We live in a politically correct society where we’re all created equal, inclusiveness is the new cool, and we all bleed the same red blood–but it wasn’t always that way. Turning back the hands of time in both the real and gaming worlds reveal universes filled with ideas that aren’t exactly the most P.C. and sometimes outright offensive. From misogyny to outright racist imagery, video games have walked the dark side when portraying certain groups. Here are a few of the more memorable politically incorrect moments in 2D games.
I can vividly recall the first time that I met HipHopGamer; actually, the first time that I saw him. I was at an Activision party watching some skinny-pantsed hipsters spin the virtual wax, when I saw a dude bop into the room with a god damned wrestling belt strapped over his shoulder. I thought that [...]
If you’ve thought it was a Capcom lovefest around these parts thanks to the ongoing discussions regarding Jetpack Attack, Mega Man 10, and Cody’s inclusion in Super Street Fighter IV, prepare for one more round of the warm fuzzies. As promised, our interview with Robby Zinchak, Associate Producer, Final Fight: Double Impact, who kindly filled us [...]
UPDATE: It looks like the answer, sadly, is no. Revenge of the Wounded Dragon appears to be a new title that’s set to debut on PSN “soon.” A feature list, courtesy of the PlayStation Blog: Single player and local multi-player modes 4 beautiful environments with immersive levels, totalling 24 areas all of them packed with [...]
Traditionally, beat ‘em ups have represented the most basic of video game storytelling and gameplay mechanics. Three of the most beloved and respected games in the genre – – Double Dragon, Final Fight, and River City Ransom – – feature protagonists on vengeful missions to rescue their kidnapped girlfriend from goons. It’s hardly the most [...]
Two years ago, I turned an accusing eye toward beat ‘em ups, but let it be known that I’m still a devoted fan of the genre, despite its repetitive nature and numerous flaws. Although there are plenty of gameplay tweaks that can be done to breathe new life into the category, I’m going to focus [...]
A few weeks ago, my friend Gabriel stopped by to take in a couple of rounds of Hokuto no Ken for the PlayStation 2, as he’s a huge fan of the American Fist of the Northstar movie, hilariously bad Streamline dub and all. After several minutes of being dazzled by the sexy visuals and fun [...]
