Kingpin Life Of Crime Poisonville

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Kingpin: Life of Crime is a first-person shooter developed by Xatrix Entertainment and published by Interplay Entertainment in June 1999.^[1][2][3][4] The game begins with the player character wounded and beaten up by associates of the crime boss The Kingpin, and the story follows his thirst for revenge. Released shortly after the Columbine High School massacre, the game attracted controversy which led it to be dropped from various retailers, despite receiving moderate critical acclaim. The game was ported to Linux.^[5]

Background[edit]

Set in a quasi-retro time period, Kingpin features a mix of 1930s art deco crossed with modern technology and ideas. Many inventions are conveyed through an art deco style design, like helicopters and monorail networks. The setting is described by the game manual as a past that never happened. According to artist Viktor Antonov, the game was initially envisioned as 'like Blade Runner with a gangster touch', before hip-hop group Cypress Hill got associated to the project, which in turn influenced the setting of the game, causing the science-fiction elements to be phased out in favor of a 'realistic city'.^[6]

Set in a city, the world of Kingpin revolves around crime and criminals. The game begins in the most desolate and deprived area of the city, Skidrow, a dystopia where the population consists entirely of criminal elements, prostitutes, and transients. It is here that the player character has been left, after being beaten up by some thugs under the employ of Nikki Blanco, one of The Kingpin's lieutenants. For some reason not explained within the game, Nikki Blanco wants the player out of his territory for good, and the beating is a warning that should he ever return, he can expect much worse.

Wheel of fortune free play no download. Kingpin is a game about revenge. Picking up a piece of lead piping as a makeshift weapon, the player plots against Nikki Blanco and The Kingpin himself. The player's rise to prominence, and his lust for revenge will take him through various areas of the city: from chemical plants through to steel mills and train yards, and eventually onto Radio City, home of The Kingpin's headquarters.

The game was influenced by the films Pulp Fiction and The Big Lebowski which features many lines of dialogue and characters lifted from both films. A few primary examples would be the main antagonist 'The Kingpin' being heavily inspired by the Marsellus Wallace character from Pulp Fiction. The boss player's encounter known as 'The Jesus' shares the same name and personality as the John Turturro character from The Big Lebowski. Much of the NPC dialogue is lifted from film characters. Many generics NPCs will say 'Forget about it huh', which is another line from The Big Lebowski and many female NPCs will quote Jules Winfield from Pulp Fiction with such lines as the 'That's cool and the gang!' phrase.

Gameplay[edit]

Gameplay in Kingpin was most noted for its profanity laden dialog and its graphic depiction of violence. An idea incorporated into the game was that of area-specific damage: a shot to the head deals more damage than a shot on the leg. To complement this, each game character also has a deformable skin, which indicates where and how badly the character had been injured. Injured characters also bleed, and leave a blood trail making it easier to follow them. Instead of having a universal armor value for the player, armor is split into three different types, helmet, body armor and leggings, with separate values for each one.

Another innovative feature of the game is the use of weapon modifications. Various mods can be used to upgrade the weapons in the game. The pistol, for example, can be modified to increase its firepower, or its rate of fire, among other things.

Kingpin also features heavy NPC interaction for a first-person shooter; the player can interact with NPCs and choose between positive or negative responses. This can lead to various outcomes such as gleaning new information, hiring gang members, or provoking an enemy into attacking. The NPC response to the player also takes into account whether the player's gun is holstered or not. Some areas, such as bars and clubs, which acted as hubs for the chapters, force the player to lower his weapon. The player can also hire gang members to join him, and in some cases this is necessary as the player would need an AI character's specific skill.

Another new feature is the introduction of cash. Fallen enemies can be searched for cash, which can then be used to purchase weapons and ammunition at the Pawn-O-Matic, a shop found in every chapter, except in chapter five. Cash can also be used to hire gang members.

Soundtrack[edit]

The soundtrack for Kingpin was provided by the rap group Cypress Hill, and featured three tracks from their album IV.These were: '16 Men Till There's No Men Left', 'Checkmate', and 'Lightning Strikes'.Alongside the full versions of these tracks, instrumental versions with the vocals removed were used as backing tracks. Cypress Hill also provided some of the voice acting for the game.

