Minds Behind the Games

Patrick Hickey, Jr., is the founder and editor-in-chief of ReviewFix.com and a lecturer of English and journalism at Kingsborough Community College, in Brooklyn, New York. Over the past decade, his video game coverage has been featured in national ad campaigns by Nintendo, Disney and EA Sports. Series editor Matthew Wilhelm Kapell teaches American studies, anthropology, and writing at Pace University in New York.

“a wealth of knowledge about the journey of video game development, detailed by the people who made it all happen...interesting and entertaining...fascinating book chock full of information you’re probably not going to get anywhere else...valuable”—Retrovolve; “a passion project that finally gives the greatest minds in video games their due...a must-read for classic gaming fans and anyone interested in learning about the thought process of gaming”—Old School Gamer Magazine; “a must read”—Against the Grain; “From arcade rats to indie developers, Hickey gives an intimate look at the personalities behind gaming with the passion of a fanboy and the attention of a scholar.”—Cesar R. Bustamante, Jr., New York Daily News; “The Minds Behind the Games reads like a personal voiceover for a ESPN 30-for-30 documentary on every classic video game mentioned in the book. This is a must-read for classic gaming fans and anyone interested in learning about the thought process of game developers.”—Brian Mazique, Forbes; “Patrick interviews some of the greatest pioneers of the gaming industry in his book. He treats us to a factual, yet accessible look at some of the most influential games ever, created through first-hand interviews with the developers.”—Pete Paquette, senior animator, Bioshock: Infinite, Overwatch, Madden NFL 18; “Fantastic. One part serious journalism and the other a love letter to the history of gaming.”—Anthony Frisina, author of The Regulator; “This book will make your inner gamer do the time warp again and again.”—Chris Butera, founder, Bonesaw webzine; “I love the WWF WrestleMania: The Arcade Game chapter, which perfectly captures the aura surrounding that title—its development and release during such a transitionary phase for Wrestling—and how it smartly serves as a fun and exemplary reminder of the game’s uniqueness in being a fighting game at heart, hybridized…and stylized with mystical, whimsical gimmick-specific elements effectively creating a ‘game for everyone,’ during a time when that was an impossible task.”—Joel Gertner, Extreme Championship Wrestling Legend; “Hickey’s discussions of the NHL Faceoff brought back huge memories for me. Being able to play a season, insert yourself in the lineup and play to hoist the Stanley Cup made the dreams of my youth come alive on the television. Thanks for allowing me to re-live my past with the telling of these stories.”—Gary Harding, 1240 SportsTalk Radio.

• Table of ContentsAcknowledgmentsForeword by Brett WeissPrefaceIntroductionMichael Mendheim, Mutant League Football: The Gruesome ­Sports-Hybrid That CouldPetri Järvilehto, Max Payne: From the Basement to the Norse God of NoirMike Skupa, Bully: Jimmy Beats WorldRyuichi Nishizawa, Wonder Boy in Monster Land: Countdown to Major ­Tom-TomHoward Scott Warshaw, E.T.: The ­Extra-Terrestrial: The Best Game Ever Made in Five WeeksDavid Crane and Garry Kitchen, A Boy and His Blob: The Best Game Ever Made in Six WeeksSarah Jane Avory, Fighting Force: From Streets of Rage 3D to Core ClassicDane Bigham, Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego?: Explorational Not EducationalRichard Rouse III, The Suffering: The Shining in the DarknessRob Fulop, David Crane and James Riley, Night Trap: The Truth About Catz and DogzGreg Johnson, ToeJam & Earl: Sega’s Funky and Fantastic “Other” MascotsJulia ­Keren-Detar and Itay Keren, Mushroom 11: Appetite for DestructionKan Gao, To the Moon: John’s TaleEmeric Thoa and Audrey Leprince, Squids: The Game That Beat Those Angry Birds, for a Little WhileMatt Thorson and Alec Holowka, Towerfall: From Arrows on the Ouya to Ascending on the PlayStation 4 and BeyondEric Holmes, Hulk Ultimate Destruction: The Big Green Monster That Could, and DidJamie Fristrom, Spider-Man 2: Great Power = Great FunHoward Scott Warshaw, Yars’ Revenge: From Star Castle Port to ­Game-Changing ShooterDan Geisler and Randy Breen, Road Rash: The Game That Kicked Hang-On and Akira, in the FaceMike Posehn and Richard Robbins, Desert Strike: From Killer Choplifter Clone to ClassicGarry Kitchen, Bart vs. the Space Mutants: The First and Best Simpsons Game EverJane Jensen, Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers: Voodoo ChileRon Gilbert, David Fox and Gary Winnick, Maniac Mansion: ­Point-and-Click’s Original ­SCUMM-BagsClayton Kauzlaric, Voodoo Vince: Pain for PleasureWarren Spector, Deus Ex: From Troublemaking Shooter to ­Genre-Defining Conspiracy TheoryJon Van Caneghem, King’s Bounty: Putting the “Heroes” into “Might and Magic”Garry Kitchen, Super Battletank: Even Better Than the Real ThingTaichi Ishizuka, The Firemen: Through the Fire and FlamesDave Wishnowski, Pro Wrestling X: A ­Decade-Long Dream in DevelopmentMark Turmell, WWF Wrestlemania: The Arcade Game: Scotch and TreadmillsJohn Tobias, Mortal Kombat: Enter the FatalityMichael Brook, NHLPA ’93: Fighting for Fun Before “If it’s in the game, it’s in the game”Craig Broadbooks, NHL FaceOff: A Christmas StoryMark Turmell, NBA Jam: The Birth of BoomshakalakaDavid A. Palmer, Doom: The Little Jaguar That CouldKen St. Andre and Brian Fargo, Wasteland: Fallout’s Unlikely PapaConclusionIndex