Comments on: Game over, old sport!

Game over, old sport!

synecdoche — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 19:39:45 -0800

In my younger and more vulnerable years I might have really enjoyed playing The Great Gatsby on the Nintendo Entertainment System. If you think you have what it takes to fight gangsters and advertisements and hobos, you might, too.

By: unliteral

unliteral — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 19:46:41 -0800

So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.

By: SmileyChewtrain

SmileyChewtrain — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 19:46:48 -0800

This is pretty awesome. The music in level one is great too.

By: m@f

m@f — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 19:47:50 -0800

I have this one in my cartridge library. Of course, all the games' shrink-wrap is uncut.

By: leotrotsky

leotrotsky — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 19:49:41 -0800

oh god, the glasses as the boss is hilarious

By: The Whelk

The Whelk — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 19:51:22 -0800

ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED: Jazz Age Ennui.

By: jfuller

jfuller — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 19:52:06 -0800

I'll be the owl-eyed man. Nonplaying characters are teh best.

By: Riki tiki

Riki tiki — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 19:52:56 -0800

Are you a bad enough dude to be a metaphor for disillusionment and moral decay in post-WW1 America?

By: The Whelk

The Whelk — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 19:53:09 -0800

okay the opening title using the most famous book cover which already looks 8 bit? genius

By: Deflagro

Deflagro — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 19:55:17 -0800

This is awesome. I just sent this to my old Honors English teacher on facebook.

By: 2bucksplus

2bucksplus — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 19:55:39 -0800

Victory eluded me today, but that's no matter — tomorrow I will run faster, jump higher, throw my boomerang farther....

By: leotrotsky

leotrotsky — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 19:57:20 -0800

By: The Whelk

The Whelk — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 19:59:47 -0800

This is ezactly how I'm going to view all the parties to go to from now on.

By: naju

naju — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 20:00:12 -0800

Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that's no matter — to-morrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther. . . . And one fine morning —— "That should be a red light," said Nick, "and it's definitely not supposed to be flashing. Did you take the cartridge out and blow on it?"

By: Ad hominem

Ad hominem — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 20:02:33 -0800

8 bit Old Man and the Sea

By: ill3

ill3 — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 20:16:25 -0800

m@f it took me a second... brilliant

By: Fiasco da Gama

Fiasco da Gama — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 20:20:32 -0800

SORRY GATSBY BUT YOUR TWENTIETH CENTURY AMERICAN DREAM IS IN ANOTHER CASTLE

By: cell divide

cell divide — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 20:21:26 -0800

I love this, especially the bad guys who are doing the Charelston.

By: joe lisboa

joe lisboa — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 20:26:43 -0800

This is ezactly how I'm going to view all the parties to go to from now on. From now on??!? Also, too: this is awesome thank you.

By: Solon and Thanks

Solon and Thanks — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 20:30:46 -0800

THIS IS A MOCKERY OF LITERATURE. I MEAN THERE WERE NO ALLIGATORS IN THE BOOK WHAT WERE THEY THINKING. MY GOD.

By: Solon and Thanks

Solon and Thanks — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 20:31:25 -0800

really though this was delightful

By: misha

misha — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 20:35:46 -0800

I love this! The Charleston dancers, the books in the library...not really sure why I kept shooting the butler (could be a statement on the nouveau riche. Or, you know, just some more fun game play).

By: OolooKitty

OolooKitty — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 20:37:47 -0800

This is awesome, even though it is making me realize that my Nintendo skills are not what they used to be.

By: misha

misha — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 20:38:23 -0800

Oh, and did you know about Full Glass, Empty Clip, the excellent gaming blog run by Mefightclub members?

By: HostBryan

HostBryan — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 20:42:05 -0800

The best part about this isn't that it's funny, though it is. Or that it's a really clever use of a classic book, though it is. The best part for me is that it gets the NES era game design and gameplay so right. This really wouldn't have been out of place on the real thing.

By: kenko

kenko — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 20:42:05 -0800

So, what are the controls? Space is jump, arrow keys move around, what else?

By: kenko

kenko — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 20:43:50 -0800

Oh duh it's down there beneath the flash window.

By: skepticallypleased

skepticallypleased — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 20:53:43 -0800

The person who did that should be a millionaire.

By: Marla Singer

Marla Singer — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 20:54:07 -0800

The rich are different from you and me. They have more power-ups.

