AUSRETROGAMER

The Pop-Culture E-Zine

You are here: Home / Archives for David Cutler

David Cutler

Gamer Golf or Real Golf?

By

By: D.C. Cutler, U.S.A.

Sometimes it’s hard to decide to play golf on Nintendo Switch or play on a real course in the elements. I recently had an experience where I wished that I had stayed home and played golf on my Switch or Playstation.

When you play golf on Switch, you don’t have to worry about other golfers, especially ones with bad attitudes, coming up behind you and giving you anxiety. Playing real golf makes me a little anxious at times anyway.

I was playing on this small, 9-hole course the other day and a light rain was coming down; it was the kind of weather that I liked playing golf in. When I was playing on the 4th hole, a fun par 3, I noticed this older gentleman coming up quickly on the hole behind me. He was playing very fast. When I put my ball into the hole, my phone rang. It was an important call. I walked off the course slightly and took the call. The elderly gentleman played the par 3 rapidly. When he was done, he approached me with a heated look on his face.

He asked, “Do you want to play together?”

“I’d probably slow you down,” I replied. “You can go ahead of me.”

He chuckled and walked on in a huff. I wanted to play alone, and he looked like a fast player. There was no one behind me after the call, so I could take my time.

After some time passed, I was setting up my shot on the 6th tee, and I saw the older gentleman talking to the ground crew guys who were working on the putting green of the hole ahead, hole 7. It looked like he was yelling, and he kept pointing at me. His arms were very animated. I hit my shot with a 3 wood and the ball landed near a sand trap. As I was walking to my ball, I saw the older gentleman coming toward me in the distance.

As he began to approach me, I took a few practice swings with my pitching wedge. My hand on the grip got tighter as he came closer. He looked upset. I stopped studying my shot and just stared at him. Suddenly, he stopped in his tracks, and turned around and started walking in the opposite direction. He was muttering something as he left my hole.

After that interaction, I shot 2-over. So, not a bad day on the course in hindsight.

Golf in my living room never involves worrying about any speedy, angry players rushing me. I’ve probably played a round of golf on “Tiger Woods PGA Tour,” on Playstation, hundreds of times, and not once have I ever felt hurried while on a difficult hole.



007 Bond, a Laser Watch, and Rolex

By

By: D.C. Cutler, U.S.A.

“From Russia with Love” is one of the best James Bond video games. Sean Connery made a rare return to the iconic character by contributing his voice to the EA Redwood Shores (now Visceral Games) game. The fact that EA Redwood Shores got Connery back to voice Bond seems miraculous now. Having him contribute to something new in the 007 medium was an incredible accomplishment on EA’s part.

The 2005, third-person shooter video game is as entertaining as the classic Bond film it’s based on. I liked how the game used elements from the later films, like the jet pack from “Thunderball,” and the Aston Martin DB5 that was introduced in “Goldfinger.” Entertainment Arts should have produced another Bond game with Connery’s younger likeness as Bond; however, they lost the rights to Activision in 2006.

I really enjoyed using the laser watch in the “From Russia with Love” game. You used the wristwatch to penetrate bulletproof glass and destroy control panels. The watch in the game looks like Bond’s Rolex Submariner 6538. During the great action of the game, it’s sort of difficult to see an up-close image of the classic wristwatch, but it looks like the iconic Submariner 6538 to me.

JAMES BOND’S ROLEX SUBMARINER 6538. Image source: everestbands

In the scene at the beginning of “Goldfinger,” when Connery, dressed in a white tuxedo, peers down at his Rolex Submariner, it may have been one of the most blatant product placements in a film. I’ve always wondered how many Rolex Submariners were sold due to that quick shot in “Goldfinger” when Connery steadily lights up the face of the wristwatch with his lighter.

I’m sure there were thousands of men who saw that watch in “Goldfinger” and went directly to a jeweler. I’m sure a Rolex was as expensive in 1964 as they are today, adjusted cost, of course. The Rolex Submariner 6538 has become such an iconic watch because of Bond. Almost sixty years after the release of “Goldfinger,” Rolex is still the ultimate luxury watch. There’s Tag Heuer and Richard Mille, but Rolex seems like a classic, just like James Bond.