On the initial UK release of the game a free Ministry of Sound album was bundled with the game.

Controversy[edit]

Kingpin received a fair amount of controversy due to its graphic depiction of violence and heavy use of profanity. The game picked up increased media attention because it was the first high-profile first person shooter to be released since the Columbine High School massacre. At that point, computer games were facing increasing pressure from Congress and lobby groups seeking an answer to what had influenced the Columbine killers.

Calls for Xatrix to cancel the game were made by various congressmen, the game was debated on the floor of the US senate, and was singled out for criticism in the National Institute on Media and the Family's 1999 report on violent video games. In a response to this, Xatrix implemented a 'safe' version, a password protected game mode which meant that the game would play with low violence and bleeped out expletives. Xatrix also stressed that Kingpin was not in any way, shape, or form aimed or marketed at minors, with a warning message during the installation stage from the Xatrix CEO, Drew Markham himself:

'In light of the recent acts of youth-related violence that have taken place across America we thought that you should know how 'Kingpin' was initially conceived. Kingpin was never intended for children. This is a game with mature themes made for a mature audience. There was never any attempt to market or influence children to buy Kingpin.'

Still, the controversy led various retailers to not stock the game, including Best Buy, Wal-Mart and Toys 'R' Us. Xatrix team member Greg Goodrich would claim later that 'If it wasn't for Electronics Boutique, the game might have never seen the light of day in North America.'^{[citation needed]}

Reception[edit]

NPD Techworld, a firm that tracked sales the United States,^[19] reported 76,189 units sold of Kingpin by December 2002. A writer for PC Gamer US opined, 'Inevitably, the game tried too hard to be controversial—the cartoonish violence undercut whatever shock value was to be found in the four-letter language. Developer Xatrix went out of business right after Kingpin's release.'^[20]

The game received 'average' reviews according to the review aggregation website GameRankings.^[7] Erik Wolpaw of GameSpot was particularly impressed at the way that Xatrix had used the then two-year-old Quake II engine, calling the game world a 'beautifully depicted metropolitan nightmare'.^[12] Jay Boor of IGN enjoyed the game, noting its excellent level design, and the advanced NPC interaction.^[13]PC Gamer UK described the game as 'an incredible achievement in terms of graphics, AI and level design and a nasty, bloody swear-fest'.^[15] Incidentally, the most scathing reaction to the game came from Stephen Poole of the publication's US edition, who felt that the game was too shallow, offered nothing new to the genre and was peppered with bugs and oversights.^[16]

John Lee reviewed the PC version of the game for Next Generation, rating it three stars out of five, and stated that 'Although it doesn't exactly stick to its theme of street-level crime, there's more than enough action and shocks to keep your interest.'^[14]

Legacy[edit]

Multiplayer for Kingpin was previously hosted on both heat.net and Mplayer in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Afterwards, multiplayer was hosted on Gamespy Arcade. Once Gamespy dissolved in 2014, the multiplayer was shifted to be primarily ran by an online fan community which contains a large archival library of downloads and active servers.

Kingpin would prove to be Xatrix's last game; on the day that Kingpin shipped, Xatrix Entertainment ceased to exist. Many of their team reformed later to create Gray Matter Interactive Studios.

A sequel to Kingpin was in production at Interplay in 2004 for the PC and Xbox with a 2005 release date,^[21] but nothing came of this project since then.

In 2014 the long-thought lostsource code re-emerged according to a statement of Slipgate Studios' Frederik Schreiber.^[22] In 2016 Herve Caen responded regarding the source code, confirming that Interplay still holds the rights to the game.^[23] These two interactions would ultimately manifest in a remastering of the game by 3D Realms (where Schreiber would later work for), announced in January 2020 as Kingpin: Reloaded and set for the second quarter of that year.^{[24][better source needed]}

References[edit]

