Who's The Doctor? A TL
- Thread starter DAv
- Start date
I'm always happy for help of any kind. RPG's are a relatively quiet genre right now. Ultima did a lot to help popularised them with the two movies and you saw a few studios do their own takes on them. Thanks to the backlash against violence in games though, developers have scaled back story telling greatly. So instead of the richness of some of the middle Ultima games, it's being boiled down to group defeat an evil monster/save the Princess.
JRPG's are current unaffected but, as we saw with the Street Fighter II stand in, there's a slow change being felt with more fantasy elements in some genres and more realistic ones in others. It's quite likely that the original vision for FF7 might come to life.
OK, I'll keep that in mind for later, thanks.
Very interesting timeline- I am really enjoying all the changes you have made.
I would be interested in how Dungeons And Dragons is going in TTL. With animation doing better does the cartoon still come out and how does it effect the tabletop game? Indeed is Gygax kicked out of TSR? What about other tabletop rpg's - will be see the 'dark' games like Vampire: The Masquerade?
I would imagine that the comics speculator bubble does not happen TTL as from the sounds of it comics are more 'mainstream' and therefore not confined to comics stores, thus preventing some of the artificial price inflation? Also given the butterflies I could see some of the 'hot' 90's artists like Jim Lee, or McFarlane ending up at Nelvana.
Nice touch with Rowan as The Master.
Without TNG do the other Kirk Trek movies get made? I would imagine Paramount relying on the old cast to keep the franchise alive. Perhaps Voyager is a 90's Sulu series?
Could we have some music updates please- eps that Lennon tease!
I would be interested in how Dungeons And Dragons is going in TTL. With animation doing better does the cartoon still come out and how does it effect the tabletop game? Indeed is Gygax kicked out of TSR? What about other tabletop rpg's - will be see the 'dark' games like Vampire: The Masquerade?
I would imagine that the comics speculator bubble does not happen TTL as from the sounds of it comics are more 'mainstream' and therefore not confined to comics stores, thus preventing some of the artificial price inflation? Also given the butterflies I could see some of the 'hot' 90's artists like Jim Lee, or McFarlane ending up at Nelvana.
Nice touch with Rowan as The Master.
Without TNG do the other Kirk Trek movies get made? I would imagine Paramount relying on the old cast to keep the franchise alive. Perhaps Voyager is a 90's Sulu series?
Could we have some music updates please- eps that Lennon tease!
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Which one? the new york detective story? the takahashi proposal(who is how ended with cloud, the Amnesic Soldier looking for his past, and who later evolved in Xenogears and later Xenoblade) or the Nojima-kato idea(the whole gaia-lifeforce inspired by glory of heracles and chrono trigger) there is too much vision what FF7 was in preproduction.
The New York one. Not really New York as per say, but something grittier and more grounded could potentially happen.
It was to be new york and the idea was later used in parasite eve, so yeah a game inspired by detective fiction(who in japan was ultra popular thanks to adventure games) would work, the original idea was a Vincent Esque protagonist(Detective Joe) investigating the terrorist group avalanche, so that can evolved in that way, remind me a little Famicom Detective club but in rpg form.
The rest, Ultima is which game? as pc was a open frontier people did not raise fuss till doom, so we would get Black Island and Pagan? the rest depend how videogames evolved.
That's the one, yeah. Fantasy is a bit of a focus at the moment, but that may pass in response to the greater freedom offered by the Sega Mercury and Virgin's own dabbling in the handheld console market. Europe and Japan have much fewer restrictions at present.
As for the Ultima series, VI was released without issue or many changes from OTL. You're probably going to see some differences from that point on though due to higher censorship of video games, as well as Richard Garriot's personal relationship with Lucas Arts meaning that the franchise won't be EA's in this timeline. Dragon Quest may be brought in at some point for the RPG market, but I'll need to do a bit more research into it before then. This is basically something for fun and I'm writing up things that strike me, while allowing freedom to add in stuff that people suggest. It's where the Nelvana meeting the Muppets update came from.
Probably not. I think MSTK3K will still exist with only some minor tweaking.
Dungeons And Dragons got a boost with the increased interest in fantasy in the mid 80's. The cartoon got its final series and conclusion that it didn't ITTL. The Splatterhouse murders brought a great deal of spotlight on 'violent imagery' and things have been pretty bad for some time, although the major focus for moral groups is video games at the minute. Things with darker aspects are on the down low for now. If something like Doom comes about, the controversy ITTL will make what happened in OTL look tame in comparison.
I'm not entirely decided on what to do with Marvel at present. I did think of a worse bankruptcy, but I did a bit more research and it seems that enough factors could be changed to easily change it. With its current creative focus more on anti-hero characters, that should change things about enough.
The OTL Star Trek movies still happen and Voyager will be one taking place after those. There is the thought that the franchise has to move on and Voyager will be the focus of it.
I'll try and do more music ones, including the forgotten bit about Lennon.
Thanks for the comment. I do intend to het back to this at some point and I look forward to your thoughts.
Ah, thank you very much for this. Did a great job and helps make it come togehter neatly.
Just read the latest updates. Excellent work.
Interested in what you'll come up with next, concerning Bean's part in the anniversary and his departure, and the new Atkinson-Master. That twist was very professor Yana/Simm-Master, or the stuff with the Master on Trakken.Maybe one of the next steps would be an update on behind the scenes things about DW ? Are they shooting on tape, have they switched to film ? Has early CGI entered the series ? How does the console room look in the Bean era ? Those sorts of minor, but interesting things. (I remember ITV/Granada made a big deal of their Holmes series with Brett using brand-new Dolby Stereo in the latest and final episodes from the early 90s. That show might not exist ITTL, but maybe the ATL BBC are trying something similar with early 90s DW ?)As for the list of chapters and updates thus far, maybe you could use it to put some threadmarks into this thread ? Readers would find stuff more quickly and easily. If you need any help on that, let me know.
