“Welcome to your new life!”
Animal Crossing: New Leaf | Platform: Nintendo 3DS | Developer: Nintendo EAD | Publisher: Nintendo of America| Originally Played From: March 7, 2014 – November 21, 2016 | Originally Released (North America): June 9, 2013 | Released (Japan): November 8, 2012 | Released (Europe): June 14, 2013 | Released (Australia): June 15, 2013
Continue reading Animal Crossing: New Leaf Part One: Welcome to Ylisstol
“An Epic Third Person Sci-Fi Action Shooter from the Critically Acclaimed Game Director Shinji Mikami”
Vanquish
Developer: Platinum Games, Inc. | Platform: Xbox 360 | Released: October 19, 2010 | Publisher: Sega | Originally Played From: July 10, 2012 – September 14, 2012
“A Sinister Planet Threatens the Galaxy!”
Metroid II: Return of Samus | System: Nintendo 3DS (Virtual Console) | Developer: Nintendo R&D 1 | Publisher: Nintendo |Original Platform: Game Boy | Released (North America): November 1991 | Released (Japan): January 21, 1992 | Released (Europe): May 21, 1992 | Played From: December 14, 2014 – May 4, 2016
Bad acting in video games! It’s funny, but if we dig a little deeper, what else can we find? The simple reasons why so much of the acting in early games was so bad, whether or not some of these actors went on to do any more acting, and some of the technical reasons why it was so poor. Let’s jump in!
This YouTube video has the answers to the basic question of why acting in early games was so bad:
If you can’t or don’t want to watch the video (which I highly recommend), to sum up the most common reasons: No one had any idea what they were doing back then, the people involved usually didn’t really care about what they were doing, most of the budget went to other aspects of development (leading to members of the dev teams having to attempt to act; I don’t envy being in this position), actors usually performed alone and with little knowledge of context or character relationships (which a good director would provide), and their equipment sometimes wasn’t quite up to snuff, either, with bad microphones. I would posit a few other factors: Some of the people involved with acting and direction didn’t take games seriously, no one really had many connections to experienced actors and directors, and let’s be honest – game writing usually wasn’t that great back in the day. Games were frequently content to regurgitate fantasy/science fiction tropes to justify basic plots. Another aspect to this is how abysmal some of the Japanese-to-English localizations were at the time, as we’ll see in many examples.
“The Most Lethal Weapon in the Galaxy… Your Squad”
Star Wars: Republic Commando
Developer: LucasArts| Publisher: Electronic Arts K.K.| Released: February 17, 2005| System: Xbox (played on Xbox 360)| Originally Played From: March 3, 2019 – March 22, 2019
SW: RC is a cult classic, squad-based, single-player first-person shooter wherein you play as a squad of Republic clone troopers. The game takes place during the prequel trilogy.
Continue reading Adaptation April 2021: Star Wars: Republic Commando Part One of Two
“Survive the Horror”
Resident Evil| Written and Directed by Paul W.S. Anderson
The first movie! It’s relatively grounded, especially considering how the series turned out.
Continue reading Adaptation April 2021: Resident Evil (The First Movie)
“Join the Party, Split Your Enemies”
Chronicles of Mystara: Dungeons & Dragons: Tower of Doom| Platform: Xbox 360| Developer: Iron Galaxy| Publisher: Capcom| Released: August 22, 2013| Originally Played From: December 21, 2018 – December 24, 2018
Sometimes, I forget that Capcom used to make lots of licensed games. CoM collects both of their D&D beat ‘em ups. Both games boast multiplayer for up to four participants, and each player has to choose a class. Each class has distinct abilities.
Fighter: The balanced guy, who also has the highest amount of health
Elf: Has short range and less power, but has seven spells at her command
Cleric: The best character at using shields to block. He also has five spells
Dwarf: Has short range, but the quickest combos
Continue reading Adaptation April 2021: Dungeons & Dragons: Chronicles of Mystara
“The ALIENS are fast, spit acid, and are right behind YOU!”
