Dad's Basement - Episode 2:

January 24, 2013

Dad's Basement is a video series from me, Dana, the Dad of the Happy Game Family, wherein I play, show off, and try to convey what was cool about some of my favorite games from yesteryear. I hope you kids appreciate that I'm spending some extra time cutting together all the cool parts! Get off my lawn, unless you're going to mow it for me!

Dad's Basement - #2 - Project Firestart

Project Firestart is really the prototype for the modern survival horror game. Released in 1989 for the C-64 by Electronic Arts and developed by Dynamix (who would go on later to develop the highly popular Tribes), the game established many of the first qualities of "survival horror" including: limited ammo and weak weapons, cutscenes and cinematic presentation, multiple endings and consequences for actions.

Released when it was, the game took a lot of inspiration from the films Alien and Aliens. However a lot of the unique wrinkles in project Firestart--including an evolving enemy formed by genetic manipulation and the name of the main vessel in the game--have reappeared in the latest film in the series "Prometheus."

Special thanks to https://www.hardcoregaming101.com and https://www.retroremakes.com for research and materials used in this video.

Footage Sources:
  1. "Project Firestart", Dynamix/Electronic Arts;
  2. "Prometheus", 20th Century Fox;
  3. "Inhumanoids", Sunbow Productions/Marvel Productions/Claster Television;
  4. "Alien", 20th Century Fox;
  5. "Project Firestart (Remake)", Erik Hogan;