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Worms Armageddon

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Not to be confused with the 2009 game Worms 2: Armageddon.

Worms Armageddon
Developer(s)
Publisher(s)PC
PS1 and Dreamcast
Hasbro Interactive
N64 and GBC
Infogrames
Producer(s)Martyn Brown
Programmer(s)Karl Morton
Artist(s)Dan Cartwright
Composer(s)Bjørn Lynne
SeriesWorms
Platform(s)Microsoft Windows
Dreamcast
PlayStation
Game Boy Color
Nintendo 64
ReleaseWindows
  • EU: 29 January 1999[1]
  • NA: 24 June 1999
Dreamcast, PlayStation
  • EU: 30 November 1999
  • NA: 11 December 1999[2]
Nintendo 64
  • EU: 11 December 1999
  • NA: 23 March 2000[3]
Game Boy Color
Genre(s)Turn-based strategy
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Worms Armageddon is a 1999 turn-based strategy video game developed and published by Team17 as part of the Worms series. It was originally released for the Microsoft Windows operating system, and was later ported to the PlayStation, Dreamcast, Nintendo 64, and Game Boy Color. In the game, the player controls a team of up to eight earthworms tasked with defeating an opposing team using a wide range of weapons at their disposal. The game takes place on a destructible and customizable two-dimensional board and is characterized by cartoonish graphics and a unique brand of humour.

The third installment in the series, Worms Armageddon was originally developed as an expansion pack to Worms 2 (1997) and initially titled Wormageddon before it was released as a standalone game. As a result the game is very similar to Worms 2 but has a new single-player mode and adds a number of new content[5][6] as well as being released on a wider variety of platforms. Worms Armageddon was acclaimed by critics, who praised the refined gameplay and stylized graphics, and it has been featured in a number of "greatest games of all time" lists. Worms Armageddon on PC is still updated periodically, most recently in 2020. The game was succeeded by Worms World Party (2001), which added further content without drastic change[7] and which was the last 2D-based Worms game before the series moved to 3D.

Gameplay[edit]

A screenshot of the successor to this game which launched in 2001. Worms World Party, with identical in-game graphics

Gameplay is turn-based, with each team moving in sequence, which is determined randomly, across two-dimensional terrain. During a single turn, a team can only move one of their worms (unless an item that allows the team to select their worm is used). Worms can walk and jump, as well as (when the proper items are available) swing by rope, parachute, teleport, and bungee. The objective of a traditional match is to defeat all opposing teams by killing their worms, although in the campaign some missions have other objectives such as collecting a specific crate.[8]

Each worm begins the round with a specific amount of health, which is predefined by the chosen game options or by scripting in campaign levels. When hit with a weapon, the worm will lose health depending upon the power of the weapon and the directness of the hit.[8] A worm can be killed either by exploding after having its health reduced to zero or by being knocked into the water around and below the level.[9]

The game includes a wide variety of weapons, including melee, projectile, and explosive weapons, as well as airstrike-based attacks. Some are based on real-life arms, such as the shotgun, bazooka, and hand grenade; others are rather fanciful and cartoonish, such as the sheep, which serves as a mobile explosive, and the skunk, which releases poisonous gas. In a normal match, all teams begin with the same weapons, based on the chosen weapon set. Some weapons may not become available until a certain number of turns pass. Depending on the game options, additional weapons may randomly fall onto the terrain in airdropped and teleported crates. In addition to normal weapons, during team creation, each team chooses a special weapon which becomes available to them after a certain number of turns. The special weapons are more powerful than regular weapons and often offer special abilities; super weapons will rarely fall in weapon crates. These weapons are often based on cartoonish themes, such as the French Sheep Strike, and usually devastating in power.[8] In homage to the film Monty Python and the Holy Grail, one of the game weapons is a Holy Hand Grenade, with a sound-effect reminiscent of the Hallelujah chorus from Handel's Messiah.[10]

Gameplay modes[edit]

Worms Armageddon includes a series of training missions, a single-player campaign with premade missions, a deathmatch mode in which the player fights increasingly difficult and outnumbered battles against the computer,[9] local multiplayer, and online multiplayer.

