveness, felt forced instead of naturally executed.[53]

The two-player mode divided critics. Its supporters highlighted its competitive nature, a result of each player having to focus on keeping their own board intact while attacking the opponent.[45][54] Others were underwhelmed.[44] Schneider and Ricciardi found it weaker than two-player modes in other puzzle titles, such as Puzzle Bobble (1994) and those of the Tetris series.[1][36] A common complaint was the decreased size of each player's map as a result of the split-screen, causing the pieces to be even harder to view.[2][36] Official Nintendo Magazine reviewer Shaun White disliked the mode's slow pace and expressed annoyance towards attacks temporarily obscuring the playing fields.[4] Fielder and Gantayat also criticized the lack of four-player modes, such as tournaments and two-on-twos.[3][47]

### Graphics and sound

Opinions on the graphics ranged from Jon finding them "lame" and Fielder stating they need more finesse, to positive claims of taking advantage of console space even considering its simple style.[lower-alpha 6] Total 64's Simon argued it was mature in comparison to most other Nintendo 64 titles.[55] Most of the praise was directed at the water, particularly its realistic flowing, ripple effects, transparency and reflection mapping.[lower-alpha 7] Other praised aspects include the special effects, the vibrant color palette and psychedelic backgrounds.[lower-alpha 8] Less positively, a writer for Revista Oficial Dreamcast called them "colorful and little else", bashing them as so outdated they would be suitable in the 8-bit console era.[56]

Wetrix's new age ambient techno soundtrack was well-received for suiting the gameplay, Schneider analogizing it as if Jean-Michel Jarre composed Top Gear Rally (1997).[1][2][29][50] The sound effects were positively-commented on, a common note being their accuracy to real-life environmental elements, such as the splashes, ripples, and evaporation of water and the explosion of bombs.[1][2][50][51] An Ultimate PC critic admitted the sound effects intensified the gameplay, stating the alarm "will almost certainly send a shiver down your spine".[54] Also highlighted was the electronically-altered announcer voice, which Bad Hare of GamePro compared to that of Wipeout XL (1996).[40][41] Schneider expressed being spooked out by it, and Lucas claimed the warble effect matched with the cute character designed.[2][1]

## Legacy

Wetrix's critical and commercial success inspired Imagineer to commission Zed Two to develop a sequel, Aqua Aqua (2000), which was a launch title for the PlayStation 2.[7] The gameplay remained largely unaltered, new features including a Story Mode with bosses and cute-looking characters that Imagineer commanded Zed Two to add to make the product more appealing to Japanese audiences.[7][57][58] Despite a positive critical reception and decent sales, there have been no further Wetrix titles.[7][59]

## Notes

1. ↑ [7][25][26][27][28]
2. ↑ [1][3][29][36][39][45]
3. ↑ [1][2][17][39][45]
4. ↑ [3][18][29][39][45][48][54]
5. ↑ [1][4][18][29][30][31][35][46][47]
6. ↑ [1][3][39][49][51]
7. ↑ [1][4][30][41][43][51]
8. ↑ [1][2][18][43][49][50][51]

