Matrix Of The Trade: Tango Fiesta

Tango Fiesta has come a long way since its birth at the first Rezzed gamejam. Dragging eighties action movies kicking and kersploding into the whateverthehellwecallthisdecade-ties, it's a top-down shooter that can be played by four fist-bumping muscle-chums at a time. From the jungles of Predator to the desert islands of Paradise Punchout (may not be a real film), the trailer suggests players will be spending their time shooting everything that moves. Apart from other players - cooperation is the keyword here. Well, that and EXPLOSIONS. Early Access begins on June 4th.

Ploughing a similar furrow to Broforce, it seems. Like Marsh, I am a supporter of the Broforce brand of inventive chaos. It's a clever game beneath the stylistic trappings and that's a good thing.

Despite being a rugged chainsmoking, bourbon-swilling Mancunian, I am occasionally of a sensitive disposition. I'm rarely offended by popular entertainment but as I approach my mid-thirties, I find myself seeing the politics behind the punchlines, frowning like a parody of Stewart Lee's already parodic persona. Enjoying things is for girlie men - if you're not capable of raising some moral-philosophical quibbles, you might as well have stayed at home.

'Girlie men' looks out of place up there, doesn't it? I am, of course, borrowing from Arnold Schwarzenegger, a man who made films that I giggled and guffawed at with friends through college and university. A combination of his political and public persona altered the complexion of the cheery slaughter-quips, and the characters came to represent a side of military and macho fetishism that became more prominent than sweet and simple nostalgic pleasure.

Point is, everything gathers dust and baggage over time. Some of that baggage may be mislabelled and some of that dust may actually be delicious icing sugar - whatever the case, I find it hard to sweep it all aside and return to the guffaws and giggles. Treachery In Beatdown City looks like it might be a good example of how to call back while looking forward.

Tangential furor complete. I'll always have room on my hard drive for anything that reminds me of Smash TV and Cannon Fodder. I leave you with this unedited 'quote' from the imdb page for Commando:

Bennett: [on his way to kill Jenny Matrix, tries to open the door, and the knob fells off, Bennett smashes the door open] You little BITCH!
Bennett: [He enters the room, saw a hole in the wall] Errr... GOD!
Bennett: [He looks through the hole, saw Jenny fled, Bennett hurled his way through the wall to chase Jenny Matrix] Catch... YOUUUUU !

Maybe it's okay to giggle just a little bit.