The Lawnmower Man (video game)

The Lawnmower Man is a video game based on the 1992 film of the same name. The game was published in Japan by Coconuts Japan (ココナッツジャパンエンターテイメント) under the title Virtual Wars (バーチャル ウォーズ, Bācharu Uōzu).

The Lawnmower Man
CD-ROM cover art
Developer(s)The Sales Curve
Publisher(s)SNES
Genesis, Sega CD
Designer(s)Simon Pick
Composer(s)Allister Brimble
Peter Hennig (Game Boy)
Platform(s)Genesis/Mega Drive, Super NES, MS-DOS, Macintosh, Sega CD, Game Boy
ReleaseSNES
  • NA: November 8, 1993
  • EU: 1993
MS-DOS
Mega Drive/Genesis
Sega CD
Macintosh
  • NA: May 5, 1995
Game Boy
Genre(s)Action
Mode(s)Single-player

Plot

Dr. Lawrence Angelo is a scientist working for Virtual Space Industries (VSI) in "Project 5", a secret research facility that attempts to increase the intelligence of primates using psychotropic drugs and virtual reality (VR) training. Dr. Angelo is reluctant to use the research for military purposes, and after one of the chimps escapes and shoots a guard, Dr. Angelo is given a forced vacation. While taking notes on the need for experiment with a human subject, he discovers Jobe Smith (Jeff Fahey), a man with an intellectual disability who makes his living by doing odd jobs such as mowing the grass (hence the title of the movie). Angelo takes in Jobe, subjecting him to VR treatment. The first experiments quickly increase Jobe's intelligence, but after an accident, Dr. Angelo stops the experiments. The Shop, a secret agency overseeing Project 5, reinserts the drugs responsible for Jobe's violent behavior into the program and speeds up the treatment. As Jobe develops telekinetic powers, he starts to take revenge on those who abused him before he began the treatments, and plots to take over all of the computers in the world.

The SNES version continues the storyline after the point where it ends in the film. Jobe transfers his mind into VSI's computers, and from there is able to corrupt and destroy information systems all over the world, a course of action which is implied to bring about Dystopia. With society in complete meltdown, Dr. Angelo discovers that Jobe has been acting under the control of a person known as Zorn the Doomplayer, who is the head of The Shop, and poised to take over what remains of the world. With Jobe apparently gone missing, Angelo sets off to put an end to The Shop once and for all.

Gameplay

While the CD version of the game (PC, Sega CD) is an interactive movie, all three cartridge versions are platform games. The player takes control of either Dr. Angelo or Carla Parkette (the mother of Jobe's best friend) in typical side-scrolling shooting action, similar to Contra and Metal Slug. The player collects weapon upgrades or data discs. Once the player has collected a number of data discs, the discs morph into a Virtual Suit that gives the player protection from one hit.

The player visits several locations seen in the movie, such as Harley's Gas 'Er Up and the VSI headquarters. The game includes true 3D level connectors that are based on the CG sequences of the movie. These involve avoiding obstacles and the occasional high-speed shooting in the VR world. There are four different levels (Virtual World, Cyber War, Cyber Run and Cyber Tube), and each takes a slightly different approach. Virtual World is set in first person and the objective is to dodge obstacles such as trees and arches to get to the exit. Cyber War is similar to Virtual World, but with some shooting stops. Cyber Run is set in the third person and requires occasional shooting of obstacles, while Cyber Tube involves fast travel and plenty of enemies in a VR tunnel.

Reception

Reviewing the Genesis version, GamePro criticized that the quality of the controls and graphics varies through the game, but praised the game's combination of "above average" run-n-shoot adventure, "hypnotic" first-person flying, and "brain-teasing" puzzles.[13]

GamePro commented that the Sega CD version makes good use of the system's audio and graphical capabilities, but that the puzzle-based gameplay is dull.[12] Electronic Gaming Monthly also had similar thoughts of Sega CD version.[7]

In 1996, Computer Gaming World declared Lawnmower Man the 42nd-worst computer game ever released.[37]

Legacy

In late 1995, SCi released a sequel for MS-DOS and Macintosh computers known as CyberWar. Copies of the sequel are quite rare, as it had a limited release by Interplay instead of the publisher of the first game, SCi. CyberWar splits from the story of the second movie, Lawnmower Man 2: Beyond Cyberspace, and has its own story. In early 1996, rumors of a third Lawnmower Man video game were spread via chatrooms and video game magazines such as Next Generation and Electronic Gaming Monthly's Quartermann column. The rumors suggested a release for Sega Saturn, Sony PlayStation and Nintendo 64, but no further sequels were produced and no further news has been reported by these publications.

