Padded Cell Studios

Note : Not related to the THQ game company Malibu Games.

Background : Malibu Interactive was the game development division of Malibu Comics Entertainment, Inc. It arose from the merger of Bob Jacob's Acme Interactive with the Malibu Graphics Publishing Group, a comic book publisher. The developer closed down in 1994, when the parent company was acquired by Marvel Comics. The last title they worked on was Ultraverse Prime, of which the SNES version remained unreleased (though there is a prototype available online) and the Sega CD version was released as a pack-in: Ultraverse: Prime / Microcosm. It was eventually sold to GameTek and rebranded it to "Padded Cell Studios" before being sold in 1997 to Interplay and renamed it to "V.R.T.O., Inc.".

1st Logo (1992-1994)
Logo : On a blue background, we see a white-purple gradient box featuring the then-current Malibu Comics logo of the era (a red circle with a blue outline and a yellow "M" word behind it). On the right is a black rectangle with the yellow words "M ALIBU I NTERACTIVE " with streaks behind it at the end. On the top right of the logo is the yellow word "TM" with a black outline. Below it is a byline "A Division of Malibu Comics Entertainment, Inc." and below everything else is "Presents".

Variants :
 * On Ridddick Bowe Boxing for SNES, the logo is smaller and it lacks a byline and the gradient box. Plus the word "A" and "PRODUCTION" is shown above and below the logo.
 * On Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends for the Genesis, the logo lacks a gradient box. Plus the THQ Software logo is shown above the logo and the word "AND". The byline is shown in two lines and in uppercased and lacks an "A". Also instead of "Presents", the copyright notice is shown below. Also the background is in turquoise.
 * On Sports Illustrated: Championship Football & Baseball for SNES, it is similar to the above variant, but with the Malibu Games logo replacing the THQ Software logo, and the word "A" is shown on the right of "DIVISION". Plus instead of the copyright notice, the yellow word "PRESENT" is shown below. The background is also of repeating Sports Illustrated logos (like with the preceding Malibu Games logo). On the European version called All-American Championship Football, the background is replaced by a wallpaper of a football and a helmet.

FX/SFX : None.

Music/Sounds : None or the opening theme of the game.

Availability : The normal version is only seen on Ex-Mutants for the Genesis. The variants is seen on the aformentioned games.

Editor's Note : None.

2nd Logo (1994)
Logo : Same as the previous logo, but the Malibu Comics logo of the era is now a red circle with an abstract "M" with a red circle cut out behind the spiked lines. Plus the "TM" symbol is now on the top right of the Malibu Comics logo, rather than on the logo itself. Plus, the byline is in blue gradient, and now in uppercase and in three lines. Below it is copyright details regarding the game.

FX/SFX : None.

Music/Sounds : None.

Availability : Seen only on two games Time Trax for SNES and Genesis (the latter goes into unreleased territory) and the SNES version of 3 Ninjas Kick Back.

Editor's Note : None.

3rd Logo (1994)
Logo : On a purple-white gradient background with a scrolling wallpaper of Malibu Comics logo, we see a more beveled version of the Malibu Comics logo from the last logo, only this time lacking a rectangle. Instead, we see the white stacked words "MALIBU INTERACTIVE", with a red-gradient shadow and a black outline behind it. Plus there's a byline "A DIVISION OF MALIBU COMICS ENTERTAINMENT, INC." in a blue-white gradient, with a red gradient shadow and a black outline behind it. Everything else is surrounded by a shadow. The Malibu Comics logo then shines.

Variants : FX/SFX : The shining.
 * On 3 Ninjas Kick Back for Sega CD, the background is still.
 * On 3 Ninjas Kick Back for Sega Genesis, the background is solid purple.

Music/Sounds : None.

Availability : Seen on the unfinished game Prime for SNES. The variant is seen on the aformentioned game above.

Editor's Note : None.

4th Logo (1994)
Logo : Below the Extreme Entertainment Group logo over a dark blue background, we see the Malibu Interactive logo in a similar design to the last logo, only it looked less shiny, the colors on the "M" and circle were swapped out, the Malibu Comics logo is more solid, and the text is in red, and everything else in the grey shadow. The Malibu Comics Entertainment byline is in blue gradient and the font is the same as the variants of the 1st logo.

FX/SFX : None.

Music/Sounds : None.

Availability : Only seen on Battletech for the Genesis.

Editor's Note : None.

5th Logo (1994)
Logo : On a black background, we see a 3D version of the Malibu Comics logo from the previous logos rotating, but only this time, the spikes behind the "M" are colored red rather than yellow and the circle behind it was removed. The camera than pans downward, and we reveal the blue text "MALIBU INTERACTIVE" falling down and then it settles it behind the Malibu Comics logo.

FX/SFX : CGI animation.

Music/Sounds : A sound bite of a man screaming.

Availability : Only seen on Ultraverse Prime for SEGA CD.

Editor's Note : None.

Padded Cell Studios
(1997)

Logo : On a brick wall, we see a window inside with four ancient borders behind it. Inside a window, we see a brain-looking head with a grim expression, and below it is a white shirt with pajama pants and a feet, forming a sad-looking man, over a spotlight on a stone carved wall. Above and below the head is "DEVELOPED BY" in white and a blue textured outline, and below it is "PADDED CELL STUDIOS" in a condensed font in the same texture with an ™ on the top right of the name.

FX/SFX : None.

Music/Sounds : None.

Availability : Only seen on Jimmy Johnson's VR Football '98 for PS1.

Editor's Note : None.