I Made Dis
A Retrospective Review by Kingston C. Rockwell (Uncommon)
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The year was 2001. The 48 hour contest was well- underway...

...and everyone was rushing to realize their plans before the deadline came in. Everyone but one man. Gilbert Smith wasn't a particularly big name at the time. On the old Zantetsuken RPGBoard, a few people might've been familiar with a few screenshots he posted for early versions of Bandit Revolver, or his association with the then-famous MR. FANCYTALKALOTDOPE, but, otherwise, Gilbert was just another piece of the mosaic, another face in the crowd, until that fateful day.

We all saw it. How could you miss it? When a 48 hour game is released before the end of the first day, it gets people talking. And when it's something like this, it's hard to ignore. Even if the game's placement in the contest was less than it deserved, it got the community's attention, and it never let go. Gilbert became a household name. He was set apart, destined for greatness. He was a celebrity. And all because he didn't hesitate to yell those three wonderful words: "I MADE DIS!"

He'd finally done it. They never doubted that he would. In fact, most of them were rather certain that he was already a total loon. But now, there wasn't any room for doubt. They couldn't wait any longer. He had to be taken out. The Batman would have to be retired. They'd been getting along rather well without him. Even when the Joker got out, they didn't worry. They could handle him. It was Bruce they were worried about. Would the Joker's re-emergence awaken him again?

A lot of this story is more implied than stated, which makes it all the more powerful. The above synopsis is, by no means, what actually takes place exactly in the game, but it's the thought that it inspires in you, the story behind all the awkward tension in the dialogue. When you're thrown in the middle of this Batman "parody", you're told next to nothing directly about what's happened between the famous relationship between the Masked Manhunter and Gotham's finest, but Gordon's attitude tells it all. The dialogue is great, and will likely put a smile on your face, and quickly, too. The Caped Crusader talks just like someone you'd expect to hear from the campy '60s television show starring Adam West, but with a greater undertone of madness that is highly exquisite. The mood the dialogue sets is everything this game needs to tell its story. For the first 3 and a half minutes, you'll be enthralled with Gilbert's storytelling...

...Then Elvis comes in and kills zombies.

They say he wanders the halls of empty buildings, the only thing between us and the our prospective undead rulers. With his trusty handgun and a few other legends of Rock and Roll at his disposable, them zombies couldn't ever stand a chance.

Elvis is the man. When he Blamo's, zombies die. One hit is all it takes. And those zombies can't even touch him. Presley's got his friends, too. He can always summon Buddy Holly for some effect that isn't readily discernible, or, the other Elvis of the game, our good buddy Costello, the original Napoleon Dynamite (before that fucker John Heder came 'round and stole the name), who is about as effective as Elvis' gun.

The game hasn't aged well, unfortunately. Belonging to the June 11, 2001 version of the OHRRPGCE, it's got a few version conflicts. In particular, the random battles have a tendency to not end, forcing you to run away, though it's a problem not present in the boss battle against the King Zombie. Must have something to do with the guitar guys (presumable Holly and/or Costello), who used to fly fantastically away in older versions of the engine, though it can be remedied if you summon Buddy a few times when only one zombie's left. And the whole bit's a little pointless, yeah, but it's very entertaining.

And just look at this soundtrack: One of Led Zeppelin's few good songs. One of Paul McCartney's better tunes, incorrectly attributed to the Beatles, even. George S. Clinton's immortal "Mortal Kombat Theme". And, unsurprisingly, the King himself. All placed efficiently and effectively. Could you possibly ask for more? And just try and tell me you don't find yourself singing along with the Batman Theme. Liar.

And let's not forget the graphics. I can't say enough about them, but I won't say a lot. They are nice, super-nice, even. The walkabouts were highly detailed, and the shading was absolutely beautiful. Battle graphics, too, were fucking spectacular. It was this game, and especially the Batman sprite, that made Gilbert one of my favorite pixelists on OHR.

And his talent never ended with pixels alone. The pencil drawings are beyond awesome, even if they look a little sloppy from being imported. The gritty feel to them is great, too. The King of Rock and Roll never looked better, outside of real life.

'Course, we can't always be super-fantastic winners. Maptiles have an awful grid to them, and look heavily airbrushed. Sure, I've seen worse; we've all seen worse, but we know that Gilbert is better than this. Even so, they're not bad for being done in less than twenty hours. We'll give him that much. But honestly, the maps don't need to be that great, they're just backdrop to the masterpiece unfolding before you.

After all, it basically comes down to just one thing: presentation. That's what makes this game a winner. The thing is so aesthetic, from Batman's sprite, to the Mortal Kombat Theme, to the guitar guys. It all fits together, like pieces of a puzzle, like a game should be. Hell, like anything should be. This is real art. You may play it once or twice and just say, "What?" but when you finally get into it, start picking up on all the pieces it throws your way, you'll understand how well-designed this game really is.

If I had one complaint, it would be the textboxes. All of them were maximum size and transparent. They looked sloppy. They distracted from the action. They detracted from the experience. That is the only thing that really hindered this game.

It's been almost six years, and Gilbert never lost the momentum this game gave him. He's shown us that making fun games doesn't have to be time-consuming or tedious. This game won't take you more than ten minutes. Ever. I've written prolly twice as many words as it contains. His work is inspiring, and nothing to ever apologize for. That's the bottom line. A guy like him, with his work ethic, innovation-geared perspective and talent (seriously you gotta see his movies), we know that he can only keep going up. The sky's the limit, Gil. You made it.

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