Quantcast
Community Discussion: Blog by Aaron Mxy Yost | Licensed Games That Don't Entirely Suck - #5: The WarriorsDestructoid
LIGHTS:  ON | OFF
surf dtoid with arrow keys

HOT GAMES
REVIEWS VIDEOS COMMUNITY FORUM SHOP

pc PS4 PS3 NEXT XBOX XBOX 360 WII U 3DS PS vita ANDROID APPLE

REMOVE ALL ADS?
Guaranteed contest entry?
A new video show?
Something else?

Vote in our membership poll


Meet the destructoid Team >>   Aaron Mxy Yost
Aaron Mxy Yost's blog
★ destructoid | Forums Admin ★
click to hide banner header
About
Aaron "Mxy" Yost is an admin for the Dtoid Forums, and hosts/produces the Communitoid podcast with some of the other Dtoid community managers. He also has a dark secret that must never be revealed, lest the world be split asunder.

Pronunciation: "Miks-yez-pit-lik" Most people just pronounce it "Mixie" for short.

I'm a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma; but perhaps there is a key. That key is Russian national interest.

I am a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.

I'm not sorry for the things I've said. There's a wild man in my head.

I am two with nature.

I'm a bird who doesn't sing because I have an answer, I sing because I have a song.

I mostly come at night... Mostly.

I'm an alligator, I'm a mama-papa coming for you.

I'm the space invader, I'll be a rock 'n' rollin' bitch for
you.

I'm like, you know... this guy.



You should listen to Communitoid! It's the best podcast ever, except for those other ones that are better.

Ben and I make videos. You love them and want to subscribe to our YouTube channel:

FOOTBALL!!! Blitz: the League 2 Destructoid contest
Left 4 Dead: Interview with a Zombie
Resident Evil 5: A Lesson In Tolerance
Maniac Mansion: Requiem For a Hamster
Castle Crashers Outtakes (Terminator Contest)
Left 4 Dead 2: Interview with a Zombie 2
L4D2 Interview 2 Outtakes
Using Adrenaline in Left 4 Dead 2
The Man-lympics
The Man-lympics Outtakes and Bonus Footage
The Package
Project Mario Vlog: Episode 1
Project Mario Vlog: Episode 2

You can also listen to our ravings about geek culture every week on Airport Road: The Podcast. If you want to get updates on what we're currently working on, follow our Tumblr!

My Web 2.0s:
360voice
Digg
Facebook
GameTap
Guitar Hero
MySpace
Rock Band
Steam
Tumblr
Twitter
Xbox.com
YouTube

Licensed Games That Don't Entirely Suck:
#1: DuckTales
#2: Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers
#3: The Super Star Wars Trilogy
#4: The Dungeons & Dragons Arcade Games
#5: The Warriors



Wii Code: 8534 9943 5696 5337
SSB Brawl Code: 2750-0776-6751
Mario Kart Wii Code: 2363-6044-4563

Much love to domataos for my cblog banner, itemforty for my avatar, and The GHost for my DToid card, as well as every single Dtoider out there for helping to make this the best community on the Interwebs.
Player Profile
Follow me:
Aaron Mxy Yost's sites
Badges
Following (226)  
Image Hosted by ImageShack.us</a><br/>




Rockstar Toronto's The Warriors (released on PS2, Xbox, and PSP) was based on the 1979 film by Walter Hill, which was based on the 1965 novel by Sol Yurick, which was based on the text Anabasis by Xenophone, which was based on some bad shit that happened to a bunch of ancient Greeks. While the film never went much beyond cult status, it's had a phenomenal influence on popular culture. References to it can be found in everything from hip hop music to Rugrats. Catch phrases such as "Can you dig it?" and "Warriors, come out to play!" are often familar even to those who have never seen the move.

