<s>
The	B-Application
Hobbit	I-Application
is	O
a	O
2003	O
action-adventure	O
game	O
developed	O
by	O
Inevitable	O
Entertainment	O
for	O
the	O
GameCube	B-Application
,	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
and	O
Xbox	B-Protocol
,	O
by	O
The	O
Fizz	O
Factor	O
for	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Windows	I-Application
,	O
and	O
by	O
Saffire	O
for	O
the	O
Game	B-Device
Boy	I-Device
Advance	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
is	O
a	O
licensed	O
adaptation	O
of	O
J	O
.	O
R	O
.	O
R	O
.	O
Tolkien	O
's	O
1937	O
novel	O
The	B-Application
Hobbit	I-Application
,	O
and	O
has	O
no	O
relationship	O
with	O
the	O
Peter	O
Jackson-directed	O
The	O
Lord	O
of	O
the	O
Rings	O
film	O
trilogy	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-Application
Hobbit	I-Application
received	O
mixed	O
reviews	O
,	O
with	O
critics	O
praising	O
its	O
fidelity	O
to	O
the	O
source	O
material	O
,	O
but	O
finding	O
the	O
gameplay	O
unoriginal	O
and	O
too	O
easy	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-Application
Hobbit	I-Application
is	O
primarily	O
a	O
platform	O
game	O
,	O
with	O
elements	O
of	O
hack	B-Application
and	I-Application
slash	I-Application
combat	O
,	O
and	O
some	O
rudimentary	O
puzzle	O
aspects	O
,	O
played	O
from	O
a	O
third-person	O
view	O
(	O
the	O
Game	B-Device
Boy	I-Device
Advance	I-Device
version	O
is	O
played	O
from	O
an	O
isometric	B-Application
three-quarter	O
top-down	O
view	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
wizard	O
Gandalf	O
arrives	O
in	O
the	O
Shire	O
to	O
get	O
the	B-Application
hobbit	I-Application
Bilbo	O
Baggins	O
to	O
join	O
thirteen	O
dwarves	O
led	O
by	O
Thorin	O
Oakenshield	O
as	O
a	O
thief	O
,	O
for	O
a	O
journey	O
to	O
the	O
Lonely	O
Mountain	O
to	O
reclaim	O
the	O
dwarves	O
 '	O
treasure	O
from	O
the	O
dragon	O
Smaug	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
awakens	O
alone	O
and	O
lost	O
,	O
and	O
wanders	O
in	O
the	O
dark	O
,	O
finding	O
a	O
ring	O
and	O
meeting	O
Gollum	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Originally	O
,	O
Sierra	O
's	O
holding	O
company	O
,	O
Vivendi	O
Universal	O
Games	O
,	O
had	O
tapped	O
Sierra	O
to	O
publish	O
a	O
game	O
based	O
on	O
the	O
first	O
book	O
in	O
Tolkien	O
's	O
The	O
Lord	O
of	O
the	O
Rings	O
trilogy	O
,	O
The	B-Application
Fellowship	I-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Ring	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
Vivendi	O
owned	O
the	O
rights	O
to	O
adapt	O
video	O
games	O
of	O
Tolkien	O
's	O
literature	O
,	O
and	O
Electronic	O
Arts	O
to	O
adapt	O
the	O
New	O
Line	O
Cinema	O
film	O
series	O
,	O
the	O
game	O
would	O
have	O
no	O
connection	O
to	O
Peter	O
Jackson	O
's	O
The	B-Application
Lord	I-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Rings	I-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Fellowship	I-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Ring	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ultimately	O
,	O
however	O
,	O
Vivendi	O
released	O
The	O
Fellowship	O
game	O
under	O
their	O
"	O
Black	O
Label	O
Games	O
"	O
banner	O
,	O
and	O
instead	O
,	O
had	O
Sierra	O
begin	O
work	O
on	O
an	O
adaptation	O
of	O
Tolkien	O
's	O
earlier	O
novel	O
,	O
The	B-Application
Hobbit	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
announced	O
on	O
February	O
25	O
,	O
2002	O
,	O
when	O
Sierra	O
Entertainment	O
revealed	O
it	O
was	O
being	O
developed	O
as	O
a	O
GameCube	B-Application
exclusive	O
by	O
Inevitable	O
Entertainment	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
July	O
19	O
,	O
2002	O
,	O
Sierra	O
announced	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
also	O
being	O
released	O
for	O
Game	B-Device
Boy	I-Device
Advance	I-Device
,	O
developed	O
by	O
Saffire	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sierra	O
also	O
revealed	O
the	O
GBA	B-Device
version	O
would	O
feature	O
more	O
stealth	O
and	O
less	O
combat	O
than	O
the	O
GameCube	B-Application
version	O
,	O
and	O
would	O
follow	O
the	O
plot	O
of	O
the	O
novel	O
a	O
little	O
more	O
