By Joseph Walter
I have so many fond memories of renting games from Blockbuster and watching the intros before dinner, letting my mouth water for the game (and yeah, the dinner, too, I suppose) before getting a chance to play. So many games have such incredible and efficient attract screens that do an awesome job of letting players know what the game is going to be like, often through exaggerated imagery, but, just like successful title screens, they were often perfect mood-setters.
Because of that, I felt it was time to start up a new series on the blog dedicated to glorious intros and attract screens from my youth and beyond. And what better way to kick things off than with some gun-happy cowboys wiping out bandits in the Wild West?
This stellar intro sets the stage immediately, nailing the wild west atmosphere and general feel of the gameplay within the debuting seconds alone.
Opening with a shot of the cruel desert and the sound of a fateful wind, the camera pans to a stand-off, as a spurred-boot enters the frame.
The bad guy draws, but is too slow, as Steve delivers a brutal shot that sends the criminal flying into the air. Next, we have Billy casually smoking a cigarette and lounging as he duel-wields his guns, eliminating lingering threats.
Soon, Bob and God himself, Cormano (dat smile, tho) are shown delivering some cover fire and, just for the record, Cormano is right out in the open, with no cover. This man is a hero, ladies and gentlemen.
Lastly, we have our cowboys on horseback, with a nice panning shot of their smug mugs, as the title of the game comes to life and they ride off into the sunset. Ya know, like sunset riders.
Of course, what gives this scene extra power is the utterly fantastic score that accompanies it, with a perfect blend of spaghetti Western cliches, but with its own touch of Konami arcade action sensibilities. This style would continue throughout the game, producing some truly kick-ass pieces to accompany players while they brought law to the lawless.
Are there any intros you think I should cover next? Is there a more clever title than "An Introduction To Remember" out there? Let me know below!