The plot goes basically like this: New York is overrun with gangs who are in a constant state of war with each other. The Warriors are a gang based in Coney Island who have a Native American fetish. Cyrus is the charismatic leader of the Gramercy Riffs, New York's most badass gang of kung fu brothas. He calls a midnight conclave and invites nine representatives from each gang to attend, unarmed. Here he gives a speech that essentially says "Hey retards, why are we fighting with each other, when together we outnumber the cops three to one? If we call a truce and join forces, we'd own the city". Pretty much everybody can dig it. Well, except for Rufus, leader of The Rogues. He blows a hole in Cyrus and blames it on The Warriors. You know, for the lulz. The cops crash the party, and everyone scatters. Word gets out that it was The Warriors who killed Cyrus, and everyone gets hella mad. The Warriors try to make it back home to Coney Island, forced to fight their way through hordes of pissed off cops, pimps, skinheads, evil mimes, Yankee fans, lesbians, roller disco aficionados, and leather daddies. The real question is, why did it take so long for this to get made into a video game in the first place?

The title is an adventure-brawler that is sort of like a cross between Bully and Final Fight. Throughout the game you'll play as the Warriors featured in the film, each with their own varying attributes and fighting style. Combat is very well done, this title is easily one of the best 3D beat 'em ups I've ever played. Unlike most brawlers, you actually fight alongside several of your fellow gang members in each mission. You can issue several offensive and defensive commands to them, and if they fall in battle you can revive them using "Flash" (Winners Don't Do Drugs!) or free them if they're busted by the cops. They'll also do the same for you, because they're sweethearts. The entire story can be played two-player co-op, which is an absolute blast despite a slightly disorienting split-screen that pops up whenever one of the players leaves the screen. Actions such as boosting car radios, avoiding police capture, and spraying graffiti tags are accomplished through a variety of minigames making good use of the analog sticks and rumble feature.

The story begins several months prior to the events of the film, with gang member Rembrandt's initiation serving as the combat tutorial. As you progress through the game, you'll be doing a variety of missions that include defending your turf from rival gangs, taking turf from rival gangs, participating in riots, looting, competing in graffiti contests, beating the hell out of a lot of people, and kart racing. Okay, maybe not the last one.

Between missions you're kicking it in the Warrior's Coney Island hangout, where you can replay previous levels, select unlockable side missions that go even further back into the Warrior's history (starting with the founding of the gang), and work out to improve your abilities. There's even an extra "Armies of the Night" minigame that plays much like a typical classic arcade beat 'em up (including a great intro parodying the beginning of Double Dragon).

Approximately two-thirds of the game is made up of prequel material (with the last third based directly on the film), and it's excellently done. The main characters have their backgrounds and personalities fleshed out, so by the time the movie storyline begins you know who everyone is and care even more about the Warriors' plight. The story is well written and the atmosphere fits perfectly with the film. Much of the movie's soundtrack appears, along with several other licensed songs from the era. Nearly all of the original cast reprised their roles for the game, and the few that didn't are replaced with perfect soundalikes.

You can still find copies of The Warriors fairly easily, so if you're a fan of the movie, brawlers, or Rockstar games I highly recommend it. This is one of the best examples of how a licensed game should be done, and it's extremely evident how much love the creators had for the source material. If you haven't seen the movie this game is based on, I highly suggest renting it, inviting some friends over, having a few drinks, and basking in late 70's cinematic awesomeness.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Okay, so this LGTDES is extremely late. Work and home life have made it difficult for me to get much writing done. I also like to replay a bit of the titles I'm covering, and my lack of a working PS2 forced me to go by memory on this one. I'm hoping to get the next installment out much sooner and keep the series going with greater frequency in the future. So as an apology, I'm letting you guys decide which licensed game I'll cover next. Leave me a comment with your pick, and assuming I've played it or have access to a copy I'll go with whatever game gets the most popular response.
Photo



Is this blog awesome? Vote it up!





Did you know? You can now get daily or weekly email notifications when humans reply to your comments.

Legacy Comments (will be imported soon)


I pretty agree with your analysis of this game. I have not read the book, so I felt a little empty after seeing the film, as most of the characters felt underdeveloped (except for Swan, Ajax, and Masai, in my opinion).
Besides fleshing out some of the characters, as you said, the game is really fun, with solid gameplay, and a truly great game by Rockstar.
Ugh. *pretty much agree*
TL;DR Don't have time right now. Had to come and say:

"I FULLY AGREE WITH EVERYTHING YOU SAID I LOVE THIS GAME YOU RULE LOLOLOLOLOL."