Local multiplayer allows the player to select which teams participate in the battle as well as the number of worms and handicaps, which options and weapons are used, and the level to be played on. The matches can use any combination of human and computer teams, provided at least one team is human. Additionally, multiple worm teams can form an alliance for the match by selecting the same team color – they will still operate separately in movement rotation but share weapons and score. If multiple human players are using the same computer, the game functions in a hotseat mode.[8]

Online multiplayer is set up similarly to local multiplayer but allows the players to be at separate computers. Additionally, hotseat can be combined with online play, so multiple human players can use each computer.[8]

Worms Armageddon features a multiplayer Internet service called WormNet. This service allows one player to host a game online and others to join it. The host can choose settings such as the landscape and scheme. In the past, it used to keep a score and ranking system for the players.[10]

Customization[edit]

Worms Armageddon includes a very high level of customizability – in multiplayer games or skirmishes, the player can create custom game modes with preferred gameplay options and weapon sets. Regular options include starting health, whether the worms can move, how long a turn lasts, and sudden death options. Weapons settings include what weapons the teams start with, which weapons will fall in crates and how often, and how powerful individual weapons are. Worms Armageddon offers several levels of customizability outside of direct gameplay options.[8]

The game offers players the ability to create their own custom teams. Each team has its own name and includes eight individually named worms. The player can also change the team's special weapon, grave marker, flag, victory fanfare, and voice set. In addition to numerous defaults available, the game offers the ability to import custom voices.[8]

The game includes a random terrain generator, a basic terrain editor which allows the user to create the shape of the terrain with brushes, and a more complex terrain-import system which allows the user to import custom-made terrains in image format, which the game automatically converts into playable terrains.[8]

Development[edit]

Worms Armageddon was originally intended to be an expansion pack to Worms 2, but it was eventually developed as a standalone game. It was intended to be the last game of the Worms franchise, but Worms creator Andy Davidson felt that it needed more content before being released, leading to the development of Worms World Party.[10] It was also going to be released under the name Wormageddon, but Team17 changed the name to Worms Armageddon because of close similarities to the name of the game Carmageddon.[11] It was released initially for PCs in 1999 in Europe and North America, published by Hasbro Interactive under the MicroProse brand.[12] The game was eventually ported to Dreamcast and PlayStation in December 1999, Game Boy Color in January 2000, and Nintendo 64 in March 2000. The Nintendo 64 version is one of the first Nintendo 64 games to feature a terrain editor and generator.[13] A Macintosh version was being developed by MacSoft, but it has since been cancelled.[citation needed] Worms Armageddon was produced by Martyn Brown and composed by Bjørn Lynne, Karl Morton was the game's lead programmer, and Dan Cartwright was the game's lead artist.[citation needed]

Worms Armageddon was initially released on the Steam platform for a limited time as the preorder bonus for Worms Revolution. The Steam release included all improvements from the previously-released updates. This release was made available on 12 September 2012.[14] Worms Armageddon was released onto the Steam store as a standalone game on 20 March 2013.[15]

Despite its age, Worms Armageddon still receives periodic updates, mainly from two programmers known as Deadcode and CyberShadow, recruited by Team17.[16] These updates address bugs and compatibility issues, and also add new features to the game, such as support for a greater number of worms in a match and support for arbitrarily-sized colour levels. The latest update was on 16 July 2020.[17]

Reception[edit]

The game received favorable reviews on all platforms. The main element across all the versions of the game that the critics considered praiseworthy is the gameplay.

The PC version was critically successful. Whilst writing that veterans of Worms 2 would find the game to be similar, Greg Kasavin of GameSpot praised the game for being easy to play and control and humorous and the game's graphics, physics, and seemingly endless customization as well as the game's WormNet. He also likened the single-player missions to the classic game of Lemmings in that the missions often required the player to precisely utilize a limited supply of weapons and tools to accomplish the objective. Among his only criticisms are that the AI-controlled worms do not utilize their full arsenals and that the player would wish that there were more weapons, more diverse graphics and sound, and more content.[9] Matthew Pierce of PC Gamer UK commended Team17 for addressing the problems of single-player (i.e. the missions and AI) that the original Worms and Worms 2 had always been criticized for.[51] Chris Hudak of The Electric Playground gave it a perfect ten, calling it "a gaming masterpiece."[53] Tom Chick of GamePro said, "For all its similarities to previous cans of Worms, Armageddon is still a classic example of the joy of computer gaming. It's right up there with rare, benevolent gems like RollerCoaster Tycoon and Grim Fandango--games that'll make you smile and even giggle like a schoolgirl. And when it comes right down to it, I'd rather giggle for an hour than spend all day grimly swinging away at orcs or aiming plasma weapons."[54][c] Dan Toose of Hyper gave it 87%, calling it "A fitting end to an excellent series of games [and a] perfect blend of serious strategy and ludicrous humour."[55] Nick Smith of AllGame gave it four stars out of five, calling it "very, very addictive".[56] Cindy Vanous of Computer Games Strategy Plus gave it a similar score of four stars out of five, saying, "In short, it seems that Team 17 [sic] figured out every detail that might have detracted even slightly from Worms 2, then recreated the game without those tiny flaws. The result is eminently playable and often hysterical—in fact, the only thing serious in Armageddon is its strategy."[57]