Alien 3 (NES)| Developer: Probe| Publisher: LJN| Released: March 1993
Talking about some of the games based on what may be the worst Alien movie out of the original quadrilogy? Sure, why not. Despite… most of the recent flicks in the series, I still love the franchise, and these games have some interesting trivia, like which one adapts the film’s tragic ending. It may not be the one that you’d think.
The NES, Sega Master System, Genesis, and Game Gear games based on the flick have the same basic premise: As Ripley, you have to run around the levels and rescue the other prisoners and reach the exit under the time limit. Depending on which version you’re playing, this is easier said than done.
Contrary to the flick’s premise, there are numerous aliens wandering around instead of just one, and Ripley is packing heat to deal with them, but because all of the prisoners are trapped in Xenomorph webbing, none of them are free to help her. The Super NES version of the game is a bit more involved because you acquire multiple objectives per level, and you can do them in any order you wish.
Continue reading Adaptation April 2021: Alien 3 (NES, Sega Genesis, and Super NES)
Darwin: “We’re finally strong enough to take on THE AWESOME STORE! Let’s go!”
Gumball: “Wait, don’t you kinda want to hear that awesome battle music one last time?”
–The Amazing World of Gumball, “The Console”
“On the unforgiving world of Pandora a Hyperion suit and a con artist embark on an adventure to recover cash they both think is theirs.”
Tales from the Borderlands|Developer: Telltale Games|Publisher: 2K Games|Platform: Xbox 360|Originally Played From: July 16, 2016 – July 23, 2016|Released: April 26, 2016 (Complete Collection; all five episodes originally released from November 2014 – October 2015)
Continue reading Tales from the Borderlands Part One: We Dig Giant Robots
Doom (1993)
Platform: Xbox 360|Developer: id Software|Publisher: Bethesda|Released (Original PC Version): December 10, 1993|Released (XB360 Version): September 27, 2006|Originally Played From: October 13, 2016 – October 26, 2016
A portal to Hell opens up after the Union Aerospace Corporation experiments with teleportation between Mars’ two moons, Phobos and Deimos. You are an unnamed Marine who has to fight his way out of Phobos’ moon base, braving the horrors that now call it home.
The PC game originally consisted of three Episodes made up of eight missions each. The first Episode: Knee-Deep in the Dead.
“Bloody Brutal Monster Violence”
Splatterhouse (2010)
Developer (until 2009): BottleRocket|Developer: Namco Bandai Games|Publisher: Namco Bandai Games|Platform: PlayStation 3|Released (North America): November 23, 2010|Released (Australia): November 25, 2010|Released (Europe): November 26, 2010|Originally Played From: July 8, 2012 – October 9, 2012
This is a 3D reboot of Namco’s cult classic, horror-themed beat ‘em up, Splatterhouse. It uses a premise similar to the first game, wherein Rick has to rescue his girlfriend, Jennifer, from the nefarious Dr. West. To do this, Rick has to make a devil’s pact with a certain artifact…
It all began when Jennifer was supposed to interview West, a professor of “necrobiology”, at his mansion. Rick went with Jennifer, not only to look out for her, but also to propose. Before he can, however, some specimens of West’s experiments attack the couple, kidnapping Jennifer and leaving Rick at death’s door. Rick manages to knock open a sarcophagus… and that’s when he meets him.
“Rise up soldiers and prepare for battle!”
Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together| Developer/Publisher: Square Enix| Platform: PlayStation Portable| Released (North America): February 15, 2011| Released (Europe): February 25, 2011| Released (Japan): November 11, 2010| Originally Played From: August 29, 2012 – July 4, 2018 Continue reading Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together Part One: Good Company
| Name (Western/Japanese) | Onomatology (Western/JP) | Catchphrase |
| Nan; スミ Sumi | Reference to nanny, a word for a female goat; It means charcoal or Japanese ink, which is a reference to her dark coloration | “kid” |
| Nana; チッチ, Chicchi | Reference to bananas, which monkeys typically eat. Incidentally, nana is also seven in Japanese; Possible reference to the Monchicchi dolls in Japan that resemble monkeys | “po po” |
| Name (Western/Japanese) | Onomatology (Western/JP) | Catchphrase |
| Pancetti; ブリトニー Buritonī | Reference to a type of bacon; Possible pun on the Japanese onomatopoeia bu, meaning oink. Could also be a possible reference to Britney Spears, which is strange, considering that her father is the real pig. Her JP name is transliterated into the Chinese and Korean versions as well | “sooey” |
| Pashmina; バーバラ, Bābara | Reference to pashmina scarves, which are made from cashmere derived from goats; Pun on the baa sound that goats and sheep are famous for, and the name Barbara | “kidders” |
| Patty; カルピ, Karupi | Reference to either, well, beef patties or… cow pat, a term for bovine defecate. Jeez, why’d they have to do Patty so dirty?; Possible reference to the Japanese milk-based soft drink Karupisu | “how now” |
| Peanut; ももこ, Momoko | Reference to peanuts; Reference to her pink fur (momo means peaches in Japanese); -ko is a female name suffix | “slacker” |
| Name (Western/Japanese) | Onomatology (Western/JP) | Catchphrase |
| Peewee; ダンベル, Danberu | A joke on his size and age; It means dumbbell in English, referencing the large size of gorillas. Note that Peewee has the cranky personality instead of the jock personality | “li’l dude”, “li’l bitty baby” (Animal Crossing: New Horizons) |
| Pekoe; ジャスミン Jasumin | Reference to unopened leaf buds in tea flushes; Reference to jasmine tea | “bud” |
| Name (Western/Japanese) | Onomatology (Western/JP) | Catchphrase |
| Phoebe; ヒノコ Hinoko | This one is easy. Phoebe is a reference to the mythical phoenix, which she resembles; Hinoko means sparks and is also a play on the Japanese word for phoenix, hinotori (literally bird of fire) | “sparky” |
| Name (Western/Japanese) | Onomatology (Western/JP) | Catchphrase |
| Pierce; セバスチャン, Sebasuchan | Reference to how bird beaks and talons can pierce their prey; Possible reference to Sebastian the Ibis, a Florida collegiate sports team mascot? It’s a reach, I know | “winger” |
| Plucky; パタヤ, Pataya | Reference to how feathers get plucked; Reference to patapata, a Japanese flying onomatopoeia | “chicky-poo” |
| Poncho; ポンチョ, Poncho | This cute little guy’s name references the piece of clothing of the same name in both languages | “li’l bear” |
| Name (Western/Japanese) | Onomatology (Western/JP) | Catchphrase |
| Prince; カール Kāru | Reference to the fairy tale The Frog Prince; Reference to the word kaeru, meaning frog. May also be a reference to Karl, the mascot of Curl snacks, who is friends with a frog | “burrup” |
| Puck; ホッケー, Hokkē | Reference to hockey pucks; It means hockey in Japanese! | “brrrrrrrrr” |
| Purrl; たま, Tama | Pun on the name Pearl and cats’ tendency to purr; It is a common name for housecats in Japan | “kitten” |
| Name (Western/Japanese) | Onomatology (Western/JP) | Catchphrase |
| Leonardo; ヒョウタ, Hyōta | Reference to the Latin root leo, meaning lion, even though Leonardo is a tiger; His Japanese name makes more sense as hyou is the word for tiger. -ta is a masculine name suffix | “flexin’” |
| Leopold; ティーチャ―, Tīchā | See above; His Japanese name literally means… teacher | “lion cub” |
| Name (Western/JP) | Onomatology (Western/JP) | Catchphrase |
| Lily; レイニー Reinī | Reference to lily pads; Reference to how frogs enjoy rainy weather | “toady”/”zrrbbit” |
| Name (Western/JP) | Onomatology (Western/JP) | Catchphrase |
| Limberg; らっきょ, Rakkyo | Named after the cheese; Named after an odoriferous Chinese onion | “squinky” |
