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{{Short description|2010 video game}}
{{Use British English|date=November 2011}}▼
{{good article}}
{{Infobox video game
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| developer = [[Hello Games]]
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| director = David Ream▼
| designer = Sean Murray▼
▲|director = David Ream
| programmer = Ryan Doyle▼
▲|designer = Sean Murray
| artist = Grant Duncan▼
▲|programmer = Ryan Doyle
| released = '''
▲|artist = Grant Duncan
| genre = [[Racing
▲|released = '''PlayStation 3'''<br/>{{vgrelease|NA|8 June 2010<ref name="releasedateNA">{{cite web|url=http://blog.us.playstation.com/2010/05/31/coming-soon-to-psn-store-joe-danger-for-ps3/ |title=Coming Soon to PSN Store: Joe Danger for PS3 |work=[[PlayStation Blog]] |publisher=[[Sony]] |date=31 May 2010 |accessdate=7 December 2010}}</ref>}}{{vgrelease|EU|9 June 2010<ref name="releasedateEU">{{cite web|first=Tom |last=Bramwell |url=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/joe-danger-gets-euro-date-and-price |title=Joe Danger gets Euro date and price |publisher=[[Eurogamer]] |date=1 June 2010 |accessdate=7 December 2010}}</ref>}}'''Xbox 360'''<br/>14 December 2011<ref name="EGSE">{{cite web |url= http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-11-03-joe-danger-special-edition-for-xbox-live-arcade-announced |title=Joe Danger Special Edition for Xbox Live Arcade announced |first=Wesley |last=Yin-Poole |work=[[Eurogamer]] |date=3 November 2011 |accessdate=4 November 2011}}</ref><br>'''iOS'''<br/>10 January 2013<ref name="JDTHG"/><br>'''Microsoft Windows'''<br/>24 June 2013<br/>'''PlayStation Vita'''<br/>{{vgrelease|NA|2 September 2014|EU|3 September 2014}}
▲|genre = [[Racing video game|Racing]], [[Platform game|platform]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blog.eu.playstation.com/2010/06/10/joe-danger-officially-out-on-ps3/ |title=Joe Danger Officially Out On PS3! |first=Sean |last=Murray |work=[[PlayStation Blog]] |publisher=[[Sony]] |date=10 June 2010 |accessdate=7 December 2010}}</ref><ref name=EscapistR/>
| platforms = [[PlayStation 3]], [[Xbox 360]], [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]], [[iOS]], [[Android (operating system)|Android]], [[PlayStation Vita|Vita]]▼
▲|modes = [[Single-player video game|Single-player]], [[Multiplayer video game|multiplayer]]
▲|platforms = [[PlayStation 3]], [[Xbox 360]], [[Microsoft Windows]], [[iOS]], [[Android (operating system)|Android]], [[PlayStation Vita]]
}}
'''''Joe Danger''''' is a
▲On its release, ''Joe Danger'' received generally positive reviews; most reviewers praised the accessible gameplay and the ability to edit courses while playing them. Some suggested the game would have benefited from more options, such as sharing and rating user-generated content, and criticised the lack of an online multiplayer mode. Hello Games subsequently released [[downloadable content]] to add features that users and reviewers had requested in the months following the game's release. Using leaderboard statistics, ''Joe Danger'' was estimated to have sold at least 108,000 units in its first three months on sale. It was nominated for several awards, including the grand prize at the 2010 [[Independent Games Festival]].