The Dreamcast version's reception was positive. Johnny Liu of GameRevolution praised the version for its "addictive" gameplay, its loads of personality, and not having to save money to buy multiple controllers for multiplayer, but criticized the version for the lack of Internet support, reduced customizations compared to the PC version, and the lack of a multiple-controller option.[36] On the contrary, Ben Stahl of GameSpot praised the multiple controller ports as well as multiplayer for being fast-paced and turned into a "barrage of havoc", but criticized the single-player for the AI-controlled worms' nearly perfect accuracy and the length of time that it takes for such worms to complete their turns. He also pointed out that the worms' high-pitched voices are "only mildly cute" and can potentially be annoying, but praised the soundtracks for lending in realism to an otherwise unrealistic experience and the background music for helping players stay on task.[38] Joel Durham Jr. of AllGame gave it four stars out of five, saying, "With fabulous gameplay and a stunning amount of options, Worms: Armageddon [sic] is sure to please. The sheer amount of effort that went into this title is commendable in its own right. Every development house could learn something by taking a few pages from Team 17's [sic] book."[58] Cam Shea of Hyper gave it 79%, saying, "if this is the kind of no frills PC port we can expect for the Dreamcast, don't toss out your N64 just yet. You may just need it if you want to play the best version of Worms Armageddon on the block."[59]

Jeff Nash of The Electric Playground gave the PlayStation version nine out of ten almost a year after it was released, calling it "a wonderful breath of fresh air for strategy gaming. With its carefree, happy-go-lucky attitude, it's easy to just fall in love with this title. With a multi-player mode thrown in for good measure, this game has a fantastic one-two punch of great gameplay, and an easy setup for sharing it with others, making it a very fun experience. With a liberal dose of humor present as well, this game is a wonderful romp through the grueling world of worm warfare."[60] However, Mark Kanarick of AllGame gave it two-and-a-half stars out of five, saying, "Although not the best version of Worms, Worms: Armageddon for the PlayStation is a good party game and an occasionally fun single-player game."[61]

The Game Boy Color port slightly favorable reviews. Concluding that the port is an "abridged edition of the overall game", Craig Harris of IGN criticized the version's great lack of the PC version's features (e.g. weapons) and personality and pointed out its "quirky" graphics. The reviewer felt that the game's front end was "extremely thrown together". He concluded that it was still fun to play.[43] Hudak of The Electric Playground gave it seven out of ten, similarly criticized the lack of weapons, and also criticized the lack of soundbites and complete lack of voices and what he perceived to be "microscopic" worms that are tough for the eye to see. He did, however, praise the terrain and physics engine for being well translated from the other versions of the game.[62] Jason White of AllGame gave it three stars out of five, saying that it "has so much going for it in the fun department that the odd controls and sometimes hard to navigate terrain will be easily forgotten. Go out and give this one a try. It's well worth the time."[63]

Many publications gave the Nintendo 64 version favorable reviews while it was still in development months before its U.S. release date.[48] Lou Gubrious of GamePro said that the game's European import "won't dazzle you with graphics or stun you with sound, but it will suck you in with its simple playability. Before you know it, you'll glance up from the TV only to be greeted by the sun, rising like an eye-piercing, flaming disk punishing you for staying up all night again."[64][d] Arthur Adam of Hyper gave the same Nintendo 64 version 89%, saying, "This strategy game has proved to be dynamite on the N64, making it possibly the best multi-player title for the console."[65] Marin Kitts of N64 Magazine gave it 85%, calling it "A welcome conversion of one of the most original four-player games you can buy."[66] However, Michael Wolf of NextGen called the same console version "A good rental if you're planning a gaming party, but for day-to-day gaming, these annelids just don't cut it."[47]

The PlayStation version received a "Gold" sales award from the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA),[67] indicating sales of at least 200,000 units in the UK.[68]

Awards[edit]

The PlayStation and Dreamcast versions won the award for "Best Strategy Game" at the EGM Game Blast Awards.[69] The PC version was nominated for the same category at the Sixth Annual PC Gamer Awards, which went to Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri. The staff wrote that the game "put up one hell of a fight [for the award] and should not be overlooked by fans of the genre."[70] The console versions were nominated for the same category at GameSpot's Best and Worst of 2000 Awards, which went to Ogre Battle 64.[71]

Legacy[edit]

Worms Armageddon has been placed on several lists of the greatest games of all time. Digital Spy ranked Worms Armageddon at No. 18 on their list of the top 20 Nintendo 64 games of all time.[72] In 2014, GamesRadar+ ranked the game at No. 13 on their list of the top 50 PlayStation games of all time.[73] In 2015, they also ranked it at No. 68 on their list of the top 100 video games of all time.[74] In 2014, Slant Magazine ranked the game at No. 100 on their similar list.[75] TechRadar listed the game as one of their favourite PC games of all time.[76]

Team17 chose to base the source code of the 2016 game Worms W.M.D entirely on that of Worms Armageddon, because fans frequently told them upon questioning that Worms Armageddon was their favourite game in the series.[77] Additionally, the 2009 game Worms 2: Armageddon was named in honor of Worms Armageddon despite not being a direct sequel.

