Difference between revisions of "Garfield: Caught in the Act"

Revision as of 13:14, 30 October 2018

n/a

Garfield: Caught in the Act

System(s): Sega Mega Drive, Sega Game Gear, Windows PC

Publisher: Sega

Developer: Sega Interactive,

Novotrade

Point of View

Sound driver:

GEMS

Genre: Action

Number of players: 1

Release	Date	RRP	Code
US	1995-11^[2]		1556
EU	1995-11^[1]		1556-50
AU	1995		FGAR02SMC
BR	199x		046990
US	1995	$44.9944.99^[4]	2560
EU	1995-11^[3]		2560-50
BR	199x		077290
US	1995		85023
US (Expert Software)	1997-09^[5]	$19.9919.99^[5]	T-6803-01

ESRB

ELSPA

OFLC

Tectoy

Garfield: Caught in the Act is a platformer game starring the characters from the Garfield comic series. It was released for the Sega Mega Drive and Sega Game Gear in 1995, and was brought to Windows in 1996 as a stand-alone title as well as through the Sonic & Garfield Pack.

A port to the Sega 32X under the title of Garfield in TV Land was planned, but scrapped, though the name was still used in some later re-releases.

Story

Odie scares Garfield while he is watching television, and he ends up falling on the television. In a rushed effort to repair the television before Jon catches them, Garfield and Odie attempt to put the banged up and broken pieces together. They did actually put something together, but it was far from being a real television. As Garfield throws away the spare pieces, they become an electronic monster, the Glitch. The Glitch transports Garfield into the television. Now he must defeat the Glitch and make his way out.

Gameplay

The original Mega Drive game features six levels. Sega Channel subscribers could download Garfield: The Lost Levels, that featured 3 different levels.

The Game Gear version includes eight levels, two of which appear in the Lost Levels. There is only one type of bonus stage (accessed by finding an icon of Arlene's face in each level), in which you try to wreck everything in Jon's living room within a time limit to get an extra life. Garfield does not have different outfits in each level, and the attacks are the same in all levels (his close-range is a punch, and the projectile are stones). There are no invincibility items. In the between-level segments, you do not take damage from the obstacles; instead, they teleport you back to the start of that segment.

In the PC, there is a new level, Alien Landscape, and the Mega Drive levels are arranged in a different order.

History

Development

The Sega Mega Drive and Sega Game Gear versions of Garfield: Caught in the Act were developed simultaneously by Sega InterActive and Novotrade, respectively. Both are built around the same core concepts, but were developed separately, with only the Sega management layer being shared between the two. The Garfield project came into existence due to the rise of licensed platform games in the early 1990s, with Disney's Aladdin believed to have set the standard for others to follow^[6].

Mega Drive development had begun with Steven Lashower as the lead programmer, but development issues led to the game being rebooted over the Christmas period of 1994 (leading to several months of work being scrapped), with Michael Fernie now on lead programmer duties^[6]. Garfield was built on an engine that Sega InterActive had already developed, and aside from the animations which came directly from Paws, everything was handled in-house^[6].

While Garfield: Caught in the Act had been thoroughly planned out with extensive documentation, many of the original plans were sidelined as they often proved not to be fun^[6]. The highest profile case of this was a train segment of the Catsablanca level, which although existed in the game for a very long time (to the point where it even features on the North American retail box), was not considered satisfactory for the end product^[6]^[7].

Other levels in various stages of completion included a Robin Hood-style stage ("Slobbin Hood"), a viking-themed level set in winter ("Bonehead the Barbarian"), a level set in space ("Alien Landscape") and a stage which took place in ancient Rome. Slobbin Hood and Bonehead the Barbarian made it into the Game Gear game, but were axed from the Mega Drive version, while all that remains of the Mega Drive Alien Landscape are some unused code routines. In addition to time restraints, some levels are thought to have been cut due to limitations on cartridge space.

Alien Landscape, the only stage created by Petra Evers, was inspired by a lava lamp^[7]. The level was reportedly finished for the Mega Drive, but became instead an exclusive level for the PC version (made by a mostly different team at Sega).