Ghostbusters Victorious
OK, the fifteenth chapter's all gone to cock and I can't fix it as the post's too old, so I'll post this here for the threadmark:
Part Fifteen: All Out War:
The latest Star Trek episode continues with the season's themes of dullness and preaching to the audience. Rather than explore strange new horizons, the show seems content to instead tell us how unenlightened the rest of the Universe is in comparison to the wonderful and perfect Federation and crew of the Enterprise. Excitement apparently doesn't exist in the future, instead giving way to lectures about how the latest crisis can only be solved by sticking to their perfect values. It doesn't make for interesting television or interesting anything for that matter.
- Extract from a review of the second series episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, The Skies Above from the Chicago Tribune, 1985
After all the excitement of a new Star Trek series, there was disappointment among the fans, not with the quality of the show itself, but with the reception it received from other audiences. Labelled as dull and preaching by the vast majority of critics, long time Star Trek fans and more casual viewers were still brought into the program for its thoughtful and hopeful take on the future of mankind. Despite remaining steady in the ratings though, fans of Star Trek grew embittered over the greater success of Ghostbusters over its two seasons, particularly at the expense of Star Trek. As the two shows geared up towards their third seasons, ABC announced that Ghostbusters was being moved directly against Star Trek's prime time slot as the war for ratings properly began.
- Extract from Fans! Fandoms And Their Histories, 2015
“After the second season, it was decided by the network that something had to be done. Although the ratings for Star Trek remained steady, they weren't what NBC had been hoping for and blame was put on Rodenberry's creative direction. He was forced upstairs, away from the writing and several others, including myself, took over. We decided to look more to new ways of doing things and to that end, we were inspired by the things that were coming from Doctor Who to try our own hand at story arcs within the third season. With the freedom we were allowed, we were able to finally hammer out a plan that took the show in a new direction and I feel a lot could have been done with its potential if ABC hadn't made their choice of changing the schedule.”
- Extract from an interview with Kenneth Johnson, 1999
After the first two seasons of Ghostbusters, the show continued to grow in popularity with the stars able to negotiate for more money with each new season. The popularity was such that it was able to get a prime-time slot, but ABC decided to place it against Star Trek in a bid to take on one of America's most famous Sci-Fi franchises with one of their own. It was an outright declaration of war between the two networks as their two shows were set to clash in the ratings, where only one would become the victor.
Extract from Sci-Fi in TV, 2003
“That's the problem Next Generation had, the masses weren't intellectual enough and preferred the low humour of the Ghostbusters, it was all that they could keep up with.”
Quote from Mr. Logical, member of the Star Trek fan forums, 2008. Member was later banned.
1: Star Trek: Voyager
2: Star Trek: The Original Series
3: Star Trek II: Wrath of Khan
4: Third series of The Next Generation
5: Star Trek VII: Generations
- Results from a poll of Star Trek fans concerning their favourite parts of the Star Trek franchise, 2008
“Season three had so much going for it. Much better plots, characters that were beginning to show more than two dimensions, a long reaching story arc and great dialogue. It had everything!”
“Except for viewers.”
- Quotes from Telly & Lincoln, members of the Star Trek Fan forums, 2009
When the third season of Ghostbusters began production in 1986, the budget of the show reached new heights as the success of the program allowed the executives of ABC to put more money into the show. As a result, thoughts towards greater special effects started to be taken seriously with the George Lucas owned Graphics Group being contacted for their services. The money ABC pumped into the special effects were a great aid to Graphics Group, leading to them eventually becoming the animation department of Lucas Films. The work they had for the third and fourth seasons of Ghostbusters was where they made their name though, making their mark in computer effects that was soon to become their claim to fame.
- Extract from A History of Lucas Films, 2005
“Star Trek tried to get people to watch paragons. Ghostbusters just let people enjoy characters.”
- Quote from Busta, member of the Freakin' Awesome Network forum, 2013
The Onglaatu – A race introduced in the third season episode of TNG, The Conspiracy, the Onglattu were a race of slug like beings, parasites that latched onto bodies and were able to assume control of them. Able to take control of any species, the Onglattu were introduced in an attempted take over of the Federation by taking control of top Starfleet personnel. The plan was thwarted but the species remained a threat throughout season three and in the franchise beyond.
- Extract from Memory Alpha, a Star Trek Wiki
“We'd managed to hammer out a creative direction for the series, one that we were happy with and that the fans were loving. Had things gone as hoped, we would have carried out an ambitious season long arc for as long as we were on TV. But, once the ratings came in, we realised there was no chance we could continue. Ghostbusters trounced us every week and we just couldn't compete. By the time our third season had started, Ghostbusters had the momentum, the mainstream appeal and the media presence. Due to our shaky start, we had to catch up and with Ghostbusters coming onto our time slot before we'd made our mark with the new direction of Star Trek, it was too late. Halfway through the season, NBC told us there wasn't going to be a fourth one. It was a blow to all of us, after our high hopes for the potential the show had. I do take some solace in the fact that Voyager did a lot to realise the potential of what Star Trek could be.”
- Extract from an interview with Kenneth Johnson, 1993
“Definition of a victory lap? The fourth season of Ghostbusters.”