In 2022, the PlayStation versions of Worms Armageddon and Worms World Party were added to the PlayStation Store as part of the first batch of downloadable PlayStation titles; the games run on emulation on the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5, but do not feature trophies.

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ Two critics of Electronic Gaming Monthly gave the game each a score of 9.5/10, and two others gave it each a score of 9/10.
  2. ^ In GameFan's viewpoint of the Nintendo 64 version's European import, two critics gave it each a score of 95, and another gave it 96.
  3. ^ GamePro gave the PC version 4/5 for graphics, two 4.5/5 scores for sound and fun factor, and 3/5 for control.
  4. ^ GamePro gave the Nintendo 64 version 3/5 for graphics, two 3.5/5 scores for sound and control, and 4.5/5 for fun factor in an early review.

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Game Guide". Computer Trade Weekly. No. 722. United Kingdom. p. 21.
  2. ^ White, Matt (9 December 1999). "Worms Misses Shipping Date". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on 10 April 2023. Retrieved 19 November 2023.
  3. ^ "INFOGRAMES NORTH AMERICA, INC. ATTACKS NINTENDO®64 WITH WORMS: ARMAGEDDON™". Infogrames. 23 March 2000. Archived from the original on 15 December 2000. Retrieved 8 April 2023.
  4. ^ IGN staff (19 January 2000). "Worms Squirm to Shelves". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on 10 April 2023. Retrieved 19 November 2023.
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    Dark Cloud

    Dark Cloud theme by DNAgent

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    This article is about the video game. For other uses, see Dark Cloud (disambiguation).

    Dark Cloud
    Developer(s)Level-5
    Publisher(s)Sony Computer Entertainment
    Producer(s)Akihiro Hino
    Designer(s)Akihiro Hino
    Programmer(s)Kenji Matsusue
    Artist(s)Takeshi Majima
    Writer(s)Akihiro Hino
    Composer(s)Tomohito Nishiura
    Platform(s)PlayStation 2
    Release
    • JP: December 14, 2000[2]
    • NA: May 29, 2001[1]
    • EU: September 21, 2001
    Genre(s)Action role-playing
    Mode(s)Single-player

    Dark Cloud[3] is an action role-playing video game developed by Level-5 and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 2. Originally intended as a launch title for the system in March 2000,[4] the game was eventually released in Japan in December 2000, in North America in May 2001, and in Europe in September. A spiritual sequel, Dark Chronicle (called Dark Cloud 2 in North America), was released in Japan in 2002 and worldwide the following year.

    Uniquely combining the mechanisms of action role-playing games with elements of city-building games, Dark Cloud tells the story of a group of adventurers who band together to fight against the Dark Genie, who has attacked and destroyed many villages. The main protagonist and player character is Toan, a boy who is given a magical stone called the Atlamillia by Simba, the Fairy King, granting him the power to rebuild the destroyed lands.

    Dark Cloud was met with mainly positive reviews by critics, who praised its blend of gameplay types, although some criticized its combat as repetitive. The game was a commercial success. Although it initially sold poorly in Japan, it eventually went on to sell over 1 million units worldwide. The game was later released via emulation for the PlayStation 4 through the PlayStation Network in December 2015.

    Gameplay[edit]

    In-game screenshot, showing Toan fighting a dragon in one of the game's dungeons.

    Dark Cloud is an action role-playing game played from a third-person perspective, in which the player moves through procedurally-generated dungeons, battling monsters and collecting items. On random dungeon levels, the player may have the option of entering a separate "back door" area which contains stronger monsters and rarer treasure. Although the majority of combat involves real time hack and slash, the player will occasionally "Duel" an enemy. In this type of battle, the player must correctly press a sequence of buttons, similar to a quick time event.[5] Whilst in dungeons, the player has both a health meter and a thirst meter. The thirst meter gradually decreases over time, and when fully depleted, it causes the health meter to begin to decrease. To prevent the thirst meter from depleting, the player must drink water or step into one of the pools found in many dungeon levels.[6]

    A major component of Dark Cloud's gameplay involves special items called "Atla" which are used to rebuild the world outside the dungeons. Atla, which are present in most dungeon levels, are large spherical objects which can be retrieved by Toan only. When Atla are removed from the dungeon, they transform into pieces of the world (trees, houses, villagers, etc.). These pieces must then be reassembled in "Georama mode"; a gameplay mode similar to city-building games, in which the player can arrange the pieces onto the landscape.[7] After villagers have been placed, the player can speak to them to discover their wishes for rebuilding the village, regarding both what they need for their own house to be rebuilt completely, and where they wish their house to be placed. The player's progress in terms of collecting Atla, rebuilding the village and fulfilling the villagers' wishes are recorded as percentages.[8] When all three reach 100%, the village is complete, although it is not necessary for the player to reach 100% in all three to be able to move on to the next set of dungeons and the next village; the player must only acquire 100% in collection and rebuilding to unlock the next village. Completing 100% of the villagers' wishes is not a requirement, although if the player does reach 100%, they are awarded a bonus item/ability.[9]

