Casual Friday: Putting the ‘Video’ in Video Games
This week we tune out with more free TV, watch some classic full-motion video games, and celebrate 13-plus years of commanding and conquering the world.
In our ongoing efforts to celebrate slack, I’ve found a few fantastic new ways to kill what small free time you reckon you have this weekend and beyond. Well, what are you waiting for?
You Oughta Be in Pictures
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It’s simple to draw comparisons between movies and games, but video game makers really aspired to be like huge-time movie studios not too long ago. A small over 10 years back, entire soundstages loaded with actors, sets, and camera crews filmed full-motion video (FMV) for games. Why even bring that up? Well, this week marks the release of Command & Conquer 3: Kane’s Wrath on the PC. I’ll get to that game soon enough. During its run of 13-plus years, the C&C series has become known for cheesy full-motion video acting–and the real-time strategy part, of course. Now, the newest game is out, and FMV is back, recorded in HD. That means you can see semifamous actors struggle in the high-def focus wondering why they agreed to read from the script.
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(Yeah, we all know the an$wer to that.)
This got me thinking that a name should place together a proper tribute to some of the “greatest” FMV performances to ever grace a CD-ROM. So, without further ado…
My Top Five FMV Game Appearances (click the links for more videos from the games):
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5. Mark Hamill (and a total cast full of people such as Malcolm McDowell, John Rhys-Davies, and…hmmm…Ginger Lynn Allen) in Wing Commander III: Heart of the Tiger. Honorable mention for the huge Muppet-like costumes.
4. The sci-fi detective series Tex Murphy, featuring…a cast of people you probably didn’t know. The acting was excellent enough in trying to ape the total noir vibe. And to a degree, it worked.
3. Command & Conquer: Red Alert (this clip starring Albert Einstein’s stand-in). To me, Red Alert provided both fantastic gameplay and many memorable moments off the front line, thanks to the video clips. Some were intentionally cheesy, some not, but the huge surprise is that they were really decent. Crazy, I know.
2. Christopher Walken (!!!) in Ripper. Christoper Walken can be himself, reading the phone book, and I’d watch it. Place him in a video game, and that’s magic on a disc.
1. The infamous Night Trap “starring” Dana Plato and the refugees from some horrible 1980s slasher movie. A treat: You can see the total game as a couple of painfully long movie clips if you really despise yourself. Or, if you consider yourself only a minor glutton for punishment, try the first 9 minutes on for size.
Free Full-Motion Video