We Need a Good ‘Hitman’ Movie

By

By: D.C. Cutler, U.S.A.

With “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” breaking records at the global box office, it makes me wonder why it took Hollywood so long to produce such a successful film based on a video game property. There have been other films based on video games that have made money (“Sonic the Hedgehog” and its sequel), but nothing like the grosses of “The Super Mario Bros. Movie.” It’ll easily pass the $1 billion mark worldwide.

I caught the “Hitman” films on cable recently, and as someone who loves the games, one thought raced through my mind: How did they screw this up? The 2007 “Hitman” film, starring Timothy Olyphant as the assassin, had no redeemable value whatsoever…it’s a violent mess that gets mindbogglingly boring by the third act. And the villains were cartoons. When I saw it in the movie theater, I was peering at my watch, waiting for the credits to roll. Olyphant is an immensely talented actor; he couldn’t even save the film.

The 2007 Hitman film starring Timothy Olyphant was a violent mess

The “Hitman” world from the games is so rich and sprawling. Producers and Hollywood executives had enough material from the iconic game for five movies. Or they could’ve taken all the great parts of the games and put them in one film.

When I heard the news that Rupert Friend was set to star in “Hitman: Agent 47,” I had hoped that the film could be exceptional. I was a fan of Rupert Friend’s performance on the Showtime series “Homeland.” He was terrific as CIA operative Peter Quinn. The British actor was miscast as the assassin. I remember being confused by the muddled opening credits that had clips that were more interesting than most of the action sequences in the film. It didn’t help that every actor and actress in the movie seemed extremely wooden.

“Hitman 2: Silent Assassin” is one of my favorite video games. The IO Interactive developed, stealth video game had the best storyline of any “Hitman.” Back in the early 2000s, I played “Silent Assassin” on my GameCube. The story of Codename 47 who comes out of retirement when his friend, Reverend Emilio Vittorio, is kidnapped by unknown assailants, could make a great plot for a “Hitman” film. It’s not an origin story, but it could be an excellent spine for a screenplay. 47 resumes work for the ICA in hopes of finding his close friend.

I doubt a studio will finance another “Hitman” film after the dismal box office returns of the previous two. However, the “Hitman” games are so iconic, there must be a filmmaker who can put their own imaginative spin on the vast property.



My ‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ Weekend

By

By: D.C. Cutler, U.S.A.

Here is a little secret about entertainment: if something is good, people are usually going to find it and make it a success.

I’ve stayed away from buying a “Sonic the Hedgehog” game for all my life, but one recent weekend, I decided to purchase “Sonic Forces” and “Sonic Mania” for Nintendo Switch.

I’ve always played “Sonic” in a friend’s dorm room or at an arcade when I was younger, but I never bought a “Sonic” game; and I had a Sega when I was a teenager. All weekend long, I went back-and-forth playing the two Sonic games. I played “Sonic Mania” a little more because I like the retro look and feel to it.

The main thing that I’ve always enjoyed about “Sonic” games is the speed. I’m not the greatest at collecting tokens, however, I’ll get through each stage in a speedy fashion. When I land on some spikes and lose all my tokens, I’m never fazed by it. My focus is always trying to get to the end of the stage. I’m always trying to break my previous record; my time is my focus.

Before buying the games, my last interaction with “Sonic the Hedgehog” was the first film, back in 2020. I tried watching “Sonic the Hedgehog” with Jim Carrey; I got about an hour in, and said to myself, “This movie wasn’t made for me.” I hear kids love the film franchise. Worldwide, both films made $725 million combined. A third film is in the works for 2024.

When I went into my Sonic cave for the weekend, I couldn’t stop playing, I was enjoying myself so much. Yes, the game is hugely popular and iconic, but the game play, like the original “Super Mario Bros.,” is still thrilling and engaging.