closely	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
February	O
24	O
,	O
2003	O
,	O
they	O
announced	O
the	O
game	O
would	O
also	O
be	O
released	O
for	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
,	O
Xbox	B-Protocol
and	O
Windows	B-Application
,	O
with	O
Inevitable	O
Entertainment	O
handling	O
the	O
PlayStation	O
and	O
Xbox	B-Protocol
versions	O
,	O
and	O
The	O
Fizz	O
Factor	O
developing	O
the	O
Windows	B-Application
version	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
But	O
we	O
were	O
starting	O
out	O
with	O
GameCube	B-Application
as	O
the	O
lead	O
and	O
were	O
just	O
holding	O
our	O
cards	O
close	O
to	O
our	O
chest	O
before	O
announcing	O
all	O
of	O
our	O
other	O
titles	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
PS2	B-Device
is	O
,	O
of	O
course	O
,	O
the	O
most	O
problematic	O
of	O
all	O
the	O
platforms	O
for	O
developers	O
to	O
deal	O
with	O
and	O
we	O
wanted	O
to	O
make	O
sure	O
that	O
we	O
had	O
solid	O
prototypes	O
and	O
running	O
proof	O
of	O
concept	O
versions	O
before	O
we	O
made	O
it	O
public	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Embery	O
explained	O
the	O
art	O
style	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
influenced	O
by	O
the	O
Super	B-Application
Mario	I-Application
and	O
The	B-Application
Legend	I-Application
of	I-Application
Zelda	I-Application
games	O
,	O
and	O
in	O
that	O
sense	O
,	O
was	O
aimed	O
at	O
a	O
slightly	O
younger	O
audience	O
than	O
the	O
Lord	O
of	O
the	O
Rings	O
films	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Tory	O
Skinner	O
,	O
of	O
Vivendi	O
Universal	O
Games	O
,	O
further	O
stated	O
"	O
The	B-Application
Hobbit	I-Application
was	O
written	O
for	O
a	O
younger	O
audience	O
,	O
so	O
it	O
made	O
sense	O
to	O
create	O
a	O
game	O
that	O
would	O
be	O
enjoyable	O
for	O
younger	O
kids	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
adults	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Lead	O
designer	O
Chuck	O
Lupher	O
said	O
the	O
gameplay	O
was	O
also	O
influenced	O
by	O
The	B-Application
Legend	I-Application
of	I-Application
Zelda	I-Application
games	O
;	O
</s>
<s>
At	O
the	O
2003	O
Game	O
Developers	O
Conference	O
in	O
March	O
,	O
a	O
playable	O
demo	O
was	O
made	O
available	O
on	O
GameCube	B-Application
,	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
and	O
Xbox	B-Protocol
,	O
featuring	O
the	O
opening	O
level	O
in	O
Hobbiton	O
and	O
a	O
later	O
level	O
in	O
the	O
caves	O
of	O
the	O
Misty	O
Mountains	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
GBA	B-Device
version	O
used	O
its	O
own	O
engine	O
developed	O
by	O
Saffire	O
,	O
but	O
the	O
gameplay	O
and	O
storyline	O
were	O
derived	O
from	O
Inevitable	O
's	O
build	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-Application
Hobbit	I-Application
received	O
mixed	O
reviews	O
across	O
all	O
platforms	O
,	O
according	O
to	O
the	O
review	B-Application
aggregators	I-Application
Metacritic	O
and	O
GameRankings	O
,	O
with	O
aggregate	O
scores	O
ranging	O
from	O
59%	O
to	O
67%	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
IGN	O
called	O
the	O
Game	B-Device
Boy	I-Device
Advance	I-Device
version	O
a	O
good	O
action	O
game	O
with	O
impressive	O
graphics	O
,	O
but	O
thought	O
it	O
lacked	O
a	O
sense	O
of	O
grandeur	O
,	O
with	O
all	O
the	O
quests	O
and	O
battles	O
coming	O
across	O
as	O
trivial	O
and	O
unimportant	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Reviewing	O
the	O
other	O
versions	O
,	O
they	O
still	O
enjoyed	O
the	O
action	O
and	O
visuals	O
,	O
but	O
said	O
that	O
they	O
found	O
the	O
gameplay	O
similar	O
to	O
The	B-Application
Legend	I-Application
of	I-Application
Zelda	I-Application
,	O
but	O
not	O
executed	O
as	O
well	O
;	O
they	O
primarily	O
recommended	O
it	O
to	O
"	O
hardcore	O
Tolkien	O
fans	O
"	O
and	O
young	O
players	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Eurogamer	O
panned	O
the	O
Xbox	B-Protocol
version	O
,	O
calling	O
it	O
"	O
painfully	O
average	O
"	O
,	O
with	O
subpar	O
graphics	O
,	O
repetitive	O
levels	O
,	O
and	O
too	O
many	O
"	O
find-the-key	O
"	O
scenarios	O
.	O
</s>