1. ^Mills, Justin (July 12, 1999). 'Kingpin: Life of Crime (Page 3)'. avault.com. The Adrenaline Vault. Archived from the original on February 11, 2006.
2. ^Callaham, John (November 5, 2002). 'HomeLAN Fed interview with Greg Goodrich'. planetwolfenstein.com. HomeLAN. Archived from the original on 2006-01-08.
3. ^Boal, Mark (July 19, 1999). 'One step ahead of the law'. Salon.
4. ^Dean, Takahashi (November 23, 1999). 'Video-game violence back under attack'. Zdnet.com. ZDNet. Archived from the original on March 12, 2007.
5. ^'Linux Kingpin'. Blue's News. March 27, 2000. Retrieved May 9, 2016.
6. ^Antonov, Viktor (February 2019). 'Viktor Antonov, directeur artistique et concepteur visuel de jeux vidéo'. L'1nterview n°2 (Interview). Interviewed by Pierre Gaultier. Paris. Retrieved 15 May 2019.
7. ^ ^ab'Kingpin: Life of Crime for PC'. GameRankings. Retrieved May 9, 2016.
8. ^Ardai, Charles (October 1999). 'Blood on the Streets (Kingpin: Life of Crime Review)'(PDF). Computer Gaming World (183): 148–149. Retrieved May 10, 2016.
9. ^Edge staff (September 1999). 'Kingpin [Life of Crime]'. Edge (75).
10. ^Chick, Tom (July 31, 1999). 'Kingpin: Life of Crime Review for PC on GamePro.com'. GamePro. Archived from the original on February 9, 2005. Retrieved May 10, 2016.
11. ^Colin (August 1999). 'Kingpin: Life of Crime Review'. Game Revolution. Retrieved May 10, 2016.
12. ^ ^abWolpaw, Erik (July 14, 1999). 'Kingpin: Life of Crime Review'. GameSpot.
13. ^ ^abBoor, Jay (July 16, 1999). 'Kingpin: Life of Crime'. IGN. Retrieved May 9, 2016.
14. ^ ^abLee, John (October 1999). 'Finals'. Next Generation. Vol. 2 no. 2. Imagine Media. p. 117.
15. ^ ^ab'Kingpin: Life of Crime'. PC Gamer UK. 1999.
16. ^ ^abPoole, Stephen (1999). 'Kingpin: Life of Crime'. PC Gamer. Archived from the original on March 15, 2006. Retrieved May 9, 2016.
17. ^'Kingpin: Life of Crime'. PC Zone. 1999.
18. ^Walk, Gary Eng (June 25, 1999). 'Kingpin: Life of Crime'. Entertainment Weekly (491–492). Retrieved May 9, 2016.
19. ^Spooner, John G. (June 13, 2003). 'Gateway notebook goes for ratings'. ZDNet. Retrieved September 20, 2019.
20. ^Staff (May 2003). 'The 10 Most Controversial PC Games of All Time'. PC Gamer US. 10 (5): 50, 51.
21. ^Adams, David (April 15, 2004). 'New Kingpin Coming'. IGN. Retrieved May 9, 2016.
22. ^Schreiber, Frederik (23 April 2014). 'Was the Kingpin: Life of Crime Sourcecode ever released? If not, we have a copy. Who owns the rights to Kingpin today?'. Twitter.
23. ^Caen, Herve (20 January 2016). '@Freschism Hi Frederik, Interplay owns the rights to Kingpin. Please get in touch with me. Tks'. Twitter.
24. ^'Kingpin Reloaded on Steam'. January 17, 2020. Retrieved January 17, 2020 – via Steam.

External links[edit]

• Kingpin: Life of Crime at MobyGames
• Kingpin: Life of Crime on IMDb
• Gray Matter Studios at the Wayback Machine (archived October 30, 2006)
• Xatrix at the Wayback Machine (archived May 10, 2000)

Games are for kids. It's an easy generalisation to make, and one glibly bandied about by the great unwashed to justify their ignorance of arguably the most advanced form of entertainment yet conceived. Historically, at least, it's a vaguely accurate accusation. However, the sweaty oiks shovelling ten-pence pieces into a Space Invaders machine in their lunch hour have long-since grown up; something that can't always be said for the games themselves, which often live up to their childish image. Some day a real game will come and wash all the scum off the streets..

Step forward Kingpin. Here is a game that would not take it any more. Whores, scum, buggers, queens, fairies, dopers, junkies. Sick, venal.

