The Pagemaster

n/a

The Pagemaster

System(s): Sega Mega Drive

Publisher: Fox Interactive

Developer: Probe

Distributor: Fox Video (US)

Sound driver: GEMS

Genre: Action

Number of players: 1

Release	Date	RRP	Code
US	1994-11^[1]	$64.9864.98^[1]	T-161016
EU	1994-11^[2]		1180-50
PT	1994		MDJ1180
AU	199x	$109.95109.95^[3]

Non-Sega versions
Game Boy Super Game Boy Super NES

VRC

ELSPA

OFLC

ESRA

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The Pagemaster is a Sega Mega Drive platform game based on the film with the same name.

Gameplay

This video game interpretion of The Pagemaster has players control Richard Tyler (in his cartoon form - Macaulay Culkin who played the live action version in the film is left uncredited in this release), traversing 2D maps (based on areas of the film) in a similar manner to other platforms of the era. Hidden in each stage is a library card - collecting all of them unlocks the "good" ending.

Production credits

Software: Paul Carruthers
Bonus Game: Christoffer Nilsson
Producer: Tony Beckwith
Graphic Artists: Phil Hip Williams, Mark Knowles, Jason Green, Lloyd Baker, Terry Ford, Mark Frazer, Hayon Dalton, Blizzard
Animators: Darren Goodacre, Emil Sergiev, Jason McDonald, Dimitri Baralov
Mapping: Nick Baynes
Additional Maps: Mark Viccary, Mark Hill, Tony Beckwith, Andy McCarthy
Music and Sound Effects: Steve Collett, Nick Stroud
QA Manager: Tim Bradstock
QA Dept: James Stewart, Nick McGee, Ben Oreilly, Mark Viccary
Compression: Rob Northern, Nick Pelling
Fox Interactive Liason: Scott Marcus

Source:

In-game credits

Versions

The Pagemaster was released simultaneously on the Mega Drive and Super NES in late 1994 (with a simplified version appearing on the Game Boy). By and large, both console versions are the same, however while the Super NES uses more colours, the Mega Drive version runs with a 320x224 screen resolution (versus 256x224). As the art was not optimised for the Super NES, this means graphics are "fatter" than perhaps originally intended, and less of the play area is visible at any one time.

The Mega Drive version features more animations, while the SNES uses an extra background layer (which is drawn in front of regular play, and can in some respects be seen as a disadvantage as is more likely to obscure the player's view. Bonus stages use the SNES' "mode 7" graphics mode, which offer a smoother gameplay experience than on the Mega Drive, which reverts to a system more similar to early Mega Drive titles such as Space Harrier II and Super Thunder Blade.

There are also subtle changes in presentation. The Mega Drive is a fraction quicker to enter levels and shows the words "Game On" at the start of every stage, while the Super NES announces the levels' names.

Localised names

Also known as
Language	Localised Name	English Translation
English (US)	The Pagemaster	The Pagemaster
Spanish	El Guardián de las Palabras	The Guardian of Words

Magazine articles

Main article: The Pagemaster/Magazine articles.

Promotional material

120x120px

ES print advert

Print advert in EGM² (US) #5: "November 1994" (1994-1x-xx)
also published in:

Electronic Gaming Monthly (US) #65: "December 1994" (1994-xx-xx)^[4]
GamePro (US) #66: "January 1995" (199x-xx-xx)^[5]

Print advert in Sega Visions (US) #22: "December/January 1994/1995" (1994-xx-xx)

US VHS advert

Physical scans

Sega Retro Average

Publication

Version

Score

1700 igr dlya Sega (RU)

70

^[9]

Alaab Alcomputtar (SA)

80

^[10]

Consoles + (FR)

86

^[11]

Cool Gamer (RU)

70

^[12]

Electronic Gaming Monthly (US)

NTSC-U

60

^[13]

Entsiklopediya luchshikh igr Sega. Vypusk 1 (RU)

70

^[14]

GamePro (US)

NTSC-U

60

^[15]

MAN!AC (DE)

PAL

70

^[16]

