Your uncle the bartender likes to unwind with Tapper. Your brother the boxer blows off some steam with a few rounds of Ring King. It seems like all video-game fans have games that speak to them—even your sister's pet frog. But you're a painter, man, and you love nothing more than painting the floors of crazy little mazes. Why isn't there a game that speaks to you? Are you invisible? (And where's the egg salad you ordered two freaking hours ago?)
The good people at Williams have heard your cry. They've taken the excitement of painting, and added the thrill of being chased by ravenous fish. To make the experience even more authentic, they've added that wacky music that you thought only existed in your head.
Gameplay: In this magical world, your brush never runs dry. Just drag it along everything you see, and marvel at your handiwork. But don't marvel too much! Cats, tires, mice, and the invisible man all have an unhealthy obsession with making tracks all over your beautiful floor. If they mess it up (and they will), you'll have to smite them with paint and cover up their tracks before moving on to the next level. And the entire time, two tiny killer fish, still bitter about losing the Pac-Man gig, will stop at nothing to catch you, and give those philistines at Midway something to think about. But you can turn the tables on them when you pick up the Power Roller and crush their little guts out.
Could be mistaken for: Its two clones, Crush Roller and Paint Roller.
Kids today might not like it because: Playing a game about painting is awfully close to actually painting, and that sounds like work. Plus, that music is kind of creepy when it doesn't come from inside your head.
Kids today might like it because: With a little imagination (remember that?) it's kind of like vandalism. And who doesn't enjoy crushing fish with a paint roller? Come on, be honest.
Enduring contribution to gaming history: At a time when deadly robots, attacking spaceships, and murderous monsters dominated arcades, Make Trax dared to challenge the status quo, laying the foundation for other ordinary guys, like the chef from BurgerTime and the kid from Paperboy. —Wil Wheaton
Images courtesy of Killer List Of Video Games (klov.com) and The International Arcade Museum.
(Wil Wheaton unsuccessfully pitched the film Make TraXXX to Jenna Jameson's production company in 2003. He's currently working on Star Fist 2024 with Seymoure Butts.