Keep It Real

If you've been hiding under a rock for the last couple of months or are simply a newcomer to the wonderful and frightening world of PC, here's the lowdown on the game they're all calling Kingpin: Life Of Crime. Using the Quake 2 engine, it eschews the contrived fantasy setting of many of its contemporaries in favour of gritty realism, the action taking place in the seedy underworld of organised crime. Much has been made of Kingpirfs real-world setting, and while this is certainly a commendable endeavour, it's worth pointing out that the game is by no means a documentary. Influences are many and varied, and have been taken from all walks of life, not least the home town of developers Xatrix, the plan at one point being to set the action in South Central LA Good artists borrow, great artists steal, and further inspiration has been gleaned from the films of Martin Scorsese and Quentin Tarantino, no shirker himself when it comes to robbing ideas. And if we want to get all Barry Norman about it, there are numerous movie signposts to look out for, from The Hudsucker Proxy to Brazil to Blade Runner, via Trainspotting and Scarface. There's even a character lifted directly from The Big Lebowski.

Bravely default spell fencer. The Spell Fencer is a job in Bravely Default. It is obtained by defeating Ciggma Khint in Ancheim. Might and magic are wielded as one by this class. Favoring swords above all, and well-versed in all forms of armor, Spell Fencers cast before cutting, coating their blades in potent magic before hacking away at enemies.

However, Kingpin also doffs its cap to the old-school villainy of AI Capone and his cohorts, and has eventually mutated into some kind of alternate version of this century's past. Throw in a contemporary rap soundtrack - provided by Cypress Hill, no less - and what you have is effectively gangster meets gangsta.

I'm The Daddy Now!

Urban decay is rife, burned-out buildings scar the landscape, and vicious gangs rule the streets. Beginning as little more than a gutter punk, the idea is to rise to the top of the criminal ladder and eventually usurp the titular Kingpin. If you've ever seen the film Scum, it's a bit like becoming The Daddy. This can be achieved by a variety of means, most of which involve inordinate amounts of sickening violence. We re not easily r shocked here at PC, but the wanton brutality of Kingpin has been enough to raise the eyebrows of even the most battle-hardened reviewer. Make no mistake, this is adult material in every sense. Skulls are caved in, limbs are shot off, bodies are burned beyond recognition, and heads explode in an unabated orgy of bloodletting. And to top it all, the action is decorated with some of the most foul and abusive language this side of a Tourette's convention. Serious street slang is employed throughout, and barely a sentence passes that doesn't contain an example of industrial language at its most graphic. Shit, piss, cock, bitch, motherf**ker. We await the inevitable Daily Mail headlines with relish.'

It S Good To Talk

There is far more to Kingpin than a sanguine shooting gallery with swearing though, as it is actually a fairly sophisticated take on the 3D action game, incorporating elements of puzzle solving, exploration and adventure, at times even coming perilously close to RPG territory. Simply taking to your neighbours' heads with a lead pipe is no guarantee of success - although it is a lot of fun - and it can often be more beneficial to attempt some kind of conversation with the natives. This is where Kingpin's unique chat system comes into its own, offering three modes of approach. Which is essentially all any adventure game does, they just disguise it with wordy sentences. Positive, neutral and negative attitudes can be expressed, and success is dependent on a combination of who you're talking to, the situation and your respective weaponry.

Information can be gleaned at a price, and thugs can be hired to help out with the numerous rumbles. Performing various jobs enhances your criminal reputation and begins your ascent - or downward spiral - towards becoming the Kingpin. Character interaction plays a crucial part in many of them. For instance, one job involves cracking a safe. Two safe crackers are available, each offering their services for a different price. The cheaper one uses cruder methods and may attract attention, whereas the expensive one is an expert lock picker. Having hired one, you then have to lead him to the safe, take out any enemies and protect him while he gets the job done.

The game is spread over six episodes, each of which combines action and adventure in a ratio of roughly three to one, although this can vary depending on your approach. They each have a hub, where the Pawn-O-Matic weapon shop is located, with around four levels leading off it The episodes generally begin pensively, involving asking questions and gauging the lie of the land. Stealth plays its part -- there's even a sneak key -although running in like John Wayne can be equally effective. Eventually you begin to piss people off, and a climactic shootout becomes inevitable if you're to progress to the next stage.

