A Full Motion Revolution

Every few years or so, the entertainment industry is lighting the fires of consumer hype around its latest technical showcase. Currently it's 4K and (the arguably more significant) HDR, recently it was VR, before that it was stereoscopic 3D… but we are going to jump back quite a bit further. Back to a time when the concept of video in a video game was something to behold. We’re talking of course, about Full Motion Video.

Typically when we talk about FMV games the conversation tends to settle around the early 90’s, as this is when the genre reached the zenith of its popularity. However the tech had been around for quite a few years prior to this era. Released on December 4th of 1988, NEC’s PC-Engine (TurboGrafx) would be the first home game console to adopt the Compact Disc by releasing a disc drive as an upgrade to their console. However, even before that there was the LaserDisc which found its success in Arcades in the 80’s. These new media formats presented both publisher and developers with significant advantages over the traditional physical media at the time.

One of these advantages was the ability to bring FMVs to consoles. It may seem odd nowadays, the ability to see a video play in a video game being such a big deal, but once upon a time it was a revolution in game design. After NEC’s success with the format, it was only a matter of time before we saw the Sega CD come to market, followed by the infamous and unreleased Super Nintendo CD that itself ended up being the pre-cursor to the Sony PlayStation. Once developers got their hands on the tech, and began to experiment with the possibilities, it wasn’t long before many creators were trying to bridge the gap between the words “video” and “game”. The end result is a unique and interesting era in video games that can sometimes be overlooked. So this month at EP, we are hitting rewind. So grab some popcorn, and dim the lights, ‘cause the previews are about to start…

Dragon's Lair / Space Ace

Platform: Sega CD

If you aren’t familiar with the name Don Bluth, you most likely are unknowingly familiar with his work. This legendary ex-Disney animator famously departed from the house of mouse to forge his own path, one that was focused on celebrating a more classical approach to animating 2D images. It paid off, as he found incredible success with films like “The Secret of NIMH”, “An American Tail”, and its more notable sequel, “Feivel Goes West”. However, lucky for us, he also decided to throw his hat into the ring on game development.

While most FMV based games use pre-recorded live-action scenes, Dragon’s Lair and Space Ace were overflowing with personality and stand out as 2 of the most iconic examples of the FMV genre. In fact, they are easily the most popular games ever to be released on LaserDisc. It would take another 10 years, and some poor-quality platforming genre conversions for systems like the NES, before we were finally graced with home-versions that lived up to the arcade classic. These releases, which are for the Sega CD, Panasonic 3DO, and Philips CD-I, retain the original games scenes and gameplay; albeit with varying degrees of video quality, depending on the version. One really interesting thing to know about these games is that because of the way they work, in contrast to traditional games, they were eventually released as actual DVD video discs. These are full-fledged versions of the games where you can use the standard DVD remote functions to play. These releases were sold with notices on the front stating they are compatible with XBOX and PS2, not something you’d see every day. While it’s a shame we didn’t see more FMV titles take this route, few FMV games ever reached the acclaim that Don Bluth’s work achieved – and so their existence stands as another testament to the popularity of these titles.

Road Avenger / Road Blaster

Platform: Sega Saturn

Road Blaster (Road Avenger in the west) is another great example of an animated FMV game, this title placed you in the driver’s seat of a flashy red car, driving through a brightly covered adrenaline fueled chase. The action is quick, and this one requires equally quick reflexes to get far, but it’s delightful to watch the sequences play out on screen and, given the constraints of the genre, it does a good job of making you feel like you are controlling the car.

While this title originally released in 1985 in arcades, it was eventually ported to a number of systems. Most notably the Sega CD, as it was the only mainstream version to be released outside of Japan. There was one more official release that reached western shores; the Sega Mega LD version. If you are unfamiliar, this was a short-lived LaserDisc based format for the Pioneer LaserActive, a supped up LaserDisc player which, among other features, included add-ons for Sega Genesis, TurboGrafx, and this unique disc format. These discs are quite rare, and sadly not well preserved online as of yet. Should you come across any, take great care as LaserDiscs are also infamously fragile and tragically the glue that was used to bind these discs together is starting to break down – eventually, if not preserved, Mega LD discs will one day vanish forever.