    Unlike most action role-playing games, instead of the characters leveling up, their weapons do.[10] Weapons attain "absorption points" with each kill. Once a certain number of points has been reached, the weapon can be leveled up. However, weapons wear out over time, and it is necessary to repair them in order to prevent them from breaking. With the exception of each characters' starting weapon, a broken weapon is immediately removed from the player's inventory and cannot be retrieved or repaired. To upgrade a weapon, the player can attach stat-increasing items (attack power, speed, ability to kill different types of monsters, elemental attributes, etc.), but a single weapon can only carry a limited number of attachments. These attachments are absorbed into the weapon when it is leveled up, freeing up space for more attachments.[11] When a weapon reaches level five, it can be transformed into a "SynthSphere", which carries 60% of the weapon's power and attributes. This sphere can then be attached to another weapon, and absorbed into it when it levels up, just like a regular attachment.[12] The characters themselves can only grow stronger with the consumption of particular items, which can increase their health points, water meter and defense.

    Dark Cloud features six main characters; three melee fighters and three ranged fighters, with each using a different weapon. Each character also has a unique ability that allows them to move through the dungeons; for example, Xiao can jump across chasms that other characters can not.[13]

    Plot[edit]

    A long, long time ago, when the two moons were shining, there were two continents in the world, living separately but peacefully. In the East there was an advanced civilization; the development of technology had brought prosperity and wealth there. In the West the people lived in harmony with the natural world, co-existing peacefully with the spirits and animals around them. Then came the time of darkness. A great evil was unleashed, and a Dark Cloud overshadowed the Western continent. Whole villages were destroyed. Entire families mysteriously vanished. And a strange and magical adventure began.[14]

    The game begins as Colonel Flag Gilgister of the Lagoon Empire Army of the East attempts to awaken the Dark Genie, a legendary evil creature, whom Flag wishes to use to control the world.[15] Upon summoning the Genie, Flag orders him to attack the West. However, prior to the attack, Simba, the Fairy King, casts a protective spell around the land, sealing the buildings, objects and people inside magical orbs called "Atla".[16] Due to the power of the Genie's attack, the orbs are scattered.

    Meanwhile, Toan, whose home village of Norune has been destroyed, although he survived the attack unhurt, encounters the Fairy King, who gives him a magical stone called the "Atlamillia",[17] and tasks him with finding the scattered Atla and transforming back into its original form. Toan sets about restoring Norune, and in a nearby cave meets a man named Seda, who defeats him in a duel when Toan attempts to protect a nearby cat.[18] As a reward for his kindness, Seda gives Toan a "changing potion",[19] which he uses to transform the cat into a "catgirl" named Xiao, who joins him on his quest.[20] Toan and Xiao soon find Dran, guardian of Norune, who is possessed by the Genie, and who attacks them. They defeat him, releasing him from the Genie's control,[21] and he tells them of the legend of the "Black Demon" that nearly destroyed the world, until it was defeated and imprisoned by the Moon People.[22] He suggests they seek out the Moon People, telling them to visit a sentient tree called Treant in nearby Matataki Village.[23]

    In Matataki, Toan and Xiao are joined by a local boy named Goro, and the trio set about rebuilding the village. Treant tells them how to get to the Moon People, and they make their way to Brownboo, a village unaffected by the Genie's attack, and home of the Moon People. Toan asks them if they can seal the Genie again, but they explain they have forgotten how to use magic. The Moon People who live on the Moon can still use magic, and so they decide to head there, using the Moon Ship, which can be activated by the Moon Orb,[24] but they discover the Orb is missing, having been accidentally traded with a batch of Moon Fruits.

    The party travel to the town of Queens,[25] which has also been attacked by the Genie. While searching a shipwreck for the Orb, Toan finds a lamp that releases a friendly genie, Ruby, who joins them.[26] They eventually find the Moon Orb,[27] but are unable to summon the Moon Ship.[28] As such, they head to the Sun and Moon Temple in Muska Lacka, where the Moon Ship is located. There, they meet a sand warrior named Ungaga, who joins them and helps them activate the Moon Ship. They travel to the Moon city of Yellow Drops, and meet Osmond, a Moon Person who asks for help in collecting the scattered pieces of a giant battle robot called the Sun Giant, which the Moon People believe can destroy the Genie outright. When the Sun Giant is complete, the party and a crew of Moon People travel to Dark Heaven Castle, where the Genie now resides.[29]

