Showing posts with label Activision. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Activision. Show all posts

Saturday, 1 August 2020

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I'm afraid of no lawyers

The Real Ghostbusters or just those owned by the studio with the most money and scariest legal team? I investigate the various contradictory ownership claims of the inconveniently generic moniker, whilst reviewing Activision's game of the cartoon, of the action figures, of the movie (not of the entirely independent TV show that predates it), which, as it happens, is merely a re-skinned, re-imagining of Data East's Meikyuu Hunter G. Could this be the franchise(s) that kickstarted the KISS philosophy? ;)

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Wednesday, 15 July 2020

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The hate is strong with this one...

Howard the Duck - the 1986 sci-fi comedy movie based on Marvel's comic book - relays the everyday tale of an anthropomorphic quaker plucked from his Duckworld habitat and catapulted into Cleveland, Ohio, to save the human race from a dark, despicable overlord appropriately known as the Dark Overlord. Obviously, he immediately strikes up a mutual romantic liaison with Lea Thompson, performs on stage as a feathery appendage to her 'Cherry Bomb' rock band, and assists in sacking their manager, assuming the vacant role himself.

As time allows, Howard takes a break from his hilarious duck-earth acclimatisation shemozzle to train the reticle of an experimental neutron disintegrator on the Dark Overlord. But will E.T. ever get the opportunity to phone home, and if so, will anyone answer?

Embodying Howard in Activision's licensed movie tie-in game, the objective is to rescue our new pals Phil (Tim Robbins) and Beverly (Lea Thompson) who are being held hostage in an active volcano by the dastardly Dark Overlord. As a master of Quack Fu, Howard's lethally precise weapons are his bare fists and feet, which must be expertly deployed against Dracula lookalikes whilst traversing the island on which our nemesis now resides. Ironically, given that alternate superhero Howard can't swim, reaching the Dark Overlord at the far side of his stomping ground entails waddling around quicksand, jetskiing across the sea and swooping over the tropical landscape in an ultralight hand glider as seen in the movie.

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Friday, 10 July 2020

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If it bleeps we can over-analyse it!

Arnie Schwarzenegger is drafted in to lead an elite paramilitary squad on a wild goose chase to rescue a couple of political VIPs. What he hasn't factored in is a toxic confrontation with a hideously ugly alien head hunter played by Bigfoot, Kevin Peter Hall.

John McTiernan's action sci-fi movie is quite rightly considered a gung-ho, testosterone-fueled classic today, largely for its ridiculous, quotable one-liners, intensely overblown artillery and impressive special effects.

Published in 1987 to coincide with the movie it is allegedly based upon, Activision's Amiga game of the same name, developed by Source the Software House, isn't quite so enthralling, memorable for the wrong reasons. I cut it open with a machete and check for green blood.

Monday, 29 June 2020

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I dreamed a dream in times gone by

Not entirely enamoured with being recruited for babysitting duties, Sarah (Jennifer Connelly) invites the Goblin King (David Bowie) to whisk away her shrieking sprog brother, Toby. Overcome with guilt and remorse, thus begins a cat and mouse chase to recover the pest before he is lost forever. Embarking on an odyssey teeming with intrigue and wonderment, we're introduced to a cast of larger than life, delightful Jim Henson creations, and beyond reason, are lulled into believing they possess consciousness, unique personalities, hopes and dreams.

Lucasfilm themselves took on the mantle of converting the musical fantasy classic, Labyrinth, to various home computer formats. What they devised is a dialogue-driven enchanting embodiment of early point and click adventuring, without the mouse. I explore the merits of each medium side by side, joining the inspirational dots along the way.

Friday, 26 June 2020

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A storm in a proton pack

Ghostbusters II's pixely interpretation sequel is a menagerie of three disparate arcade-action mini-games that attempt to capture the exhilaration of a key sequence taken from the celluloid blockbuster. Comprising 2D scrolling and isometric viewpoints, they range in difficulty from hair-pullingly insane to a walk in Central Park, some more tedious than challenging as a result. Whatever the case, they're at least instantly recognisable and artistically reimagined.

Foursfield took on the developmental duties, whilst it was published by Activision in 1989 for all the popular 8 and 16-bit systems of the era. My assessment attempts to cover them all, tracing each element back to its source material, reviewing the game and movie in synchrony.