AUSRETROGAMER

The Pop-Culture E-Zine

You are here: Home / Archives for David Cutler

David Cutler

No Excellent Planet of the Apes Video Game

By

By: D.C. Cutler, U.S.A.

The “Planet of the Apes” films are up there with my absolute favourite movie franchise. The Matt Reeves films are masterpieces. Reeves has this little movie out in theatres called “The Batman.” You may have heard of it.

The first “Planet of the Apes” film, released in 1968, starring Charlton Heston, is easily one of the top five, greatest science fiction films ever made. The movies makeup, created by the legendary artist John Chambers, is still revolutionary. And the 1968 film has one of the greatest endings in film history. The final shot and line by Heston is still chilling.

image source: Steam

When it comes to video games, unlike the exceptional films, there is only one moderately entertaining “Planet of the Apes” game, and it’s The Imaginati Studios’ “Planet of the Apes: Last Frontier.” Released on Playstation 4 in 2017, “Last Frontier” had amazing graphics and single and multiplayer interactive action. The game was released quietly and disappeared with little fanfare. “Planet of the Apes,” the 2001 action-adventure video game, was the first game in the franchise. It was released as a tie-in to the 2001 film, directed by Tim Burton. The game was as mediocre as the over produced film.

It feels like the “Planet of the Apes” property is being underused now. It’s a large world for games, television shows, and films. Disney now owns the successful franchise, and Disney has so much on their plate now with Star Wars and Marvel. However, they’re big enough to focus on a “Planet of the Apes” project and balance all the other entertainment plates they have spinning; and I left out Pixar.

I have a pitch for a “Planet of the Apes” film: It takes place shortly after the event of “War of the Planet of the Apes.” After a large aerial dogfight in the Pacific Ocean, a veteran APE soldier is stranded on a remote island atoll. He soon discovers a MAN, a crusty fighter pilot who has crashed his plane. Not communicating verbally, the two enemies initially provoke each other and refuse to cooperate. But when they begin to face famine, dehydration, and exhaustion, they are forced to put aside their differences and depend on one another for survival.

I want another “Planet of the Apes” film. And hopefully it can produce a great video game. The world created by author Pierre Boulle is a fascinating, rich one.



Star Wars Episode 1: Racer

By

By: D.C. Cutler, U.S.A.

In the fifth episode of “The Book of Boba Fett,” it was thrilling seeing The Mandalorian flying his newly constructed Naboo N-1 Starfighter through the very same canyons on Tatooine that young Anakin Skywalker raced through in “Episode 1: The Phantom Menace.”

That night, after watching the excellent episode, I broke out my Nintendo 64 and started to play one of my favourite racing video games “Star Wars Episode 1: Racer.” Twenty-three years later, the LucasArts game is still visually impressive. After seeing “The Phantom Menace,” I played “Racer” constantly after school, trying to break my previous lap records with every session. The more I played the game, the better my racing reflexes developed over time. At first, I would often crash and get frustrated. However, it didn’t take long before I’d pick up my Nintendo 64 controller, rally, and start another race.

image source: N64Today

I enjoyed racing on the various tracks on the ice planet. Was it Hoth? It could’ve been. I like thinking that it was, seeing that “Empire Strikes Back” is my favourite Star Wars film. I never played much multiplayer. I never liked the two-player split screen mode. My friends enjoyed playing the two-player mode, but my eyes could never adjust to the split screen for some strange reason. I couldn’t concentrate as well with the split screen. My controller skills were sloppy in that mode.

The boost function that you could activate when another podracer is closing in was a fun option. If you used it for too long your engine would suddenly explode. You had to keep an eye on your racer’s temperature.

The smack talk between podracers adds a humorous, competitive touch to the 1999 game. Jake Lloyd, the actor who portrayed Anakin Skywalker, provided voice-over for his character in the game. I never liked the two-headed commentators of the podrace in “The Phantom Menace.” They seem like they don’t belong in the Star Wars universe. They added some humour to the film, but I wish they would’ve been left out of the game.

Its, or there, name was Fodesinbeed Annodue. And I’m sure there’s a toy of them out there somewhere. I’m glad we didn’t see them thirty years older in “The Book of Boba Fett.”



Boba Fett Gets His Own Fortnite Skin

By

By: D.C. Cutler, U.S.A.

Warning: This article features Book of Boba Fett spoilers!

Boba Fett is hot right now. The Star Wars character has his own hit show on Disney+ and action figures of Fett are in high demand by collectors. Boba is cool again like he was in 1978, when he was introduced in the “Star Wars Holiday Special” and “The Empire Strikes Back,” in 1980.