And, like “Mario,” there are many iterations of “Sonic” to come. In the future, I may buy a third “Sonic” game.

image source: Ausretrogamer



Playing ‘The Last of Us’ Again

By

By: D.C. Cutler, U.S.A.

After watching the HBO smash hit “The Last of Us,” I think I’ll go back and play the original game again. The popular series tells the story of a smuggler and a teenage girl in a zombie-infested world.

When I first played “The Last of Us” when it was released in 2013, I thought the action-adventure, survival horror game was captivating and enjoyable, but I wasn’t into it that much. I played it like crazy for about a week, and then I moved on to something else. I did start a new job around the time I bought the epic game, so that might’ve contributed to me losing interest.

The HBO series has an incredible production budget, and it unquestionably shows. You are in the series’ post-apocalyptic 2023. The attention to detail is impeccable. It’s been almost ten years since I’ve played the game; breaking the game out again after watching the show sounds fun.

The show has done an amazing job creating the look of the blind infected, the “clicker” zombies, from the video game. I can see several award nominations for the series on the horizon. They are even scarier in the television series. In Episode 2, when Joel fought with one of the “clickers,” the choreography was taken directly from the massively successful game.

“The Last of Us” television show has knocked it out of the park since its debut on HBO. I thought the zombie genre was sort of getting stale, but “The Last of Us” feels like a fresh spin on the genre. The cinematography of the first three episodes has been visually flawless.

According to the industry website gamesindustry.biz, the television series is drawing in new “The Last of Us” game players, too. After the show’s release, sales jumped in the United Kingdom. Sony has already sold 37 million “The Last of Us” themed video games since the release of the original.

With only a small sample of three episodes, I’m keeping my fingers crossed for a Season 2, in 2024 or ’25. By then, time allowing, I can be caught up on playing some of the franchise. It’s a rich world that the developers of “The Last of Us” series have created for new, different mediums.



‘Star Wars Pinball’ on Nintendo Switch

By

By: D.C. Cutler, U.S.A.

Playing “Star Wars Pinball” on my Nintendo Switch will never be as entertaining and fun as actually playing a standing pinball machine in an arcade or restaurant, but it comes pretty close.

When I purchased “Star Wars Pinball” before Christmas, I had no idea how much I would end up playing it in my spare time. I really enjoy playing pinball in my living room; I never thought it would be possible. Sometimes, I play it on my Switch when I’m in the backyard or I’ll play a quick game in the car when I’m waiting for someone. When I start playing “Star Wars Pinball” it’s hard to put my controller or Switch down. It took me a few days to explore every table option. My highest score is on the “Return of the Jedi” table with somewhere around 16 million.

I play “Star Wars Pinball” the way I watch the films; I usually stick to the original trilogy, and by “original” I mean the “A New Hope,” “The Empire Strikes Back,” and “Return of the Jedi.” However, the “Rogue One” table is a blast to play. Gareth Edwards’ “Rogue One” is my favorite Star Wars film behind “Empire.” Orson Krennic is prominently featured on the “Rogue One” pinball table. Ben Mendelsohn, who played Krennic, is underrated in the 2016 film. Krennic is sort of a tragic character; he’s the villain who’s killed by what he created and believed in.

The voices sound nothing like the original Star Wars actors, like James Earl Jones and Mark Hamill. Han Solo sounds like a voice actor attempting to do a poor, Harrison Ford impression.

My favorite pinball option is the Boba Fett table. Jabba the Hutt makes a cameo, and you can hit the ball into the Sarlacc that’s at the top of the table. Some of my highest scores are playing the Fett and the “Return of the Jedi” tables. The “Jedi” table has so many lights and colorful features that it’s difficult to see the ball at times. I like it when you’re playing the Fett table and the play stops as Darth Vader comes out, and tells Boba Fett, forcefully, “No disintegrations.” You get an appearance from Vader and Jabba the Hutt; probably my two favorite characters in the Star Wars universe.

