Retro Look: Gunfighter - The Legend of Jesse James

In the late '90s and early 2000s, coin-op arcade shooters were massive. If you stepped into an arcade, you were sure to find, alongside the obligatory claw machines and rows of driving games, the latest installments of the genre's stalwarts: Time Crisis and House of the Dead. Naturally, with any popular gaming franchise, knock-offs and trend-followers were inevitable—and Gunfighter: The Legend of Jesse James is one such example.

Released in 2001 for the Sony PlayStation (or PSOne), Gunfighter: The Legend of Jesse James was developed by British studio Rebellion, which would later gain fame for the Sniper Elite series. The game puts you in the titular shoes of legendary outlaw Jesse James as he battles the villainous Sheriff Carson, who has kidnapped his girlfriend, Zee, and his partner, Cole. Over the course of five stages, you duck behind cover and take down waves of enemy gangsters while trying to avoid getting shot yourself.

If you're familiar with on-the-rails shooters, that gameplay description probably sounds pretty standard. Even at the time, Gunfighter didn't stand out mechanically, especially when compared to the smoother and more refined gameplay of House of the Dead and Time Crisis. But there's something charming about the game's simplicity. It sticks to the core mechanics that make rail shooters fun: the hide-and-shoot system, the satisfying rhythm of enemies popping up in groups, and the rush of taking them all down in quick succession. The game also benefits from its Wild West setting, featuring classic locations like a diamond mine and a moving steam train, both of which capture the atmosphere of a Hollywood Western. That atmosphere is further enhanced by an outstanding Spaghetti Western-style soundtrack, filled with twangy guitar lines that make you feel like a true gunslinger.

Unfortunately, Gunfighter's story leaves much to be desired. Sure, Time Crisis was cheesy, with an over-the-top excuse plot, but at least its characters and setting were memorable because of it. Gunfighter's cast, on the other hand, is entirely forgettable—which is ironic for a game starring such a legendary outlaw. Take Jesse's outlaw friend, Cole, for instance. He seems to be based on the real-life Cole Younger of the James-Younger Gang. But whereas the historical Cole lived to old age and eventually abandoned his outlaw ways, the game's version of Cole gets killed off in just the second level. He shares a brief, emotional farewell with Jesse before being taken out by a sniper's bullet. And that's the problem—the game doesn't give us enough time to care about him before he's gone. If you're going to take creative liberties with history, at least let us get to know the character first.

Then again, storytelling clearly wasn't Gunfighter's priority. Its main goal was to deliver a fun shooting experience in a classic Wild West setting, and to its credit, it does that well. It nails the iconic tropes of the genre: from the Clint Eastwood-style one-liners (“Hey boys, you wanna swap some lead?”) to the saloon shootouts, train battles, and even a Hollywood-style quickdraw finale. In that sense, Gunfighter was ambitious for its time, bringing cinematic Western action to the PSOne long before Red Dead Redemption set the gold standard.

While it doesn't innovate beyond the established mechanics of its genre, Gunfighter executes them competently. The gameplay is fast-paced and addictive, making it worth revisiting just to beat your high scores. It’s no masterpiece, but it does enough right to make you overlook the bad voice acting, jagged character models, and somewhat lifeless environments. If you have an hour or two to spare, it's worth taking a ride into the old American frontier and swapping lead with Jesse James and his enemies.

Interesting facts:

• The game plays fast and loose with history. Rather than aiming for accuracy, it focuses on the legend and image of Jesse James.

• Jesse's girlfriend, Zee, was a real historical figure, but in the game, she is reduced to a classic damsel in distress—even ending up tied to train tracks in need of rescue.

• Cole Younger is depicted as Jesse's right-hand man, but his role is disappointingly brief. Unlike his historical counterpart, who lived into old age, the game’s version of Cole dies in the second level. His younger brother, Bob Younger, later serves as an antagonist in the PS2 sequel.

Clark Kent or Superman: Which is the Real Identity?

Pointless debates fill the nerdy halls of comic book geekdom, and one such debate revolves around the Big Blue Boy Scout himself: Which is Superman’s real identity—Clark Kent or Superman?

If this were the 1940s, there would be no question. The Max Fleischer cartoons introduced Superman as being "disguised as Clark Kent," and that was that. However, decades of comic books, movies, and other media have brought the very notion into question.

Those who argue that "Superman is the real identity" (famously explored in Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill) base their stance on the character’s birthright. Superman, after all, was born Kal-El on the planet Krypton. Upon arriving on Earth, he was wrapped in his home planet’s colors inside his spaceship. Though raised by Jonathan and Martha Kent under the Earthly name of Clark Kent, he spent his entire life hiding his abilities from his friends. In this view, his Earthly guise has always been a cover for his true alien self. Only once he adopted the Superman moniker was he able to fully express who he truly is—using his powers freely and as he sees fit.

However, the "Clark Kent is the real guy" side argues from a nurture-over-nature perspective. Sure, Kal-El was born on Krypton, wrapped in Kryptonian colors, and possesses incredible powers due to his biology. But ultimately, it was the Kents’ Midwestern values that shaped him into the man he became—the man they raised as Clark Kent. In many stories, his biological father, Jor-El, is absent from his life until young adulthood, by which point Clark has already been steeped in Earth’s ways and identifies as an Earthling. Before he ever dons the suit for the first time, he has experienced tragedy, heartbreak, and life lessons that all inform the man who eventually wears the Superman symbol.

