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.