Idle Speculation Opinion Piece 1: Red Dwarf and videogaming?
There’s no hiding it: I lurve me some good videogames. Some of the best hours of my life have been relinquished to the SNES by way of some of its best games: Chrono Trigger, Soul Blazer, EarthBound, and so many more at the mere thought of which I go all nostalgic. In fact, it’s been a feature of my leisure hours for rather longer than Red Dwarf ever has; so I can’t pinpoint with any accuracy the precise moment at which I first said “Hey…a Red Dwarf video game could really, really rock.” But it’s been percolating in my mind for a while now, and I wanted to ask you, my loyal readers (yes, both of you!) for your own opinions on the subject.
So: What would you think of such an endeavor–not a text-based game, or a fan-based production complete with stolen/ripped everything, or even the recently released Beat the Geek, but a console/PC game in the Red Dwarf universe? Is such a thing feasible (apart from commercial viability; I know better than to think this would be an instant megahit)? Do you think it would be any fun? Or am I just frothing at the brain with useless fanwank?
I think I just out-dweebed Duane Dibbley.
Anyway, I’m of the opinion that such a thing is just insane enough to work (naturally). Since much of RD is story/character heavy, my ideal electronic RD endeavor would likely be in the RPG/adventure genre. I don’t need much in the way of graphics–in fact, if it was done all in sprites like Chrono Trigger, I could hardly be happier. Just as long as whoever writes the game’s story/script forgets that Series VII and VIII ever happened…It’d be an excellent chance to work in book canon/not-quite-canon stuff too (plundering stuff like Identity Within would be highly profitable in a venture like this, I daresay).
Oh, and, if they absolutely must work in the Low Crew–don’t make them the endgame bosses. It’s so obvious. Make them bosses of the optional unlockable level that’s actually much much harder than the endgame stage. I dunno why, except it just seems right.
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This is the sort of idea that would make John come with excitement.
…all over my blog? But I keep it so clean and shiny!
Someone mentioned (on NTS I think?) that a Red Dwarf video game in which the player had “free roam” of the ship and went around solving puzzles and jetting off in Starbug to various adventures (in a non-linear or semi-linear way) would be ideal. Every morning I wake up depressed that it hasn’t yet come true.
Excellent article, Arlene. Where have you been all this time?
As for a Red Dwarf game… well, if I’ve said it once I’ve said it, well, twice: A Red Dwarf game in the style of Bethesda’s Morrowind I’d die of happy.
Me, I’d settle for Chrono Trigger Plus =P –the engaging story, beautiful music, multiple endings, well-developed characters with amazing abilities (altho’ if it included Ace Rimmer, I expect he’d have to be nerfed quite a bit :P ). But then, I don’t have nearly the experience with modern gaming that I’d like to have; I got an SNES when I was younger, but when my family’s fortunes changed for the worse I was never able to invest in the next couple of generations of consoles (altho’ every so often I got to play with my cousins’ N64). This I plan to change with the release of the Wii ^_^ . But yes, that level of interactivity with the environment and other characters would be fabaroo.
Point-and-click adventure. Animated, with freshly re-drawn versions of the characters. All the original cast doing voices. Storyline based on the books. Easy.
>Storyline based on the books.
With plenty of plunder from other Dwarf, I hope. Didn’t G&T have an article up that ended by speculating that a release of unfinished RD scripts/first drafts/etcetera would be utterly fascinating and make oodles of cash? Well, I say pull some “new” stuff from that, too; I’d be willing to bet some of it’s useable material.
>All the original cast doing voices.
Yes, yes, yes, yes and yes. Accept no substitutes.
>Animated, with freshly re-drawn versions of the characters.
Just a question: Who do you think would be able to do that? I mean, whose drawing style do you think best suits a Red Dwarf video game? I’m not sure who I’d pick.