The Boba Fett themed table is a pinball machine that you’d find in Jabba’s Palace, if it wasn’t fictional. It feels authentic to the Tatooine location that George Lucas created. Although, I don’t understand why they have Han Solo frozen in carbonite, hanging over the Sarlacc.

“Star Wars Pinball” has quickly become one of my favorite Switch games. Yet, “FIFA ’23” is still my go-to game.

Star Wars Pinball,Nintendo Switch,DC Cutler, David Cutler,Star Wars,Pinball,Star Wars Pinball on Nintendo Switch,gamer,gaming,videogames,gamers,Darth Vader



Idris Elba in ‘Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty’

By

image source: Cyberpunk 2077 via Twitter

By: D.C. Cutler, U.S.A.

The most exciting moment for me during The Game Awards 2022 was the reveal of Idris Elba playing a new character in “Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty.”

Idris Elba is one of my favorite actors. Watching him on the award show address gamers about his “Cyberpunk 2077” role was a surprising breath of fresh air. If Elba puts as much passion and skill into his role in the game as he does in his film work, fans of the game are in for a treat.

Elba is perfect for the hit spy-thriller. He will play a character named Solomon Reed. Reed is a veteran New United States of America agent, and a character players can trust to help them achieve an impossible mission of espionage. The teaser didn’t show much, but the graphics looked incredible.

Elba’s performance in his last two films, “Beast” and “Three Thousand Years of Longing,” were excellent. “Beast” was sort of brushed off by critics for being a generic, creature attack film, but I found the film entertaining. There were moments of real tension and terror that were heightened by Elba’s exceptional, hopeful performance.

Elba never gives a bad performance. I first discovered his talent on the HBO series “The Wire.” He was terrific as the cunning antagonist Stringer Bell. He was authentic as Bell, and he was enthralling every time he was in a scene.

He was also great in Guy Ritchie’s “RocknRolla” with Gerald Butler and Tom Hardy. He’s a talented character actor who moonlights as an action star as well.

I’m curious to see what Idris Elba brings to “Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty.” Understated or over-the-top, he’ll bring something unique to the franchise.



Playing NES’ ‘Championship Bowling’ was Educational

By

By: D.C. Cutler, U.S.A.

Did Nintendo’s “Championship Bowling” make me a prodigy?

When I was ten, I played Nintendo’s “Championship Bowling” after school and on the weekends with an intense focus and delight. Through the 1989 game, I learned exactly which lane arrows to throw the bowling ball between. I’d put a slight right or left hook on the ball when needed. The results were usually a strike or spare. My highest score on “Championship Bowling” was a 261. I still remember.

I always found the soundtrack annoying. It sounded like a hodgepodge of instruments all being played at the same time with a violin bow at a frenetic energy. The baton twirlers on the lane were a bit odd.

After months of playing NES “Championship Bowling,” I talked my mother into letting me join a junior bowling league. I implemented the same techniques that made me successful playing the game, during Saturdays on my bowling team. I lined up on the arrows that I would line up on when I played the game; usually, three arrows over from the right gutter, and I’d give the ball a small hook.

I regularly began winning tournaments and team events on the weekends. I would see a trophy before a tournament and say to myself, “I’m going to win that.” It was thrilling to be exceptional at something new.

Once, after a state tournament, Charles, the man who ran my junior league, called me “a bowling prodigy.” I didn’t know what that word meant. I looked it up in the dictionary when I got home. I’ll throw modesty to the side for a sentence: I was sort of a prodigy.

The definition of a prodigy: a person, especially a young one, endowed with exceptional qualities or abilities. I took my scores seriously, so much so that I would bowl later with my Nintendo to figure out what I had done wrong during a tournament or league play. I was obsessed with the game for about three years. Then, I became fanatical about other great things in my life.

Now, when I bowl with Nintendo Switch Sports, it feels bittersweet. Bowling with my Switch is more physical and more realistic but playing “Championship Bowling” was more thrilling. Perhaps, because I was younger, and bowling was this brand-new, exciting sport that I had just discovered by accident through a gaming system.

