The "Game" in Little Games

[J.J. Walters]

Here's some new Magnum information you might find interesting (I did, anyway).

After quite a bit of research, I've recently discovered that the computer RPG "game" Magnum plays at the beginning of Little Games (5.12) is not a real game, it's a mocked-up animation sequence made to look like a real one!

It's been erroneously referenced as being the classic computer game Dungeon Master in many sources. While the graphics do look similiar, that game wasn't released until 1987, a full three years after the episode was filmed! The graphics seen in the episode (color, 3D, first-person) are way more advanced than any other game, in any platform (computer or console), on the market in 1984. I've actually independently verified this from several knowledgeable computer game history enthusiasts. Also, the way the character moves (clearly an animation) and the audio ("Hurry Magnum") strongly indicate that the sequence is a custom animated mock-up. It appears to be a spruced-up, colorized, interpretation of the old 3D Monster Maze (1982) game.

I find this interesting for two reasons: (1) That they actually put in the time and money to create an animated sequence to mimic a computer game, complete with custom text and audio. Very unusual for a TV show, for any time period. (2) That they chose to create something that wasn't even technologically available in the computer gaming world at the time. The sequence looks very similar to games to come - something that foreshadowed the future boom in 3D first-person shooter games by a good three years! That's pretty cool if you ask me.

That's right, I'm a geek.

[Waltstasz]

That's pretty cool. Coincidentally I was having a conversation with one of my friends about the exact same thing a week or so ago. He is a computer guy and was certain that the graphics they were showing wouldn't have existed at the time the episode was filmed.

[Shermy]

Interesting trivia. I've always liked that episode, and the opening always reminds me of the opening to the Tom Hanks' film, Big.

It's also an example of the writers taking some major liberties with technology. First, with the way the computer is crashed, and later, when Mac just "reprograms" it in a few hours. (Similar to the hospital scenes in Smaller Than Life, where the kid gets some serious mileage out of a videogame system.)

But hell, it was the 80's. No one knew anything about computers back then.

[Shermy]

Btw, speaking of games, this is from the trivia section for the episode Black on White:

The handheld game that Rick gives Magnum is a Tomy Puck Man, a Pac Man clone released in 1981.

Actually, the game wasn't a clone, but Tomytronic's version of Pac Man. The same company did release a Puck Man version, but only for the UK and Japan.



Ironically, Pac Man's original title was Puck Man, but was (obviously) deemed unsuitable for the US market. It's therefore unlikely that anyone would have released a clone version using the rejected title. (Although they did release a similar looking handheld titled Munch Man...which kinda sounds a little dirty. )

[SelleckLover]

Shermy- Nice bit of trivia there!

[J.J. Walters]

Btw, speaking of games, this is from the trivia section for the episode Black on White:

The handheld game that Rick gives Magnum is a Tomy Puck Man, a Pac Man clone released in 1981.

Actually, the game wasn't a clone, but Tomytronic's version of Pac Man. The same company did release a Puck Man version, but only for the UK and Japan.

Sherm, you're right! For some reason, I initially thought that the TomyTronic wasn't released until '83, after the 'Black on White' episode. Man, I flubbed that big time.

Thanks for the correction! I've updated the episode note (w/ full credit to you). I'm always on the lookout for corrections. So many scenes, so much stuff, so much info!

[lutherhgillis]

James,

Thanks for the info about the Dungeon Master game in Little Games. This games reminds me a little bit of a Magnavision games I had in the early 80s. Magnavision was a console that connected to the TV. The game cartridge was called 'Vampire's Revenge' if I remember correctly. It did not have graphics. You typed in commands like, "move left 5 spaces" and so forth. The object was to find the vampire while it slept and put the wooded stake through its heart. It reminds me slightly of the 'Dungeon Master' games being played by the Mag.

BTW, I saw Logan's Run (movie from 1976) the other day. It starred Jennie Agutter. Wow, what a looker!

Luther

[Lar]

It's been erroneously referenced as being the classic computer game Dungeon Master in many sources. While the graphics do look similiar, that game wasn't released until 1987, a full three years after the episode was filmed! The graphics seen in the episode (color, 3D, first-person) are way more advanced than any other game, in any platform (computer or console), on the market in 1984. I've actually independently verified this from several knowledgeable computer game history enthusiasts. Also, the way the character moves (clearly an animation) and the audio ("Hurry Magnum") strongly indicate that the sequence is a custom animated mock-up. It appears to be a spruced-up, colorized, interpretation of the old 3D Monster Maze (1982) game.

I find this interesting for two reasons: (1) That they actually put in the time and money to create an animated sequence to mimic a computer game, complete with custom text and audio. Very unusual for a TV show, for any time period. (2) That they chose to create something that wasn't even technologically available in the computer gaming world at the time. The sequence looks very similar to games to come - something that foreshadowed the future boom in 3D first-person shooter games by a good three years! That's pretty cool if you ask me.

They did the exact same thing in Paper War. No way was a game like the one TM plays anywhere on the market at the time of that episode!