Episode 344: Die Hard
Added 2020-12-07 15:00:01 +0000 UTCYes, this is a Die Hard conversation running in suspiciously close proximity to Christmas. But you know why this isn't some tired "Die Hard is a Christmas movie!" joke? Because this episode was recorded half a year ago with no thought given to timing it for the holidays. It just happened to fall that way—and, really, the holiday spirit is an indelible part of the movie. The Santa jokes! The holiday party! The mounds of snow on Ellis' desk!
In this episode, Bob and Henry and I converse about Die Hard—not just the film, of course, although it really is a perfectly crafted action movie. We also discuss its influence (as part of our ongoing series on pivotal films of the late ’80s that helped shape the modern medium) and, obviously, the games based on the film. Some of them are pretty interesting. Some are... less so. All of them are more entertaining than the mere idea of a Die Hard prequel.
Special thanks to Greg Leahy for his edits this episode, and to Nick Wanserski for the great artwork! Come of think of it, why was there never a Rampage / Die Hard crossover?
Comments
I'll hold out for the Die Hard Hextology so I can enjoy both trilogies in all its interactive form.
Cajun Baz
2020-12-16 00:57:16 +0000 UTCRe: Die Hard Trilogy I think a lot of the nostalgia comes from the fact that the DH3 section is a terrible game that can bring great joy. The whole package is ugly, the DH1 mode is pointless and DH2 is a B- light gun game for the era (now it's more like D+). But the sheer weirdness of a proto-Crazy Taxi "go here, ok now go here" game where you can mow down pedestrians and wipe blood off your windshield was a comedy goldmine for my friends and I in the dorms, and just compelling enough to keep going.
Zachary Adams
2020-12-11 00:08:37 +0000 UTCAbsolutely never made the coke/Coke connection until Jeremy said it
Diamond Feit
2020-12-10 01:51:31 +0000 UTCThere's a drive-in theater somewhat near my house showing Die Hard with Christmas Vacation and I'm really tempted.
littleterr0r
2020-12-09 05:16:36 +0000 UTCI recently tried to play through my Saturn copy of Die Hard Arcade and even after earning 25 or so extra credits in the Deep Scan game I still bit the dust at the end boss. I’m surprised I’ve never heard of Spikeout. I’ll definitely be looking into that one.
Eric Plunk
2020-12-09 00:25:47 +0000 UTCI was right now years old when I got the Ellis/glass of Coke joke. Remember going to my arcade and playing Die Hard Arcade in the summer of ‘96.
Rasheen Jordan
2020-12-08 23:33:35 +0000 UTCIf someone had asked me, after about a month of listening to Retronauts, who on the show says "titty" the most, Jeremy would have been my last guess. I'll never get used to that.
Phoequinox
2020-12-08 12:41:49 +0000 UTCI enjoy the attempts at Die Hard WR runs every guest commentator would attempt one year at AGDQ whenever there was time to spare. Step on glass then run up and down stairs to force time to pass, every single guard and the boss end up on one floor and you madly try to beat them all before time runs out. Later speedrunners made 'Die Hard%' a category for various games involving defenestration.
Paul
2020-12-08 02:51:30 +0000 UTCIt's funny because Die Hard is the perfect video game movie. I would say the action game precedent to this movie is probably Elevator Action. Shoot the glass.
Normallyretro
2020-12-07 15:13:20 +0000 UTC
