An important part of celebrating the incredible career of late Hip Hop icon DMX is acknowledging his place in video game history.
DMX was part of an all-star cast of Hip Hop stars in the classic 2003 video Def Jam Vendetta.
A cinematic professional wrestling game with street fighting, beat-them-up elements, Vendetta was a smash hit for both the Nintendo Game Cube and Sony Playstation 2 consoles.
Published by EA (Electronic Arts) Sports and developed by AKI Corporation – the company behind all-time great wrestling games WCW vs The World, WCW vs nWo: World Tour, WCW/nWo Revenge, WrestleMania 2000, and WWF No Mercy – players battled DMX, Redman, Method Man, Ludacris, Joe Budden, Ghostface KIllah, and others in and outside wrestling rings as a spinning crime drama storyline unfolded.
DMX, portrayed as a relentless brawler, challenged the player near the end of the game. X’s moves were hyper aggressive, especially his kicks and various neckbreakers. When X was set to do his finishing maneuver, he’d, quite accurately, growl at his opponents. Players got to control DMX in the game’s versus mode.
We recognize that X is one of the most successful Hip Hop acts of all time. He famously charted #1 with six consecutive albums – It’s Dark and Hell is Hot (1998), Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood (1998), …And The There was X (1999), The Great Depression (2001), Grand Champ (2003), and Year of the Dog…Again (2006). Each of these LPs achieved platinum sales, spawning several hit singles including “Party Up”, “Get At Me Dog”, “Ruff Ryders’ Anthem”, “X Gon’ Give It to Ya”, and “Where The Hood At?”.
In 1998 DMX made his acting debut in cult classic Belly, going on to achieve major box office success in Romeo Must Die (2000), Exit Wounds (2001) and Cradle to the Grave (2003).
With all these achievements to his credit, we can’t forget all the butt DMX kicked as a character in top-selling video game Def Jam Vendetta – a game the current FGC (fighting game community) and gaming industry should consider giving a renewed fighting chance. |THIS.
[By Mr. Joe Walker]