    They attack and defeat the Genie, only to learn that they were actually fighting a transformed mouse that had absorbed a fraction of the real Genie's powers.[30] The true Dark Genie has possessed Flag, and destroys the Sun Giant.[31] The Genie's power proves too great for Flag's body, and he dies, leaving the Genie without a host. Toan and the crew are rescued by Dran, and the party pursue the Genie into the castle, where they encounter Seda, who tells them he is responsible for the existence of the Genie.[32] He reveals he was King of the East, and was losing a war to the West. He was approached by a dark wizard, who offered him the power to win the war. However, after winning, the dark power remained in his body, and after a tragic loss, it was released in the form of the Genie. Seda learned the only thing strong enough to defeat the Genie was Atlamillia. No Atlamillia would exist for another 400 years, so he opened a portal to the future. He tells Toan the only way to stop the Genie is to prevent his birth in the past, and opens the Gallery of Time to allow the party to travel back to the past.[33] As the Genie attempts to repossess Seda, Seda kills himself.[34]

    In the Gallery of Time, the party learn the tragic loss suffered by Seda was the death of Sophia, his fiancée, at the hands of an assassin seeking to kill him.[35] The party are unable to prevent Sophia's death and the subsequent birth of the Genie, but they face the Genie's original form, and are able to defeat it. Toan then expends the Atlamilla's powers to revive Sophia, reuniting her with the Seda of the past, and preventing the birth of the Genie.[36] Upon doing so, the party is returned to its own time, and the Fairy King informs them the Genie is gone, for now.[37]

    Development[edit]

    Georama mode, which allows players to rebuild towns and villages.

    Dark Cloud was the first game from developer Level-5, led by president and CEO Akihiro Hino, who also wrote, produced and designed the game. Development began immediately when the company was founded in October 1998 with a projected development time of two years.[2] When the PlayStation 2 was announced in March 1999, Sony president and CEO Ken Kutaragi used an early demo of Dark Cloud to show the capabilities of the platform. The demo showed a magic carpet flying through a valley, and some waterfall effects.[38]

    In September 1999, Sony showed an early playable version of the game at the Tokyo Game Show.[39] This version of the game was also shown at a US demonstration[40] at Las Vegas for COMDEX in November as well in a presentation done by Phil Harrison of Sony. This version featured a character who must return a floating piece of land back to where it originally came from, but this original location has been usurped by an evil kingdom. Georama mode was a major component of the demo, with both IGN and GameSpot comparing it to Legend of Mana's "Land Make" system.[41][42] At E3 in May 2000, a 30% complete playable demo was shown. IGN's Dave Zdyrko praised the graphics, especially the water and lighting effects. The demo was mainly centered in Norune Village, and although it did feature one accessible dungeon, the camerawork for the dungeon portions of the game had yet to be finalized.[43]

    The game was announced in 2000.[44][45] In December, GameSpot previewed the game, calling Toan "Link with an Ali Baba twist". They compared the combat system to The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and the duels to Shenmue, and then the graphics, water effects and transitions from day to night.[46] IGN wrote that "without fully playing through the game, it's very hard to determine whether or not this title will prove to be revolutionary or just a gimmicky way to show off the real-time rendering powers of the new console".[7]

    The English language release of Dark Cloud in May 2001 had additional gameplay features, including new weapons and monsters, improved AI, extra duels and an extra dungeon after completing the game, the Demon Shaft; this location does not appear in the Japanese version.[47]

    Music[edit]

    The game's music was composed, arranged, and produced by Tomohito Nishiura. A full forty-six track soundtrack was released by Sony Music Entertainment Visual Works in Japan on January 11, 2001.[48]

    PlayStation 4 port[edit]

    An emulated version for the PlayStation 4, available through PlayStation Store, was released in December 2015, with features including 1080p graphical resolution, trophy support, Remote Play, Share Play compatibility and second screen support for PlayStation Vita and PlayStation App.[49][50][51][52][53]

    Reception[edit]

    Dark Cloud received "generally favorable reviews" according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[54] However, Blake Fischer of NextGen said of the game in his negative review: "Not quite Zelda. Not quite ActRaiser. Not quite fun."[65] In Japan, Famitsu gave it a score of one eight, two sevens, and one six for a total of 28 out of 40.[59]

    Gameplay was compared by several critics to The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time,[64] while the weapon system was likened to Vagrant Story.[13][62] GameSpot's Shane Satterfield and IGN's Dave Zdyrko both felt the Georama mode borrowed elements from ActRaiser.[13][64] GameSpot, IGN and Game Informer's Andrew Reiner all praised the game for blending different types of gameplay together successfully. Satterfield argued "no game has blended all these compelling and unrelated ideas together into one highly addictive and surprisingly cohesive experience until now".[13] Zdyrko called the game "a highly-enjoyable and insanely addictive role-playing experience that wouldn't have been able to stand alone with just its story, just its battle system, or any single one of its gameplay elements. The game works because each element aids in the enjoyment of the other parts."[64] Reiner wrote: "The overall design may not be the best, yet you'll be completely engrossed with Dark Cloud's play. Completists will want to obtain every item and weapon. Action fans will drool over the combat. Sim junkies will admire the town building. A rarity for RPGs, Dark Cloud truly does have a little something for everyone."[61]

