Fred (Indescomp, 1983): One man was on a quest to bring action archaeology to a country that we can only presume was Egypt (due to the largely pyramid-based action and the preponderance of sand); but he was far from Indiana Jones. Whereas Indy restricted himself to shooting nasty beasts such as snakes or Nazis, Fred was happy to spray indiscriminate gunfire around ancient, undiscovered tombs with casual abandon. Countless mummified finds of unimaginable historical importance fell victim to Fred’s firearm, while he gleefully filled his pockets with priceless trinkets. This was a disgraceful example of Cultural Imperialism at its very worst.
Dystopi-o-meter: Three Elgin Marbles.
Dictator (dk’tronics, 1983): Corruption distilled to its purest form. Rather than rewarding an open and democratic approach to government, the challenge here was keeping the population of fictional nation Ritimba happy just long enough for you to line your own pockets with cash; followed by a dramatic escape to the air as revolutionaries inevitably surrounded your mansion. Though providing players with a healthily cynical attitude towards the inner-workings of politics, those benefits were surely offset by the tricks and tips unwittingly offered to the generation from whose ranks our latest batch of MPs are now being plucked.
Dystopi-o-meter: 98.7% of the Popular Vote.
Social Decay
Jack the Nipper (Gremlin, 1986): Even a child could spot the implicit subtext underwriting this tale of ‘baby-gone-bad’. Jack was a hyperactive menace to society, actively rewarded for performing tasks of varying ‘naughtiness’ - from murdering helpless flowers to releasing convicted felons back on to the streets - and for generally being a complete pest. Players were left in no doubt that kids are pure evil and not to be trusted, let alone nurtured and raised, under any circumstances. Moreover, that the only way to defeat an unruly child was through sustained physical abuse in the form of serious spankings.
Dystopi-o-meter: Seventeen years of therapy.