Now, Disney has announced the bounty hunter’s addition to Fortnite. The Boba Fett skin in the battle royale is available to purchase by itself or as part of a Boba Fett Set. The set includes the bounty hunters Z-6 Jetpack back accessories, Gaffi Stick pickax, and Fett’s Starship glider. Several Star Wars characters, like The Mandalorian, Kylo Ren, and Rey have their own Fortnite skins. The release of “The Book of Boba Fett” is the reason for the addition of Boba.

I never saw Fortnite broadening their revenue stream with merchandise, like blankets, toys, and backpacks. The game is a phenomenon. Star Wars and Fortnite joining forces (no pun intended) is a perfect business collaboration. I see Star Wars and Fortnite merchandise out of the corner of my eye at my local Target.

image source: Epic Games

The Disney+ series is introducing Boba Fett to a whole new generation of Star Wars fans. The first three episodes of “The Book of Boba Fett” have had moments of brilliance, and moments of incredibly slow pacing. For the first two episodes of the series, Kevin Costner should get a cheque from Disney. There are some odd similarities between “Dances with Wolves” and some of Boba Fett’s scenes with the Tusken Raiders. Banthas, the creatures that the Tusken Raiders and Boba ride, really get slaughtered in this series. What did the banthas do? The banthas’ deaths were shocking and seemed unnecessary.

In the first episode, I enjoyed seeing how Boba got out of the Sarlacc pit, or the Great Pit of Carkoon. It’s even better when you go back and watch “Return of the Jedi” again. I wish we could have seen more of Boba in the Sarlacc pit. How long was he in there?

I love the veteran actor Danny Trejo but seeing him as the Rancor wrangler in the third episode was a little jarring. The third episode had some problems, but I still enjoyed it. The chase scene through Mos Espa at the end of the most recent episode was tedious and unintentionally cliche. And there was fruit. A lot of fruit.

Will there be other characters from “The Book of Boba Fett” that’ll get their own Fortnite skin? Time will tell on an app or gaming platform not far, far away.



Insomniac’s ‘Wolverine’ PS5 Trailer

By

By: D.C. Cutler, U.S.A.

Marketing is best when It’s simple. A trailer for a video game is supposed to get gamers excited to play something new and create a buzz. The trailer for Insomniac Games’ “Wolverine” at the PlayStation Showcase 2021, checked all those boxes. It’s titillating and you want to see the gameplay immediately.

“Wolverine” is one of the greatest game trailer announcements ever. The trailer begins with a slow camera pan on a destroyed bar where bloody men are scattered all around; some are conscious, some are not. One beat up man’s lifeless body is sprawled out across a pool table. You see a man in a cowboy hat, sitting at the bar, having a drink. His fists are extremely bloody and bruised. When an injured man starts walking up behind the mysterious patron at the bar with a knife, three steel claws shoot out of the patron’s wrist. And then the trailer slam cuts to black.

The trailer is like the trailer for 2017’s “Logan”, Hugh Jackman’s final outing as Logan/Wolverine. The trailer for the game is much shorter than the films, but they’re similar in the phenomenal music they use. James Carr’s “The Dark End of the Street” sets an incredible mood, just like Johnny Cash’s version of “Hurt” did for the iconic film’s trailer.


source: PlayStation

Marvel’s “Spider-Man 2” was what I was most anticipating seeing during PlayStation Showcase 2021. But that was until they showed Insomniac’s “Wolverine.” The trailer has been viewed 3.7 million times on YouTube. Will we see Sabertooth, Omega Red, or even Deadpool? A PS5 game with Logan and Deadpool would satisfy so many Marvel fans who have wanted to see them together for years. And “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” doesn’t count. Fans want to see the current Deadpool, of the 20th Century Fox films, which are now owned by Disney, with Logan in some way, even if it’s just a game.

Some online think “Wolverine” could be Insomniac Games’ masterpiece. I hope the gameplay is solid. I think Insomniac will get this right.



‘The Last of Us’ Series First Look

By

By: D.C. Cutler, U.S.A.

Recently, a production image of the HBO series “The Last of Us” was released. It’s our first look at the cable show based on the iconic video games “The Last of Us” and “The Last of Us: Part II.”

The first image has great attention to detail. It’s not much, it’s just Joel and Ellie looking out across a field at abandoned plane wreckage. It would have been nice to get a face reveal, but the image of the two main characters from behind is a smart marketing tease.

Pedro Pascal has been cast as Joel, the game, and series’ smuggler and main protagonist. I’ve been a Pascal fan since his brief stint on “Game of Thrones.” His starring role on the Netflix series “Narcos,” opposite the great Boyd Holbrook, was where the 46-year-old actor gained international fame as the cold, DEA agent who is obsessed with capturing Pablo Escobar. The pairing of Pascal and Holbrook is one of the best fictional, law enforcement pairings in recent television history. I’ve watched “Narcos” several times for the writing and characters. When I heard the news that Pascal was cast as Joel in “The Last of Us” series, I was instantly excited to see what HBO will do with the popular property.

