90s live action video games

[raptor94k]

I just fixed my model 2 Sega CD today by replacing the fuse, so I thought I would pop in a few of my Sega CD games. I haven't actually played the system in about 10 to 12 years now.

I remember that I used to love to play Sewer Shark and Tomcat Alley. I tried them today and I (obviously) didn't enjoy them as much as I used to. I mean I thought they were fun still, but for about 15-20 min. and then its over.

What were the point of these games? Why did game companies think that they were fun? Was it just a cash in on the new technology? Were any of them actually good? Did people like them when they came out? I mean, I did apparently.

Anyway, discuss.

[Baloo]

It was just a fad, everyone thought that FMV would really WOW people, but it really didn't make good games.

[Greg2600]

The only FMV games, that were of any use to me, contained videos I wanted to see. The games usually stunk. For instance, as a Star Trek/Star Wars fan, I was more excited to watch the cutscenes of my favorite characters than play the games. Starfleet and Klingon Academy for instance. Star Trek Borg and Klingon were just point and click movies. I really like the first SW Jedi Knight and Rebel Assault II, which had live action cutscenes. I wish LucasArts had continued that. Enjoyed those more than The Phantom Menace. Another example was the Wing Commander series, which starred Mark Hamill and John Rhys-Davies.

Otherwise, FMV intermingled with a game never works. You quickly get bored with the cutscenes that are interrupting and dragging the gameplay along. And who wants to watch 2 minutes of a movie every 30 minutes?

[retroman]

90% were bad. Only a few were ok...good luck

[jb143]

I remember liking Megarace but I haven't played it in forever so who knows if I'd like it now. Only the sarcastic host was live action though.

[Kitsune Sniper]

I remember liking Megarace but I haven't played it in forever so who knows if I'd like it now. Only the sarcastic host was live action though.

Well, you can check it out easily enough.

[raptor94k]

I guess I was just really suprised at how little you do in a game like Tomcat Alley. Literally, I pressed B on a spot on the screen and a movie played showing my plane fly somewhere. Then there was another plane to shoot down. I pressed A on that. A movie played of the plane blowing up. This continued for like 20 minutes.

[Haoie]

Plumbers Don't Wear Ties!

[Sosage]

I guess I was just really suprised at how little you do in a game like Tomcat Alley. Literally, I pressed B on a spot on the screen and a movie played showing my plane fly somewhere. Then there was another plane to shoot down. I pressed A on that. A movie played of the plane blowing up. This continued for like 20 minutes.

So...yeah. Welcome to FMV.

P.S. Double Switch/Night Trap were creative, good ways of utilizing FMV with gameplay. Double Switch being the better of the two.

[InsaneDavid]

Pop in Road Avenger and you'll have an entertaining time. For FMV games they either have to be twitch based (like most arcade Laser Disc games - Super Don Quix-ote being my favorite) or things that advance a story, as Greg2600 said.

[Arkhan]

i enjoyed Phantasmagoria and The 7th Guest.

Those were FMV.

also thought Ripper was pretty cool, and Burn Cycle.

[Oldskool]

You have to remember, they were not trying to make crap, it just happened that way. Remember during this time period, CD game technology was a pretty new thing. They didn't know what to do with it, they didn't know what people wanted. FMV wow'd people, so that's what they went for. I personally like a lot of FMV games, they have their charm that's for sure.

[Smashed Brother]

Fox Hunt is pretty entertaining. It even has Rob freakin' Lowe in it. Yeah, really.

I also enjoy the cheesy videos that play in-between stages in the old Command & Conquer games! Warhawk had some great videos, too!

Did the first Twisted Metal have FMV's in it? I think it might've, but my memory of the game is a bit fuzzy...

[Dirkfunk]

Make


My


Video!

[Gameguy]

Plumbers Don't Wear Ties!

That wasn't exactly an FMV, it was more like a slide show with a commentary track. There was no real video except for the intro prior to the game starting.

I've played through Dragon's Lair and Dragon's Lair II: Time Warp, they weren't that bad for FMV games. I really can't remember too many that I liked, I played the Power Rangers game for Sega CD and hated it. I also hated the show so that wouldn't help it.

[Icarus Moonsight]

I remember the most fun FMV games were the light gun ones. Mad Dog McCree? The games were recently released on a Wii disk... Been meaning to grab that. Memory jogs FTW!

I like Sewer Shark too... It was one of them so-awful-it-wraps-back-around-the-scale-to-good games.

[YoshiM]

i enjoyed Phantasmagoria...Those were FMV.

Actually, Phantasmagoria wasn't FMV. While it played video when you performed certain actions (like opening a drawer), the game itself was a point-n-click adventure using digitized actors and digitized or computer generated static environments. Because you had that range of control, you can't really call it an FMV game. But yes-it was a pretty dang cool game. Loved the ending sequence.

[theknod]

wirehead was great
but overall i liked most fmvs

[chrisbid]

a lot of the fmv games have a b-movie charm that makes them worth a play or two.

and that is how you have to judge an fmv game, not as a game, but the quality of the video.

there is a reason dragon's lair gets released on countless platforms, the animation is timeless

[jb143]

People keep mentioning Dragon's Lair but that's not live action video.

Edit...
Though, it would be hilarious if someone did make a scene for scene live action remake of Dragon's Lair. Like the kids who made a shot for shot remake of Raiders of the Lost Ark. It would easily be playable through Daphnie.