Notes
  1. In Electronic Gaming Monthly's review of the Sega CD version, three critics scored it 6/10, two 5/10.[7]
  2. In Electronic Gaming Monthly's review of the Genesis version, three critics scored it 6/10, one 5/10, another 7/10.[8]
  3. In Electronic Gaming Monthly's review of the SNES version, two critics scored it 8/10, two others 6/10, one 5/10.[9]
  4. In GameFan's review of the SNES version, four critics scored it differently: 79%, 76%, 81%, and 76%.[11]
  5. GamePro scored the Sega CD version two 4/5 ratings for graphics and sound, and two 3/5 ratings for control and fun factor.[12]
  6. GamePro scored the Genesis version two 3.5/5 ratings for graphics and control, and two 4/5 ratings for sound and fun factor.[13]
  7. GamePro scored the SNES version two 4.5/5 ratings for graphics and sounds, 4/5 for control, and 5/5 for fun factor.[14]
  8. Nintendo Power scored the SNES version 3.1/5 for graphics/sound, 2.4/5 for play control, 2.6/5 for challenge, and 2.9/5 for theme/fun.[21]

References
  1. Weiss, Brett Alan. "The Lawnmower Man". AllGame. Archived from the original on November 15, 2014. Retrieved March 12, 2021.
  2. "Wirf den Rasennäher an, Mann!". Aktueller Software Markt (in German). April 1994. pp. 20–21. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
  3. "Cyber-News". Aktueller Software Markt (in German). February 1994. p. 51. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
  4. Tipping, Amanda (December 1993). "The Lawnmower Man". Computer and Video Games. No. 145. p. 44. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
  5. Ahmet, Deniz; Rand, Paul (March 1994). "Lawnmower Man". Computer and Video Games. No. 148. pp. 48–49. Retrieved March 13, 2021.
  6. Ahmet, Deniz; Tipping, Amanda (December 1993). "The Lawnmower Man". Computer and Video Games. No. 145. pp. 42–43. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
  7. "Lawnmower Man". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 66. January 1995. p. 42. Retrieved March 12, 2021.
  8. "Lawnmower Man". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 64. November 1994. p. 44. Retrieved March 12, 2021.
  9. "Lawnmower Man". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 55. February 1994. p. 38. Retrieved March 12, 2021.
  10. "The Lawnmower Man". Game Players. No. 64. October 1994. p. 111.
  11. Skid; Sgt. Gamer; K. Lee; Kid Fan (December 1993). "Viewpoint". GameFan. Vol. 2, no. 1. pp. 29–31. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
  12. "ProReview: The Lawnmower Man". GamePro. No. 69. April 1995. p. 54. Retrieved March 12, 2021.
  13. "ProReview: The Lawnmower Man". GamePro. No. 65. December 1994. p. 110. Retrieved March 12, 2021.
  14. Larry, Scary. "The Lawnmower Man". GamePro. No. 54. p. 72. Retrieved March 12, 2021.
  15. Butcher, Andy (January 1994). "The Lawnmower Man". GameZone. No. 15. pp. 62–65. Retrieved March 12, 2021.
  16. Gus; Steve (February 1995). "The Lawnmower Man". Mean Machines Sega. No. 28. p. 88. Retrieved March 12, 2021.
  17. Gus; Paul (November 1994). "The Lawnmower Man". Mega Machines Sega. No. 25. pp. 92–93. Retrieved March 13, 2021.
  18. "Lawnmower Man". Mega Fun (in German). February 1995. p. 100. Retrieved March 13, 2021.
  19. Philipp (December 1994). "Lawnmower Man". Mega Fun (in German). Retrieved March 13, 2021.
  20. Ulf (April 1994). "The Lawnmower Man". Mega Fun (in German). Retrieved March 10, 2021.
  21. "Now Playing". Nintendo Power. Vol. 56. January 1994. pp. 102–107. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
  22. "The Lawnmower Man". PC Gamer. Vol. 1, no. 1. May 1994. pp. 62–63. Retrieved March 13, 2021.
  23. Aichinger, Herbert (April 1994). "The Lawnmower Man". PC Games. pp. 120–121. Retrieved March 13, 2021.
  24. Davies, Jonathan (January 1994). "The Lawnmower Man". Super Play. No. 15. p. 39. Retrieved March 12, 2021.
  25. O'Connor, Frank (December 1993). "Lawnmower Man". Total!. No. 24. pp. 46–47. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
  26. "Lawnmower Man". Video Games (in German). January 1994. p. 131. Retrieved March 12, 2021.
  27. "Lawnmower Man". Video Games (in German). December 1994. p. 94. Retrieved March 12, 2021.
  28. "Lawnmower Man". Video Games (in German). January 1994. p. 106. Retrieved March 12, 2021.
  29. "Lawnmower Man". VideoGames & Computer Entertainment. No. 71. December 1994. p. 128.
  30. Collingbourne, Huw (March 1994). "The Lawnmower Man". PC Review. No. 30. pp. 90–92. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
  31. Schneider, Ulf (April 1994). "The Lawnmower Man". Play Time. p. 171. Retrieved March 13, 2021.
  32. Aichinger, Herbert (April 1994). "The Lawnmower Man". Play Time. p. 58. Retrieved March 13, 2021.
  33. Danny (February 1995). "The Lawnmower Man". Sega Power. No. 63. p. 73. Retrieved March 13, 2021.
  34. Hill, Mark (December 1994). "The Lawnmower Man". Sega Pro. No. 39. pp. 76–77. Retrieved March 13, 2021.
  35. Jay (January 1994). "Lawnmower Man". Super Action. No. 17. pp. 38–39. Retrieved March 12, 2021.
  36. Andy (March 1994). "Lawnmower Man". Super Control. No. 10. p. 11. Retrieved March 13, 2021.
  37. Staff (November 1996). "150 Best (and 50 Worst) Games of All Time". Computer Gaming World. No. 148. pp. 63–65, 68, 72, 74, 76, 78, 80, 84, 88, 90, 94, 98.
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