The 90s, like most decades, consisted of a generous supply of oddness and innovation. One such example of this was the pioneering work done by the Canadian company Mainframe Entertainment in computer animation and the resultant shows they created. And while their subsequent efforts in producing engaging media began to falter – their first production (other than music videos for Dire Straits and Def Leppard), the world’s first fully computer-generated animated TV series, ReBoot (1995), holds a special place in my heart. I’m not entirely sure what channel this aired on in the UK, or if I was first introduced to it through the medium of tape… Somehow, I got to see it, and it brought great joy to both myself, and my dad, whom I occasionally watched it with. Strangely, or perhaps not so strangely, as it was clearly a challenge to see it back then (and now, actually), it seemed that no one else I knew watched the show, or at least not enough to be excited by it and thus talk about it. I found the premise to be rather unique however, and the show set up permanent residence in my mind, living next door to the likes of Moomin (1990), Rocky Hollow (1983), The Trap Door (1986), and the first three Wallace and Gromit films (1989-1995). Subsequent revisits to ReBoot reveal, like with most animated shows, the layer of references and jokes meant for the grownups, formerly obscured by the fog of inexperience and innocence. The Simpsons probably does this the most…
But I digress. While browsing the PlayStation catalogue (as apparently, I’m boring enough for this to be considered a pastime for me), I was surprised to find a piece of original ReBoot media I had yet to consume! ReBoot… or ReBoot: Countdown to Chaos. It struck me as odd that I had failed to play the game at any point during my youth and until that moment a few weeks ago, I had been completely blind to its existence. Looking at the cover art, a vague memory returns to me, and perhaps I caught a glimpse of the game in a magazine or on a shop shelf at one point in the past, but clearly I never investigated further. After all, there are only so many games one could acquire in those days, and licensed titles were usually relegated to the bottom of the list come birthdays or Christmases. Either way, a desire was born within me, and quickly grew, twinned with a sort of morbid curiosity. The TV show was a clunky and somewhat awkward in its animation, dialogue, and story… I make it sound like I don’t like it. I do. I love it actually. It was ground-breaking at the time, humorous, and wholeheartedly original. Despite the show’s many good points, I did wonder if these would translate to the game, or if only the aforementioned bad bits would make the perilous journey.
Upon initial glance, it seems that the game might not meet the expectations set by my 8-year-old self, but we shall proceed regardless, propelled forward by my curiosity, and the rather serous case of nostalgia that has taken hold – will it be enough to endure whatever terrible control scheme and out of date gameplay that awaits me? Perhaps. Some confidence is gained after a brief look at the reception section of the game’s Wikipedia entry however. Apparently, it received a rather respectable 7/10 from IGN, Official PlayStation Magazine, and EDGE! Well, it can’t all be bad then, can it? Can it? Well, we’ll just have to see for ourselves. CNET only gave it a 4/10. As an aside, even as I write this, I am verging on an entire rewatch of all 48 episodes… I restrain myself in order to finish what I’ve started, however. It shall be a consolation if this experience is a sour one. Skip forward a few days, and after sorrowfully and rather pre-emptively full of buyer’s remorse, I bid farewell to the £20 that was happily living in my bank account. I watch as it disappears into the void. That money is probably already chumming it up with the recipient and they are most likely laughing at me – the sucker, for buying what is quite possibly a really shit PlayStation game. Anyway, it eventually arrives, and I experience something I have missed in the past decade or so. Looking over the box art and flipping through the manual, I find myself getting excited. A new game in my hands? Well, it must be mine, or Jesus’ birthday! Its neither, but the feeling is comparable.
After starting the game, the first thing that struck me was the introductory cutscene. The resolution is poor, but it was a joy to see the familiar characters. The cutscenes feels as though you’re watching an episode of the show, and this may be the case. The back of the box states that the game includes an exclusive episode. It has been a while since I’ve watched them all, but I do have a niggling feeling that some scenes might have been repurposed from the show. Either way, it sets up the game quite nicely, and still creates a cohesive, if basic story. There are a secondary set of cutscenes that are clearly bespoke, and made using the game’s engine, rather than whatever supercomputer churned out the original series. The characters are considerably lower in poly count, but the animation is pretty smooth.
Switching to the gameplay itself is a tad jarring. Visually, considering the age of the game, it looks pretty good however, especially as its recreating computer-generated characters, which already look rather gamey. This aids considerably with the immersion, but the difficulty comes when you gain control over Bob (the main character of the show). First impressions? God awful floaty movement. This frustration eased as I began to familiarise myself with the controls, but the moment you come to a platforming section, all hope is lost. Bob is permanently riding his Zipboard (think Hoverboards in Back to the Future II), and as such, when attempting precision jumping, one can expect the board to just move about almost as if it had a mind of its own… Imagine if Lara Croft just wandered off as she approached a ledge? Or Mario decided to piss off and fix a sink mid jump? Perhaps I’m overstating the problem a little. The difficulty in controlling the Zipboard could be seen as a skill to learn… And it’s true that in playing several hours of this game, I got better, but it was never enough to make the experience properly enjoyable.