Mega (UK)

PAL

72

^[17]

Mega Force (FR)

PAL

82

^[18]

Mega Fun (DE)

PAL

65

^[19]

Mean Machines Sega (UK)

PAL

74

^[2]

Player One (FR)

90

^[20]

Play Time (DE)

PAL

67

^[21]

Power Up! (UK)

68

^[22]

Power Unlimited (NL)

68

^[23]

Sega Magazine (UK)

PAL

65

^[24]

Sega Power (UK)

PAL

40

^[8]

Sega Pro (UK)

PAL

74

^[25]

Todo Sega (ES)

76

^[26]

Tricks 16 bit (RU)

74

^[27]

Video Games (DE)

PAL

69

^[28]

	70
Based on 22 reviews

The Pagemaster

Mega Drive, US
Cover
Cart 50x50px Manual

Mega Drive, EU
Cover
Cart

Mega Drive, AU
Cover

Mega Drive, ES
Cover

Mega Drive, FR

Manual

Technical information

ROM dump status

System	Hash	Size	Build Date	Source	Comments

References

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 Press release: 1994-11-15: YOU'VE NEVER CHECKED OUT A LIBRARY LIKE THIS: 'THE PAGEMASTER'
↑ ^2.0 ^2.1 Mean Machines Sega, "January 1995" (UK; 1994-11-30), page 80
↑ File:SegaMegazone AU 49.pdf, page 25
↑ Electronic Gaming Monthly, "December 1994" (US; 1994-xx-xx), page 13
↑ GamePro, "January 1995" (US; 199x-xx-xx), page 238
↑ Consoles +, "Janvier 1995" (FR; 199x-xx-xx), page 108/109 (108)
↑ Mean Machines Sega, "January 1995" (UK; 1994-11-30), page 80-82 (80)
↑ ^8.0 ^8.1 Sega Power, "January 1995" (UK; 1994-11-17), page 75
↑ 1700 igr dlya Sega, "" (RU; 2001-xx-xx), page 172
↑ Alaab Alcomputtar, "" (SA; 1995-08-xx), page 17
↑ Consoles +, "Janvier 1995" (FR; 199x-xx-xx), page 108
↑ Cool Gamer, "9" (RU; 2002-10-13), page 151
↑ Electronic Gaming Monthly, "December 1994" (US; 1994-xx-xx), page 42
↑ Entsiklopediya luchshikh igr Sega. Vypusk 1, "" (RU; 1999-xx-xx), page 346
↑ GamePro, "January 1995" (US; 199x-xx-xx), page 60
↑ MAN!AC, "01/95" (DE; 1994-12-07), page 72
↑ Mega, "January 1995" (UK; 1994-12-30), page 22
↑ Mega Force, "Décembre 1994" (FR; 1994-12-02), page 90
↑ Mega Fun, "01/95" (DE; 1994-12-21), page 40
↑ Player One, "Décembre 1994" (FR; 1994-1x-xx), page 130
↑ Play Time, "1/95" (DE; 1994-12-07), page 102
↑ Power Up!, "Saturday, December 17, 1994" (UK; 1994-12-17), page 1
↑ Power Unlimited, "Jaargang 3, Februari 1995" (NL; 1995-01-25), page 36
↑ Sega Magazine, "January 1995" (UK; 1994-12-15), page 96
↑ Sega Pro, "January 1995" (UK; 1994-12-01), page 42
↑ Todo Sega, "Abril 1995" (ES; 1995-0x-xx), page 48
↑ Tricks 16 bit, "Tricks Sega Gold 800 igr" (RU; 1998-03-20), page 20
↑ Video Games, "2/95" (DE; 1995-01-18), page 99

The Pagemaster
	Main page \| Comparisons \| Maps \| Hidden content \| Magazine articles \| Video coverage \| Reception \| Region coding \| Technical information \| Bootlegs Prototypes: Prototype