==Gameplay==
The player controls the titular motorbike stuntman
[[File:Joe Danger - Boxing Glove Crash.jpg|thumb|left|alt=The player character hitting a giant boxing glove, one of the obstacles, with a comic book-style "KAPOW" graphic.|The boxing glove obstacle is representative of art director Grant Duncan's artwork and comic level design, the inspiration for which came from past jobs with [[Sega]].<ref name=GamaIGF/>]]
''Joe Danger''{{'s}} level design was directly influenced by the ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog]]'' game series,<ref name=TelegraphR /> as evidenced by the use of avoidable spikes, [[vertical loop]]s,<ref name=AVClub>{{cite web |url=
The primary goal in each level is to collect as many "stars" as possible. A star is collected for completing an objective, and once enough are collected, the next course is unlocked
''Joe Danger'' contains a [[sandbox mode]], which allows the player to [[drag and drop]] objects onto the course to customise levels.<ref name=EGreview /> This mode is integrated into some single-player levels where the game may instruct the player to introduce obstacles such as ramps to access later sections.<ref name=IGNreview /> New levels can be shared online with friends via the [[PlayStation Network]].<ref name=GIReview /> The game has a [[split screen (computer graphics)|split screen]] multiplayer mode for up to four players on a selection of specially-made tracks.<ref name=AVClub /> There is leaderboard support, initially limited to those on the player's PlayStation Network friend list.<ref name=G4TV />
==Development==
{{quote box|quote="Grant [Duncan, artist] had a box of toys he brought down from his attic. Something kind of beautiful happened when he brought those in. There was an instant power to demonstrating your latest game idea with [[Optimus Prime]] in your hands. I like to think we designed our next five games that first week, just setting up toys on the office floor."<ref name=gamasutra>{{cite web |url=http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=25454 |title=Interview: EA, Criterion Vet Murray Forms Indie Hello Games, Talks Joe Danger |first=Simon |last=Carless |author-link=Simon Carless |publisher=[[Gamasutra]] |date=30 September 2009 |access-date=10 October 2011 |archive-date=20 January 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120120211431/http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=25454 |url-status=live }}</ref>|source=Sean Murray, [[chief executive officer|managing director]] of Hello Games, on the conception of the project|width=25%|align=right|style=padding:8px}}
[[File:Hello Games staff in the office.jpg|thumb|left|The staff of Hello Games in their office in Guildford. From left: David Ream, Sean Murray, Grant Duncan, and Ryan Doyle.<ref name=Edgeint />]]
The game was announced on the developers' website on 23 September 2009 and given its first public showcase in November 2009 at the [[Eurogamer
Hello Games struggled to find a third-party publisher for the game.
== Release ==
After initially being unsure of the best platform on which to release ''Joe Danger'',<ref name="Announcement">{{cite web|url=http://www.hellogames.org/2009/09/excitement/|title=ANNOUNCEMENT!!!|last=Murray|first=Sean|date=23 September 2009|publisher=[[Hello Games]]|
In October 2011, ''Eurogamer'' picked up on an Xbox Live Arcade listing for a ''Joe Danger: Special Edition'' on the [[Korea Media Rating Board]].<ref>{{cite web |url=
Since the release of ''Special Edition'', a [[Spin-off (media)|spin-off]] version for [[iOS]] and [[Android (operating system)|Android]] devices has been in development. The team decided not to directly adapt the original game for the new device; Murray told Mike Rose of [[Gamasutra]] that "simply porting a game is never something I could get excited about, it's soulless work". He explained that the team's aim is to create a game with similar graphics to a console game, while also keeping the [[frame rate]] at 60 frames per second.<ref>{{cite web |url=
A version of the game for the [[PlayStation Vita]] was announced on 27 August 2014, containing both levels from the original game and levels exclusive to the PlayStation Vita. It was made available for free on the [[PlayStation Network|PlayStation Plus]] Instant Game Collection service in September 2014. There are 25 playable characters available in the game, as well as a modified level editor.<ref>{{cite web |last=Wiltshire |first=Alex |date=27 August 2014 |title=''Joe Danger'' hurtles onto PS Vita next week |url=http://blog.eu.playstation.com/2014/08/27/joe-danger-hurtles-onto-ps-vita-next-week/ |
===Downloadable content===
Since the game's initial release, additional [[downloadable content]] has been made available. The first [[Patch (computing)|patch]] for the game, dubbed "The People's Patch", was released in August 2010<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.1up.com/news/joe-danger-patch-adds-host |title=New Joe Danger Patch Adds Host of New Features |first=Kat |last=Bailey |publisher=[[1UP.com]] |date=26 August 2010 |
===2022 re-release===
The game was re-released on 27 January 2022 after Hello Games received an email from the father of an [[Autism|autistic]] child, explaining how the game had become an enabling mechanism for his son's social interaction and a coping and reward mechanism for stressful situations and adding that due to changes to Apple's iOS operating system, the game would no longer run on modern devices. Hello Games said the message "broke [their] hearts and made [them] want to set things right", so they rebuilt the game as a hobby project and upgraded the eight year old game to modern technology.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/games/2022/jan/28/broke-our-hearts-boy-with-autism-inspires-relaunch-of-popular-game|title='Broke our hearts': autistic boy inspires relaunch of popular game|last=Lock|first=Samantha|date=28 January 2022|website=The Guardian|access-date=28 January 2022|archive-date=28 January 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220128045144/https://www.theguardian.com/games/2022/jan/28/broke-our-hearts-boy-with-autism-inspires-relaunch-of-popular-game|url-status=live}}</ref>
