10 Movie Games (Full Motion Video Abuse)

From the early to mid-1990s, a wave of games built around pre-recorded video sequences, known as Full Motion Video (FMV), flooded the market. These high-resolution graphics were played on consoles that used CD-ROMs instead of cartridges, such as the Sega CD, 3DO, and CD-i. With more storage space, companies could deliver richer audiovisual experiences, but at the cost of interactivity. High production costs, limited color palettes, low frame rates, and terrible actors were the hallmarks of some of the most beloved, least remembered, and most FMV-abusing gems: the incredible FMV games. Truly movie games.

Supreme Warrior (Digital Pictures – 1995)

The corpse in the closet. If there is one thing that’s easy to see, it’s that martial arts movies don’t usually feature great actors. Their strength lies in demonstrating hand-to-hand combat techniques, energy management, and philosophy, but few of these guys made it big in Hollywood.

What can you do about that? Nothing. Just channel your frustration by beating up the great fighters (but terrible actors) who starred in this sort of B-movie fighting game in first person, which had moments of dramatic depth and decent atmosphere. In ancient China, the player had to protect an ancient mask that gave its wearer immense power. The evil Fang Tu had the other half and would unleash chaos to get the missing piece. Let’s be honest: we all have hidden home videos that prove why we need to study Strasberg and Stanislavski. Who wouldn’t want an interactive video game with those images?

Mad Dog McCree (American Laser Games – 1990)

The mad dog. With the sheriff locked in his own jail, and the mayor’s daughter kidnapped by the biggest villain of the Old West, the town needed a savior (you, “the stranger”) to free it from a gang of gunmen terrorizing its residents. Mad Dog McCree used classic spaghetti western locations and a host of talented professional actors, making it one of the most beloved FMV games of all time.

Remembered by all of us from the arcades, it got a sequel in 1992 with Mad Dog II: The Lost Gold, which added dynamic shooting scenes and in-game music. Along with Space Pirates (1992), Crime Patrol (1993), The Last Bounty Hunter (1994), and Who Shot Johnny Rock? (1991), American Laser Games established itself as a leader among companies using the FMV format until its demise in the late 1990s. Such was the recognition that the Nintendo Wii set aside its potential to release, in 2009, a tribute pack titled Mad Dog McCree Gunslinger Pack, which included the original game, its sequel, and The Last Bounty Hunter.

The X-Files Game (HyperBole Studios – 1998)

Many files... and secrets. This game, based on the hit series “The X-Files”, is set somewhere in its third season. There, a young FBI agent named Craig Willmore must investigate the mysterious disappearance of our friends Mulder and Scully, who were last seen in Washington DC. This mission let us use a wide range of sophisticated gadgets, including night vision goggles, digital cameras, lockpicks (in case we forgot our keys), handheld supercomputers, evidence collection and analysis kits, a gun, and handcuffs—everything any spy needs for the job.

This point-and-click game featured numerous scenes acted by many characters from the original series, recognizable locations, and enveloped us in the same atmosphere of mystery and conspiracy as each episode. It came with a whopping 7 CDs, many aliens threatening all of humanity, and dozens of references for fans of the dynamic duo of state secrets. An essential piece for collectors of this extraordinary story that spanned 9 seasons, 202 episodes, and many sleepless nights for fans afraid of being abducted.

Phantasmagoria: A Puzzle of Flesh (Sierra Entertainment - 1996)

The black sheep. Also known as Phantasmagoria 2, and released as Phantasmagoria II: Fatal Obsessions in some European countries, this sequel to the 1995 original is a horror adventure with no real connection to its predecessor beyond its high levels of violence and sexual content. Censored in many countries, the player takes on the role of Curtis Craig, a 26-year-old just out of a mental institution, the product of an abusive, suicidal mother and a father who worked on a top-secret project at the same company where his son worked.

After being involved in a murder, Curtis must confront his own past and find out if his dark side is responsible for everything terrible happening to him, or if something much worse needs to be uncovered. Despite its short length, a too-linear story, and limited interactivity as an FMV, Phantasmagoria 2 left behind the controversies of its strong content (parents could set a password to control access for the little ones) to find its place in the hearts of its fans. Sex, monsters, and violence... that’s how you win anyone over.

Bug Blasters: The Exterminators (Stargate Films – 2000)

The Bug Hunters. Why does such a strange game take sixth place on this list? Well, because there’s always a good side to the bad (if you have doubts, learn a bit from the Eastern philosophy of yin and yang), and this duality of seemingly antagonistic forces balances out for a refreshing experience. I mean, the game was bad, but that didn’t make it any less fun. Experiencing the feeling of being part of a low-budget movie with special effects made by my grandmother (and my grandmother is very good at special effects) where a chemical spill produces mutations of intelligent insects was priceless.

That it was a crude copy of the “concept” of the movie Ghostbusters is almost not worth mentioning, but that this shooting game brought several smiles to our faces, no one can deny. It was so strange that its release came many years after the Sega CD console had disappeared! Entertaining and addictive (especially for those addicted to things you shouldn’t be addicted to). Got cockroaches in your house? No problem. Call the Exterminators, and they’ll save you!