Meeting notes

Production credits

Mega Drive version

Sega Interactive Development

Lead Programmer: Michael Fernie
Lead Artists: Michael Chung, Art Wong
Programmers: Kevin Burley, Ala D. Diaz, John LaSalvia, Pravin Wagh
Artists: Robert Barrett, Kathleen Bruno, Sandra B. Christensen, Petra Evers, Maureen Kringen, Michael Tamura, Rob Titus
Music Director: Tristan des Prés
Music: Tristan des Prés, Dwight Stone, Jeffrey Glenn Tveraas
Sound Effects: David Delia, Jeffrey Glenn Tveraas
Audio Programmer: James Dobson
Project Managers: David Brooks, Frank Hsu
Special Thanks: Carmen Bayacal, Rachel Wong Coleman, Kenneth C. Dullea III, Jack Loh, Nancy Nakamoto, Rodney Nakamoto

Sega of America

Original Design: Rhonda Van, Sega Interactive, Waterman Designs
Additional Design: PAWS, Sega of America
Producers: Eric Quakenbush, Rhonda Van
Assistant Producers: Bill Person, Erik Wahlberg
Executive Producer: Michael Latham
Product Manager: Lisa Best Wilson
Marketing: Eric Dunstan, Clint Dyer
Licensing: Michealene Cristini Risley
Lead Testers: John Amirkhan, Richie Hideshima
Assistant Lead Testers: Sako Bezdjian, Neil Musser, Mark Subotnick, Caroline Trujillo
Testers: Mike Borg, Joseph M. Damon, Yancey Gordon, Tai Huyah, Matthew Ironside, Heather Meigs, Camille Morris, Raul Orozco, Jeff Sanders, W. Scott Snyder, Nicole Tatem, Don Tica, Eugene R. Valenzuela, Dana Waller
Manual: James Cabral, Mike Yoffie
Thanks: Joyce Takakura
Special Thanks: Mark Acey, Jim Davis, Jill Hahn, Glenn Zimmerman, PAWS

Source:

In-game credits

Game Gear version

Novotrade Credits

Developer: Novotrade International
Director: Laszlo Mero
Project Director: Don Walters
Software Director: Attila Bus
Art Director: Eszter Paris
Lead Programmer: Laszlo Megyeri
Programmers: Sandor Michaletzky, Balazs Papai
Lead Artist: Bori Paris
Artists: Tibor Botka, Edit Matis
Music, SFX: Laszlo Fazekas, Csaba Gigor, Gabor Foltan
Programming Aid: Adam Jedovszky, Gyongyi Mezei
Level Layout: Laszlo Mero, Eszter Paris, Bori Paris, Tibor Botka
Developer Tester: Tamas Panczel
Special Thanks: Andrea Eszterhai, Aniko Bodi

Sega of America Credits

Original Design: Waterman Design, Sega Interactive
Additional Design: Sega of America, PAWS, Inc.
Executive Producuer: Michael Latham
Producers: Rhonda Van, Eric Quackenbush
Assistant Producers: Bill Person, Erik Wahlberg
Product Manager: Lisa Best Wilson
Marketing: Clint Dyer, Eric Dunstan
Licensing: Michealene Cristini Risley
Lead Tester: Arnold Feener
Assistant Lead Testers: Louis Dribin, Heather Meigs, Nicole Tatem, Jeff Sanders
Testers: Morgan Weiss, John Jansen, Camille Morris, Mark Subotnick, Joel Breton, Jason Foster, Scott Crisostomo, Brian Murphy, Deserea Blevins, Jessie Light, Shari Shanklin, Scott Snyder, Janis Gragasin, Fernando Valderrama
Manual: Mike Yoffie, James Cabral
Special Thanks: Joyce Takakura, Jim Davis, Jill Hahn, Glenn Zimmeramn, Mark Acey and all the folks at PAWS

Source:

US manual^[8]

Magazine articles

Main article: Garfield: Caught in the Act/Magazine articles.