Lock Stock & Barrel

At its core, Kingpin is still a traditional 'here's the key, there's the door'-type shooter. However, the keys have been disguised as objects more in keeping with the real world. For instance, giving a bottle of whisky to a tramp yields some information; learning the combination of a safe gives you access; or finding a battery enables you to start a motorbike and ride off to the next level. Health still comes in medical bags - although Xatrix did toy with the idea of having a doctor - and the game will be familiar territory to experienced action fans. For all its realism, it's still largely set in Warehouse World, littered with numerous piles of immovable crates. Whereas it may not advance the genre massively, it's still a superb take on the 3D action game, given gravitas by the adult nature and the superbly realised locations, evoking a real air of menace.

The Quake engine and its various modifications have effectively provided an industry standard for the 3D action game.

The technology is given; making it into a good game is down to the imagination and creativity of the developers. In fashioning an absorbing storyline and a believable world, Valve produced the masterpiece that is Half-Life. Conversely, Ritual went for all-out corny action with SiN, and Ion Storm are still labouring over the cod fantasy of Daikatana.

But in just over a year, Xatrix have managed to take the 3D action game in a different, more adult-oriented direction. If you've got a strong stomach and aren't offended by foul and abusive language, then Kingpin: Life Of Crime is a beautiful thing, and one which could open the floodgates for more adult games. In fact, the developers of the next Duke Nukem game have already thanked Xatrix for opening the door, which should bode well for the future.

Six Of The Best

Every episode has a boss - a crime boss. They're all underlings of the Kingpin, who you eventually meet up with in the last episode. Along with the crime bosses, each episode also has one predominant gang

EPISODE I - Skidrow

You've pissed off Nikki Bianco, and this alleyway is where you were dumped. The lowest of lowlifes abound, with the Sewer Rat and Scorpion gangs in a battle to control the turf. Expect an urban setting with lots of bumed-out buildings. In fact, put this month's cover CD in the drive and play the game, although bear in mind that it's an early alpha version.

EPISODE II - Poisonville

This is the place where all the toxics, caustics and solvents are made. There's perpetual acid rainfall, and the enemies are definitely more organised than Skidrow. Poisonville is run by Nikki Blanco, who is responsible for having you beaten to within an inch of your life at the game's outset. Expect an acid-scarred industrial setting. Residents of Ellesmere Port will feel at home.

EPISODE III - Steeltown

The headquarters of Moker steel. There are a lot of unfortunate souls who've been enslaved by Kingpin lieutenant Moker, and you have to liberate a number of them If you want to make it out alive. Expect a heavy industrial setting, with dark steel mills and smelting plants. The developers even watched The Full Monty to get a flavour of the beautiful city of Sheffield.

EPISODE IV - Radio City

Big city, bright lights. Now that you've disrupted his chemical and steel supplies, the Kingpin wants you six feet under, and there are plenty of volunteers in Radio City. Watch out for the Freqs, fanatical religious freaks who obey only the commands of their deadly leader Blunt. Expect a Blade Runner-esque cityscape, with a nod towards both New York and Gotham City.

EPISODE V-The Wharf

Once you're out of Radio City you need to track down the Kingpin's master weapons maker and designer, Dr Zighled Heilman. His design and manufacturing lab is reputed to be hidden somewhere near the Radio City wharf. Expect a dark and dangerous wharf area with loads of boats and stuff - a bit like Portsmouth on a Friday night.

EPISODE VI - Crystal Palace

This is It: the Kingpin's headquarters at Selhurst Park, South London, a venue shared by Wimbledon FC. You first need to make your way through a series of elevator shafts to get to the final battle in the Kingpin's penthouse, which is packed with his best soldiers and a few other surprises, making for an epic Scarface-style showdown. Expect a lavish, art deco, gothic setting, proof that crime does pay.

BAN THIS SICK FILTH!

Will the British Board Of Film Censors (BBFC) allow us to see the 'full-on' Kingpiii?

