Psycho Spoof Beast #1

You thought it was the end... but the parody has just begun.

Does that sound vaguely familiar?

For the benefit of those who aren't tagline gurus, I've just paraphrased one of Saw IV's selling points.

Namely:

"You think it is over... but the games have just begun."

I was of course referring to my original trilogy but anyway, let's dance.

Set after PS1 game Hail to the King, A Fistful of Boomstick is surely referencing Sergio Leone's 1964 classic A Fistful of Dollars.
The same thing extends to Futurama episode A Fishful of Dollars and Alice Cooper album A Fistful of Alice.

Who knows why cheap Dhalsim rip off Alsion III of Visco Corporation's Breakers series is named so, but Ramsesses III was an Egyptian Pharaoh...

Baby Bonnie Hood of Darkstalkers 3 sends up a certain Little Red fairy tale.

For his debut live stand-up show Animals, Ricky Gervais hoped to deliver a Thriller.

Is it really plausible to base a computer game around a music video?

Not really, but that's exactly what Mastertronic attempted in 1985 with Spectrum effort Chiller.

Events ran in the wrong order (starting in the forest and not the cinema) etc etc, but that's where similarities end as this had fuck all to do with anything, because the aim was for some guy to collect crucifixes and rescue a fair maiden.

Marvel over its unappealing glory.

Notice the 'unlicensed' use of Pac-Man ghosts and Space Invaders.

At least Famicom exclusive Splatterhouse: Wanpaku Graffiti made no secret of spoofing the iconic video.

Cracking the miscellaneous 'writing' whip of Indiana Jones.

In this 1991 Megadrive adventure, Donald Duck sets off to find King Garuzia's treasure.

The animated series of Donkey Kong Country swapped religious artefact for crescent shaped fruit in episode Raiders of the Lost Banana.

Complete with fedora and bullwhip, Dandy-J wasn't the only char to light up Sunsoft's eccentric Neo Geo fighter Waku Waku 7.
It was later converted to the Saturn.

Depending on era, the often twisted world of Garbage Pail Kids may not have drained pocket money.

What a shame the film was unfortunately unpleasant, and not in a good way.

Check out these light-hearted and obvious examples.

R2-D2

Rambo

Ronald Reagan

E.T.

Tim Curry as 'sweet transvestite' and mad scientist Dr. Frank N. Furter.

In apocalyptic 2013 comedy This is the End, an all-star cast including Seth Rogen and James Franco play exaggerated and fictional versions of themselves.

After Jonah Hill becomes possessed, this segment references not The Exorcism of Emily Rose but...

Eminem spoofs British A.I. Max Headroom in music video Rap God.

Curren$y album This Ain't No Mixtape chose to base cover art on Vice City.

Hollywood Pictures presents The Great Sphinx of Giza (and others).

Kiss - Hot in the Shade

Elgiza is a giant but regular enemy in Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin.

Bizarre arcade Chocky! Chocky! not only ripped off Pang, but also 'borrowed' scenery from Bomb Jack.

Did these assholes really think nobody would notice?

What incredible bullshit!

I am... Nas, and there's more.

Serving miscellany, and can you beat the boss?

Actraiser (SNES)
You'll face this at the end of Kasandora, Act II.

Myth (C64)

In principle, the NES port of Salamander (renamed Life Force), featured an identical boss.

System 3 didn't think of it first.

Many will remember the excellent Megadrive port of Toaplan's Hellfire.
The relatively skilful will defy flying sarcophagus and dodge bullets.

Back with Myth and before tackling King Tut's head, we must enter the Great Pyramid.

Before Fighter's History, Data East's mascot Karnov debuted in his own crazy 1987 arcade.
In all honesty, I bought the Spectrum version on impulse and to this day, don't regret it.
Okay, the framerate was choppier than troubled waters but retained all of what made insert old silver coin such a fucked up action trip.
 Skeletons riding mutated ostriches, demons in bird's nest and gargoyle faces crying upon injury made taking drugs seem redundant.

Lara Croft's Tomb Raiding exploits and others of a similar nature (now or ever), will never be excavated.

I know, what a Ankher.

We've all seen the climax of King Kong.  Damn those biplanes, damn them.

It was beauty killed the beast.

Yeah it was, and what a complete and utter bitch.

Caravan Palace - Panic

Fantasy supremo Frank Frazetta provides the cover for issue #81 of Eerie magazine.