## 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 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 Cite error: Invalid `<ref>` tag; no text was provided for refs named `IGN`
2. ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 Lucas, Victor. "Wetrix". Archived from the original on 15 May 2004. https://web.archive.org/web/20040515024426/http://www.elecplay.com/reviews_article.php?article=164. Retrieved 25 October 2021.
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 Fielder, Lauren (11 June 1998). "Wetrix Review". https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/wetrix-review/1900-2543722/. Retrieved 3 October 2016.
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 White, Shaun (May 1998). "Wetrix". Official Nintendo Magazine (68): 70–73. https://archive.org/details/nintendo-magazine-uk-68-may-1998/page/n69/mode/2up?q=Wetrix. Retrieved 10 November 2021.
5. ↑ Wallis, Alistar (7 December 2006). "Playing Catch Up: Ste and John Pickford". https://www.gamedeveloper.com/pc/playing-catch-up-ste-and-john-pickford. Retrieved 7 November 2021.
6. ↑ 6.00 6.01 6.02 6.03 6.04 6.05 6.06 6.07 6.08 6.09 6.10 6.11 6.12 6.13 6.14 6.15 6.16 6.17 6.18 6.19 Watts, Martin (24 January 2015). "The Making of Wetrix and its Route to Nintendo 64". https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2015/01/feature_the_making_of_wetrix_and_its_route_to_nintendo_64. Retrieved 6 November 2021.
7. ↑ 7.00 7.01 7.02 7.03 7.04 7.05 7.06 7.07 7.08 7.09 7.10 7.11 7.12 7.13 7.14 7.15 7.16 7.17 7.18 7.19 7.20 7.21 "Behind the Scenes: Wetrix". GamesTM (48): 150–153. http://www.zee-3.com/pickfordbros/press/scans/large/gamestm-48.jpg. Retrieved 6 November 2021.
8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 8.6 8.7 "Wetrix Interview". 9 January 1998. https://www.ign.com/articles/1998/01/09/wetrix-interview. Retrieved 7 November 2021.
9. ↑ Wetrix. Infogrames. 1998. pp. 23–24. https://www.gamesdatabase.org/Media/SYSTEM/Nintendo_N64/Manual/formated/Wetrix_-_1998_-_Ocean_Software_Ltd..pdf. Retrieved 6 November 2021.
10. ↑ "A 3D Puzzle game? On N64?". 14 August 1997. https://www.ign.com/articles/1997/08/15/a-3d-puzzle-game-on-n64. Retrieved 7 November 2021.
11. ↑ "Wetrix Box Surfaces". 13 March 1998. https://www.ign.com/articles/1998/03/13/wetrix-box-surfaces. Retrieved 7 November 2021.
12. ↑ "Wetrix Storms into June". 17 April 1998. https://www.ign.com/articles/1998/04/17/wetrix-storms-into-june. Retrieved 8 November 2021.
13. ↑ "Wetrix". http://ign64.ign.com/games/2139.html.
14. ↑ "Key Dates". Staines and Ashford Leader: pp. 5. 18 June 1998. https://www.newspapers.com/image/896432081. "June 19th//Wetrix//Nintendo 64"
15. ↑ "This game is dam hard to do". Daily Record: pp. 54. 19 June 1998. https://www.newspapers.com/image/941961906. "Available on both PC and Nintendo 64, Wetrix is a classic puzzle game that falls very much in the mould of Tetris."
16. ↑ "NINTENDO64全発売ソフト一覧(1998年)" (in ja). Nintendo of Japan. https://www.nintendo.co.jp/n01/n64/software/1998.html. Retrieved 25 December 2021.
17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 17.3 17.4 17.5 "Wetrix". Edge (58): 98. May 1998. http://www.nintendo64ever.com/scans/mags/Scan-Magazine-1697-98.jpg. Retrieved 28 September 2018.
18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 18.3 18.4 18.5 18.6 Price, James (May 1998). "Wetrix". N64 Magazine (15): 50–51.
19. ↑ Lyons, Robert (19 November 1998). "Infogrames Announces Wetrix for the PC". Computer Games Magazine. Archived from the original on 27 October 2003. https://web.archive.org/web/20031027100651/http://www.cdmag.com/articles/015/135/wetrix.html. Retrieved 22 November 2021.
20. ↑ Lyons, Robert (15 January 1999). "3D puzzle game hits retail shelves". Computer Games Magazine. Archived from the original on 27 October 2003. https://web.archive.org/web/20031027100847/http://www.cdmag.com/articles/016/157/wetrix_pc.html. Retrieved 22 November 2021.
