High Score Ep 5 Recap – Fight!

High Score Ep 5 Recap – Fight!

If there is a genre of games that would exemplify its history, it is the fighting game. It has been constantly evolving since its inception; changing to take advantage of new hardware, to match the times, follow trends, or pave its own path. This episode also looked at something that has left its mark on every single game since its creation: The Electronic Software Rating Board (ESRB). These all became pillars that the industry built on and would shape it to this day.

The episode had a cold opening talking about bringing people into the world of the game. The person talking was shown headed into a Japanese Bathhouse. Apparently, back in the day, (possibly even to this day) some Bathhouses would have arcade machines. He would go on to explain that this is why there is a bathhouse stage in “Street Fighter 2.” He then joked that fighting in bathhouses was normal, and laughed. This person was Nishitani Akira. He headed the team that created “Street Fighter 2,” a follow up to the small success of the original “Street Fighter.” He talked about some of the creative process behind “Street Fighter 2's” stage designs. He looked to the world to find inspiration. Nishitani knew how to make the game world appeal to the masses, but then he needed the cast to back it up. He also needed it to reflect martial arts, which they studied to create the fighting styles the characters would use. Mixed with the art, the characters all came to life and something great was beginning to form.

Yasuda Akira was the person tapped to create the cast of character that would fill the world of “Street Fighter.” Yasuda explained that he had always loved art and illustration. Finding strong elements of art had been his passion. It was through this they got the idea to exaggerate features of characters, giving rise to the style iconic to the series. He explained the process by going over how “E. Honda” got his signature look. The goal was to make an impression that would blow the person away. He also explained that “Chun-li” was created to draw in women as well, since they could play as her. She was a very different character from most other female characters for her personality. All of characters would be distinct and offer unique visuals to anything else.

Both Yasuda and Nishitani knew the game would be good, but they didn't realize just how popular it would become after its release in 1991. This game was what set off the Fighting Game Boom that lasted through most of the 1990's. It would also be the starting point for many other games and the proper launch of the “Street Fighter” series itself.

Next, it was time for a shift away from “Street Fighter,” jumping to another side of the block, with “Mortal Kombat.” John Tobias talked about his love of Martial Arts movies. During the 1990's, Tobias was working for Midway as a Graphic designer. Midway was looking to make a game to rival “Street Fighter 2.” Somehow, he and Ed Boon were offered the job to make the game, and to do it in a very short time frame (~6 months). Tobias explained he handled the lore, and graphics. While they loved “Street Fighter 2,” they wanted to make their own game. If “Street Fighter 2” was animated and silly, their game was going to be realistic and gory. Additionally, he wanted to use the martial arts films of the time as inspiration. He explained that they made an offer to Van Damme, one of the lead action movie heroes of the time. The actor declined to participate in the game,  but the team made a tribute to him in the form of Johnny Cage. They were also aiming to get reactions out of the player whenever they were playing. The fatalities and gore of the game put something on the line for the characters and their players. This was all aided by the digitized performers made it all possible. Many were friends of the Midway staff. These choices led to a very popular game, with over-the-top violence throughout. Tobias thought that the fantastical elements of the game would be enough to calm parents. The problem: it wasn't.

The gore and violence gave “Mortal Kombat” the edge it needed, but it was also what drew down the ire of many parents, organizations, and the U.S. Government. Ultimately, “Mortal Kombat,” and “Night Trap,” (as well as “Lethal Enforcer”) would be set in front of Congress. In front of Congress were Howard Lincoln from Nintendo and Bill White from Sega. They would represent the industry. Nintendo could present its own guidelines while Sega could present its own rating system. On the congressional side, Job Lieberman and Herb Kohl led the charge. “Mortal Kombat” was chosen for its gore, “Night Trap” for its violence against woman, and “Lethal Enforcer” for its use of a Light Gun peripheral and digitized graphics. It was ultimately decided that the industry needed regulation, much like film or music, to help parents make informed decisions. A long process ensued to develop a rating system and get the needed support from the companies in gaming and the retail that video games depend on. This segment ended with an overview of the ratings of Everyone (E) to  Adult Only (AO).

“Night Trap,” remained the odd inclusion for the set of games presented during the hearings that would lead to the ESRB. Jim Riley, now in VFX, came on to talk about the game he helped make. “Night Trap” started as an experiment focused on an interactive movie. Initially funded by Hasbro for their experimental device, the “Control Vision.” The viewer would use their remote control to watch the movie and trap the bad guys during the film. Riley explained the basic plot of Night Trap. He also explained just how the game got its distinctive antagonist: the Augurs. It was the executives and Riley responding to the demands that led to the game getting its very distinctive “B-movie” feel. Riley also explained how Hasbro pulled out at the last minute on “Control Vision,” which left the project dead for a few years. Riley, a few years later, got a call from Sega who wanted the game for the upcoming Sega-CD. He gave a few retrospective looks on the game (and how it was used in the hearings) and remarked on how poorly the game has aged. However, the game's inclusion in the hearings ultimately led it to becoming a cult classic of a video game.

The ESRB itself is a dense topic that can be very fascinating to research. There are numerous videos on YouTube looking into these congressional hearings. The same can be said for “Mortal Kombat,” “Street Fighter 2,” and “Night Trap.” They all broke new ground for gaming. Overall, this episode was far more interesting for its look into “Mortal Kombat,” “Street Fighter 2,” and “Night Trap” than its look at the ESRB. There was a lot unsaid about the ESRB, but they gave a basic summary. Likely the ERSB's congressional hearing could have been its own episode. Below is a link to a video looking into the ERSB and those hearings.

The next episode focused on the birth of what would become a very popular genre of Video Game, the First Person Shooter (FPS) with the release of the PC game, “Doom.”

 

The Gaming Historian - The Story of the ESRB


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