King-size baby equals king-sized spoof.

There is precious little The Simpsons haven't parodied and King Homer forms part of Treehouse of Horror III.
The others being Clown Without Pity and Dial "Z" For Zombies. 

A few months before Treehouse of Horror III premiered in America, look how Homer was represented in SNES/Megadrive mini-game outing Bart's Nightmare.
I cautiously say this may be the first time we saw Bartzilla.

Although Gamecube classic Viewtiful Joe was a commercial flop, VFX Powers continued and was even adapted as anime.
During the original's credits, heroes and villains take the piss out of and star in classic movies as if they were their own.
Hulk Davidson is obviously posing as colossal ape and Some Like It Red Hot is a take on the 1959 Marilyn Monroe film Some Like It Hot.

We're off on a march, the March of Progress.

The Doors - Full Circle

Known as California Man in Europe.

1983 sci-fi horror The Deadly Spawn portrays the epic strut on poster. 

It's considered rude to point.  Try telling Uncle Sam that.

Here's how the following lock and tape load.

From the creators of the Runaway saga and the sequel to Hollywood Monsters, The Next Big Thing has a doctored version of Sam on box art.

He prefers to pick up where he left off.

Vampire thriller Daybreakers is a bit different from the usual need the feed as after a plague sweeps the world, some bloodsuckers look to cooperate with the human remainder in order to survive.
Of course, things don't go according to plan...

Parodius Da! portrays top hat as innocent, but potentially lethal bald eagle.
This was enough for arcade or SNES port to never see the light of day in North America.
I fail to understand the big fucking deal?
After all, the poor bastard was fated to become a thanksgiving turkey.

During the credit roll of Free Birds, Jake dons the hat and wears the clobber.

Much Apu About Nothing

"My God sirs! You can break our bones, but you'll never break our spirit!"

Jack Klaff (as waxdroid Abraham Lincoiln) in Red Dwarf IV episode Meltdown.

Did cult space comedy go downhill after VI?  A resounding and unequivocal YES!

Sculpted by Daniel Chester French and carved by the Piccirilli Brothers, the statue of the 16th American President dominates Washington D.C.

Without getting too much into film or television, here's my pick of a kick ass bunch.

In the first season of the American adaptation of BBC series House of Cards, Frank Underwood (Kevin Spacey) has blood on his hands. 

Immolation - Majesty and Decay

The final pair are straight from film and game.

Seemingly immortal Hollywood legend Clint Eastwood must prevent the President from getting In the Line of Fire of John Malkovich's former CIA assassin Mitch Leary.
Before inevitable home conversions, Sega brought on-rails lightgun effort Line of Fire originally for arcades in 1989.
Has featured film been confused with unrelated game?  Probably.

1989 Data East arcade Sly Spy was a blatant James Bond rip off.
The hero's name is what?
Here's a scooby doo, don't use any imagination.
Give yourself a punch in the bollocks or a nip to the lady bits if Sly didn't leave lips.

Whichever artist was responsible for home computer conversion, he/she has publicity shot of 007 part timer to thank.

It's a shame Timothy Dalton only starred in Licence to Kill and The Living Daylights because he did a striling job.

Never mind, there's always Hot Fuzz.

Before logging off, let's stay with Data East and Robocop 2.

Unlike the original, their 1991 effort remained exclusive to coin muncher.

However, they and Ocean ensured home owners didn't miss out with a completely different platforming interpretation in 1990.  The C64 and NES versions are largely the same, but Speccy and Amstrad mixed things up with exploration, puzzle elements and altered stages.  Amiga and ST were based on the latter but system prowess improved the experience, (at least from a visual POV).

To actual and hugely inferior silver screen sequel.

As you can see, Sly Spy is paraded on the entrance of OCP's crime prevention unit.

Officer Duffy is forcefully asked to take a seat when refusing to co-operate about Cain's whereabouts.

Cabinet marquee suggests Bad Dudes are about to take on Dragon Ninja, right?

You'd think so, but oops a bastard mistake because when soon to be labelled 'rotten cop' takes a closer look, we observe this is actually Sly Spy.

Who's at fault?

Director Irvin 'The Empire Strikes Back' Kershner or Data East for supplying the arcade?

I'm going with both.

#2 guarantees stronger material but until that happens, even The Rifles remain None the Wiser of what'll contain.