The Doctor Who 16-Bit RPG Game That Needs To Be Made
Sixteen-bit video games have been around for decades (and decades), and while the graphics engines powering today’s consoles are worlds more advanced than those of the Sega and SNES, the retro look of that era’s games remains one close to fans’ hearts. The term “retro,” meanwhile, is almost 50 years old, nearly making it a cultural icon all on its own. But enough about that timey-wimey stuff.
With that in mind, Doctor Who fans are often nothing if not retro, and so it makes for a seemingly perfect mashup with older game models.
Philadelphia-based chiptune musician and pixel artist/animator Doctor Octoroc — the pseudonym of Levi Buffum — has been putting the 16-bit video game aesthetic to all kinds of pop culture for about years now, and one of his latest creations is an RPG version of Doctor Who.
When it comes to gleefully dorky and highly referential entertainment, this might be near the pinnacle. Check it out.
The Doctor Who game/video follows the 11th incarnation of the wily Doctor, generating many plot points from the fifth and sixth series as fodder for the RPG format.
As a show that involves a lot of wacky narratives and decision-making, this is an ideal format, even without all the self-deprecating jabs at the show’s convoluted storytelling.
As someone whose fandom for the Doctor is only passing, rather than the rabid fanaticism some hardcore Whovians showcase, I can only imagine how much that population enjoys it. Hell, I’d almost rather watch this than the show itself.
The gang’s all here: Amy, Rory, the Weeping Angels, baby River, adult River, alien Doctor, and the TARDIS, among others.
In general, this does service to the franchise and gives everything from the characters to the setting an aesthetic that we really need to see in real life. In short, make this Doctor Who 16-bit RPG game happen please. Fans deserve as much.
