Hot Topic - Best Ocean Film Licence

[fgasking]

Is it my memory playing tricks on me or was Total Recall completely axed and a different version commissioned?

Yup! ... Not sure about the 16-bit versions, but the 8-bit home computer versions were originally outsourced to a company called "Active Minds" who completely messed things up.
Here are details about the original C64 version that got canned (with screenshots) and also includes a creator speaks section with Simon Butler who did graphical work on the Active Minds version and tells a very frank and honest story about what happened and how they salvaged things...

http://www.gtw64.co.uk/Pages/t/Review_Totalrecallv1

The Spectrum version from Active Minds had a 1 level demo released from what I recall. I *think* Mark Jones (who's floating around on this thread and can confirm) may have done graphics for that version (or i'm getting confused with some concept art done internally which he found on some microdrives recently and which were not used).

[mlucifersam]

Yes I worked on the aborted version of 'Total Recall' at Un-Active Minds then went in house at Ocean to help salvage the damn thing.

[learnedrobb]

Robocop, hands down.

I spent an untold number of hours playing this at a friends as we tried to beat it. And I can still hear the title music in my head to this day...

[webding]

Very tough question. Robocop was the first exposure I had to Ocean's film license minigame formula, and I loved it, but the forumla was perfected for Batman and The Untouchables, which were both absolutely outstanding. Any one of those three could get my vote, but then you complicate it further by chucking Jurassic Park in? That's me well and truly on the fence then.

[piemanhez]

Oh man, I've been waiting for an article about OCEAN for ages. I've so many memories about their games (mostly good ones). I've cast my vote for Batman the Movie because I remember being swept up in the ridiculous hype when the film came out and the game brilliantly captured all the set-pieces of the film. It's my favourite game on my GX4000 and that epic first level in the chemical factory still gets me excited.
Other honorable mentions???
Navy Seals on the Gameboy is utterly brilliant and has perhaps the best title screen music ever.
Jurassic Park on the Gameboy was quite fun and made great use of the classic Comic Bakery music in the first level.
Robocop 2 on the GX4000 showed what the GX4000 was capable of. It's just a shame that it was such a censored to play.

Finally, let's not forget "Super Hunchback" on the Gameboy (not strictly a film licence but there have been Quasimodo movies!). One of the best 2d platformers of all time and quite possibly the best platform game on the system.

Let the GX4000-hate comments begin now...

[HEAVYface]

robocop on the spectrum for me.

the arcade version was better though as it was just a 'pure' platform shooter.

[greenberet79]

Yes I worked on the aborted version of 'Total Recall' at Un-Active Minds then went in house at Ocean to help salvage the damn thing.

I knew I remembered reading about it in one of the magazines at the time. Never thought one of the people who worked on the game would confirm it in person 25 years later though! Thanks fgasking and mlucifer!

Edit - just read the article, I remember a screenshot or two of the "driving" section (think it was meant to be level 2). Funny the things you remember eh.

[Miketendo]

Robocop was by far the most memorable game from this list. Plus, it doesn't hurt that it's one of my favorite movies.

[mlucifersam]

I did a spoken recorded interview for someone a few years back about the Total Recall debacle. Only a little bit of it was ever used. You can download the mp3 here, if you're interested. I ain't heard it for years so have no idea what I say:

http://www.sendspace.com/file/0xssua

[JetSetWilly]

That whole Total Recall thing was quite interesting. I did love the final version, but it would have been interesting to see a playable (or unplayable) version of level one of the original version. Did look quite poor, to boot.

[mlucifersam]

A demo was on a 'Micro Hobby' tape. I didn't realise until a few years back that it had been on it. When I found the file and watched it, that's ALL I remember ever seeing of that version. That scrolling demo was all their ever was, game wise. More graphics existed but they hadn't been implemented in the demo.

http://www.worldofspectrum.org/infoseek.cgi?regexp=^MicroHobby+issue+204%3a+Tape+29$&pub=^MicroHobby$

[Old Skool 75]

I was a big Sly Stallone fan in the 80's and I remember going into my local games shop and seeing Cobra the game by Ocean. I had heard nothing about it and on this rare occasion took a blind chance on it. I was pleasantly surprised at how good Ocean had made this movie licence into a run n' gun. Loved this game but I remember it being pretty difficult. I would still go for Robocop as the best but this little gem deserves a mention x