By: Sticherbeast

Sticherbeast — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 21:15:55 -0800

This is so amazing. I second HostBryan, the true genius of this project is that it's a thoroughly playable and authentic example of NES gaming. Pitch perfect on every level.

By: Uppity Pigeon #2

Uppity Pigeon #2 — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 21:18:40 -0800

Oddly enough, this is not the first video game version of a Fitzgerald novel.

By: SomeOneElse

SomeOneElse — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 21:28:28 -0800

Make sure you check out the About page too. Man I want a high res version of that image at the bottom.

By: IjonTichy

IjonTichy — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 21:44:58 -0800

I love that there's a sewer level for no good reason, because of course there is.

By: neckro23

neckro23 — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 21:57:41 -0800

The aesthetics and controls are pretty authentic, but the difficulty is not. I was able to beat this one on my first try, which is completely unacceptable for an NES-era title. Maybe if it removed the wimpy health bar and added a bunch more unfairly-placed enemies.

By: boo_radley

boo_radley — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 22:04:23 -0800

leotrotsky: "I envision cutscenes of Atticus bestowing fatherly wisdom, as well as Sweet Tea power-ups." Willl you take me home?

By: lemuring

lemuring — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 22:11:48 -0800

There's even a special ending screen if you beat the game without dying. I had to play through it twice because the first time around I jumped in between the train carts to see if it would kill me. The music, graphics, and style reminded me of playing Duck Tales on the NES (which also has an alternate ending screen for masochists). I'm kinda glad this game was on the easy side, though. The last thing I'd want on my mind throughout the day is WHY CAN'T I GET PAST THAT ONE CROCODILE I KEEP MAKING THE SAME MISTAKE THIS BUTTON DOESN'T WORK GRAAKHTHKH.

By: Lovecraft In Brooklyn

Lovecraft In Brooklyn — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 22:53:55 -0800

Is it as good as Arm Joe, the Les Mis fighting game?

By: Strange Interlude

Strange Interlude — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 03:22:17 -0800

I look forward to the 'To Kill a Mockingbird' cartridge: Collect all of Boo's Presents to Help Jem and Scout defeat Mean Ol' Bob Ewell! I envision cutscenes of Atticus bestowing fatherly wisdom, as well as Sweet Tea power-ups. Don't stop there! Scout's school-pageant ham costume could be a rare, one-time-only power-up, like Kuribo's Shoe in Super Mario 3. Between levels, there could be a timed chifforobe-bustin' challenge, a la Street Fighter 2. Of course, the character of Dill would prove popular enough to warrant his own spin-off game, based on In Cold Blood.

By: l33tpolicywonk

l33tpolicywonk — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 05:22:48 -0800

In some dark basement somewhere, the ghost of Andy Kaufman is playing this game from beginning to end on a British TV.

By: ekroh

ekroh — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 05:41:34 -0800

The aesthetics and controls are pretty authentic, but the difficulty is not. I was able to beat this one on my first try, which is completely unacceptable for an NES-era title. Ever play Kirby's Adventure?

By: slogger

slogger — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 07:30:45 -0800

Wait, that's not an actual NES game?

By: The Whelk

The Whelk — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 07:32:58 -0800

So many beautiful details in this. I wish I had a time machine to go back to scream at my teenage self to use the ten billion hours you spent screwing around with RPGMAKER 2000 and try to turn it into an Independent Study class or something (Okay you did make that dictionary of the khazars game but no one would play that and you gave up in the middle)

By: East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94

East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 08:01:34 -0800

Ha! It's a video game of The Great Gatsby! Ridiculous!

By: drezdn

drezdn — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 10:57:55 -0800

Ever play Kirby's Adventure? That's where I was a Viking.

By: spamguy

spamguy — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 19:20:51 -0800

How do you kill the New York City boss? He seems out of reach.

By: No-sword

No-sword — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 03:12:14 -0800

Then wear a Goomba's Shoe, if that will move her; if you can bounce high, bounce for her too, (hit B twice to double-bounce!) Till she cry "Lover, Goomba-shoed, double-bouncing lover, "I like shorts! "They're comfy and easy to wear!

By: rabbit

rabbit — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 18:57:50 -0800

The Great Gatsby game is awesome and highly addictive. The jumping is kinda weird though. I doubt these dandies could really get that kind of "air," unless Gatsby's party is taking place on Titan.