Promotional material

Mega Drive and Game Gear US print advert

Game Gear Print advert in Hobby Consolas (ES) #51: "Diciembre 1995" (1995-xx-xx)
also published in:

Hobby Consolas (ES) #52: "Enero 1996" (199x-xx-xx)^[9]

Physical scans

Mega Drive version

Sega Retro Average

Publication

Version

Score

1700 igr dlya Sega (RU)

60

^[11]

Consoles + (FR)

75

^[12]

Electronic Gaming Monthly (US)

NTSC-U

60

^[13]

Entsiklopediya luchshikh igr Sega. Vypusk 1 (RU)

60

^[14]

Entsiklopediya luchshikh igr Sega. Vypusk 6 (RU)

70

^[15]

GameFan (US)

NTSC-U

80

^[16]

GamePro (US)

NTSC-U

55

^[17]

GamePro (DE)

47

^[18]

Gamers (DE)

47

^[19]

Game Informer (US)

NTSC-U

58

^[20]

Hobby Consolas (ES)

PAL

77

^[21]

MAN!AC (DE)

PAL

65

^[22]

Mega Fun (DE)

PAL

54

^[23]

Mean Machines Sega (UK)

67

^[1]

Sega Power (UK)

PAL

70

^[24]

Sega Pro (UK)

PAL

85

^[25]

Svet Igara (YU)

85

^[26]

Sega Saturn Magazine (UK)

PAL

67

^[27]

Todo Sega (ES)

81

^[28]

Tricks 16 bit (RU)

79

^[29]

Video Games (DE)

PAL

59

^[30]

	67
Based on 21 reviews

Garfield: Caught in the Act

Mega Drive, US
Cover
Cart

Mega Drive, EU
Cover
Cart

Mega Drive, AU
Cover

Mega Drive, BR
Cover
Cart

Game Gear version

Sega Retro Average

Publication	Version	Score

	N/A
Based on 0 reviews

Garfield: Caught in the Act

Game Gear, US
Cover
Cart Manual

Game Gear, EU
Cover
Cart

Game Gear, BR
Cover

PC version

PC, US
Cover

PC, US (Expert Software)

Disc Jewel Case

PC, US (Expert Software; alt)

Technical information

ROM dump status

System

Hash

Size

Build Date

Source

Comments

✔

CRC32	f0ff078e
MD5	b8591488ca46b51c1d39b6869fa23006
SHA-1	9fff7dea16c4d0e6c9d6dbaade20c7048bb485ec

2MB

1995-09

Cartridge (US/EU)

?

CRC32	cd53f3af
MD5	8766ad6ab161ffc7796a543325a82fb6
SHA-1	dc65f458cad3c165d0963b9b6da258d438da2ef7

1MB

Cartridge (US/EU)

References

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 File:MeanMachinesSega39UK.pdf, page 75 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:MeanMachinesSega39UK.pdf_p75" defined multiple times with different content
↑ File:6-Pak MD US Manual.pdf, page 72
↑ ^3.0 ^3.1 ^3.2 File:MeanMachinesSega39UK.pdf, page 79
↑ File:GamePro US 078.pdf, page 114
↑ ^5.0 ^5.1 Press release: 1997-06-20: Sega chooses Expert Software for PC distribution agreement
↑ ^6.0 ^6.1 ^6.2 ^6.3 ^6.4 Interview: Pravin Wagh (2015) by Hidden Palace
↑ ^7.0 ^7.1 Interview: Michael Fernie (2012) by Hidden Palace
↑ File:Garfield Caught in the Act GG US Manual.pdf, page 19
↑ Hobby Consolas, "Enero 1996" (ES; 199x-xx-xx), page 83
↑ File:SSM_UK_02.pdf, page 90
↑ 1700 igr dlya Sega, "" (RU; 2001-xx-xx), page 84
↑ Consoles +, "Novembre 1995" (FR; 1995-1x-xx), page 102
↑ Electronic Gaming Monthly, "November 1995" (US; 1995-xx-xx), page 44
↑ Entsiklopediya luchshikh igr Sega. Vypusk 1, "" (RU; 1999-xx-xx), page 317
↑ Entsiklopediya luchshikh igr Sega. Vypusk 6, "" (RU; 2001-xx-xx), page 105
↑ GameFan, "Volume 4, Issue 1: January 1996" (US; 199x-xx-xx), page 22
↑ GamePro, "December 1995" (US; 1995-xx-xx), page 90
↑ GamePro, "November 1995" (DE; 1995-10-04), page 58
↑ Gamers, "November 1995" (DE; 1995-10-11), page 39
↑ Game Informer, "November 1995" (US; 1995-1x-xx), page 24
↑ Hobby Consolas, "Octubre 1995" (ES; 1995-xx-xx), page 108
↑ MAN!AC, "11/95" (DE; 1995-10-11), page 79
↑ Mega Fun, "11/95" (DE; 1995-10-18), page 77
↑ Sega Power, "Christmas 1995" (UK; 1995-12-21), page 61
↑ Sega Pro, "January 1996" (UK; 1995-11-30), page 40
↑ Svet Igara, "Jun 1996" (YU; 1996-xx-xx), page 62
↑ Sega Saturn Magazine, "December 1995" (UK; 1995-11-24), page 90
↑ Todo Sega, "Octubre 1995" (ES; 1995-xx-xx), page 48
↑ Tricks 16 bit, "Tricks Sega Gold 800 igr" (RU; 1998-03-20), page 77
↑ Video Games, "12/95" (DE; 1995-11-21), page 74

