Back to Stone

Last updated

Back to Stone
Back to stone boxart.jpg
North American box art
Developer(s) Hidden Floor [1]
Publisher(s)
Producer(s)
Programmer(s)
Composer(s) Frédéric Motte [2]
Platform(s) Game Boy Advance
ReleaseDecember 14, 2006
Genre(s) Action role-playing
Mode(s) Single-player

Back to Stone is an action role-playing game using an isometric 3D perspective developed by French studio Hidden Floor. [3] It was published by Neko Entertainment / Big Ben Interactive in Europe and by Graffiti Entertainment / O~3 Entertainment in North America. [3] It was released for the Game Boy Advance in 2006. [3]

Contents

Gameplay

The player controls a warrior who is mysteriously amnesiac and has been experimented on by demonic creatures. Players can move the character around the game's environments freely, jump around platforms, and fight enemies dynamically. Killed enemies turn to stone, which can then be moved around and used to solve puzzles. When the player's character is wounded, he transforms into a demonic monster, which improves his fighting capabilities. [4] [5]

The game does not feature any way to save the player's progress, which had been a standard feature of video games for many years by 2006. Instead, the game relies on passwords to allow the player to return to the game where they had left off when they last turned off the console.

Reception

The game received mixed reviews according to the review aggregation website Metacritic. [6] Most critics considered the gameplay to be "simple" and "familiar", [4] [5] but the stone-pushing puzzles to be "unimaginative", unoriginal, and repetitive. [8] [7] [11]

Some reviewers considered the graphics and design to be "charming and varied", [4] easy to discern (in contrast to Banjo-Kazooie: Grunty's Revenge ), [5] [9] [11] but many judged the presentation to be "drab", "grainy" and "muddy". [5] [12] [11] The game's smooth framerate and special effects have received praise, [8] [13] as have the intricate boss battles. [8] [7] [12]

Several reviewers have noted that controlling the character from the game's isometric 3D perspective was very difficult and "unintuitive" because of the rigidity of a directional pad and the difficulty in judging depth. [4] [5] [7] [13] [9] [12] [11] Multiple critics have praised the game's length (estimated between 8 and 15 hours), which is considered good for a portable game. [4] [5] [7] [13] The translation's poor quality has also been criticized. [8]

Back to Stone was heavily criticized almost unanimously for its lack of saving functionality, instead relying on a password-based system to track the player's progress, which was seen as a "cumbersome" flaw for a game on a handheld console, as well as "stupefying", "unforgivable" and "inexcusably archaic" when compared to other games released in this era. [5] [8] [7] [9] [12] [11]

Related Research Articles

<i>I-Ninja</i> 2003 video game

I-Ninja is an action video game developed by Argonaut Games and published by Namco Hometek for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 2, Xbox and GameCube. A Game Boy Advance version of the game was announced, then later cancelled.

<i>Driver 2</i> Action video game by Reflections

Driver 2 is a 2000 action driving video game and the second installment of the Driver series. It was developed by Reflections Interactive and published by Infogrames for PlayStation. A port to the Game Boy Advance, titled Driver 2 Advance, was released in 2002, developed by Sennari Interactive and released under Infogrames' Atari range of products.

<i>Midnight Club: Street Racing</i> 2000 video game

Midnight Club: Street Racing is a 2000 racing video game developed by Angel Studios and published by Rockstar Games. The game focuses on competitive street racing and the import scene. Two distinct versions of the game were released for the PlayStation 2 and Game Boy Advance platforms, the former being a launch title for the platform. It is the first game in Midnight Club franchise, followed by Midnight Club II.

<i>Ecks vs. Sever</i> 2001 video game

Ecks vs. Sever is a first-person shooter video game for the Game Boy Advance handheld game console. It was developed by Crawfish Interactive and released in November 2001. The game is based on an early script of the 2002 film Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever, and is the first video game released before the film it is based on had even begun production. The sequel Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever was released within a week of the film and follows its plot line more closely than the first game does.

