Software:Super Mario Ball

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Short description: 2004 pinball video game published by Nintendo
Super Mario Ball
Mario Pinball Land
Cover art
Developer(s)Fuse Games
Publisher(s)Nintendo
Producer(s)Shigeru Miyamoto
Composer(s)Nimrod Productions
SeriesMario
Platform(s)Game Boy Advance
Release
  • JP: August 26, 2004
  • NA: October 4, 2004[1]
  • PAL: November 26, 2004
Genre(s)Pinball
Mode(s)Single-player

Super Mario Ball, known in North America as Mario Pinball Land, is a pinball video game that was developed by Fuse Games and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy Advance and released in 2004. It is the ninth Mario game for the Game Boy Advance and is a spin-off of the Super Mario series of games. The game was rereleased to the Wii U virtual console on November 27, 2014.[2]

Gameplay

Mario, a ball, has just been hit by a flipper. Note the counters for stars, coins, and lives on the HUD.

To proceed, Mario must collect enough stars to open specific doors, a gameplay element borrowed from Super Mario 64. There are 35 stars to collect in total. Mario must explore different areas to reach his aim of saving the princess. There are five different worlds, each guarded by a boss. The worlds consists of the Fun Fair (the main starting area), Grassy Greens, Frosty Frontier, Shifting Sands, and Bowser's Castle.

Plot

Mario and Princess Peach visit a funfair and wait in line to try a ride called the Air Cannon, where the rider is turned into a ball via the Spherasizer and shot out of the cannon. As Peach is about to take her turn, two Goombas kidnap her by aiming the cannon towards Bowser's Castle. To save Peach, Mario uses the Spherasizer to turn into a ball, allowing for the pinball action of the game.

Development

As Adrian Barritt and Richard Horrocks, veterans of the Pro Pinball series, had founded Fuse Games, they decided that, in the words of Barritt "we needed a bit of impact before they would even bother to speak to us". So they thought about a Mario pinball game, and produced a playable demo, featuring both the possible first area and the last one with a showdown with Bowser. Afterwards Barritt and Horrocks went to Seattle to pitch the idea to Nintendo of America executives, and were approved. As the resources were limited, Fuse decided not to develop the game for the Nintendo GameCube, resorting to the Game Boy Advance instead. Barritt added that he considered the portable "[an] ideal platform for a pinball game, something that you can just pick up and knock the ball around for a bit" and stated that "with experience on systems like the Super Nintendo we knew we'd be able to push the hardware of the GBA very hard to its limits". Despite Fuse hiring more people, the whole game was created by a small team of only five people.[3]

Super Mario Ball was first announced under the working title of Mario Pinball in Nintendo's product release schedule on April 1, 2004 as one of two previously unannounced Mario titles for the GBA alongside an untitled new entry in the Mario Party series that would make use of the handheld's e-Reader peripheral, with a planned release date of May 24.[4][5][6] Further details were later revealed during the 2004 E3 expo, with playable demos and a release date of October 4.[7] The game's final name was announced in June 2004 on Nintendo's official website.[8][9]

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
Metacritic62/100[10]
Review scores
PublicationScore
Edge4/10[11]
EGM4/10[12]
Eurogamer5/10[13]
Famitsu29/40[14]
Game Informer7.5/10[15]
GameProStarStarStarStar[16]
GameSpot7.5/10[17]
GameSpyStarStarHalf star[18]
GameZone8/10[19]
IGN5/10[20]
Nintendo LifeStarStarStarStarStarStarStar[22]
Nintendo Power3.8/5[21]

Super Mario Ball received "mixed" reviews according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[10] In Japan, Famitsu gave it a score of three sevens and one eight for a total of 29 out of 40.[14]