Garfield: Caught in the Act
	Main page \| Comparisons \| Maps \| Hidden content \| Bugs \| Development \| Magazine articles \| Reception \| Region coding \| Technical information \| Bootlegs No results

[:File:MeanMachinesSega39UK.pdf_p75-1] 1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 File:MeanMachinesSega39UK.pdf, page 75 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:MeanMachinesSega39UK.pdf_p75" defined multiple times with different content

[:File:6-Pak_MD_US_Manual.pdf_p72-2] File:6-Pak MD US Manual.pdf, page 72

[:File:MeanMachinesSega39UK.pdf_p79-3] 3.0 ^3.1 ^3.2 File:MeanMachinesSega39UK.pdf, page 79

[:File:GamePro_US_078.pdf_p114-4] File:GamePro US 078.pdf, page 114

[Press_release:_1997-06-20:_Sega_chooses_Expert_Software_for_PC_distribution_agreement-5] 5.0 ^5.1 Press release: 1997-06-20: Sega chooses Expert Software for PC distribution agreement

[Interview:_Pravin_Wagh_.282015.29_by_Hidden_Palace-6] 6.0 ^6.1 ^6.2 ^6.3 ^6.4 Interview: Pravin Wagh (2015) by Hidden Palace

[Interview:_Michael_Fernie_.282012.29_by_Hidden_Palace-7] 7.0 ^7.1 Interview: Michael Fernie (2012) by Hidden Palace

[:File:Garfield_Caught_in_the_Act_GG_US_Manual.pdf_p19-8] File:Garfield Caught in the Act GG US Manual.pdf, page 19

[:File:HobbyConsolas_ES_052.pdf_p83-9] Hobby Consolas, "Enero 1996" (ES; 199x-xx-xx), page 83

[:File:SSM_UK_02.pdf_p90-10] File:SSM_UK_02.pdf, page 90

[11] 1700 igr dlya Sega, "" (RU; 2001-xx-xx), page 84

[:File:ConsolesPlus_FR_048.pdf_p102-12] Consoles +, "Novembre 1995" (FR; 1995-1x-xx), page 102

[:File:EGM_US_076.pdf_p44-13] Electronic Gaming Monthly, "November 1995" (US; 1995-xx-xx), page 44

[14] Entsiklopediya luchshikh igr Sega. Vypusk 1, "" (RU; 1999-xx-xx), page 317

[15] Entsiklopediya luchshikh igr Sega. Vypusk 6, "" (RU; 2001-xx-xx), page 105

[:File:GameFan_US_0401.pdf_p22-16] GameFan, "Volume 4, Issue 1: January 1996" (US; 199x-xx-xx), page 22

[:File:GamePro_US_077.pdf_p90-17] GamePro, "December 1995" (US; 1995-xx-xx), page 90

[:File:GamePro_DE_1995-11.pdf_p58-18] GamePro, "November 1995" (DE; 1995-10-04), page 58

[:File:Gamers_DE_1995-11.pdf_p39-19] Gamers, "November 1995" (DE; 1995-10-11), page 39

[:File:GameInformer_US_031.pdf_p24-20] Game Informer, "November 1995" (US; 1995-1x-xx), page 24

[:File:HobbyConsolas_ES_049.pdf_p108-21] Hobby Consolas, "Octubre 1995" (ES; 1995-xx-xx), page 108