<i>Sheep</i> (video game) 2000 video game

Sheep is a strategy puzzle video game released for PlayStation, Microsoft Windows and Game Boy Advance. In 2001 it was released for Mac OS X by Feral Interactive. The Game Boy Advance version was supposed to be released in North America in the spring of 2002, but was canceled for unknown reasons.

<i>Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX 2</i> 2001 video game

Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX 2 is a 2001 BMX video game developed by Z-Axis and published by Acclaim Entertainment under their Acclaim Max Sports label. It is the sequel to Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX. It was released for the PlayStation 2 in August 2001, and in the following months it was ported to the GameCube, Game Boy Advance, and Xbox video game systems. Both the GameCube and Xbox ports featured two extra levels that were not present in the PS2 version.

<i>Iridion 3D</i> 2001 video game

Iridion 3D is a quasi-3D rail shooter video game developed by Shin'en Multimedia. A launch title for the Game Boy Advance portable game console, it was released in North America on June 11, 2001 and in Europe on September 21. The player controls a single starship defending Earth from the alien Iridion. The game spans seven levels from Earth to the aliens' home planet, each following a linear path that culminate with a boss.

<i>Bomberman Tournament</i> 2001 video game


Bomberman Tournament is a game in the Bomberman series for the GBA. The game contains a multiplayer battle mode between linked Game Boy Advances. The player and up to three others can compete in any of the game's eight multiplayer battle arenas, each of which has its own unique gameplay twist.

<i>GT Advance Championship Racing</i> 2001 video game

GT Advance Championship Racing, known in Japan as Advance GTA, is a racing game developed by MTO and published by THQ. It was a launch title for the Game Boy Advance. The game's sequel, GT Advance 2: Rally Racing, was released on June 30, 2002 in North America.

<i>Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles</i> (Game Boy Advance video game) 2003 video game

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is a 2003 Game Boy Advance video game, based on the 2003 TV series. In this game each turtle has his own unique set of levels to complete. In addition to the traditional side-scrolling levels, there are third-person view races, a shell-glider level for Donatello and a bike race between Raphael and Casey Jones. The game was also issued in a double pack with its sequel Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2: Battle Nexus.

<i>Mat Hoffmans Pro BMX</i> 2001 video game

Mat Hoffman's Pro BMX is a 2001 BMX video game developed by Shaba Games and the first game to be published by Activision under the Activision O2 label. It is similar to the Tony Hawk's series and competed directly with Acclaim Entertainment's Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX. Despite a planned release in fall of 2000, the game was released in 2001 for the PlayStation and Game Boy Color, followed by Dreamcast, Microsoft Windows and Game Boy Advance. The PlayStation and Dreamcast versions received "favorable" reviews, while the PC and Game Boy Advance versions received "average" reviews. A sequel, Mat Hoffman's Pro BMX 2, was released in 2002.

<i>Razor Freestyle Scooter</i> 2000 video game

Razor Freestyle Scooter, known as Freestyle Scooter in Europe, is an extreme sports game released for the PlayStation, Game Boy Color, Dreamcast, Game Boy Advance and Nintendo 64.

<i>Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2: Battle Nexus</i> 2004 video game

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2: Battle Nexus is a third person beat 'em up video game, released in 2004 by Konami. It is the sequel to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and is based on the 2003 TV series.

<i>Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines</i> (video game) 2003 video game

Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines is a first-person shooter video game based on the film of the same title, with elements of hand-to-hand combat in the third-person perspective. It was developed by Black Ops Entertainment, with assistance work done by other Atari-owned subsidiaries. The game was published by Atari for PlayStation 2 and Xbox in 2003. An isometric shooter version was released for the Game Boy Advance during the same year.The game was also going to be released for GameCube, but was eventually cancelled.