I suppose no one said this was a premium platformer. This fact is rather a shame, as the levels, which are varied enough in design to make exploration worthwhile, are peppered with items to collect - almost all of which are in hard to reach places. However, the fiddly controls make restarting a level seem easier sometimes, rather than trying to navigate a complex stack of crates or narrow catwalks in order to collect a ReBoot icon for an additional life. When getting the hang of the movement however (sans platforming), navigating the levels at speed feels rather satisfying. Roaming about sections of Mainframe (the virtual city where the story takes place) feels like playing a modified version of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater – fun is had, especially when making a particularly large jump! Unfortunately, these moments are short lived and the majority of the time you’ll be moving slowly, struggling with the camera and edging around corners to mitigate damage from hidden turrets and enemies. Dispatching these enemies isn’t as unfun as the platforming however, and the gunplay (Bob has a gun, it can be upgraded with pickups) feels rather good. Shots are hefty, and the sound design is decent. Targeting is a chore however, and enemies require a lot of hits. You’ll find yourself tapping the fire button as fast as you can, and it might not always be fast enough, especially when the game decides to switch targets for you, or lose aim entirely. Enemy variety is a little lacking, but each level has something unique to offer, be that a simple Binome, or a sewer-dwelling snake monster. As I mentioned, the sound design for the weapons is good, and this extends to most aspects of the game. The Zipboard sounds as floaty as it is, and the variety of other noises and effects in the game really give it a ReBoot feel, being faithful to the show. Voiceovers are perfect. As with the cutscenes, I’m not sure if lines were ripped directly from the show and repurposed, but that doesn’t matter. The voices are that of the original cast, and its great!
The bulk of the gameplay, other than shooting things, and collecting things, is the timed tasks of repairing tears. These rips in Mainframes’ reality will end your life if left unattended, and you are required to zip (for you are on a Zipboard) to these phenomena with all haste. Using Bob’s wrist mounted Keytool, known as Glitch, you repair said tears. Fixing these issues is akin to capturing ghosts in Luigi’s mansion. You need to pull your character back a little or risk being drawn in and damaged. Multiple times I got caught in a loop of damage from doing this wrong. Perhaps user error, perhaps poor design. Either way, it was quite annoying. Glitch, like Bob’s gun, can be altered using pickups, giving you the option of using a flamethrower, a boomerang, or some other various utility or weapon.
If I were to level (har har) a complaint at the… levels, I’d say most are rather samey. That was until I reached level 5, where Bob finds himself emerging on a sort of highway. It made me feel like I was playing an F-Zero track, and I was initially excited to utilise the roadways. Thoughts of climbing the inclines and speeding down the other side filled my mind. Unfortunately, the roads are littered with turrets, and if you’re not quick enough to successfully dodge them, they are either dealing out too much damage to ignore, or are stopping you dead in your tracks if you collide with them. The next level has you following a tank and a tear, and this is more akin to what I had imagined the previous level to be like. The mechanics of the boss level are simple enough, and it allows for some unrestricted Zipboarding. Next level though, after a brief cutscene, we’re back to the usual fare. Cramped corridors, awkward jumps and annoying - overly damaging enemies.
I’ve come back after a few days playing the game… If you read my previous post about the frustration of Hitman’s Freelancer mode, you’ll see that a kind of frustration can be encouraging. With Hitman, you know where you stand, and the frustration is almost always on you. The controls are near perfect in that game, and you’d expect as much from a modern title. ReBoot isn’t modern - and it shows. I’ve mentioned that the movement is poor, and for a while I felt as though I was getting the hang of it. Unfortunately, after hours of play, the problem only gets worse. The levels get more complex over time, which is a good thing. The curve is there, which under normal circumstances would lead to a satisfying experience. Not so with this game. It’s a shame, as there are aspect of the game I like, and overall, it has the potential to be good. If only they had worked on the character movement some more. The floaty controls are a deal breaker for me, and it is an absolute chore to navigate Mainframe via Zipboard. Bob, if you’re in my computer and reading this - step off and learn precision jumping.
All in all, I feel as though my younger self would have abandoned this title in short order. Frustrating - let it collect dust, I’d have thought. That would have been a shame, and as a fan of the TV show, I feel that it’s worth playing… at least for a bit, even just to get some of the cutscenes. In this regard it reminded me of the Futurama game (although the control scheme in that game is by no means comparable). Not the most amazing gaming experience, but an artefact that has something to offer to the right player. One thing it did offer was a particular highlight in the writing, the inspiration of which is courtesy of Tom Waits…
“Bob, remember, there is always free cheese in a mousetrap.” - Phong.
And another by Bob, which sums up exactly what movement in the game is NOT.
“Easy as Pi squared.” - Bob.
Speaking of what Bob might say, I’ll end this in the manner in which Bob opened each episode of ReBoot.
“I come from the net. Through Substack, shares, and recommendations, to this place: TYPEDBYTOM. My format, writer: to type and publish. To protect my new found friends, their gaming hopes and dreams, to defend them from their enemies (bad games).” - Tom
And yes - I did start watching the show again, and its far more user friendly than the game.
So, did you ever play ReBoot, or watch the show back in the day? I’m sure there is plenty more to say about both. If you enjoyed reading this post - do let me know! It was fun to get into an old game, and there are plenty more I’d like to revisit, or play fresh. God knows there are hundreds of games worth playing out there that I missed the first time. And if you did enjoy this, check out my last THOUGHTS ON post in the link below.
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