The idea of “The Last of Us” as a television series or limited series is better than a movie. A series gives the story more chance for expansion and the ability to develop the characters. The game already has a rich world that can be expanded on with the right show runners who know the universe.

To me, like many others, “The Last of Us” franchise always had a “The Walking Dead” feel to it. Even the production image that was released looks a little like a scene from the AMC “The Walking Dead.”

Post-apocalyptic properties are hot right now. Could “The Last of Us” be the next must-see HBO show? They haven’t had a monster hit like “The Sopranos” or “Game of Thrones” in several years. The production still didn’t show much, but it was just enough of a tease to peak the interests of the megahit game’s fans.



 

Comparing Driving to Tetris

By


By: D.C. Cutler, U.S.A.

Driving in America can be insane at times. People ride your back bumper for no reason, and they cut you off in traffic without any hesitation. Sometimes I compare daily driving to a competitive game of Tetris. Everyone is always trying to pass you and fill an open gap. Could moving ahead in a way be seen as points by some?

When I was a kid, I was obsessed with Tetris. The first time I ever played the Alexey Pajitnov designed game was at my local bowling alley. The strategic game blew my mind. The quick thinking and hand-eye coordination skills that Tetris required made me an instant fan. I got really good at the arcade version of the game. But when I got the NES game for my birthday, I became a Tetris prodigy. Well, maybe not that exceptional, but I ran the score up higher than any of my friends. When the various shapes of pieces started falling faster, that’s when I went into a video game playing, frenzied zone. My playing skills would elevate to another level.

It’s not hard comparing traffic to Tetris. I don’t understand why another driver has to ride my bumper, and then, when there’s a lane that suddenly opens next to me, they rapidly whisk around me. I’m not a slow driver, I just follow the speed limit laws. The car lanes are like the empty space for the various shaped blocks to fall through.

Why is everyone in such a mad hurry? Like playing Tetris, is driving for some motorist a fun game? I’m more aggressive when I play Tetris than when I’m on the highway. That doesn’t seem to be the case for others where I live and work.



Watching Popular Gamers on Twitch

By

image source: WSJ

By: D.C. Cutler, U.S.A.

A few weeks ago, on a popular HBO late night show, the host talked about his disdain for people watching popular gamers playing games like “Fortnite” and “Grand Theft Auto V” on Twitch. Everyone has a right to their opinion, but the host said that he thought people were wasting their precious time watching gamers. Couldn’t that be said about all forms of entertainment? Why does the act of watching gamers play and teach other gamers how to come up with strategies bothersome for some with an enormous platform?

There’s also a very famous podcaster (and a very rich one) who has issues with the viewers of Twitch. Do these critics know how big the view numbers are during a gamers live stream? It’s never a small number.

Critics say watching entertaining people playing video games on Twitch is a waste of time, but couldn’t you say the same for watching a UFC fight or a late-night show that’s past it’s prime. Entertainment is different for everyone. Binge-watching a great series could be considered a waste of someone’s time as well. However, there’s not a lot of criticism of binge-watching a television show. I’m guilty of binge-watching some series’ twice; and I don’t for an instant feel like I was wasting my time. I was entertained, like the people of all ages who watch famous or popular gamers on Twitch are.

I personally have never watched a gamer play on Twitch, but I watch a lot of Major League Baseball. Am I wasting time when I watch baseball? Perhaps, although it doesn’t feel like a waste of time to me. To someone who likes watching HBO late night shows or gamers on Twitch, they may think so, but we all have different tastes and interests.

I would never criticize another person’s entertainment choice. Entertainment is a vast and diverse thing.



Street Fighter’s Curious Legacy

By

image source: TheGamer

By: D.C. Cutler, U.S.A.

When I was a kid, I looked forward to playing the arcade version of “Street Fighter” at my local bowling alley. When I would enter my local arcade, I had to make a choice: “Double Dragon” or “Street Fighter”? I usually split the difference; I would play a few games of “Double Dragon,” then, play a little “Street Fighter.” Both were exceptional games for their time.

I always found the choice of fight moves playing “Street Fighter” more attractive and challenging than “Double Dragon.” “Street Fighter” is a $12.2 billion dollar media franchise. “Street Fighter II” alone made $10.6 billion in total revenue. That’s not a successful game, that’s a gaming phenomenon. When a game franchise is as successful as “Street Fighter,” a movie based on the game gets made. I enjoy some of Jean-Claude Van Damme’s performances; this is not one of them. He apparently got a big paycheck to play Colonel Guile. He didn’t just phone the role in, he telegraphed it in; and I even wonder if he read the screenplay.

image source: Little White Lies

The 1994, live action “Street Fighter” is the great Raul Julia’s last film. It seems like Julia is having fun playing General M. Bison. He’s easily the most watchable part of the movie. Julia basks in being evil. When he is on screen, the film goes up a few notches on the entertainment scale. He sold me on his over-the-top wickedness. Raul Julia was one of the most talented actors in cinema in the 1980s and the early-1990s. He should’ve won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for the 1990 film “Presumed Innocent.”