<i>Jet Grind Radio</i> (Game Boy Advance video game) 2003 video game

Jet Grind Radio is a video game for the Game Boy Advance system, which is based on the Dreamcast title Jet Set Radio. The game was developed by Vicarious Visions and published by THQ.

<i>High Heat Major League Baseball 2002</i> 2001 video game

High Heat Major League Baseball 2002, also known as High Heat Baseball 2002, is a video game released in 2001, and is the fourth game in the High Heat Major League Baseball video game series. Then-Montreal Expos right fielder Vladimir Guerrero is featured on the cover. The game was released in March 2001 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation, and PlayStation 2, followed by a Game Boy Advance port in September 2001. A Game Boy Color version was also in development but was cancelled.

<i>Tweety and the Magic Gems</i> 2001 video game

Tweety and the Magic Gems, known in Japan as Tweety's Hearty Party, is a party video game developed by Kotobuki System and published by Kemco in 2001 for Game Boy Advance. The game was available at the launch of the console.

<i>Namco Museum</i> (GBA) 2001 video game

Namco Museum is a 2001 video game compilation developed by Mass Media and published by Namco for the Game Boy Advance. It contains ports of five of their classic arcade games, Ms. Pac-Man, Pole Position, Dig Dug, Galaga, and Galaxian.

<i>The Sims 2</i> (Game Boy Advance video game) 2005 video game

The Sims 2 is a 2005 life simulation video game developed by Amaze Entertainment and published by Electronic Arts for the Game Boy Advance (GBA). Development of the game began following the success of The Sims 2 for personal computers. The GBA version differs significantly from the original version, being a game with linear progression in the style of a reality show and 2D isometric graphics.

References

  1. ↑ "Bienvenue". Hidden Floor (in French). Archived from the original on May 14, 2023. Retrieved May 19, 2024.
  2. ↑ "Contact". Back to Stone (in French). Hidden Floor. Archived from the original on January 28, 2023. Retrieved May 19, 2024.
  3. 1 2 3 "Back to stone". Neko Entertainment (in French). Archived from the original on September 17, 2013. Retrieved May 19, 2024.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 "Après plusieurs années de développement, Back to Stone arrive enfin sur GBA" [After many years in development, Back to Stone finally arrives on GBA]. JeuXpo.com (in French). Archived from the original on September 29, 2015. Retrieved May 19, 2024.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Nielsen, Clark (December 31, 2006). "Back to Stone Game Boy [Advance] Review". Nintendo Spin. Archived from the original on July 27, 2008. Retrieved September 11, 2015.
  6. 1 2 "Back to Stone". Metacritic . Fandom. Archived from the original on May 19, 2024. Retrieved May 19, 2024.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Provo, Frank (February 28, 2007). "Back to Stone Review". GameSpot . Fandom. Archived from the original on April 30, 2019. Retrieved May 19, 2024.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Platt, Dylan (February 14, 2007). "Back to Stone - GBA - Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on September 27, 2008. Retrieved May 19, 2024.
  9. 1 2 3 4 Romendil (December 22, 2006). "Test: Back To Stone". Jeuxvideo.com (in French). Webedia. Archived from the original on January 17, 2022. Retrieved May 19, 2024.
  10. ↑ "Back to Stone". Joypad (in French). No. 171. February 2007. p. 72. Archived from the original on May 19, 2024. Retrieved May 19, 2024.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 Boot, Justin (February 2, 2007). "Back to Stone". Thunderbolt. Archived from the original on February 20, 2008. Retrieved September 11, 2015.
  12. 1 2 3 4 Napolitano, Jayson (February 27, 2007). "(GBA) Back to Stone". The Entertainment Depot. Archived from the original on September 29, 2015. Retrieved September 11, 2015.
  13. 1 2 3 Olivier B. (January 31, 2007). "Back to Stone". PVG24 (in French). Archived from the original on August 29, 2022. Retrieved May 19, 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.