The Making of Wrestle Jam 88

Jared Rea

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Aug 11, 2008
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The Making of Wrestle Jam 88

The fictional Nintendo game featured in Darren Aronofsky's The Wrestler isn't just a clever metaphor, but a fully functional title.

Darren Aronofsky's The Wrestler [http://www.foxsearchlight.com/thewrestler/] contains more than its fair share of scenes that are difficult to watch, due to the out pouring of shame, physical torment and constant struggle put it on display by a talented actor, Mickey Rourke. The story of Randy "The Ram" Robinson was one of the most discussed films of this past Oscar season, and while the audience endures watching Rourke be planted onto thumbtacks, cut with barbwire and even go as far as to nearly decapitate himself, no scene is more painful than watching Randy cling desperately to his past by means of his own Nintendo videogame.

Pro Wrestling [http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/kotaku/full/~3/JHgaXKKIgmk/the-making-of-wrestle-jam-the-wrestlers-unsung-hero][/I].

"[Wrestle Jam is] completely playable. There was an intro screen, character select, win / loss conditions, opponent AI, eight different attacks," says Furino. According to Hume, director Darren Aronofsky wanted a fully functioning demo for the actors to play in the film. "It was as close to a genuine old-school wrestling game as I could make it in the time allowed. I even mapped an old Nintendo controller to the input system so they could play it that way."

Overall the project took about a month to complete for what amounts to a good minute or so or screen time. A real, struggling actor could do worse, so I'd consider Wrestle Jam 88 a success.

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Brotherofwill

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Jan 25, 2009
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I loved the movie, but I always figured that the game was some old NES title.
This is just awesome, developers should really get the oldschool market going again with simple sprites, clever gameplay and nostalgia. I know I'd buy some of these games...

It was pretty clever when the boy talked about CoD4, just shows the generational divide between gamers :p
 

Frybird

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I'd guess this is most likely the most work that has ever been put into a fictional videogame featured in a movie.

Certainly something that brings a smile on my face after decades of people flinging wildly around with joysticks while watching pre-played original- or over-the-top virtual looking videogames. I'd wish there would be a way to release the game to the public.

(Also, you should read the full Kotaku article, since it goes more in depth with the scene itself, the creation of the game and even the music)

I just wish there would be a cinema nearby that shows that movie (not only because of the videogame, i love the previous work of Darren Aronovsky)