- Extract from a Saturday Night Live sketch with Eddie Murphy & John Belushi, 1987
Part Fifteen: All Out War:
The latest Star Trek episode continues with the season's themes of dullness and preaching to the audience. Rather than explore strange new horizons, the show seems content to instead tell us how unenlightened the rest of the Universe is in comparison to the wonderful and perfect Federation and crew of the Enterprise. Excitement apparently doesn't exist in the future, instead giving way to lectures about how the latest crisis can only be solved by sticking to their perfect values. It doesn't make for interesting television or interesting anything for that matter.
- Extract from a review of the second series episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, The Skies Above from the Chicago Tribune, 1985
After all the excitement of a new Star Trek series, there was disappointment among the fans, not with the quality of the show itself, but with the reception it received from other audiences. Labelled as dull and preaching by the vast majority of critics, long time Star Trek fans and more casual viewers were still brought into the program for its thoughtful and hopeful take on the future of mankind. Despite remaining steady in the ratings though, fans of Star Trek grew embittered over the greater success of Ghostbusters over its two seasons, particularly at the expense of Star Trek. As the two shows geared up towards their third seasons, ABC announced that Ghostbusters was being moved directly against Star Trek's prime time slot as the war for ratings properly began.
- Extract from Fans! Fandoms And Their Histories, 2015
“After the second season, it was decided by the network that something had to be done. Although the ratings for Star Trek remained steady, they weren't what NBC had been hoping for and blame was put on Rodenberry's creative direction. He was forced upstairs, away from the writing and several others, including myself, took over. We decided to look more to new ways of doing things and to that end, we were inspired by the things that were coming from Doctor Who to try our own hand at story arcs within the third season. With the freedom we were allowed, we were able to finally hammer out a plan that took the show in a new direction and I feel a lot could have been done with its potential if ABC hadn't made their choice of changing the schedule.”
- Extract from an interview with Kenneth Johnson, 1999
After the first two seasons of Ghostbusters, the show continued to grow in popularity with the stars able to negotiate for more money with each new season. The popularity was such that it was able to get a prime-time slot, but ABC decided to place it against Star Trek in a bid to take on one of America's most famous Sci-Fi franchises with one of their own. It was an outright declaration of war between the two networks as their two shows were set to clash in the ratings, where only one would become the victor.
Extract from Sci-Fi in TV, 2003
“That's the problem Next Generation had, the masses weren't intellectual enough and preferred the low humour of the Ghostbusters, it was all that they could keep up with.”
Quote from Mr. Logical, member of the Star Trek fan forums, 2008. Member was later banned.
1: Star Trek: Voyager
2: Star Trek: The Original Series
3: Star Trek II: Wrath of Khan
4: Third series of The Next Generation
5: Star Trek VII: Generations
- Results from a poll of Star Trek fans concerning their favourite parts of the Star Trek franchise, 2008
“Season three had so much going for it. Much better plots, characters that were beginning to show more than two dimensions, a long reaching story arc and great dialogue. It had everything!”
“Except for viewers.”
- Quotes from Telly & Lincoln, members of the Star Trek Fan forums, 2009
When the third season of Ghostbusters began production in 1986, the budget of the show reached new heights as the success of the program allowed the executives of ABC to put more money into the show. As a result, thoughts towards greater special effects started to be taken seriously with the George Lucas owned Graphics Group being contacted for their services. The money ABC pumped into the special effects were a great aid to Graphics Group, leading to them eventually becoming the animation department of Lucas Films. The work they had for the third and fourth seasons of Ghostbusters was where they made their name though, making their mark in computer effects that was soon to become their claim to fame.
- Extract from A History of Lucas Films, 2005
“Star Trek tried to get people to watch paragons. Ghostbusters just let people enjoy characters.”
- Quote from Busta, member of the Freakin' Awesome Network forum, 2013
The Onglaatu – A race introduced in the third season episode of TNG, The Conspiracy, the Onglattu were a race of slug like beings, parasites that latched onto bodies and were able to assume control of them. Able to take control of any species, the Onglattu were introduced in an attempted take over of the Federation by taking control of top Starfleet personnel. The plan was thwarted but the species remained a threat throughout season three and in the franchise beyond.
- Extract from Memory Alpha, a Star Trek Wiki
“We'd managed to hammer out a creative direction for the series, one that we were happy with and that the fans were loving. Had things gone as hoped, we would have carried out an ambitious season long arc for as long as we were on TV. But, once the ratings came in, we realised there was no chance we could continue. Ghostbusters trounced us every week and we just couldn't compete. By the time our third season had started, Ghostbusters had the momentum, the mainstream appeal and the media presence. Due to our shaky start, we had to catch up and with Ghostbusters coming onto our time slot before we'd made our mark with the new direction of Star Trek, it was too late. Halfway through the season, NBC told us there wasn't going to be a fourth one. It was a blow to all of us, after our high hopes for the potential the show had. I do take some solace in the fact that Voyager did a lot to realise the potential of what Star Trek could be.”
- Extract from an interview with Kenneth Johnson, 1993
“Definition of a victory lap? The fourth season of Ghostbusters.”
- Extract from a Saturday Night Live sketch with Eddie Murphy & John Belushi, 1987
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Just read the latest updates. Excellent work.
As for the list of chapters and updates thus far, maybe you could use it to put some threadmarks into this thread ? Readers would find stuff more quickly and easily. If you need any help on that, let me know.
I've not really thought about such things in the technical department since that doesn't always interest me a great deal I will confess. The console would be an interesting one to consider, but I'm not sure how to get it across in a written medium without getting bogged down too much. Unless there's a 'design your own TARDIS' flash program or something like that? With Doctor Who's success oveseas, the BBC would be looking to push it to the best, technologically speaking, similar to what happened with The Avengers.
