Ideas for a hypothetical Magnum PI video game

[nha trang]

Ok, this is my first post here. I have been a huge magnum PI fan my whole life, which means I have watched the show in syndication only.

I have been a big video game fan, first person shooters mainly, starting from wolfenstein 3d, duke nukem 3d, goldeneye for n64, grand theft auto for playstation, and call of duty for xbox360. All big selling mega-hit games.

I am currently watching each season on DVD and am only up to season 3. I know there is so much more that could be added to a game than what I come up with but here's what I was thinking:

Perhaps a model like grand theft auto, where the game map is some form of the islands. For single player mode, the player could play missions (perhaps even cooperative with friends over xbox live) as magnum. There could also be missions as rick, tc, or higgins. If it was co-op, you could play with your friends on xbox live and one of you could be tc in the chopper. Magnum could get to drive around the islands in the ferrari, and of course there would be rick's mercedes, tc's van and the robin masters vehicles. For gameplay I think the grand theft auto vice city model is a good starting point, although the graphics should be drastically improved.

There could be mini-games or side missions that involve boats, scuba diving, and vietnam military action missions. Following GTA ideas, you could also roam the island in search of hidden packages or easter eggs, picking up cases or missions at your own pace. There would also be side missions playing the game as TC, flying the chopper, or Rick dealing with the underworld stuff.

You could choose the villan role online with your friends and be the one trying to plant bombs on boats etc...


Unlike grand theft auto, it would be more "wholesome," more about stealth and investigation than rape and pillage. Breaking into naval HQ anyone?


This kind of a game was do-able years ago, but the BEST idea would be to have writers and coders that continuously add to the game after its out, creating new episodes for co-op play online. Then time the release for a long overdue magnum PI movie!

What do you think? I think it has big potential to be a hit as long as the gameplay was given as much quality as the TV series was.

[J.J. Walters]

Hello, nha trang! Welcome!

Heck yeah I'd buy a Magnum P.I game (if it was good)! Your idea sounds good, although I'm not really into first-person shooter games myself. I love driving games, though.

I always thought it would be fun to have a Magnum game that involved all of the stories and characters (major and minor) seen in the show. You explore the entire island (maybe as an isometric viewpoint) and just sort of run into these characters. Plots unveil, mysteries arise, characters are killed based on the actions you take. An open-ended format; kind of like a 'Choose Your Own Adventure'. Maybe have it so the characters only talk with the words they actually said in the show (with the audio ripped directly from the episodes). You could earn "crosses" by correctly guessing the episode a character is from. How well do you know your Oahu henchmen? Crosses allow you to obtain gear; clothes, guns, rubber chickens, etc. Throw in driving, helicopter, scuba simulators, and a "vice mode" if you work your way to Hotel Street. That would be pretty cool!

By the way, there is actually a Magnum P.I. platform game for mobile phones.

http://www.mobimaniacs.com/2007/11/free ... -game.html

[zebra3]

Yeah it would have to be third-person. You'd want to see Magnum as you control him, and it's easier to control in third person view.

[Doc Ibold]

Do it Old school Kings Quest style... where he has to get all sorts of random stuff.

Mission One... Hotwire the ferrari

[KENJI]

Maybe have a section of the game that gives Magnum power, tools, items etc. and if he drives the car into something or if he screws up....his privileges are revoked (the keys to the Ferrari, the Nikon.....etc.).
You have to include his laugh in the game!

[Dervish]

I would absolutely buy a quality Magnum P.I. Video game.

One could make a graphic adventure, ala the Monkey Island series (I heard the Murder She Wrote game is a graphic adventure of sorts).

Why not a Magnum PI MMORPG? Everyone can be a PI, or another kind of businessman. :p Helicopter tour company yay!

[nha trang]

I was laying in bed after one of my gluttonous Magnum PI DVD marathons and I thought that a Magnum game should have some sequences or game modes where he runs. It may sound strange, but think of how many episodes Magnum has to chase someone in. You could have to hit the X button to make him run, though not tap it so quick that its not fun anymore, and you may have to dodge obstacles or jump fences/cars etc in just the right way to build the suspense of chasing the bad guy....kind of like some levels in a call of duty game perhaps, for those who are familiar with that game.

You could start out doing surveillance with Robin's camera with the zoom lens, for instance, perhaps of some sordid divorce case? and then as your target leaves, you tail him on foot, he takes off, you have to run, jumping the garbage cans, down the alley on hotel street, dive past the badguys car as it races past you, jump in the ferrari and chase him down some winding crazy Hawaiian road!

And then of course, there's the omnipresent "running from the lads" when you get back to the estate...haha.

[nha trang]

All excellent ideas, guys! Magnum PI has so many facets to be explored, it would make the best video game ever, it's only a matter of time before someone gets the rights, and I PRAY they DO it right.

Gameplay is paramount. The game must be fun to play, and have a re-playability factor, multiplayer and co-op speak to this, as well as the fundamentals of graphics, controls, plot, etc.

I suggest that they involve hardcore Magnum fans, so that they incorporate all of the small details that make the game shine as one of the best games ever. We need the cross of lorraine, rubber chickens, debts to TC and rick, and DEFINITELY Magnum's privileges at stake (great idea)...also gorilla mask, knight's armor, wardrobe of tiger camo, detroit tiger caps, da nag, usc, ...hell we want it all!

~nha trang

[Lar]

Do it Old school Kings Quest style... where he has to get all sorts of random stuff.

Mission One... Hotwire the ferrari

YES! I grew up with King's Quest (and Space Quest), MPI would be great as a Sierra-style point-and-click adventure (or get REALLY old-school and use a typing interface!). I could definitely see this sort of MPI game being made as a fanmade homebrew. It wouldn't be too unusual, the company Infamous Adventures comes to mind, but who knows what licensing issues would have to be dealt with.

As for a a game that would be sold in stores, a GTA-style game would probably work pretty well. Of course, not exactly like GTA; I do wanna see Magnum jacking anybody's car!