Pixels is all about video games. And indeed, nearly every pixelated character in historyrampant for all 100 minutes of the film.
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But – of all the games featured, which games were the best, in both on-screen portrayals and as a game themselves? Lady Lisa sure wasn’t tough to look at in human form, and the real-life Centipede game looked like a lot of fun, but in this case, they’re merely honorable mentions.
Q*Bert
Brenner was a Q*Bert champion, but that’s not why he got his trophy. After defeating the alien invaders in the first round, the humans received Q*Bert as a trophy and the little orange guy’s comic relief was probably the best part of the film. Not to mention, he made Ludlow’s dream of marrying Lady Lisa a reality.
Super Mario
In a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameo, the king of video games hopped across the screen. In a Battle of New York style climax, Ludlow battled pixelated enemies in the streets as Mario strutted by behind him in his original Nintendo, pixelated form. If only he had squashed a Goomba…
Donkey Kong
Then, there was Mario’s nemesis from the arcade’s golden days: Donkey Kong–Brenner’s worst game. DK wasn’t given any lines or jokes, but seeing the ape in 3D pixelated life had to make 80’s kids geek out – even if just for a little bit. The thought of actually battling with Donkey Kong while using a pixelated hammer and dodging barrels seems like a dream come true.
Pac Man
The car chase with Pac Man was probably Pixels‘ best moment. Brenner counted to (a very long) 10 as he reversed away from the yellow menace through a parking garage only to launch out of it, backwards, with perfect timing to tap Pac Man a third time. Who knew Pac Man was a bad guy this whole time?
The Last of Us
Only because it is arguably the best video game ever made, (thank you Naughtdog for gracing the world with its presence), The Last of Us’ mere mention earns it a spot on this list. Matty explains to Brenner how video games today work, where you pretend you’re the character and try not to die and Brenner argues that there needs to be patterns or some type of skill. While The Last of Us might not have patterns, it definitely takes strategy, but anyway, the conversation about Naughtydog’s gem allowed Brenner to defeat Donkey Kong in the end.