There are so many different versions of “Street Fighter,” by now you would think a screenwriter out there would have enough strong material to make a halfway watchable film. I’ve played “Street Fighter” enough to know that the pure gratification of the game is the simulated fighting and the delight of advancing; no film or cartoon can do that better than the iconic game.

It’s a simple game of strategy that changes with every new opponent. That’s what makes “Street Fighter” still one of the best hand-to-hand combat games ever produced.



Rediscovering ‘Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen’

By

Transformers Revenge of the Fallen video gameBy: D.C. Cutler, U.S.A. 

“Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” is like the video game Alien 3, the game is far superior to the films that they are based on.

For a 2009 game, the graphics and gameplay are amazing. When you are playing as Optimus Prime or Bumblebee, the missions can seem rather repetitive, but it’s enjoyable. The graphics were criticised when the game was released. However, they still look impressive to me. I’ve never been a big stickler for graphics; if the gameplay is fun, I can overlook problems with the graphics. The online mode was praised by critics.

The plot of the game is that the Autobots try to hunt down the remaining Decepticons after the demise of their leader, Megatron. The Fallen is a new adversary, but the plot could’ve done without that added foe.

Transformers Revenge of the Fallen video game screenshotimage source: Gaming Nexus

Of all the Michael Bay “Transformer” films, the second instalment, “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen,” is the sloppiest and most annoying. The jive talking, little robots could be one of the most disgusting characters in recent cinema history. Who could watch that and think it wasn’t in poor taste and tone deaf? I’ve never thought that the film was a total waste like some. I think John Turturro is very funny in the movie, and some of the action scenes are impressive, if you can tell who’s fighting who. So much work went into the visual effects, too bad it didn’t have a better screenplay and story. Michael Bay is a talented filmmaker. The “Bad Boy” films and “Pain & Gain” are entertaining films, I just wish he could have made one exceptional “Transformer’s” film. The first one is fun, but it’s not a great film. With a franchise as global as “Transformers,” Bay had a lot of toys in the toybox to work and create from. Perhaps, he still has a great Transformers film in him, but I think he’s handed the franchise off to younger directors. Paramount, who owns the rights to the Transformers franchise, will never stop making films about Autobots and Decepticons.

“Fallen” is one of the best third-person shooter games I’ve ever played. There are villains I didn’t think I was capable of defeating, and I like that in a game.

 

David Lynch’s PlayStation 2 Ad

By

By: D.C. Cutler, U.S.A.

I never knew David Lynch made a commercial for PlayStation 2. There have been a handful of great film directors who have made ads for a company. Ridley Scott’s Super Bowl ad for Apple’s Macintosh, inspired by George Orwell’s “1984,” is probably the most iconic ad made by a legendary filmmaker.

The 2000 PlayStation 2 commercial feels very Lynchian. The commercial is extremely bizarre, even for Lynch’s standards; and I’ve seen “Lost Highway” twice. In the ad, titled “Welcome to the Third Place,” there’s a fire woman and a floating head. Lynch plays with his trademark, skewed perspectives in the short ad. I wonder how the executives at Sony gave the green light for a Lynch commercial. It breaks down advertising logic, but that is what’s so appealing about it. Lynch puts his stamp on it, and it’s a fascinating ad that pulls you in. You can’t look away from the strange, sensory experience. I wish I could’ve been a fly on the wall when the higher ups at Sony and PlayStation watched the ad for the first time. Did they give notes?


source: PlayStation Europe

I’ve always thought that David Lynch is one of the most imaginative filmmakers in the history of cinema. Lynch’s “The Elephant Man” is a masterpiece. Whenever I watch the black-and-white, 1980 film, I’m floored by how intimate and visually powerful it is. It’s so engrossing, you feel like you’re in late 19th-century London. The film, starring Anthony Hopkins and John Hurt, still holds up. It feels like it’s directed by an old, wise filmmaker who knows his way around a period piece. Lynch was in his mid-thirties when he directed “The Elephant Man,” which was nominated for eight Academy Awards. “Blue Velvet” is another Lynch film where every frame looks like a vivid painting. The auteur never shies away from uncomfortable subject matter. “Eraserhead” and both “Twin Peaks” television series had unforgettable, haunting images.

Disney’s “WandaVision” has a David Lynch feel to it. Some of Westview, or the small town that Wanda has perfectly envisioned, reminds me of the town in Lynch’s “Blue Velvet.” I’m waiting for Frank Booth (played by the late Dennis Hopper) to walk around a corner of Westview, huffing on an unknown gas from a tank.