Die Hard (MS-DOS)

Super Adventures at Christmas - Game 2:

Long before Die Hard: Nakatomi Plaza there was another attempt to bring the action of the original Die Hard movie to home computers. And it seems they couldn't get the right to use Bruce Willis's likeness for this one either.

Awesome, it's the Nakatomi Plaza itself. When I played Die Hard on the PC Engine they actually started me off in a forest. And after that there was the swamp level...

Is this an actual shot from the movie reduced down to 12 colours? Nah, couldn't be.

Yeah this background's obviously been drawn in.

Okay the plot seems to be the same as the movie. Terrorists have broken into the Nakatomi Plaza skyscraper during the Christmas party and have taken everyone inside hostage. Everyone except tough wisecracking everyman protagonist Detective John McClane.

Right, I'll assume that's supposed to be McClane, and it seems that he's hiding in the toilets. He has a gun, a health bar, a pair of 00s, a timer and a spinning red rectangle.

Now I just need to figure out how to make him move.

Excellent, I can use the keyboard to make him sidestep around. It's not quite as useful as turning, but I'm working up to that.

I was surprised to see the background actually move as I walk around. It doesn't look it, but this is actually full 3D polygon graphics. Well except for McClane obviously.

Awesome, now I've mastered turning as well! All I had to do is hold shift while pressing the sidestep key. That may sound awkward, but believe me... it is.

Shit... I think I just saw someone walking in the background over there. He was around where the plant pot is I'm sure of it. I probably shouldn't be strolling down hallways like this unarmed.

Though at least I have shoes on, which puts me one step ahead of movie McClane, who had to spend the whole movie barefoot. Not sure about that colour though.

Okay I've managed to equip my pistol, and I've been sweeping through rooms looking for terrorists, or items, or an elevator, or anything. Some extra bullets would be nice, seeing as it seems McClane only brought 8 with him.

Shit, it's a terrorist! What do I do what do I do?

Oh right, I've got a pistol. I just need to figure out how to fire it.

Uh... okay, I didn't see this coming.

I just need to move the gun a little bit more to the right... just a fraction more. Damn that's too much, now I just need to pull it back a slightly to the left...

Yeah, that's not actually helping. Stop arseing around and shoot him!

Five shots later and the terrorist is down!

It's his own fault really, he had 15 seconds to shoot me or run away and instead he just stared at me. Oh crap, you don't think he could have been a hostage do you?

Well I can't confirm or deny that it's possible to search bodies, but I haven't found a way to do it yet. McClane's inventory remains tragically bare.

I leave the corpse lying where he fell, and continue off down the maze of corridors.

Wow, more plants. Shame they didn't put any decorations up, it is Christmas after all.

And I have two more doors to choose from. I'll just keep going forward.

Oh shit, there was a guy right behind the door.

Uh... I'm just going to go back outside

He's not coming through. I'm safe.

Though I don't know what I'm going to do about him. I'll never be able to shoot him when he's this close and he's blocking the way through. Or maybe not...

Hah, I just ran right past him! Now all I have to do is spin around 180 degrees and...

Okay, where did he go? Did he just get bored and wander off?

Fine, let's check what's behind door number 3,315 then.

Oh crap, he's using melee attacks on me! I can't fight back, I don't know how to deselect my pistol!

Whoa, it's Alan Rickman! And he's disappointed with me. Well that sucks.

Wow, finally a use for the aiming system.

I'll go with 'restart'. I'm not done with this game just yet.

This time I try searching the furniture... and find nothing. Maybe I'm just pressing the wrong buttons, it's not exactly unlikely.

Well that was a pathetic display of marksmanship. Eight shots and I still missed.

Uh... fuck it. I'm just gonna make a run for it. Even if I can't kill the enemies I can still find the elevator to the next floor.

That little red crosshair to my left means they're shooting at me, but I still have full health so they're not doing a great job of it.

This door looks different to the others, so I'm hoping it's my way out. There's a red box above the door and I've got a red spinning rectangle on my hud, I wonder if the two things are connected.

Crap, I need an access card.

Knowing my luck one of these terrorists is carrying the keycard, but there's nothing I can do about that until I find some bullets, or figure out how to switch back to my fists.



1 MINUTE AND 40 SECONDS LATER.

Just as planned. I knew this route would loop around back to first aid kid at the entrance. Well, I suspected anyway.

Damn, these windows have a hell of a view. It's like you can see half of Los Angeles from here. In a blackout.

Well this plant pot doesn't seem to have a keycard in it. I'll keep searching.

Hey, I don't recognise this room... but it's just as empty and pointless as the rest of them.

Okay I've been playing for 10 minutes, I've circled this entire floor at least twice, and I'm not getting anywhere. So I give up.

Sorry, but that's as much of the game as I'm able to show you.

Actually, no! I'm not giving up just yet. I'm going to start the game again and this time use my police kung fu skills to take down the enemies one by one until someone gives me a damn keycard.

Game over on the first enemy? Oh... well it was worth a shot.


Next game!