21. ↑ Bramwell, Tom (29 September 2000). "Console Releases". https://www.eurogamer.net/article-29328.
22. ↑ White, Matt (6 December 1999). "Acclaim Publishing Wetrix+ in US". https://www.ign.com/articles/1999/12/07/acclaim-publishing-wetrix-in-us. Retrieved 7 November 2021.
23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 Bickham, Jes (April 2000). "Wetrix". DC-UK (8): 28–29. https://archive.org/details/dcuk8/page/n27/mode/2up?q=wetrix. Retrieved 25 December 2021.
24. ↑ "Wetrix (DC)". http://www.simplygames.com/hires.product.asp?id=SGD109.
25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 "Wetrix+ for Dreamcast". https://www.gamerankings.com/dreamcast/199294-wetrix/index.html.
26. ↑ 26.0 26.1 "Wetrix for Nintendo 64". Archived from the original. Error: If you specify `|archiveurl=`, you must also specify `|archivedate=`. https://web.archive.org/web/20090817112934/http://www.gamerankings.com/n64/199293-wetrix/index.html. Retrieved 3 October 2016.
27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 "Wetrix for PC". https://www.gamerankings.com/pc/139559-wetrix/index.html.
28. ↑ 28.0 28.1 "Wetrix for Nintendo 64 Reviews". https://www.metacritic.com/game/wetrix/critic-reviews/?platform=nintendo-64.
29. ↑ 29.0 29.1 29.2 29.3 29.4 29.5 29.6 Marriott, Scott Alan. "Wetrix+ – Review". Archived from the original on 16 November 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20141116061153/http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=21399&tab=review. Retrieved 3 October 2016.
30. ↑ 30.0 30.1 30.2 Frankle, Gavin. "Wetrix – Review". Archived from the original on 16 November 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20141116111618/http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=11672&tab=review. Retrieved 3 October 2016.
31. ↑ 31.0 31.1 Biondich, Paul. "Wetrix – Review". Archived from the original on 16 November 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20141116183700/http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=11674&tab=review.
32. ↑ 32.0 32.1 32.2 32.3 Royal, Anne (5 February 1999). "Wetrix". Strategy Plus, Inc.. Archived from the original on November 1, 2003. https://web.archive.org/web/20031101091609/http://www.cdmag.com/articles/017/142/wetrix_review.html.
33. ↑ 33.0 33.1 33.2 Take Two (August 2000). "Wetrix" (in fr). Consoles + (103): 106. http://download.abandonware.org/magazines/Consoles Plus/consoleplus_numero103/Consoles + 103 - Page 106 (août 2000).jpg. Retrieved 4 November 2021.
34. ↑ 34.0 34.1 Switch (July 1998). "Wetrix" (in fr). Consoles + (78): 152. http://download.abandonware.org/magazines/Consoles Plus/consoleplus_numero078/Consoles+_N78-Page 0152.jpg. Retrieved 4 November 2021.
35. ↑ 35.0 35.1 35.2 Huhtala, Alex (June 1998). "Wetrix". Computer and Video Games (199): 68. http://www.nintendo64ever.com/scans/mags/Scan-Magazine-1479-92.jpg. Retrieved 28 September 2018.
36. ↑ 36.0 36.1 36.2 36.3 36.4 36.5 36.6 36.7 Hsu, Dan; Davison, John; Ricciardi, John; Hager, Dean (July 1998). "Wetrix". Electronic Gaming Monthly (108): 135. https://archive.org/details/electronic-gaming-monthly-issue-108-july-1998_20210613/page/n137/mode/2up?q=wetrix. Retrieved 25 September 2025.
37. ↑ 37.0 37.1 Steinberg, Scott. "Wetrix+". Archived from the original on 15 May 2004. https://web.archive.org/web/20040515022828/http://www.elecplay.com/reviews_article.php?article=2368. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
38. ↑ 38.0 38.1 Anderson, Paul (March 2000). "Wetrix+ - Dreamcast". Game Informer (FuncoLand) (83). https://www.gameinformer.com/reviews/review_detail.cfm?ITEM_ID=4593. Retrieved 3 October 2016.
39. ↑ 39.0 39.1 39.2 39.3 39.4 39.5 39.6 McNamara, Andy; Storm, Jon; Reiner, Andrew (July 1998). "Wetrix - Nintendo 64". Game Informer (FuncoLand) (63). http://www.gameinformer.com/cgi-bin/review.cgi?sys=n64&path=jul98&doc=wetrix. Retrieved 3 October 2016.