    The battle system received mixed reviews. AllGame's J.C. Barnes found the game's use of elemental attacks awkward: "Rooms can have anywhere from three to five monsters at a time, each having different elemental attributes. This means that gamers will most likely have to kill a monster that's weak against a specific attribute, open the weapon menu, select another attribute for the other monster, close the menu and repeat until all the monsters are defeated." He also found the dungeon crawling aspect somewhat repetitive.[71] Uncle Dust of GamePro called the fighting "monotonous", arguing that the game "doesn't do the basics right."[72][b]

    Reviews of the plot were also mixed. Zydrko thought the story was "good enough to keep you wanting to find out more."[64] Barnes was less impressed, writing "While there are hints of talent behind some of the story elements, there needs to be more emphasis on creative, original storytelling if Dark Cloud is going to become a franchise capable of going head to head with The Legend of Zelda."[71]

    Posted on

    Assassin’s Creed 1 & 2

    Assassin’s Creed 1 & 2 theme by harcher81

    Download: AssassinsCreed1and2.p3t

    Assassin's Creed 1 & 2 Theme Preview
    (8 backgrounds)

    P3T Unpacker v0.12
    Copyright (c) 2007. Anoop Menon

    This program unpacks Playstation 3 Theme files (.p3t) so that you can touch-up an existing theme to your likings or use a certain wallpaper from it (as many themes have multiple). But remember, if you use content from another theme and release it, be sure to give credit!

    Download for Windows: p3textractor.zip

    Instructions:

    Download p3textractor.zip from above. Extract the files to a folder with a program such as WinZip or WinRAR. Now there are multiple ways to extract the theme.

    The first way is to simply open the p3t file with p3textractor.exe. If you don’t know how to do this, right click the p3t file and select Open With. Alternatively, open the p3t file and it will ask you to select a program to open with. Click Browse and find p3textractor.exe from where you previously extracted it to. It will open CMD and extract the theme to extracted.[filename]. After that, all you need to do for any future p3t files is open them and it will extract.

    The second way is very simple. Just drag the p3t file to p3textractor.exe. It will open CMD and extract the theme to extracted.[filename].

    For the third way, first put the p3t file you want to extract into the same folder as p3textractor.exe. Open CMD and browse to the folder with p3extractor.exe. Enter the following:
    p3textractor filename.p3t [destination path]Replace filename with the name of the p3t file, and replace [destination path] with the name of the folder you want the files to be extracted to. A destination path is not required. By default it will extract to extracted.filename.

Posted on

Resident 5 Chris Redfield

Resident 5 Chris Redfield theme by Daytripper

Download: ResidentEvil5ChrisRedfield.p3t

Resident 5 Chris Redfield Theme Preview
(1 background)

P3T Unpacker v0.12
Copyright (c) 2007. Anoop Menon

This program unpacks Playstation 3 Theme files (.p3t) so that you can touch-up an existing theme to your likings or use a certain wallpaper from it (as many themes have multiple). But remember, if you use content from another theme and release it, be sure to give credit!

Download for Windows: p3textractor.zip

Instructions:

Download p3textractor.zip from above. Extract the files to a folder with a program such as WinZip or WinRAR. Now there are multiple ways to extract the theme.

The first way is to simply open the p3t file with p3textractor.exe. If you don’t know how to do this, right click the p3t file and select Open With. Alternatively, open the p3t file and it will ask you to select a program to open with. Click Browse and find p3textractor.exe from where you previously extracted it to. It will open CMD and extract the theme to extracted.[filename]. After that, all you need to do for any future p3t files is open them and it will extract.

The second way is very simple. Just drag the p3t file to p3textractor.exe. It will open CMD and extract the theme to extracted.[filename].

For the third way, first put the p3t file you want to extract into the same folder as p3textractor.exe. Open CMD and browse to the folder with p3extractor.exe. Enter the following:
p3textractor filename.p3t [destination path]Replace filename with the name of the p3t file, and replace [destination path] with the name of the folder you want the files to be extracted to. A destination path is not required. By default it will extract to extracted.filename.

Posted on

Utah Jazz 2009 Playoffs

Utah Jazz 2009 Playoffs theme by superespnman

Download: UtahJazz2009Playoffs.p3t

Utah Jazz 2009 Playoffs Theme Preview
(8 backgrounds)

P3T Unpacker v0.12
Copyright (c) 2007. Anoop Menon

This program unpacks Playstation 3 Theme files (.p3t) so that you can touch-up an existing theme to your likings or use a certain wallpaper from it (as many themes have multiple). But remember, if you use content from another theme and release it, be sure to give credit!

