Netflix’s High Score Review – IGN

Netflix’s new six-part documentary series, High Score, offers a broad yet fascinating look at the 1970s origins of video games, along with the various booms and technological milestones of the 80s and 90s. For AP gamers, there may not be enough surgical precision to entice and adorn, but the presentation and true love of High Score for the product and its history provides a blissful and radiant look at an emerging medium and the growth in an interactive art form. Although one could criticize on High Score because they sometimes feel a little over the whole place, each episode still deals with a specific time period and / or theme. It starts things off with Space Invaders, arcades, and the Atari 2600. We then move quickly into the dominance of the NES, the “cool factor” of Sega Genesis, the controversy surrounding Mortal Kombat (and Night Trap), and the innovation of Doom. Along the way, there is a pit stop for the RPG, which moves from table to mere text adventures to the early graphics of Mystery House.

News told by Mario himself, Charles Martinet, High Score tells the story of dreamers, dropouts, developers, designers, CEOs, and even early eSports champions in their mission to provide a very comprehensive look at the industry. It never gets too fixated on one aspect or corner of the gaming / gamer story, with interviews and (sometimes animated) reactions to bounce between stories from Atari’s Nolan Bushnell, Nintendo sound designer Hirokazu Tanaka, Nintendo Power’s Gail Tilden, EAs Trip Hawkins (and his quest to create John Madden Football), John Romero and the formation of id Software, and countless other fascinating slabs and bobs from video game history.

One of the most rewarding elements of High Score is its casual look at fans from marginalized communities who found comfort and safe spaces within games that allowed them to participate in worlds that were otherwise denied them, or came with limited access. Game designer Rebecca Heineman is the first to profile when her love for Space Invaders was born out of her ability to use the game, as a child, as a woman in her mind at a time when she was AMAB. This eventual affection led to her becoming the first national champion for video game tournaments.

Also included in the mix is ​​gaming exec Gordon Bellamy, a black and queer man who fell in love with the Madden Games (seeing them as a way to play sports in a welcoming environment) and eventually helped the franchise black players on the cover and in-game. There’s also the story of Ryan Best’s LGBTQ RPG, GayBlade, which Best, years ago, lost all copies of (including the source code) due to a shipping error.

It is these stories, mixed with yarns like Richard Garriott’s of Ultima that should have incorporated morality into Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar, because players were such hefty heels, the artwork of Yoshitaka Amano that helped create the world of Final Fantasy, and Akira Nishitani’s worldwide trek to create Street Fighter II, which make High Score a great watch.

At some points, High Score feels like an approach from viewers who may be too unfamiliar with the gaming world, but quite that is a very small part of the procedures. Just because a few seconds can be devoted to explaining what a role-playing game is, does not detract from the excellent stories that come with the legacy of that genre. This love letter-style docu-binge is a cool and entertaining watch for all walks.