40. ↑ 40.0 40.1 40.2 Bad Hare (July 1998). "Wetrix (N64)". GamePro (IDG Entertainment) (118): 62. Archived from the original on 27 March 2005. https://web.archive.org/web/20050327064314/http://gamepro.com/nintendo/n64/games/reviews/258.shtml. Retrieved 25 September 2025.
41. ↑ 41.0 41.1 41.2 41.3 Gerstmann, Jeff (7 February 2000). "Wetrix+ Review". https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/wetrix-review/1900-2540779/. Retrieved 3 October 2016.
42. ↑ 42.0 42.1 Dulin, Ron (12 February 1999). "Wetrix Review". https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/wetrix-review/1900-2531847/. Retrieved 3 October 2016.
43. ↑ 43.0 43.1 43.2 Fragmaster (20 January 2000). "Wetrix+". Archived from the original on 5 May 2001. https://web.archive.org/web/20010505205230/http://www.planetdreamcast.com/games/reviews/wetrix/. Retrieved 4 October 2016.
44. ↑ 44.0 44.1 44.2 Holloway, Tom (May 2001). "Wetrix". Hyper (91): 71. https://archive.org/details/hyper-091/page/70/mode/2up?q=wetrix. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
45. ↑ 45.00 45.01 45.02 45.03 45.04 45.05 45.06 45.07 45.08 45.09 Fish, Eliot (June 1998). "Wetrix". Hyper (56): 58–59. https://archive.org/details/hyper-056/page/58/mode/2up?q=wetrix. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
46. ↑ 46.0 46.1 Toose, Dan (December 1998). "Wetrix". Hyper (62): 94. https://archive.org/details/hyper-062/page/94/mode/2up?q=wetrix+. Retrieved 4 November 2021.
47. ↑ 47.0 47.1 47.2 Gantayat, Anoop (10 January 2000). "Wetrix+". https://www.ign.com/articles/2000/01/11/wetrix. Retrieved 3 October 2016.
48. ↑ 48.0 48.1 48.2 48.3 Ward, Trent C. (25 January 1999). "Wetrix". https://www.ign.com/articles/1999/01/26/wetrix-5. Retrieved 3 October 2016.
49. ↑ 49.0 49.1 49.2 Pseudo supprimé (16 May 2000). "Test de Wetrix sur DCAST" (in fr). https://www.jeuxvideo.com/articles/0000/00000641_test.htm. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
50. ↑ 50.0 50.1 50.2 50.3 50.4 "Wetrix". Next Generation (44): 94. August 1998. https://archive.org/details/NEXT_Generation_44/page/n95/mode/2up. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
51. ↑ 51.0 51.1 51.2 51.3 51.4 51.5 51.6 51.7 "Wetrix". Nintendo Power (Nintendo of America) 111: 98. August 1998. http://www.nintendo64ever.com/scans/mags/Scan-Magazine-353-98.jpg. Retrieved 28 September 2018.
52. ↑ 52.0 52.1 52.2 "Wetrix". Game Boy Official Magazine (5): 9. https://archive.org/details/game-boy-official-magazine-5/page/8/mode/2up?q=wetrix+"game+boy+color". Retrieved 5 December 2021.
53. ↑ 53.0 53.1 Presley, Paul (13 August 2001). "PC Review: Wetrix". PC Zone. Archived from the original on 2 December 2006. https://web.archive.org/web/20061202075800/http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=3649. Retrieved 25 October 2021.
54. ↑ 54.0 54.1 54.2 54.3 Chris (December 1998). "Wetrix". Ultimate PC 2 (5): 128. https://archive.org/details/ultimate-pc-17/page/n127/mode/2up?q=wetrix. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
55. ↑ Simon; Nick. "Wetrix". Total 64 2 (3): 60–63. https://archive.org/details/total-64-15/page/60/mode/2up. Retrieved 28 April 2022.
56. ↑ "Wetrix+" (in es). Revista Oficial Dreamcast (5): 65. May 2000. https://archive.org/details/5-dreamcast-magazine-5-castellano-pdf_202101/page/n63/mode/2up?q=wetrix+. Retrieved 7 November 2021.
57. ↑ G-Wok (17 January 2001). "Aqua Aqua Review". Archived from the original on 12 September 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150912035502/http://www.gamerevolution.com/review/aqua-aqua. Retrieved 2 October 2018.
58. ↑ Toyama, Kevin (April 2001). "Aqua Aqua". Next Generation (76): 77. https://archive.org/stream/NextGen76Apr2001#page/n77/mode/2up. Retrieved 28 March 2020.
59. ↑ "Aqua Aqua for PlayStation 2 Reviews". https://www.metacritic.com/game/aquaaqua/critic-reviews/?platform=playstation-2. Retrieved 3 October 2016.