And have done that. Hope it makes things easier to read for everyone.
If all things 'geek' have been more mainstream in alt-80's - will there be a reaction and a rise of 'lad' or traditional 'masculine' pursuits? Military Action movies, Sports, weightlifting, beer, cars etc?
Has the mainstream news, wars and events generally been the same? Falklands, Afghanistan, Gulf War, Balkans, etc etc?
Given how early the POD is it possible that Freddie Mercury, Roger Taylor, Brian May and John Deacon are watching Doctor Who instead of being at whatever party it was that Freddie got HIV? More Queen post 1991 would be fantastic - esp if they did more music for movies, or indeed if one of their many computer projects took off. Freddie meeting the 'rat pack' via Michael Jackson would make for some great musical teamups!
With a darker more anti-hero Marvel I could see a Spider-Man who kept the black Symbiote suit to get 'vengeance' on his enemies, esp if Aunt May if killed off for motivation...
With Marvel going 'dark age' anti-hero and DC all 'cosmic' through the 80's I bet the Comics Code is ditched much, much earlier, but I could see a 90's revival of 'traditional' comic values esp if the moral spotlight is shone on the comics after the X-Men cartoon airs. If Marvel gets brought in the 90's like OTL, perhaps a reactionary CEO forces more 'children's friendly' requirement onto them?
Or if the 90's are more optimistic than OTL there is a wave of 'good feeling' as the Millennium looms and instead of conspiracy theories, apocalyptic predictions, etc as in OTL we get a wave of 'feel good' media: musicals, happy songs, good news stories etc..?
Has the mainstream news, wars and events generally been the same? Falklands, Afghanistan, Gulf War, Balkans, etc etc?
Given how early the POD is it possible that Freddie Mercury, Roger Taylor, Brian May and John Deacon are watching Doctor Who instead of being at whatever party it was that Freddie got HIV? More Queen post 1991 would be fantastic - esp if they did more music for movies, or indeed if one of their many computer projects took off. Freddie meeting the 'rat pack' via Michael Jackson would make for some great musical teamups!
With a darker more anti-hero Marvel I could see a Spider-Man who kept the black Symbiote suit to get 'vengeance' on his enemies, esp if Aunt May if killed off for motivation...
With Marvel going 'dark age' anti-hero and DC all 'cosmic' through the 80's I bet the Comics Code is ditched much, much earlier, but I could see a 90's revival of 'traditional' comic values esp if the moral spotlight is shone on the comics after the X-Men cartoon airs. If Marvel gets brought in the 90's like OTL, perhaps a reactionary CEO forces more 'children's friendly' requirement onto them?
Or if the 90's are more optimistic than OTL there is a wave of 'good feeling' as the Millennium looms and instead of conspiracy theories, apocalyptic predictions, etc as in OTL we get a wave of 'feel good' media: musicals, happy songs, good news stories etc..?
It's possible there might be something like a backlash against that. Men Behaving Badly writ large, perhaps.
Mainstream news has largely stayed the same, I can't think how many of these knock on effects could have changed the political landscape much.
Hm, I do need to revisit the music scene more. I did intend to bring up Queen, but that's been a bit lost since the initial plans.
As for reaction and good feelings, time will tell but as the next update shows, you can react against things without clashing.
I've never had much interest in the movie, so not likely, no. Consider it the same success as OTL.
Chapter Twenty~Nine
Part Twenty-Nine: Championship Edition:
The effect of the Splatterhouse scandal was felt through the home gaming industry in America. The strict rules put in place by the ERSB meant that any violence in video games had to be curbed greatly. Violence against humans almost always led to a T for Teen rating, regardless of the context. As the home gaming market became homogenised in the early 90's, it was the arcades that were able to flourish. Due to not being sold in gaming stores, the arcade machines were given a wider audience of players. Most businesses running arcades did at least separate arcades into 'young' and 'teen' sections although the monitoring of people who entered was lax throughout the country. If anything, the ERSB contributed to the popularity of arcades in the US up until the late 90's as it allowed exposure to games that would have been heavily censored on home consoles.
- Extract from Video Games & Violence: A History, 2007
“The success of Final Fight in America had brought our attention to their tastes and what it meant for us as a company. We wanted greater success for the American market and decided to do research into it to help increase our success. We took note of the controversy that came from violence and decided to try and aim for a more fantastic approach in the hopes to appeal to them and work within the confines of its censorship. Aesthetically at least, World Warrior would have been a very different game had we not had to deal with that aspect.”
- Extract from an interview with Noritaka Funamizu, 2006
Hoshi (Ryu): (1)
The wandering warrior who dispenses justice. Having lived with his master, Goutetsu, all his life, Hoshi learned the values of discipline, honour and helping those in need. Leaving his home behind, he devotes his entire life to helping those in need. He has no home, no family and no friends, but his name brings hope to the downtrodden and oppressed.
In combat, Hoshi moves quickly while still remaining patient for his enemies to make a mistake. He is deliberate and a well balanced fighter. When opportunity comes, he will attack his foes with the legendary Dragon Strike.
Special Moves – Fireball, Tornado Kick, Dragon Strike
Matthew (Ken):
One of many who explore the World in the hope of fame and fortune, Matthew travels widely in a bid to get rich. He has picked up many fighting skills along the way and competes with anyone who answers his challenge. Vain and cocky, he sees himself as a rival to Hoshi and seeks out the hero to challenge him to battle
In a fight, Matthew will show off and brag to his opponents about how outmatched they are. Despite his flashy moves, he is a great fighter and will take out his foes with a Flash Bang attack.
