Planet Moon Studios

Planet Moon Studios was an American video game development studio founded in 1997 by former members of the Shiny Entertainment team. The studio was based in California and, during its existence, primarily developed action, comedy-themed and licensed games for PC and consoles.

The studio’s first and one of its most famous projects was Giants: Citizen Kabuto. This original action game combines a third-person shooter with strategic elements and distinctive humour. Players gradually take control of several very different characters and factions, which means that the gameplay style also changes throughout the campaign.

Giants: Citizen Kabuto was originally released for PC and later made its way to PlayStation 2. Over time, the game built up a cult following, largely thanks to its unusual world, humour and the blending of several game genres.

Another notable title was Armed & Dangerous, an action shooter released for Xbox and PC. Players take control of a group of unusual heroes known as the Lionhearts and fight against the army of a tyrannical king.

Armed & Dangerous is characterised above all by its absurd humour and unconventional weapons. Among the best-known are, for example, the Land Shark Gun, which launches a shark moving underground, or the Topsy-Turvy Bomb, capable of literally turning the world upside down.

Planet Moon Studios also developed Infected for the PSP. It is a fast-paced action shooter set in New York during an epidemic that transforms the city’s inhabitants into dangerous mutants. The player fights them using an extensive arsenal and tries to prevent the infection from spreading further.

The studio’s later work also included After Burner: Black Falcon for the PSP, on which Planet Moon collaborated with other developers, and several games based on well-known licences.

Licensed projects include, for example, Smarty Pants for the Nintendo Wii, a quiz game utilising the console’s motion controls, and Battle of the Bands, a music-action title also developed for the Wii.

Throughout its history, Planet Moon Studios has become particularly renowned for games that combined action, unconventional gameplay mechanics and distinctive humour. In particular, Giants: Citizen Kabuto and Armed & Dangerous have retained cult status amongst players thanks to their distinctive style.

Thanks to titles such as Giants: Citizen Kabuto, Armed & Dangerous and Infected, Planet Moon Studios ranks amongst the most interesting American game studios of the late 1990s and the first decade of the 21st century.