## 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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* v
* t
* e

Atari

Corporations|

| Primary|

* Atari, Inc. (1972–1992)
* Atari Corporation (1984–1996)
* Atari SA, Atari, Inc. (2003–present)

|

Subsidiaries and
spin-offs|

* Atari Games
* Atari Interactive
* AtariAge
* Chuck E. Cheese (1977–1978)
* Cyan Engineering
* Digital Eclipse
* Kee Games
* MobyGames
* Nightdive Studios
* Tengen

Arcades games
and amusements|

* Anti-Aircraft
* Asteroids
* Asteroids Deluxe
* Atari Basketball
* Atari Football
* Avalanche
* Battlezone
* Black Widow
* Breakout
* Canyon Bomber
* Centipede
* Cloak & Dagger
* Crash 'N Score
* Crystal Castles
* Destroyer
* Dominos
* Fire Truck
* Firefox
* Food Fight
* Gotcha
* Gran Trak 10
* Gran Trak 20
* Gravitar
* Hi-way
* I, Robot
* Indy 4
* Indy 800
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* LeMans
* Liberator
* Lunar Lander
* Major Havoc
* Millipede
* Missile Command
* Night Driver
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* Pin-Pong
* Pong
* Pong Doubles
* Pursuit
* Quadrapong
* Quantum
* Quiz Show
* Qwak!
* Rebound
* Red Baron
* Return of the Jedi
* Shark Jaws
* Sky Diver
* Space Duel
* Space Race
* Sprint 1
* Sprint 2
* Sprint 4
* Sprint 8
* Star Wars
* Starship 1
* Steeplechase
* Stunt Cycle
* Super Breakout
* Super Bug
* Super Pong
* Tank
* Tank 8
* Tempest
* Tournament Table
* Triple Hunt
* Ultra Tank
* Video Pinball
* Warlords

| Prototypes|

* Tank II

|

Software and utilities|

* Atari BASIC
* Atari Calculator
* Atari DOS

Video game
consoles|

* Home Pong
* Stunt Cycle
* Atari Video Music
* Video Pinball
* 2600
* 2800
* 5200
* 7800
* XEGS
* Lynx
* Jaguar
* CD
* VCS (2021)
* 2600+

| Prototypes|

* Game Brain
* Cosmos
* 2700
* Atari Mindlink
* Panther
* Sierra

|

Personal
computers|

* Atari 8-bit computers
* Atari ST
* MEGA STE
* TT030
* Transputer Workstation
* Falcon

| Portables|

* STacy
* ST Book
* Portfolio

|

Prototypes|

* Sierra

Peripherals|

| Printers|

* 825 80-Column Printer
* 1020 Color Printer

|

Gaming devices|

* CX40 joystick
* Atari joystick port
* XG-1 light gun

Other|

* Atari Democrat
* Atari Flashback
* Intellivision
* Sears

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