Special Moves – Flash Bang, Swift Kick, Rising Ocean
Hongxi Fang (Chun Li):
Born to a noble family, Fang stood out from others of her class with her training in martial arts. Her hopes for a peaceful future were dashed however, when Vega's New Order killed her family for opposing them. Now, she travels the world looking for clues to their whereabouts and to bring them down. Nothing will stop her.
When in battle, Fang will use her speed and agility to great effect. She will seek out the weak points in her opponents and use her deadly kicks to strike at them. Her Lightning Kicks can take down any opponent with a flurry of blows.
Special Moves – Spinning Cycle Kick, Cannon Ball, Lightning Kicks
Gunson (Guile):
A member of the religious Brotherhood of Light, Gunson is a stoic warrior. He travels the world, serving his holy order with dedication. The Brotherhood has opposed Vega's New Order since its creation, resulting in a battle that saw Gunson's brother die. Swearing revenge, Gunson left the order in order to kill Vega.
When he fights, Gunson shows surprising flexibility in battle, catching his opponents off guard. He can leap high into the air with his Crescent Kick and take down opponents in the air or on the ground.
Special Moves – Crescent Kick, Faith Blade
Zenji (Honda):
A man who always strives for perfection in everything he does, Zenji has crafted the art of Kabuki to perfection, using its style and trickery to become world famous. His travels alerted him to the threat posed by Vega's New Order and he now uses them to fight against the organisation so he can protect his homeland.
In battle, Zenji relies on his speed and skills in illusion to help him overcome his foes. He moves in and out quickly to get the advantage, his Hidden Arts ability means that he goes invisible for a few seconds, long enough to strike hard.
Special Moves – Thousand Palm Strike, Kabuki Headbutt, Hidden Arts
Ivan (Zangief):
A legendary hero to his people, Ivan hails from the Deep North, having been trained to fight by facing Wendigoes and other monsters. He has since gone south, eager to show the might of his nation and people by taking on whatever challenges he can. And what greater challenge is there, than to take down the New Order?
When Ivan fights, he uses his great strength to grab onto his opponents and smash them into the ground. Although not the quickest of fighters, Ivan uses his power to strike or slam his opponents into the dirt with great effect.
Special Moves – Spinning Lariat, Flying Power Slam, Cyclone Driver
Presto (Blanka):
As a baby, Presto was shipwrecked on the shores of the dangerous, jungle covered Southern Continent. He was raised by the animals, taking on many of their abilities as he learned simply to survive. Eventually, he was enslaved by Vega's New Order to fight for his new master's amusement, even as the wild man longs for his freedom.
With no formal training, Prestor relies on his savagery and instincts in a fight. He latches onto opponents to bit at them with sharpened teeth or uses powers taught to him by electric eels as he shocks his opponents, his style catching many off guard.
Special Moves – Duck and Roll, Electric Shock, Rolling Thunder
Sari (Dhalsim):
A mystic woman blessed by the Gods, Sari serves as a spiritual and mental healer to anyone she meets on her travels. Despite her devotion to pacifism, Sari can no longer standby as she has seen what Vega's New Order is doing to the world and its people. Forsaking her vows, Sari now looks to bring an end to the evil.
With mystic abilities from the Gods themselves, Sari has control of fire, able to blow it out from her mouth to engulf her foes. She can also stretch her limbs far beyond any other human, able to catch opponents off guard even with her teleportation powers.
Special Moves – Holy Flame, Spiral Dive, Blessed Teleportation
Bison (Balrog):
A travelling mercenary, Bison has made his name for his brutality and savage beat downs of opponents. Known for his fists and speed, Bison was soon approached by the New Order, becoming one of the Three Generals over its armies. Hungry for power and riches, he does the bidding of the New Order, for now.
Relying on his fists to fight, Bison attacks with them alone and can strike hard and fast. He uses his great strength to knock opponents down for the count before they can react, his power overwhelming all but the strongest fighters.
Special Moves – Dash Straight, Rampaging Headbutt, Dash Uppercut
Balrog (Vega):
A former nobleman from the Old World, Balrog was born in splendid luxury, while also being a man longing to fight. He found himself bored until given a chance to battle by Vega's New Order, his cruelty and viciousness became obvious, killing Gunson's brother in battle with glee. Now one of the Three Generals, Balrog inspires fear in many.
Using his agility in a fight, Balrog can leap from walls and cling onto the cage in his home to give him an advantage. With his handsome face protected by a mask and gloves with sharp claws on the tips of his fingers, Balrog shows no mercy.
Special Moves – Rolling Crystal Strike, Sky High Claw, Flying Slash Attack
Rama (Sagat):
A former king in his own homeland, Rama was a tyrant, forcing his people to work for his glory. His evil reign was brought to an end when a rebellion cast him from his throne and Hoshi defeated him in single combat. Forced into exile, Rama joined the New Order, becoming one of the Three Generals as he swore revenge.
Rama fights using his great strength and size. His reach is almost unmatched by other fighters and he can be relentless in his assault. With his great strength, reach and techniques such as the Tiger Uppercut, Rama is a formidable opponent.
Special Moves – Tiger Strike, Tiger Uppercut, Tiger Knee
Vega (Bison):
No one knows where Vega comes from, only that chaos and destruction follow with him. He seeks to take over the world and have all of its people bow to him using his army and terrible powers. He wants complete conquest and nothing will stand in his way, with the Three Generals leading his forces, a new Emperor threatens to rise.
When he chooses to fight, Vega shows no mercy. He uses the abilities granted by his dark, mystical powers to strike at his foes when his physical body isn't able to handle the task alone. He delights in pain and always seeks to cause as much of it as he can.