Corpse Killer (Digital Pictures – 1994)

The island of zombies. In the mid-1990s, the industry began to feel the decline of the FMV format in video games. Proof of this are the various technical efforts to reduce load times on the Sega CD, which only resulted in inferior video quality and the almost mandatory inclusion of English subtitles to understand the dialogue during the adventure.

But since at NeoTeo we are zombie fans, we will defend any initiative that includes people in an advanced state of decay trying to eat our brains. A U.S. Marine falls onto an island infested with voodoo zombies, tasked with stopping Dr. Evil Hellman (played by the lovable lunatic Vincent Schiavelli), a mad scientist planning to build an army of the undead to conquer the world. More funny than scary, Corpse Killer marks the beginning of a second generation of FMVs that was starting to wear out. Still, we will never withdraw our support for zombies (the only thing missing is that they devour the small, unproductive brain I’ve been dealt in this life).

Dragon’s Lair (Cinematronics – 1983)

Of geniuses and dragons. A while back, we talked about Dragon’s Lair and other wonders of Don Bluth. This genius was one of the fathers of interactive movies, where the user could interact with elements of the environment while watching a highly polished animation. That’s how Dragon’s Lair was born, an adventure where we controlled Dirk, a knight who had to traverse a magical castle to rescue Princess Daphne from a terrifying dragon named Singe.

Its gameplay demanded quick reactions (read: press all buttons and move the joystick every which way to see if we got lucky) in response to blinking cues in different scenes. Its touches of humor and aesthetic and narrative quality earned it the affection of the public and positive reviews. Four months after its release, Space Ace (Cinematronics – 1984) came out, a space adventure that, while keeping the same mechanics, added the ability to change the age of the protagonist, the muscular Ace, who fought Commander Borf to rescue his girlfriend Kimberly (and save the planet, by the way). Two spectacular titles from a talented creator that gave a caress to the childish soul of his fans (when they touch me there, they make me laugh).

The 7th Guest (Trilobyte – 1993)

The guest of honor. The 7th Guest was one of the first video games released exclusively on CD-ROM. However, its popularity wasn’t due to the format, but to its impeccable mix of video sequences and pre-rendered graphics. It told a horror story from the perspective of an amnesiac protagonist. Two million copies sold worldwide positioned it as one of the best FMV titles on the market, with adult content that didn’t fall into bad taste and a fundamental influence in accelerating sales of compact disc drives.

It told the story of a billionaire toy manufacturer who builds an imposing mansion full of diabolical traps and dolls. Six guests arrive to participate in a test whose winner will get whatever they desire. But a series of crimes begins to darken the intentions of the wealthy toymaker. The 7th Guest is considered one of the masterpieces of digital horror, along with its sequel, The 11th Hour (1995). Its story takes place 60 years after the original game, when a photo reporter tries to find out the whereabouts of his girlfriend but mysteriously ends up in the demonic mansion. And worst of all: you are also invited.

Tex Murphy: Under a Killing Moon (Access Software – 1994)

Helping a friend who hit rock bottom. Created by Chris Jones, Brent Erickson, and Aaron Conners, in the third of the four Tex Murphy adventures, our hero had to fight diabolical forces to stop a powerful cult about to unleash a worldwide catastrophe. Combining FMV with a 3D virtual environment, Under a Killing Moon told, across four discs, the adventures of the private investigator in a devastated San Francisco of 2042, trying to recover from World War III.

There, two groups of citizens had formed to inhabit the rebuilt cities: those who naturally resisted the radiation, or those who became mutants. A divorced man with alcohol problems, no job or money, but who knows he’s one of the best at what he does, Tex tries to change his luck with a job that ends up involving him in a dangerous cult. Can things get worse? Relaunched in 2009 after its creators reacquired the rights, Tex Murphy’s adventures should be among the three best games on this list. If the world is about to collapse, I want this guy on my side.

Night Trap (Digital Pictures – 1992)

A before and after. Next, we’ll list the reasons why Night Trap takes first place on this count: because the video game starred Dana Plato, the blonde actress from the Arnold series (little Gary Coleman), because the title was responsible for the creation of the regulatory body Electronic Software Rating Board (ESRB), and because its story was based on a pajama party of schoolgirls in the house of a vampire family (the Augers). Do you need anything else?

Censored and pulled from the market by the United States Senate due to its “morally reprehensible” content, and made entirely from pre-recorded scenes (something extraordinary for the 16-bit generation), Night Trap formed a duo with the title Double Switch (Digital Pictures – 1993) using traps to capture creatures of the night in a house or unwanted mafia guests in a mansion. However, the second title had some improvements in its gameplay, a soundtrack composed by the talented Thomas Dolby, and some unexpected plot twists. So why do we give first place to Night Trap? Because of all the half-naked women it let us spy on!

Other very memorable FMV games are Fox Hunt (Capcom – 1996), Wirehead (The Code Monkeys and MGM Interactive – 1995), and Sewer Shark (Digital Pictures – 1992). FMV, that experience every player must go through to learn what other techniques can be used to conquer the market. More than a format, a lesson in life.