Now, there’s actually one more release that’s worth mentioning here, though it’s not an official one. In 2011 a port of the game was released online for the Super Nintendo. This version takes advantage of what is called the MSU-1 chip. Essentially this allows certain emulators, and even certain flash-carts on a real Super NES, to utilize features that would have been possible had the Super Nintendo’s CD add-on reached retail. This means things like Full Motion Video, CD Quality Audio, and increased storage space are now achievable. It’s not the most visually impressive version, but the very fact that we essentially have a game for hardware that was never finished (20 years after the fact) is a testament to the passion of our gaming community.

Wing Commander 3 - Heart of the Tiger

Platform: Sony Playstation

When the original Wing Commander released in 1990 it was a smash hit. Its presentation of space combat grabbed the interest of gamers everywhere with its intense battles and solid between-mission storytelling that even includes some player choice. When its sequel was released just one year later in ‘91, it built upon the strengths of its predecessor and had a higher emphasis on storytelling which continued to make the series stand out among the pack. Indeed these are 2 games any fan of the MS-DOS era should not miss.

So when it came time to create Wing Commander 3, they leaned hard into making it the best game it could be. To achieve this, they presented the player with a game that contained over 2 whole hours of video, but this was a step up from the majority of offerings in the FMV craze. Hollywood actors such as Malcom McDowell, Mark Hamill, Tom Wilson, and John Rhys-Davies were cast into starring roles. The production quality on display, alongside the series trademark gameplay, delivered another massive success for developer Origin Systems. They would go on to create more great entries in the series, but Wing Commander 3 stands as one of the finest examples of implementing FMVs into a game during this era. Wing

Surgical Strike

Platform: Sega CD

When Surgical Strike was released in late ’93 it was a decently received title that many who played will remember fondly for its relatively smooth action sequences; albeit with a somewhat repetitive explosion video-clip. In its Sega CD form it stands as a good summation of what an FMV game typically plays out like. However, it’s not the Sega CD version here that is really worth mentioning…

In the 90’s, if you were radical enough to own not only a Sega Genesis, but also a Sega CD, and the 32X, then you know it was an impressive looking piece of tech that sat under your TV and made all your friends jealous… but for all that raw blast-processing, 32-bit, compact disc power and technology… only 5 games were released that took advantage of the full setup, all released between 1994 and 1995. These games are Corpse Killer, Fahrenheit, Night Trap, Slam City with Scottie Pippen, and Supreme Warrior; all games previously released on the Sega CD.

By using the increased capabilities of the Sega CD system with the 32X in the mix, developers were able to greatly increase the quality of the FMV clips. This resulted in a much smoother and cleaner looking experience. Looking at them side-by-side, the advantage is clear. So what about Surgical Strike? Well, what makes this title so interesting is that for a long time it wasn’t entirely clear that the game had ever been released. As it turns out, it ended up only being released in Brazil. Curiously however, the game is entirely in English instead of Portuguese.

Still, even knowing it had been released in that region – preservation of the title was non-existent and it wasn’t until recently that a Brazilian site has popped up offering for-sale copies of the game complete with high quality box-art, CD, and all. Now, for the best part… This individual did the preservation community proud by uploading a digital copy of the disc image to the internet… for free! If you would like to purchase a copy of this package, or download the game for yourself it can be found here.

All in all, FMV games didn’t quite pan out to be the entertainment unifier they were once envisioned to become. However, their influence is certainly not lost on the industry. Today you can find games like Quantum Break, where they use real actors both in game and in the fully produced TV episodes that are presented between chapters. Other games like Transference are bringing those influences to the VR space, and while we’ve yet to really see where such marriage of storytelling and technology will take us, its great fun to revisit the classics that inspired modern creators, and the history of the tech itself.

Hope you enjoyed this newsletter, until next time!