Special Moves – Spirit Crusher, Double Knee Strike, Skull Driver
- Extract from the character selection of the Sega Mercury World Warrior manual
Fighters from all over a fantastic world gather to test their strength against each other! Pick one of the warriors to travel and become the best! Who will be crowned the World Warrior? It's all up to you!
- Extract from the manuals of World Warrior released on the Super Nintendo, Atari MX and Apple SYSTEM, no other reference to any kind of story was made
CONGRATULATIONS
YOU ARE WORLD WARRIOR
- Ending screen of one player mode for the Super Nintendo version of World Warrior
“We didn't stand a chance when it came to localisation. The Splatterhouse murders were still fresh in everyone's minds and there was a huge outcry over the Wolfenstein game right before we were due to release. So, the censorship came into it. We hacked it to pieces in some respects, really just tore out anything that could have been controversial. Thankfully, it wasn't anything that affected core gameplay, but the game paled compared to the arcade version in some ways.”
“Really, everyone was feeling the heat from the increased scrutiny back then. The greater pressure on us to self-censor was constantly present. It didn't help that you also had the White House using us a whipping boy whenever they wanted us to be bi-partisan. Hilary's 'wholesome games' campaign really put us in a bad position for even the slightest amount of controversial content. We managed to skate by with a Teen rating, even with all the censorship we put through for World Warrior. To be fair, it did allow some of the game designers to get really creative with their output.”
- Extract from an interview with Jeff Walker, 2008
“This game, if we can call it that, defines all the corruptive influences in video games. Portraying violence in a positive manner, glorification of animal cruelty and frequent use of Nazi imagery. We must come together to make sure that these images are not exposed to our children. I call upon the gaming industry to do what they promised and put a stop to these threats to the innocence of our children.”
- Extract from a Hilary Clinton speech, June 1992
“So we're not allowed to hate the fucking Nazis anymore?!”
- Response John Romero had to the aforementioned speech
The reaction against violence in video games had led to the stagnation of genres in the medium throughout the early 90's. Platform, puzzle and sports games were seen as the safest and most profitable games to make due to their family friendly nature. The brief attempt by id Software to reintroduce shooters, even on the less widespread PC platform led to widespread backlash that led to the company recalling a large portion of the units that had been shipped to the few retailers that would take it. With some creators frustrated over this, exploration turned to genres that had largely resided on the PC, the RPG and Adventure game. But, with combat being a concept that could be a public relations nightmare, other game mechanics were experimented with and even created. It was under these circumstances the the Quake series began.
- Extract from Video Games & Violence: A History, 2007
Quake – Role Playing Game developed for the PC, SNES, Apple System, Atari MX and others by Interplay Entertainment. Released in November of 1992, the game was a smash success due to its game mechanics, haunting atmosphere, experimental storytelling for the consoles and low age rating that made it easy to sell. It was the start of the Quake series, one of Interplay Entertainment's longest and most successful properties as it helped propel the popularity of non-violent RPG's before the easing of ESRB.
- Extract from Wikipedia's introduction the Quake series, 2009
“With a dark atmosphere throughout the game, Quake takes the player through the ruins of an artificial city in the aftermath of an earthquake. There, they have to survive and rescue the survivors they see, unravelling the conspiracy that is hidden away in the ruined streets. With great freedom of movement and mechanics focused on survival, the player has to help those around them in order to progress. This helps introduce the game's varied cast of characters who prove to be one of the highlights of the experience. A well crafted game that showcases the best of the roleplaying genre.”
- Extract from a review of Quake in Nintendo Power, November 1992
“There was no on-screen violence, that was the key. Along with constant references to the 'evacuation', Quake had no on screen violence and managed to get away with an E10+ rating. Although they had the constant threat of danger, it was always kept vague enough to avoid it going into Teen territory. With Quake's success, other RPG's could follow on with the idea of trying different things, away from fighting, in order to succeed. For a while, it seemed that only Ultima was able to tackle any kind of mature issues in games and that's because Lucas Arts backed them to the hilt.”
- Quote from HoshiFan, member of the Freakin' Awesome Network forum, 2015
Quake
Quake II
Quake: Typhoon
Quake: San Francisco
- Entries into the Quake franchise during the 90's
“1992 planted the seeds for two things, Sega's eventual bursting onto the US scene and the Brits taking over Atari.”
- Quote from CapVreenak, member of the Freakin' Awesome Network forum, 2014
1: As you can probably guess, the fighter has their OTL equivalent placed next to them.
The effect of the Splatterhouse scandal was felt through the home gaming industry in America. The strict rules put in place by the ERSB meant that any violence in video games had to be curbed greatly. Violence against humans almost always led to a T for Teen rating, regardless of the context. As the home gaming market became homogenised in the early 90's, it was the arcades that were able to flourish. Due to not being sold in gaming stores, the arcade machines were given a wider audience of players. Most businesses running arcades did at least separate arcades into 'young' and 'teen' sections although the monitoring of people who entered was lax throughout the country. If anything, the ERSB contributed to the popularity of arcades in the US up until the late 90's as it allowed exposure to games that would have been heavily censored on home consoles.
- Extract from Video Games & Violence: A History, 2007
“The success of Final Fight in America had brought our attention to their tastes and what it meant for us as a company. We wanted greater success for the American market and decided to do research into it to help increase our success. We took note of the controversy that came from violence and decided to try and aim for a more fantastic approach in the hopes to appeal to them and work within the confines of its censorship. Aesthetically at least, World Warrior would have been a very different game had we not had to deal with that aspect.”
