Data courier Johnny Mnemonic (ni-MAHN-ik) has a problem. He’s carrying valuable information on a computer chip in his head. People want that information badly enough to kill him for it–if it doesn’t kill him first. Seems the data is too much for his chip to store for very long without overloading his brain.
Talk about your bad days.
Johnny Mnemonic (Sony Imagesoft, $70) is the first fully cinematic computer game, meaning that the game sequences take place within a movie–as opposed to other CD-ROM games, in which live action serves as bookends. “Johnny Mnemonic” the TriStar Pictures movie made its big-screen debut May 26; Johnny made his computer-screen debut just days earlier.
Unlike the forgettable movie, the two-disc CD-ROM is an addictive one. It works with the screenplay’s repetitions of fighting and running. The dark, dingy cyberpunk atmosphere is perfect for playing in a low-lighted room for hours at a time. I’ll admit I found myself shouting out loud during the fight sequences.
The movie is based on cyberpunk author William Gibson’s 1981 short story, but is radically different. Likewise, the game differs from all the other Mnemonic versions.
In the original tale, our hero hires a razor-nailed bodyguard, Molly Millions, to protect him from a Yakuza assassin. Along the way, they enlist an armored dolphin and the Lo Teks street gang to retrieve information from Johnny’s head and sell it.
On the big screen, a wooden Keanu Reeves plays Johnny, who intentionally uploads twice his storage capacity (he wants to do one last big job so he can retire and get the chip out of his head). Turns out the data’s a cure for nerve attenuation syndrome, a mysterious disease sweeping the world. Unfortunately, Pharmakom, the company that released the syndrome, wants the cure back so they can make a buck off of it. Enter the Yakuza.
The game’s story and actors are superior to the movie. Christopher Russel Gartin has the look and feel of a young, manic Michael Keaton. He’s a jittery Johnny who’s not just angry but scared to death of losing his mind–literally. Clare Carey is spunky and strong when playing Jane, the hired gun determined to keep her employer alive. And Isaac “Shaft” Hayes as J-Bone, leader of the Lo Teks? ‘Nuff said.
Johnny and Jane spend the game looking for a download code and download hardware. At various times (especially during fights), players find themselves looking through the eyes of either character.
For prospective buyers worried about dropping $70 for a story-line game (which usually wouldn’t be played again after the first completion), a built-in randomizer moves props from game to game. Each game involves going to different places at different times. There are also four winning outcomes, from saving Johnny to saving the world.
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Unlike almost every other game on the market, “Johnny” is totally keyboard-driven. Sound annoying? It is for about the first hour. After that, players won’t even notice they’re using the keyboard.
Every time a conflict arises, the picture goes into letterbox mode (with black bars stretched across the top and bottom of the screen) and the player must quickly choose an action: moving, fighting or pressing the “Use” button. “Use” automatically selects whatever item is appropriate for the scene (Press this a number of times at each location; there’s often more than one item that can be manipulated.).
“Johnny Mnemonic” carries a “T” rating (for violence) from the Entertainment Software Rating’s Board, meaning it’s suitable for ages 13 and up.