To be clear, both sides of the argument have credence. The true identity of Superman ultimately depends on the writer. Yet, the fact that this debate persists today speaks to the complexity of the character. It also ties into the broader nature vs. nurture discussion—do we belong more to the culture we are born into, or to the one in which we are raised? The two are more intertwined than they may initially seem.

So, which interpretation do I prefer? Well, as boring as it may sound, I see it as a mixture of both. I believe Clark Kent is the engine that drives the heroics of Superman—"Superman is what I can do, Clark is who I am," as succinctly put in the ’90s series Lois & Clark. However, I also enjoy stories where Clark embraces and respects his Kryptonian heritage, merging it with his Earthly identity. After all, it’s that alien element that sets Superman apart from other superheroes.

As for when he is mostly "pretending," he always seems to be doing so regardless of the situation. Clark must hide his powers in everyday civilian life, yet even in the Superman suit, he can’t truly relax and enjoy the life he was brought up to love. Instead, he must act as the symbol the world expects him to be. In this sense—much like us—he presents different faces to the world depending on the expectations placed upon him.

And that very complexity is what makes Superman such a fascinating and enduring character.

Jedi Power Battles - A Classic Reborn on PlayStation 5

The Force is strong with nostalgia, but does Jedi Power Battles truly deserve a remaster, or is it just another relic from a long time ago? Asphyr strikes back with a new Force-wielding remaster in the form of Star Wars Episode I: Jedi Power Battles, reviving the classic action platformer for modern audiences. The original version of the game hit the PlayStation 1 in 2000, one of many spin-off titles of the eponymous Episode I movie released during that time. The PlayStation and Dreamcast versions are often heralded among fans with the glossy eyes of childhood nostalgia. But saying that, does the remaster fix the original's bugs and rework its magic to sustain a modern gaming audience?

Firstly, let's look at the visuals. The game has been upgraded to a higher resolution, making everything crisper, but textures and lighting remain unchanged, exposing the blocky character models and simple environments. At times, it feels less like a modern remaster and more like an upscaled emulator version. The graphics look bright and inviting, but not much has changed beyond the 2000 Dreamcast version, on which this remaster is based. If anything, the higher resolution only further emphasizes the aged, jagged nature of the character models (Samuel L. Jackson has never looked more awkward than he has here), as well as the plainness of the environments. At the very least, the improved framerate makes the gameplay flow better and, therefore, more enjoyable than it could've been otherwise.

Speaking of gameplay, everything remains intact from the original. Players roam through fairly linear levels, sabering (mostly) battle droids and jumping from platform to platform. Completing levels grants the player new saber combos and increases their health/force bars. Like before, the game boasts a cast of different characters, each with their unique fighting styles. The Jedi have a range of Force powers—my favorite character, Mace Windu, has a Force power that makes his lightsaber spin around his head while he crouches, killing anything that nears him. Sadly, no Force-shaking improvements have been made. The frustrating platforming remains intact, and timing jumps is just as painful as it was in 2000. While the developer insists removing them would've hurt the game's unique charm, when you're falling down chasms because of a needlessly stiff jump mechanic, it's hard to agree with them.

If you've played any Star Wars-licensed game, you'll know the music is almost always top-notch. Jedi Power Battles is no exception, boasting John Williams' iconic score from the movies. While the remaster doesn't add any new tracks or noticeable music upgrades, the score still provides as much atmosphere and intensity as it did in 2000, making the game feel like a legitimate part of the Star Wars universe. Likewise, JPB's use of the iconic sound effects—the lightsaber hum, the blaster shots, the droids' robotic voices—further cements the game's place in George Lucas' unique world. Voice acting is few and far between, with character dialogue reduced to a few sound bites here and there, but this is for the best. The remaster has done nothing to improve the awkward nature of the voice acting, which only highlights the game's age.

So, the gameplay may be the same, but what about new content? Well, Asphyr has made somewhat of an effort. The new training mode offers a slew of new levels and challenges, but the settings are visually bland and uninspiring. There are a bunch of new unlockable characters now (including the battle droid, Droideka, and other enemies you encounter in the game), but they are a fun novelty at best since they lack the range of abilities of the Jedi characters. It's a shame that these additions were given focus when the game cries out for more quality-of-life enhancements like save states or quick-saving to make up for the frustratingly placed checkpoints. Likewise, the developers have not provided any extra difficulty modes beyond the original Easy and Jedi modes. Such omissions may alienate modern gamers who are used to these features in their games.

Another lost opportunity lies in JPB's co-op options (or lack thereof). While it's great that the devs have kept the game's couch co-op, the title would've highly benefited from an online co-op option for those who struggle to find someone in their social circle willing to play a 15-year-old action game. The very fact that the co-op mode makes the already awkward platforming of the solo game more glaring doesn't help. And though the quirky cheats—like big head mode—were advertised heavily for the remaster, these briefly amusing novelties get old quickly and add nothing valuable to the experience.

All in all, Jedi Power Battles remains a fun but flawed relic, more of a time capsule than a true remaster. Nostalgic fans will enjoy reliving the droid-slicing action, but for modern gamers accustomed to polished gameplay and meaningful upgrades, this remaster feels like a missed opportunity rather than a triumphant return. While mowing down hordes of droids is just as thrilling—and, sometimes, addictive—as before, this is a game ultimately unchanged from the original Dreamcast version. The extra characters, training rooms, and cheats are needless window dressing for an old game that could use improvement in its gameplay. And while such facts won't deter retro gaming fans who relish the nostalgia this game represents, it'll do little to turn the heads of younger, modern players who expect a more refined experience.