- Extract from an interview with Noritaka Funamizu, 2006
Hoshi (Ryu): (1)
The wandering warrior who dispenses justice. Having lived with his master, Goutetsu, all his life, Hoshi learned the values of discipline, honour and helping those in need. Leaving his home behind, he devotes his entire life to helping those in need. He has no home, no family and no friends, but his name brings hope to the downtrodden and oppressed.
In combat, Hoshi moves quickly while still remaining patient for his enemies to make a mistake. He is deliberate and a well balanced fighter. When opportunity comes, he will attack his foes with the legendary Dragon Strike.
Special Moves – Fireball, Tornado Kick, Dragon Strike
Matthew (Ken):
One of many who explore the World in the hope of fame and fortune, Matthew travels widely in a bid to get rich. He has picked up many fighting skills along the way and competes with anyone who answers his challenge. Vain and cocky, he sees himself as a rival to Hoshi and seeks out the hero to challenge him to battle
In a fight, Matthew will show off and brag to his opponents about how outmatched they are. Despite his flashy moves, he is a great fighter and will take out his foes with a Flash Bang attack.
Special Moves – Flash Bang, Swift Kick, Rising Ocean
Hongxi Fang (Chun Li):
Born to a noble family, Fang stood out from others of her class with her training in martial arts. Her hopes for a peaceful future were dashed however, when Vega's New Order killed her family for opposing them. Now, she travels the world looking for clues to their whereabouts and to bring them down. Nothing will stop her.
When in battle, Fang will use her speed and agility to great effect. She will seek out the weak points in her opponents and use her deadly kicks to strike at them. Her Lightning Kicks can take down any opponent with a flurry of blows.
Special Moves – Spinning Cycle Kick, Cannon Ball, Lightning Kicks
Gunson (Guile):
A member of the religious Brotherhood of Light, Gunson is a stoic warrior. He travels the world, serving his holy order with dedication. The Brotherhood has opposed Vega's New Order since its creation, resulting in a battle that saw Gunson's brother die. Swearing revenge, Gunson left the order in order to kill Vega.
When he fights, Gunson shows surprising flexibility in battle, catching his opponents off guard. He can leap high into the air with his Crescent Kick and take down opponents in the air or on the ground.
Special Moves – Crescent Kick, Faith Blade
Zenji (Honda):
A man who always strives for perfection in everything he does, Zenji has crafted the art of Kabuki to perfection, using its style and trickery to become world famous. His travels alerted him to the threat posed by Vega's New Order and he now uses them to fight against the organisation so he can protect his homeland.
In battle, Zenji relies on his speed and skills in illusion to help him overcome his foes. He moves in and out quickly to get the advantage, his Hidden Arts ability means that he goes invisible for a few seconds, long enough to strike hard.
Special Moves – Thousand Palm Strike, Kabuki Headbutt, Hidden Arts
Ivan (Zangief):
A legendary hero to his people, Ivan hails from the Deep North, having been trained to fight by facing Wendigoes and other monsters. He has since gone south, eager to show the might of his nation and people by taking on whatever challenges he can. And what greater challenge is there, than to take down the New Order?
When Ivan fights, he uses his great strength to grab onto his opponents and smash them into the ground. Although not the quickest of fighters, Ivan uses his power to strike or slam his opponents into the dirt with great effect.
Special Moves – Spinning Lariat, Flying Power Slam, Cyclone Driver
Presto (Blanka):
As a baby, Presto was shipwrecked on the shores of the dangerous, jungle covered Southern Continent. He was raised by the animals, taking on many of their abilities as he learned simply to survive. Eventually, he was enslaved by Vega's New Order to fight for his new master's amusement, even as the wild man longs for his freedom.
With no formal training, Prestor relies on his savagery and instincts in a fight. He latches onto opponents to bit at them with sharpened teeth or uses powers taught to him by electric eels as he shocks his opponents, his style catching many off guard.
Special Moves – Duck and Roll, Electric Shock, Rolling Thunder
Sari (Dhalsim):
A mystic woman blessed by the Gods, Sari serves as a spiritual and mental healer to anyone she meets on her travels. Despite her devotion to pacifism, Sari can no longer standby as she has seen what Vega's New Order is doing to the world and its people. Forsaking her vows, Sari now looks to bring an end to the evil.
With mystic abilities from the Gods themselves, Sari has control of fire, able to blow it out from her mouth to engulf her foes. She can also stretch her limbs far beyond any other human, able to catch opponents off guard even with her teleportation powers.
Special Moves – Holy Flame, Spiral Dive, Blessed Teleportation
Bison (Balrog):
A travelling mercenary, Bison has made his name for his brutality and savage beat downs of opponents. Known for his fists and speed, Bison was soon approached by the New Order, becoming one of the Three Generals over its armies. Hungry for power and riches, he does the bidding of the New Order, for now.
Relying on his fists to fight, Bison attacks with them alone and can strike hard and fast. He uses his great strength to knock opponents down for the count before they can react, his power overwhelming all but the strongest fighters.
Special Moves – Dash Straight, Rampaging Headbutt, Dash Uppercut
Balrog (Vega):
A former nobleman from the Old World, Balrog was born in splendid luxury, while also being a man longing to fight. He found himself bored until given a chance to battle by Vega's New Order, his cruelty and viciousness became obvious, killing Gunson's brother in battle with glee. Now one of the Three Generals, Balrog inspires fear in many.
Using his agility in a fight, Balrog can leap from walls and cling onto the cage in his home to give him an advantage. With his handsome face protected by a mask and gloves with sharp claws on the tips of his fingers, Balrog shows no mercy.