I bet there’s a kid out there that’s thinking about asking their parents to join a junior bowling league because they love playing the game on their Switch as much as I loved playing “Championship Bowling.”



A Case for a Joe Louis Video Game

By

By: D.C. Cutler, U.S.A.

Why has there never been a Joe Louis video game? Buster Douglas has his own video game and his only rise to fame was being the first boxer to defeat Mike Tyson.

You could play as Joe Louis in Entertainment Art’s “Knockout Kings.” And the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 “Fight Night Champion” gave you the option of fighting as Louis as well. Both are exceptional boxing games. On so many nights in college, I played “Knockout Kings” until 2 a.m. with my friends.

Many young people don’t know how dominate Joe Louis was throughout his career. The “Brown Bomber” had a lifetime boxing record of 66-3. He has the longest single reign as champion of any boxer in history; from 1937 to 1949. There should be a video game centred around Louis for that long reign as champion alone. People under thirty know his name, but do they know how exceptional he was in his boxing prime?

One of the worst sports films I ever watched was “The Joe Louis Story.” The 1953 film was a turkey of a biopic on Louis’ life.

It has a horribly acted, cheesy opening where a depressed sportswriter is sitting at his desk and he cradles up to his typewriter and says, “I’ll write the real story.” He does an atrocious job narrating the film.

Coley Wallace, who plays Joe Louis, smiles a lot throughout the film. He is unprofessional and his delivery of dialogue sounds like he memorized it just before the cameras started rolling. He may’ve been cast just because he resembles Louis; it certainly wasn’t for his acting chops. There are moments during the film when it appears Wallace doesn’t know where his mark is. It’s awkward. You would think a producer or studio executive would’ve noticed that while watching a final cut?

The boxing scenes are not well crafted, choreographed violence like in “Raging Bull” and “Creed,” they’re documentary-like footage of Joe Louis’ fights. I guess that’s because the film had a small budget. It totally takes you out of the narrative of the film; a narrative that is already weak and unsteady.

In the middle of the movie, there is also a strange musical number that takes place in a nightclub that comes out of left field. It’s so kitschy; it makes you wonder if someone on the production owed the singer a favour.

There was nothing boring about the “Brown Bomber’s” life. We need a great video game and film about the Detroit native’s life.



It’s Okay that Kyler Murray’s a Gamer

By

By: D.C. Cutler, U.S.A.

Several weeks ago, you would’ve thought Arizona Cardinal’s quarterback Kyler Murray clubbed a baby seal and posted it on social media.

In Murray’s new five-year, $230.5 million contract, the Cardinals had included a clause requiring Murray to “complete at least four (4) hours of independent study” during game weeks. The “homework clause” specified that Murray would not receive credit for studying on an iPad if he was simultaneously playing video games, watching TV, or surfing the internet. Then, the Cardinals eventually removed the “independent study” clause from the quarterback’s contract.

If Murray didn’t like what was in the contract that was presented to him and his agent, he didn’t have to sign it. But some of the National Football League pundits who were dismantling the Murray contract addendum on various shows, had no kind words when the subject of video games came up. Most NFL gurus shrug at the mere mention of video games because they don’t have an investment or stack in gaming; they don’t gain anything when video games are brought up in their circles.

The 25-year-old quarterback took a thumping from most NFL commentators. Ryan Clark, on “NFL Live,” compared Kyler Murray to a fifth grader. Pretty harsh. Granted, fifth graders play a great deal of video games, but so do people in their thirties and forties.

A couple of fashionable pundits have said that when Murray throws an interception this season, fans will immediately say, “He’s been playing video games too much.” There could be a lot of reasons why Murray throws a pick. The most likely reason being that the cornerback anticipated a pass play when Murray drops back. Playing video games will have nothing to do with it.

Some in the sports media seem anti-video gaming. The revenues for the global game market were $159.3 billion in 2020. Do people who are paid to give their sports takes on the NFL know how many young people play video games? It’s estimated in 2023, there will be 3 billion video game players worldwide.



image source: Fox Sports