| Lolly; ラムネ, Ramune | Reference to lollipops; Named after that awesome Japanese soda that stays really carbonated because of the marble stopper in the neck of the bottle | “bonbon” |
| Name (Western/JP) | Onomatology (Western/JP) | Catchphrase |
| Lopez; トムソン, Tomuson | Reference to antelopes or deer; Reference to Thomson’s Gazelle, a species of antelope | “buckaroo”/”badoom” |
| Lucha; マスカラス, Masukarasu | Named after Mexican wrestling, which he is also styled after; Named after Mil Máscaras, a famous luchador | “cacaw” |
| Name (Western/JP) | Onomatology (Western/JP) | Catchphrase |
| Lucky; ラッキー, Rakkī | This poor pupper’s name is ironic because of his bandaged appearance | “rrr-owch” |
| Name (Western/JP) | Onomatology (Western/JP) | Catchphrase |
| Maple; メープル, Mēpuru | Both of her names reference maple syrup, befitting her sweet personality | “honey” |
| Name (Western/JP) | Onomatology (Western/JP) | Catchphrase |
| Margie; サリー, Sarī | Possible reference to Margie the elephant, an actress featured in several TV shows; Reference to her initial outfit, which resembles the Indian dress sari. India is also one of the habitats of elephants | “tootie” |
| Marshal; ジュン, Jun | Possible reference to his resemblance to marshmallows; Jun is a Japanese given name that can mean genuine or pure | “sulky” |
| Name (Western/JP) | Onomatology (Western/JP) | Catchphrase |
| Melba; アデレード, Aderēdo | Reference to Melba toast, and possibly a reference to Melbourne, Australia; Reference to Adelaide, Australia | “toasty” |
| Merengue; パティ, Pati | Reference to meringue; Reference to pâtissière, a word for a French pastry chef | “shortcake” |
| Name (Western/JP) | Onomatology (Western/JP) | Catchphrase |
| Mint; ミント Minto | Both of her names reference the color of her fur | “ahhhhhh” |
| Mitzi; マール, Māru | Possible reference to how her paws look like they have mittens on them, and Mitzi is a generic word for cat in Hebrew; It means circle in Japanese, possibly referencing the marking on her face | “mew” |
| Name (Western/Japanese) | Onomatology (Western/JP) | Catchphrase |
| Hamlet; ハムスケ, Hamusuke | Both names reference his species (hamster); his Japanese name combines the word for hamster (hamusuta) with the masculine name suffix -suke | “hammie” |
| Iggly; のりまき, Norimaki | Pun on igloo; Reference to a type of sushi and the common name Noriaki | “waddler” |
| Jacques; ジョッキー, Jokki | Both of his names reference the fact that he is a DJ | “zut alors” |
| Jambette; エスメラルダ, Esumeraruda | It means “legs” in French, so it’s a pun on her species (frog); It translates to Esmeralda, which is a reference to emeralds and how the color of her skin resembles one | “croak-kay” |
| Jeremiah; クワトロ, Quattro | Reference to the lyric “Jeremiah was a bullfrog” from the Three Dog Night song “Joy to the World”; His Japanese name means four in Italian, and I couldn’t figure out why | “nee-deep” |
| Julian; ジュリー, Jurī | Both of his names may be references to Julius Caesar, who professed to be related to the Roman goddess Venus. His initial outfit looks like space. Finally, his birthday is in March, possibly referencing the Ides of March, the day on which Caesar was assassinated | “glitter” |
| Ken; クロベエ, Kurobē | A pun on his species (chicken); Kuro means black, referencing his color scheme | “no doubt” |
| Ketchup; ケチャップ, Kechappu | Both of her names reference her resemblance to a tomato. How cute~ | “bitty” |
| Kevin; イノッチ Inocchi | Reference to Kevin Bacon; Reference to the Japanese word for wild boar | “weeweewee” |
| Kid Cat; 1ごう, Ichi Gō | To be honest, I don’t know how his name is supposed to tie into the superhero theme that he and his fellows, Big Top and Agent S, have. “Kid” is more fitting of a sidekick than a superhero team leader; It literally means “Number One” in Japanese, indicating his status as the leader of his super sentai team, befitting the red color scheme of his outfit | “psst” |
| Kiki; キャビア, Kyabia | Possible reference to the black cat Jiji belonging to the eponymous witch in Kiki’s Delivery Service; It means caviar in English, which is a food that cats love | “kitty cat” |
| Klaus; クマロス, Kumarosu | Pun on claws, which bears such as him possess to great effect; Kuma is Japanese for bear | “strudel” |
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