Special Moves – Rolling Crystal Strike, Sky High Claw, Flying Slash Attack
Rama (Sagat):
A former king in his own homeland, Rama was a tyrant, forcing his people to work for his glory. His evil reign was brought to an end when a rebellion cast him from his throne and Hoshi defeated him in single combat. Forced into exile, Rama joined the New Order, becoming one of the Three Generals as he swore revenge.
Rama fights using his great strength and size. His reach is almost unmatched by other fighters and he can be relentless in his assault. With his great strength, reach and techniques such as the Tiger Uppercut, Rama is a formidable opponent.
Special Moves – Tiger Strike, Tiger Uppercut, Tiger Knee
Vega (Bison):
No one knows where Vega comes from, only that chaos and destruction follow with him. He seeks to take over the world and have all of its people bow to him using his army and terrible powers. He wants complete conquest and nothing will stand in his way, with the Three Generals leading his forces, a new Emperor threatens to rise.
When he chooses to fight, Vega shows no mercy. He uses the abilities granted by his dark, mystical powers to strike at his foes when his physical body isn't able to handle the task alone. He delights in pain and always seeks to cause as much of it as he can.
Special Moves – Spirit Crusher, Double Knee Strike, Skull Driver
- Extract from the character selection of the Sega Mercury World Warrior manual
Fighters from all over a fantastic world gather to test their strength against each other! Pick one of the warriors to travel and become the best! Who will be crowned the World Warrior? It's all up to you!
- Extract from the manuals of World Warrior released on the Super Nintendo, Atari MX and Apple SYSTEM, no other reference to any kind of story was made
CONGRATULATIONS
YOU ARE WORLD WARRIOR
- Ending screen of one player mode for the Super Nintendo version of World Warrior
“We didn't stand a chance when it came to localisation. The Splatterhouse murders were still fresh in everyone's minds and there was a huge outcry over the Wolfenstein game right before we were due to release. So, the censorship came into it. We hacked it to pieces in some respects, really just tore out anything that could have been controversial. Thankfully, it wasn't anything that affected core gameplay, but the game paled compared to the arcade version in some ways.”
“Really, everyone was feeling the heat from the increased scrutiny back then. The greater pressure on us to self-censor was constantly present. It didn't help that you also had the White House using us a whipping boy whenever they wanted us to be bi-partisan. Hilary's 'wholesome games' campaign really put us in a bad position for even the slightest amount of controversial content. We managed to skate by with a Teen rating, even with all the censorship we put through for World Warrior. To be fair, it did allow some of the game designers to get really creative with their output.”
- Extract from an interview with Jeff Walker, 2008
“This game, if we can call it that, defines all the corruptive influences in video games. Portraying violence in a positive manner, glorification of animal cruelty and frequent use of Nazi imagery. We must come together to make sure that these images are not exposed to our children. I call upon the gaming industry to do what they promised and put a stop to these threats to the innocence of our children.”
- Extract from a Hilary Clinton speech, June 1992
“So we're not allowed to hate the fucking Nazis anymore?!”
- Response John Romero had to the aforementioned speech
The reaction against violence in video games had led to the stagnation of genres in the medium throughout the early 90's. Platform, puzzle and sports games were seen as the safest and most profitable games to make due to their family friendly nature. The brief attempt by id Software to reintroduce shooters, even on the less widespread PC platform led to widespread backlash that led to the company recalling a large portion of the units that had been shipped to the few retailers that would take it. With some creators frustrated over this, exploration turned to genres that had largely resided on the PC, the RPG and Adventure game. But, with combat being a concept that could be a public relations nightmare, other game mechanics were experimented with and even created. It was under these circumstances the the Quake series began.
- Extract from Video Games & Violence: A History, 2007
Quake – Role Playing Game developed for the PC, SNES, Apple System, Atari MX and others by Interplay Entertainment. Released in November of 1992, the game was a smash success due to its game mechanics, haunting atmosphere, experimental storytelling for the consoles and low age rating that made it easy to sell. It was the start of the Quake series, one of Interplay Entertainment's longest and most successful properties as it helped propel the popularity of non-violent RPG's before the easing of ESRB.
- Extract from Wikipedia's introduction the Quake series, 2009
“With a dark atmosphere throughout the game, Quake takes the player through the ruins of an artificial city in the aftermath of an earthquake. There, they have to survive and rescue the survivors they see, unravelling the conspiracy that is hidden away in the ruined streets. With great freedom of movement and mechanics focused on survival, the player has to help those around them in order to progress. This helps introduce the game's varied cast of characters who prove to be one of the highlights of the experience. A well crafted game that showcases the best of the roleplaying genre.”
- Extract from a review of Quake in Nintendo Power, November 1992
“There was no on-screen violence, that was the key. Along with constant references to the 'evacuation', Quake had no on screen violence and managed to get away with an E10+ rating. Although they had the constant threat of danger, it was always kept vague enough to avoid it going into Teen territory. With Quake's success, other RPG's could follow on with the idea of trying different things, away from fighting, in order to succeed. For a while, it seemed that only Ultima was able to tackle any kind of mature issues in games and that's because Lucas Arts backed them to the hilt.”
- Quote from HoshiFan, member of the Freakin' Awesome Network forum, 2015
Quake
Quake II
Quake: Typhoon
Quake: San Francisco
- Entries into the Quake franchise during the 90's
“1992 planted the seeds for two things, Sega's eventual bursting onto the US scene and the Brits taking over Atari.”
- Quote from CapVreenak, member of the Freakin' Awesome Network forum, 2014
1: As you can probably guess, the fighter has their OTL equivalent placed next to them.
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