Download for Windows: p3textractor.zip

Instructions:

Download p3textractor.zip from above. Extract the files to a folder with a program such as WinZip or WinRAR. Now there are multiple ways to extract the theme.

The first way is to simply open the p3t file with p3textractor.exe. If you don’t know how to do this, right click the p3t file and select Open With. Alternatively, open the p3t file and it will ask you to select a program to open with. Click Browse and find p3textractor.exe from where you previously extracted it to. It will open CMD and extract the theme to extracted.[filename]. After that, all you need to do for any future p3t files is open them and it will extract.

The second way is very simple. Just drag the p3t file to p3textractor.exe. It will open CMD and extract the theme to extracted.[filename].

For the third way, first put the p3t file you want to extract into the same folder as p3textractor.exe. Open CMD and browse to the folder with p3extractor.exe. Enter the following:
p3textractor filename.p3t [destination path]Replace filename with the name of the p3t file, and replace [destination path] with the name of the folder you want the files to be extracted to. A destination path is not required. By default it will extract to extracted.filename.

Posted on

Fabula Nova Crystallis v2.5

Fabula Nova Crystallis v2.5 theme by Clent

Download: FabulaNovaCrystallisv25.p3t

Fabula Nova Crystallis v2.5 Theme Preview
(2 backgrounds)

P3T Unpacker v0.12
Copyright (c) 2007. Anoop Menon

This program unpacks Playstation 3 Theme files (.p3t) so that you can touch-up an existing theme to your likings or use a certain wallpaper from it (as many themes have multiple). But remember, if you use content from another theme and release it, be sure to give credit!

Download for Windows: p3textractor.zip

Instructions:

Download p3textractor.zip from above. Extract the files to a folder with a program such as WinZip or WinRAR. Now there are multiple ways to extract the theme.

The first way is to simply open the p3t file with p3textractor.exe. If you don’t know how to do this, right click the p3t file and select Open With. Alternatively, open the p3t file and it will ask you to select a program to open with. Click Browse and find p3textractor.exe from where you previously extracted it to. It will open CMD and extract the theme to extracted.[filename]. After that, all you need to do for any future p3t files is open them and it will extract.

The second way is very simple. Just drag the p3t file to p3textractor.exe. It will open CMD and extract the theme to extracted.[filename].

For the third way, first put the p3t file you want to extract into the same folder as p3textractor.exe. Open CMD and browse to the folder with p3extractor.exe. Enter the following:
p3textractor filename.p3t [destination path]Replace filename with the name of the p3t file, and replace [destination path] with the name of the folder you want the files to be extracted to. A destination path is not required. By default it will extract to extracted.filename.

Posted on

Lost #6

Lost theme by lost

Download: Lost_6.p3t

Lost Theme 6 Preview
(1 background)

Look up Lost or lost in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Lost or LOST may refer to getting lost, or to:

Geography[edit]

Arts, entertainment, and media[edit]

Films[edit]

See also: Lost film

Television[edit]

Literature[edit]

Music[edit]

Groups and labels[edit]

Albums[edit]

Songs[edit]

Video games[edit]

Other uses[edit]

See also[edit]

Posted on

Blade Runner HD

Blade Runner HD theme by Jubei808

Download: BladeRunnerHD.p3t

Blade Runner HD Theme Preview
(16 backgrounds, HD only)

P3T Unpacker v0.12
Copyright (c) 2007. Anoop Menon

This program unpacks Playstation 3 Theme files (.p3t) so that you can touch-up an existing theme to your likings or use a certain wallpaper from it (as many themes have multiple). But remember, if you use content from another theme and release it, be sure to give credit!

Download for Windows: p3textractor.zip

Instructions:

Download p3textractor.zip from above. Extract the files to a folder with a program such as WinZip or WinRAR. Now there are multiple ways to extract the theme.

The first way is to simply open the p3t file with p3textractor.exe. If you don’t know how to do this, right click the p3t file and select Open With. Alternatively, open the p3t file and it will ask you to select a program to open with. Click Browse and find p3textractor.exe from where you previously extracted it to. It will open CMD and extract the theme to extracted.[filename]. After that, all you need to do for any future p3t files is open them and it will extract.

The second way is very simple. Just drag the p3t file to p3textractor.exe. It will open CMD and extract the theme to extracted.[filename].

For the third way, first put the p3t file you want to extract into the same folder as p3textractor.exe. Open CMD and browse to the folder with p3extractor.exe. Enter the following:
p3textractor filename.p3t [destination path]Replace filename with the name of the p3t file, and replace [destination path] with the name of the folder you want the files to be extracted to. A destination path is not required. By default it will extract to extracted.filename.