[Press_release:_1994-11-15:_YOU.27VE_NEVER_CHECKED_OUT_A_LIBRARY_LIKE_THIS:_.27THE_PAGEMASTER.27-1] 1.0 ^1.1 Press release: 1994-11-15: YOU'VE NEVER CHECKED OUT A LIBRARY LIKE THIS: 'THE PAGEMASTER'

[:File:MeanMachinesSega27UK.pdf_p80-2] 2.0 ^2.1 Mean Machines Sega, "January 1995" (UK; 1994-11-30), page 80

[:File:SegaMegazone_AU_49.pdf_p25-3] File:SegaMegazone AU 49.pdf, page 25

[:File:EGM_US_065.pdf_p13-4] Electronic Gaming Monthly, "December 1994" (US; 1994-xx-xx), page 13

[:File:GamePro_US_066.pdf_p238-5] GamePro, "January 1995" (US; 199x-xx-xx), page 238

[:File:ConsolesPlus_FR_039.pdf_p108_.28108.2F109.29-6] Consoles +, "Janvier 1995" (FR; 199x-xx-xx), page 108/109 (108)

[:File:MeanMachinesSega27UK.pdf_p80_.2880-82.29-7] Mean Machines Sega, "January 1995" (UK; 1994-11-30), page 80-82 (80)

[:File:SegaPower_UK_62.pdf_p75-8] 8.0 ^8.1 Sega Power, "January 1995" (UK; 1994-11-17), page 75

[9] 1700 igr dlya Sega, "" (RU; 2001-xx-xx), page 172

[:File:AlaabAlcomputtar_SA_2.pdf_p17-10] Alaab Alcomputtar, "" (SA; 1995-08-xx), page 17

[:File:ConsolesPlus_FR_039.pdf_p108-11] Consoles +, "Janvier 1995" (FR; 199x-xx-xx), page 108

[12] Cool Gamer, "9" (RU; 2002-10-13), page 151

[:File:EGM_US_065.pdf_p42-13] Electronic Gaming Monthly, "December 1994" (US; 1994-xx-xx), page 42

[14] Entsiklopediya luchshikh igr Sega. Vypusk 1, "" (RU; 1999-xx-xx), page 346

[:File:GamePro_US_066.pdf_p60-15] GamePro, "January 1995" (US; 199x-xx-xx), page 60

[:File:MAN.21AC_DE_1995-01.pdf_p72-16] MAN!AC, "01/95" (DE; 1994-12-07), page 72

[:File:Mega_UK_28.pdf_p22-17] Mega, "January 1995" (UK; 1994-12-30), page 22

[:File:MegaForce_FR_34.pdf_p90-18] Mega Force, "Décembre 1994" (FR; 1994-12-02), page 90

[:File:MegaFun_DE_1995-01.pdf_p40-19] Mega Fun, "01/95" (DE; 1994-12-21), page 40

[:File:PlayerOne_FR_048.pdf_p130-20] Player One, "Décembre 1994" (FR; 1994-1x-xx), page 130

[:File:PlayTime_DE_1995-01.pdf_p102-21] Play Time, "1/95" (DE; 1994-12-07), page 102

[22] Power Up!, "Saturday, December 17, 1994" (UK; 1994-12-17), page 1

[:File:PowerUnlimited_NL_018_199502.pdf_p36-23] Power Unlimited, "Jaargang 3, Februari 1995" (NL; 1995-01-25), page 36

[:File:SegaMagazine_UK_13.pdf_p96-24] Sega Magazine, "January 1995" (UK; 1994-12-15), page 96

[:File:SegaPro_UK_40.pdf_p42-25] Sega Pro, "January 1995" (UK; 1994-12-01), page 42

[:File:TodoSega_ES_25.pdf_p48-26] Todo Sega, "Abril 1995" (ES; 1995-0x-xx), page 48

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

[:File:VideoGames_DE_1995-02.pdf_p99-28] Video Games, "2/95" (DE; 1995-01-18), page 99

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The Pagemaster

From Sega Retro

Contents

Gameplay

Production credits

Versions

Localised names

Magazine articles

Promotional material

Physical scans

Technical information

ROM dump status

References