Most reviews praised the excellent graphics, but criticized the game for being pointlessly difficult and having overall poor gameplay. IGN's review in particular criticized the gameplay for having "bad table layouts with an overwhelmingly annoying 'playfield reset' element". The review concluded that "the gameplay itself is far more flawed and annoying than it is fun to play".[20] Adrian Barritt later admitted that during development they wound up not making the game easy enough for pinball beginners as "you had to take the time to control the ball", which led to Fuse trying to not repeat the same mistakes in follow-up Metroid Prime Pinball.[23] Not all reviews were negative, however, as GameSpot said that the game "combines Mario with pinball to create an interesting kind of adventure game".[17]

Nintendo World Report gave the game a 7.5/10.[24]

References

  1. ↑ https://www.gamespot.com/articles/mario-pinball-land-tilts-into-retail/1100-6109619/
  2. ↑ http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2014/11/mighty_final_fight_and_mario_pinball_land_to_hit_north_american_virtual_console_on_27th_november
  3. ↑ Harris, Craig (September 20, 2004). "Fuse Games on Mario Pinball". IGN. http://www.ign.com/articles/2004/09/20/fuse-games-on-mario-pinball. 
  4. ↑ http://www.ign.com/articles/2004/04/01/two-mario-games-for-gba
  5. ↑ http://www.ign.com/articles/2004/04/02/new-dates-for-nintendo
  6. ↑ https://www.gamespot.com/articles/slew-of-new-nintendo-info/1100-6092868/
  7. ↑ http://www.ign.com/articles/2004/05/11/e3-2004-mario-pinball
  8. ↑ http://www.ign.com/articles/2004/06/17/mario-pinball-name-change
  9. ↑ https://www.gamespot.com/articles/mario-pinball-renamed/1100-6100828/
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 "Mario Pinball Land for Game Boy Advance Reviews". Metacritic. http://www.metacritic.com/game/game-boy-advance/mario-pinball-land. 
  11. ↑ Edge staff (December 2004). "Super Mario Ball". Edge (143): 115. 
  12. ↑ EGM staff (November 2004). "Mario Pinball Land". Electronic Gaming Monthly (184): 152. 
  13. ↑ Bramwell, Tom (December 2, 2004). "Super Mario Ball". Eurogamer. http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/r_supermarioball_gba. 
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 "スーパーマリオボール". Famitsu 820. September 3, 2004. 
  15. ↑ Helgeson, Matt (October 2004). "Mario Pinball Land". Game Informer (138): 147. 
  16. ↑ HP Keefmaker (November 2004). "Mario Pinball Land Review for Game Boy Advance on GamePro.com [score mislabeled as '4.0/5'"]. GamePro: 130. http://www.gamepro.com/nintendo/gameboy_advance/games/reviews/38434.shtml. Retrieved October 28, 2012. 
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 Provo, Frank (October 4, 2004). "Mario Pinball Land Review". GameSpot. http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/mario-pinball-land-review/1900-6109596/. 
  18. ↑ Theobald, Phil (October 1, 2004). "GameSpy: Mario Pinball Land". GameSpy. http://gba.gamespy.com/gameboy-advance/mario-pinball/552991p1.html. 
  19. ↑ Bedigian, Louis (October 2, 2004). "Mario Pinball Land - GBA - Review". GameZone. http://www.gamezone.com/reviews/mario_pinball_land_gba_review. 
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 Harris, Craig (October 4, 2004). "Mario Pinball Land". IGN. http://www.ign.com/articles/2004/10/04/mario-pinball-land. 
  21. ↑ "Mario Pinball Land". Nintendo Power 186: 142. December 2004. 
  22. ↑ http://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/wiiu-eshop/super_mario_ball_gba
  23. ↑ Ba-Oh, Jorge (September 3, 2013). "Interview: Barnstorm Games Talks Pro Pinball, Metroid Prime Pinball and Super Mario Ball". Cubed3. http://www.cubed3.com/news/19504/1/interview-barnstorm-games-talks-pro-pinball-metroid-prime-pinball-and-super-mario-ball.html. 
  24. ↑ http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/review/4272/mario-pinball-land-game-boy-advance
  • Official website (in English)
  • 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 lengthy 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]

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. 
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