[:File:MAN.21AC_DE_1995-11.pdf_p79-22] MAN!AC, "11/95" (DE; 1995-10-11), page 79

[:File:MegaFun_DE_1995-11.pdf_p77-23] Mega Fun, "11/95" (DE; 1995-10-18), page 77

[:File:SegaPower_UK_75.pdf_p61-24] Sega Power, "Christmas 1995" (UK; 1995-12-21), page 61

[:File:SegaPro_UK_53.pdf_p40-25] Sega Pro, "January 1996" (UK; 1995-11-30), page 40

[:File:SvetIgara_YU_14.pdf_p62-26] Svet Igara, "Jun 1996" (YU; 1996-xx-xx), page 62

[:File:SSM_UK_02.pdf_p90-27] Sega Saturn Magazine, "December 1995" (UK; 1995-11-24), page 90

[:File:TodoSega_ES_31.pdf_p48-28] Todo Sega, "Octubre 1995" (ES; 1995-xx-xx), page 48

[29] Tricks 16 bit, "Tricks Sega Gold 800 igr" (RU; 1998-03-20), page 77

[:File:VideoGames_DE_1995-12.pdf_p74-30] Video Games, "12/95" (DE; 1995-11-21), page 74

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[3]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

[15]

[16]

[17]

[18]

[19]

[20]

[21]

[22]

[23]

[24]

[25]

[26]

[27]

[28]

[29]

[30]

@@ Line 56: / Line 56: @@
 ==History==
 ===Development===
+The [[Sega Mega Drive]] and [[Sega Game Gear]] versions of ''Garfield: Caught in the Act'' were developed simultaneously by [[Sega InterActive]] and [[Novotrade]], respectively. Both are built around the same core concepts, but were developed separately, with only the Sega management layer being shared between the two. The ''Garfield'' project came into existence due to the rise of licensed platform games in the early 1990s, with ''[[Disney's Aladdin]]'' believed to have set the standard for others to follow{{intref|Interview: Pravin Wagh (2015) by Hidden Palace}}.
+Mega Drive development had begun with [[Steven Lashower]] as the lead programmer, but development issues led to the game being rebooted over the Christmas period of 1994 (leading to several months of work being scrapped), with Michael Fernie now on lead programmer duties{{intref|Interview: Pravin Wagh (2015) by Hidden Palace}}. ''Garfield'' was built on an engine that Sega InterActive had already developed, and aside from the animations which came directly from Paws, everything was handled in-house{{intref|Interview: Pravin Wagh (2015) by Hidden Palace}}.
+While ''Garfield: Caught in the Act'' had been thoroughly planned out with extensive documentation, many of the original plans were sidelined as they often proved not to be fun{{intref|Interview: Pravin Wagh (2015) by Hidden Palace}}. The highest profile case of this was a train segment of the Catsablanca level, which although existed in the game for a very long time (to the point where it even features on the North American retail box), was not considered satisfactory for the end product{{intref|Interview: Pravin Wagh (2015) by Hidden Palace}}{{intref|Interview: Michael Fernie (2012) by Hidden Palace}}.
+Other levels in various stages of completion included a Robin Hood-style stage ("Slobbin Hood"), a viking-themed level set in winter ("Bonehead the Barbarian"), a level set in space ("Alien Landscape") and a stage which took place in ancient Rome. Slobbin Hood and Bonehead the Barbarian made it into the Game Gear game, but were axed from the Mega Drive version, while all that remains of the Mega Drive Alien Landscape are some unused code routines. In addition to time restraints, some levels are thought to have been cut due to limitations on cartridge space.
+Alien Landscape, the only stage created by Petra Evers, was inspired by a lava lamp{{intref|Interview: Michael Fernie (2012) by Hidden Palace}}. The level was reportedly finished for the Mega Drive, but became instead an exclusive level for the PC version (made by a mostly different team at Sega).
 <gallery>
 GarfieldCitA DevelopmentNotes.png|Meeting notes

Difference between revisions of "Garfield: Caught in the Act"

From Sega Retro

Revision as of 13:14, 30 October 2018

Contents

Story

Gameplay

History

Development

Production credits

Mega Drive version

Game Gear version

Magazine articles

Promotional material

Physical scans

Mega Drive version

Game Gear version

PC version

Technical information

ROM dump status

References