Whoa, shit, sorry. Just went Fanboy for a sec.
@ Christiangamer: Haha, nope... I've been meaning to finish this one for a long time. Had a slow night at work, so decided to stop procrastinating and make good use of my free time.
I'd play this game but.... it just seems too hard core for me. Maybe you can write about another licensed game that I can handle... like this




Seriously though, this game is pretty good. I rented it a looong time ago, so I really don't remember too much about it other than it being kinda fun.
Yeah, my friend rented this on the PS2, and I played it at his house. It was a lot of fun, and if you can get it for cheap (which I’m sure you can), you should definitely pick it up, people. Nice write-up, Mxyzptlk.
Great writeup. The Warriors was one of my absolute favorite games of the last generation, and when I was still in college I burned hours in the coop mode with my roommate.
I love Rembrandt's move where he sprays paint in his opponents eyes. Also, the Armies of the Night mini-game is one of my favorite extras ever.
I fuggin' loved The Warriors. It may be time to play through that again. Interestingly enough, I've never seen the movie. *adds to rental list*
This game is fucking great. I played this a ton on co-op freshman year of college.
Agreed. My friend rented this when it was released, since we were all looking for a good co-op brawling experience that we haven't really had in a while.
Needless to say, it was a pretty enjoyable one. Really great insight included in it as well if you're a fan of the film. Nice write-up overall.
Come on man, don't mention the bonus game that unlocks when you beat it.
Absolutely loved the game. One of my favorite PS2 games.
I always wanted to pick this up. When it came out it was advertised to the point of absurdity, but it still looked like fun.

Also, how the hell was the Warriors referenced in a show like Rugrats?
This game was a butt-ton of fun
I love the movie so friggin much but oddly never got around to playing the game. Maybe that'll change this week...I got some cash to spare.

Oddly enough the first VHS my parents ever bought was the Warriors and it cost something like $90
I vote for Tiny Toon Adventures on the NES.

Thanks for reminding me of a game I want to check out but never did because I didn't have a PS2 until recently.
Great game, also loved the movie :)
I agree, this game rules teh school
This game is fucking aces. I remember playing it co-op, and having one guy grab a hobo, while the other breaks a bottle on his head, then shanks him with it. Good time.

Also get the XBawks version if you can though. And I think it's on PSP too randomly.
wtf? I just checked to see if the Xbox version can be played on the 360...nope. It's not listed on the list of backwards compatible games. DAMMIT!
I remember my buddies going apeshit over this game a couple years back. never got around to it myself though.

btw, whenever i see your name i pronounce it "PTHTMTHXYPTHLMPTHH"
The main reason why I haven't picked this up yet is because I still haven't gotten around to seeing the original movie. I suppose I should get around to both of them.
like many here, i've always wanted to pick this up, i just never have. probably because i've never seen the movie. my love for R* however means i'll get it one of these days.
tl;dnr

but i totally liked this game when it came out. i just loved unscrewing the radios with the analog sticks. how innovative!
I can dig it,
cuz i'm a sucka.

I just wish there was a button to press to clink bottles together with my fingers.
I bought this a while back and still haven't tried it, guess I need to pop it in.
this game was sweet. i loved the movie, and the prequel material stayed faithful to the tone of the movie, but without a friend to play with, the gameplay can go bland fast.
This game was amazing.

Now why the hell hasn't MS made it Backwards Comp yet?
Love the movie, but I haven't played the game yet. I was meaning to, but never got around to it.
Fucking loved the game, still haven't seen the movie :/
This comment is late, but I just saw this write up now. Thank you for pimping this game, it's one of my favorites of the entire last gen.

The Warriors movie is awesome, the game is awesome, the book is... average honestly, and quite a bit different than the movie, but still a decent read...

Oh, and Luther was the Rogues' leader's name. That same dude played a different guy named Luther in 48 Hrs, another Walter Hill flick. James "Ajax" Remar killed him in that one... Worthless movie trivia for the win...
Man i fucking LOVE this game. Great write up. Excellent.

Back to Top
DLC   |   BEST Games of 2012   |   Best PC Games   |   Best PS3 Games   |   Best Xbox 360 Games   |   Best Wii U Games   |   Best 3DS Games




All content is yours to recycle through our Creative Commons License permitting non-commercial sharing requiring attribution. Our communities are obsessed with videoGames, movies, anime, and toys.

Living the dream since March 16, 2006

Advertising on destructoid is available: Please contact them to learn more