The game reviewed here Is the full, unexpurgated version of Kingpin, as the developers Intended It and, in any well-ordered society, as it should be released. However, whether this version actually appears on the shelves in the UK remains to be seen, as the notoriously Inconsistent BBFC have yet to cast their censorial eyes over the content.

Kingpin makes no pretence to being a family game, and the potential is clearly there for some kind of misguided moralistic stance to be taken. It has already been configured to appear differently when running under French or German versions of Windows (although it's hardly going to take a degree In computer science to change It to US Windows), and It's to be hoped that the same thing doesn't happen here. We certainly don't want another Carmageddon on our hands. So when the pious twats at the BBFC are considering their decision, they should perhaps bear in mind that on Easter Sunday Channel 4 screened Reservoir Dogs uncut, thereby enabling children of all ages to witness sickening acts of violence, culminaUng In a policeman having his ear sliced off and being doused In petrol.

Because Kingpin is a game, the attitude seems to be that young minds will be warped. Kingpin Is aimed solely at adults, who should be given the freedom of choice to decide what they play in the privacy of their own homes.

Tools R Us

If you're going to kill people mercilessly, you're going to need some weapons. These can either be found lying around on the ground, fleeced from the twitching corpses of your victims, or bought at the Pawn-O-Matic weapons shop, of which each level has one. Modifications can also be bought for some of the weapons, increasing their capacity for slaughter. Here's a look at part of Kingpin's armoury

LEAD PIPE Mods: None

The default weapon - and one that should be familiar to fans of Cluedo - It's only a marginal improvement on using your bare hands. While It's not the best for inflicting damage, it comes in handy for breaking down fences, opening crates, and other chores where you don't want to waste valuable ammunition. With Its short length, you need to keep moving If you plan to use it in a fight. If your opponent isn't carrying a gun, you can inflict enough damage with the lead pipe to kill or at least seriously mame.

CROWBAR Mods: None

Clearly a 'tribute' to Hatt-Ufe, the crowbar can be bought early on in the game. A marked improvement over the lead pipe, it offers extended reach and also does twice the damage. Again, it's also useful for breaking fences and so forth, as well as Its more gruesome function of bludgeoning people to death in cold blood. If you can't find or afford a gun, then the crowbar is the best bet to give you a fighting chance.

SHOTGUN Mods: None

A step up from the pistol, at close range It's usually enough to blow an arm or leg off your target, or put them down for good. As powerful as It Is, the shotgun has two negative features: a long reload cycle, and a very wide spread at long range. These two factors make the shotgun a good weapon to give you stopping power at close range, where things can get really nasty, but not at medium to long range.

TOMMY GUN Mods: None

The quintessential gangster weapon. As shouty punks The Clash sang: 'Tommy gun, you ain't happy unless you got one..'This automatic machine-gun spits out lethal .45 calibre bullets at a high rate of fire, mowing down anything in your path. It's the most powerful lead-shooter in the game, and can cut through a crowd like they were made of warm butter. However, the Tommy gun isn't very accurate at long range. It still brings someone down, but you get better results at medium to close range.

HMG Mods: Cooling Jacket (full clip firing without downtime)

The heavy machine-gun fires high muzzle velocity .308 rounds In bursts of three shots. There's approximately a 1.5-second downtime between bursts to cut down on weapon damage due to overheating. Simply put, this beast can drop Just about anything in its tracks. It's deadly accurate at long range, making it Ideal for picking off thugs before they see you coming. The 1,5-second delay between bursts Isn't much of a factor, since anyone who absorbs all three rounds won't be bothering you any more.

BAZOOKA Mods: None

The bazooka fires a flaming projectile that inflicts incredible damage upon Impact, throwing shrapnel in all directions. It obliterates just about any target As bad as being hit by the actual projectile can be, being inside the blast radius is no picnic either, the splash damage area proving powerful enough to kill most enemies outright.

FLAME-THROWER Mods: None

Shoots a deadly fiery liquid that sticks to anything it comes into contact with. Once on fire, the target bums for several seconds, and continuous damage will be inflicted during that time, while they run around screaming like the demons of hell. If the target can escape, the flames eventually go out. Although the flamethrower is an intimidating weapon, your target is able to fight back while on fire, so move in for the kill with another weapon to finish the job.