Blog Traces History of NYC in Video Games
Blog Traces History of NYC in Video Games
April 23, 2008
Everyone who follows video games knows by now that Liberty City, the setting for the hotly-anticipated Grand Theft Auto IV, is an ultra-realistic depiction of New York.But the Big Apple has been the setting for many a past video game, according to The Bowery Boys:
The difficult part is actually figuring out, in fact, if a game takes place in New York. For instance, Frogger could take place in New York, if the West Side Highway straddled a Hudson River full of logs and turtles. Pac-Man is certainly a metaphoric representation of the Financial District. If Donkey Kong is an homage to King Kong, wouldn't that mean he's throwing barrels from the Empire State Building?
...In 1984, anxious Atari and Commodore 64 owners got their hands on a more literal tribute to the city -- The Big Apple. In the simple game, a player maneuvers through a traffic free midtown Manhattan... This game looks a bit like a malfunctioning digital watch and was appropriately forgotten.
The Bowery Boys go on to list several old school titles, including Punch Out!!, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: The Manhattan Project.
The first [game] to make a real attempt at a recognizable New York landscape was probably 1989's Manhunter: New York, a clunky and mostly unexciting action game set in the post-apocalyptic future of 2002. However it did manage to depict city landmarks in ways that were at least recognizable, if primitive...
The excellent write-up also names games such as Duke Nukem: Zero Hour, Deus Ex, Max Payne and XIII, while noting True Crime: New York City as a turning point for its realistic depiction of NYC. It's definitely worth a read.
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Posted 03/19/10 at 06:42pm
Valdearg: Sage advice, Zip. Sage advice.
Valdearg: Sage advice, Zip. Sage advice.
Posted 03/19/10 at 06:37pm
ZippyDSMlee: Don;t talk to MS/LIve users that you do not know....is jsut easier that way...
ZippyDSMlee: Don;t talk to MS/LIve users that you do not know....is jsut easier that way...
Posted 03/19/10 at 06:14pm
Flamespeak: Didm't steal anything or other people not knowing what the heck Tribes was but felt inclined to tell me it wasn't Halo.
Flamespeak: Didm't steal anything or other people not knowing what the heck Tribes was but felt inclined to tell me it wasn't Halo.
Posted 03/19/10 at 06:13pm
Flamespeak: stealing 'new' game ideas from Tribes while marketing them as something 'new and shiny'." I was blasted by people claiming Halo
Flamespeak: stealing 'new' game ideas from Tribes while marketing them as something 'new and shiny'." I was blasted by people claiming Halo
Posted 03/19/10 at 06:12pm
Flamespeak: I told some Halo fans that 'with the inclusion of jet packs in Reach, Halo has successfully completed its mission of totally
Flamespeak: I told some Halo fans that 'with the inclusion of jet packs in Reach, Halo has successfully completed its mission of totally
Posted 03/19/10 at 05:39pm
Valdearg: @JDKJ: Well, it's not like you were very subtle, there..
Valdearg: @JDKJ: Well, it's not like you were very subtle, there..
Posted 03/19/10 at 05:18pm
JDKJ: @Val": You got me there. That one was pure troll. And posted in memory of DarkSaber, who hasn't been around much, lately.
JDKJ: @Val": You got me there. That one was pure troll. And posted in memory of DarkSaber, who hasn't been around much, lately.
Posted 03/19/10 at 02:36pm
Andrew Eisen: JDKJ - Probably the widow/widower.
Andrew Eisen: JDKJ - Probably the widow/widower.
Posted 03/19/10 at 02:33pm
ZippyDSMlee: JD:who gives a shit about you :P
ZippyDSMlee: JD:who gives a shit about you :P
Posted 03/19/10 at 02:33pm
Valdearg: Lol.. Wow, JDKJ. Troll much?
Valdearg: Lol.. Wow, JDKJ. Troll much?
Posted 03/19/10 at 02:27pm
JDKJ: Who gives a rat's ass about the children of fallen soldiers?
JDKJ: Who gives a rat's ass about the children of fallen soldiers?
Posted 03/19/10 at 02:16pm
Andrew Eisen: I completely agree.
Andrew Eisen: I completely agree.
Posted 03/19/10 at 02:15pm
Valdearg: If they really wanted to help the troops, they should donate their money to a legitimate charity with a good cash in/out ratio.
Valdearg: If they really wanted to help the troops, they should donate their money to a legitimate charity with a good cash in/out ratio.
Posted 03/19/10 at 02:14pm
Valdearg: It's just offensive that people who attend these things think they are helping the troops, when in reality, Hannity is using MOST of the money to live large in the cities he travels to. He could at least scale down his accommodations..
Valdearg: It's just offensive that people who attend these things think they are helping the troops, when in reality, Hannity is using MOST of the money to live large in the cities he travels to. He could at least scale down his accommodations..
Posted 03/19/10 at 02:13pm
Andrew Eisen: Val - But they did get something and that's better than nothing. Also, the Freedom Concert site is clear that expenses are subtracted from the donated amount so while it’s not fraud (from what little I’ve seen) it is pretty crummy.
Andrew Eisen: Val - But they did get something and that's better than nothing. Also, the Freedom Concert site is clear that expenses are subtracted from the donated amount so while it’s not fraud (from what little I’ve seen) it is pretty crummy.
Posted 03/19/10 at 02:12pm
ZippyDSMlee: fou fundrasier, from a fou consertive, who would have thought :P.
ZippyDSMlee: fou fundrasier, from a fou consertive, who would have thought :P.
Posted 03/19/10 at 02:11pm
Valdearg: The problem, Zip, is that barely ANY of the proceeds are going to the children. It's all going so hannity can line his own pockets and enjoy a life of luxury. He is a grade A Piece of Human Crap.
Valdearg: The problem, Zip, is that barely ANY of the proceeds are going to the children. It's all going so hannity can line his own pockets and enjoy a life of luxury. He is a grade A Piece of Human Crap.
Posted 03/19/10 at 02:09pm
ZippyDSMlee: Hanaity cn afford to pay for it himself so all proceeds go to the childernz or whatever. .....
ZippyDSMlee: Hanaity cn afford to pay for it himself so all proceeds go to the childernz or whatever. .....
Posted 03/19/10 at 02:09pm
ZippyDSMlee: But anyway you want to pad your rep with a funrasier get 80% to the people its suppose to go to....
ZippyDSMlee: But anyway you want to pad your rep with a funrasier get 80% to the people its suppose to go to....
Posted 03/19/10 at 02:03pm
ZippyDSMlee: VLag:thats ture but alot of cop and fireman and other thigns are under 10% to what they give to what they are raising money for
ZippyDSMlee: VLag:thats ture but alot of cop and fireman and other thigns are under 10% to what they give to what they are raising money for
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Comments
Deus Ex was an awesome game set in NY. Although the crimes against humanity that gould be perpetuated therein were generally on a more cataclysmic scale.
Sounds like an early Rampage, which I think was also set in New York... and I think you could eat people as well as destroy cars and sky scrapers.
And I'm not sure I would call "The Blog" a monster... sure it gets out of hand from time to time...
j/k :P
If a game like that were made today it'd be a "terrorism simulator
They had like EVERY city in Rampage. That game was so amazing...
Wanna guess what happened to the twin towers? The terrorists blew a hole in the side of one. Ouch.