==Reception==
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===Critical===
{{Video game reviews
| MC = 86/100<ref name="Metacritic">{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/joe-danger/critic-reviews/?platform=playstation-3 |title=Joe Danger for PlayStation 3 |publisher=[[Metacritic]] |access-date=9 October 2011 |archive-date=28 September 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110928075322/http://www.metacritic.com/game/playstation-3/joe-danger |url-status=live }}</ref>
<!-- Reviewers -->|
| EuroG = 8/10<ref name=EGreview>{{cite web |url=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/joe-danger-review |title=Joe Danger PlayStation 3 Review |publisher=[[Eurogamer]] |first=Tom |last=Bramwell |date=8 June 2010 |
|
▲| EuroG = 8/10<ref name=EGreview>{{cite web |url=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/joe-danger-review |title=Joe Danger PlayStation 3 Review |publisher=[[Eurogamer]] |first=Tom |last=Bramwell |date=8 June 2010 |accessdate=7 December 2010}}</ref>
| IGN = 9.5/10<ref name=IGNreview />
}}
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The single-player gameplay mode of ''Joe Danger'' was generally well received by critics. The game's accessibility was a source of praise; according to Eric Neigher of [[1UP.com]], it allows for "five-minute sprints" of gameplay, although more in-depth options take up more time.<ref name=1UPreview /> [[IGN]]'s Daemon Hatfield compared the game favourably to [[Nintendo Entertainment System]] launch title ''[[Excitebike]]'', and said that ''Joe Danger'' felt like a Nintendo game.<ref name=IGNreview /> Other critics focused on similarities to ''Super Mario Bros.'', such as [[Nonlinear gameplay#Nonlinear level design|non-linear level progression]] (the ability to play levels in any order, providing that the player has earned enough stars to "unlock" the level), the encouragement to play through multiple times to complete every objective, and the use of platforms.<ref name=AVClub /><ref name=1UPreview /> Another influences noted with favour by critics was the combo system, which some compared with the ''[[Tony Hawk's (series)|Tony Hawk's]]'' [[Tony Hawk's (series)|series]] of [[skateboarding]] games.<ref name=GIReview /> Comments were also made on the influence of early ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' titles.<ref name=EGreview /> The cheerful, cartoon-like nature of ''Joe Danger''{{'s}} artwork was well received; Eurogamer's Tom Bramwell said "I've worked on games websites for over a decade and not enough games are happy and colourful. This one is. More of this, please, everyone."<ref name=EGint />
Opinions were less uniformly complimentary about other modes of the game. Scott Alan Marriott of [[G4 (U.S. TV channel)|G4 TV]] was disappointed with the shortage of options in multiplayer modes, in particular the inability to play against others online.<ref name=G4TV /> The game's leaderboard feature was another source of criticism, with several reviewers noting severe [[lag (video games)|lag]] issues.<ref name=EGreview /> ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]''{{'s}} Martin Gaston said "it would also have been nice to see the game give dedicated players the opportunity to study from the world's finest by implementing online replays", an option not originally included;<ref name=TelegraphR /> the decision not to allow sharing custom courses with users outside the player's friend's list was labelled "questionable"<ref name=G4TV /> and "obtuse".<ref name=TelegraphR /> Minor criticisms related to the lack of variety in sound design and background scenery.<ref name=EscapistR /><ref name=1UPreview /> Two months after the initial release, Hello Games' first patch for ''Joe Danger'' contained features to cover most critics' concerns.<ref name=PatchNo1 />
Before its release, ''Joe Danger'' was up for the "Seumas McNally Grand Prize" and for the "Technical Excellence" award at the 2010 [[Independent Games Festival]] at the [[Game Developers Conference]], losing to ''[[Monaco: What's Yours Is Mine]]'' and ''[[Limbo (video game)|Limbo]]'' respectively.<ref>{{cite web |url=
===Commercial===
''Joe Danger'' sold over 50,000 units in its first week on sale on the PlayStation Network.<ref name=XBLAsux /> The team announced at the Develop Conference 2010 that they broke even on the day of release.<ref>{{cite web |url=
Sales for the Xbox Live Arcade version were less impressive; Langley's statistics indicate that 8,300 units sold in the first week, and by December's end that figure rested at around 16,800.<ref>{{cite web |url=
==Sequel==
{{main|Joe Danger 2: The Movie}}
==References==
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==External links==
{{Spoken Wikipedia|date=19 April 2021|En-Joe-Danger-article.ogg}}
*[http://www.hellogames.org/joe-danger/ Official website]
{{Hello Games}}
▲{{Use British English|date=November 2011}}
▲{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2016}}
[[Category:2010 video games]]
[[Category:Indie
[[Category:IOS games]]
[[Category:Motorcycle video games]]
[[Category:
[[Category:PlayStation 3 games]]
[[Category:PlayStation Network games]]
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[[Category:Xbox 360 games]]
[[Category:Xbox 360 Live Arcade games]]
[[Category:Video games with Steam Workshop
[[Category:Multiplayer and single-player video games]]
[[Category:Hello Games games]]
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