Back to the Future: The Game
Encyclopedia
Back to the Future: The Game is a graphic adventure
video game based on the Back to the Future film franchise
. The game was developed by Telltale Games
as part of a licensing deal with Universal Pictures
. Bob Gale
, co-creator, co-writer and co-producer of the film trilogy, assisted Telltale in writing the game's story, while both the original actors Michael J. Fox
and Christopher Lloyd
have allowed the developers to use their likenesses in the game for the lead characters Marty McFly
and Doc Brown
, respectively. Lloyd also provides the voice for Doc, while new talent AJ LoCascio plays the role of Marty; Fox later appeared to voice two cameo roles in the final episode. The game is split up into five episodes available on multiple gaming platforms, the first episode released for Microsoft Windows
and Mac OS X
on December 22, 2010. PlayStation 3
and iOS
versions followed February 15, 2011. Episodes 2 through 5 were released throughout February to June 2011, with the final episode being released on June 23, 2011. Telltale will be publishing the series as retail products for the PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Wii
consoles.
; the player controls Marty to explore the 3D environments using either the keyboard, mouse or game controller to move around. The player can have Marty examine objects, talk to non-player characters (initiating dialog through conversation tree
s), and perform specific actions in order to solve puzzles and progress the game. Some items can be picked up and stored in Marty's inventory, and then can be used later to interact with other characters or objects. The game provides a list of current goals for the player to complete to advance the game. The player can access a hint system, revealing one clue at a time from a number of cryptic clues for how to solve a specific puzzle.
and his teenage friend, Marty McFly, are testing out Doc's DeLorean
in the Lone Pine Mall parking lot. After they put Doc's dog Einstein in it and making it run to 88 miles per hour, the car disappears. Doc explains that the DeLorean is actually a time machine, and that he has sent Einstein to the future. However, the car does not come back, and furthermore, Doc begins to disappear because of a "horrible mistake".
Marty wakes up in his bed and finds that it was just a dream, revealing that it is now May 14, 1986. Marty is reminded by his mom to go to Doc's house where things are being sold off by the bank, Doc having disappeared in the months since. After recovering Doc's notebook outlining time travel from his father George, Marty is surprised by the sudden appearance of the DeLorean time machine
outside the house, but with no one but Doc's dog, Einstein, inside. Marty had thought the machine was destroyed (later explained as a copy of the original machine, created when lightning struck it at the end of Back to the Future Part II
). A pre-recorded message from Doc explains that he had programmed the car to return to the present should he become stuck in the past. Marty follows a clue in the car to the home of bitter, elderly Edna Strickland, a former reporter in Hill Valley. From her newspaper collection, Marty finds Doc (while the player choose the name, Carl Sagan
, Michael Corleon or Henry Callahagn) was going to be killed in 1931 by the mobster Kid Tannen, Biff's
father, for burning down his speakeasy
.
Marty and Einstein use the DeLorean to travel to 1931 to rescue Doc. Marty encounters younger versions of both Edna, a morally upright citizen, and Emmett, a lanky teenager helping his father with courthouse duties but trying to pursue a career in science against his father's wishes. Marty also encounters Artie, his grandfather, who acts as Kid Tannen's accountant, who fears crossing his boss. Marty convinces Artie to testify against Kid Tannen, giving a subpoena, placing the mobster under arrest and preventing Doc's death. Marty later rescues Doc during transport, and they return to the DeLorean. However, Marty finds himself disappearing, which Doc attributes to interfering in his own timeline; as a result of Marty's action, Artie will later be killed by Tannen. The two return to earlier in the day to convince Artie to leave town for a while for protection, enlisting both Edna and Emmett's help to avoid encountering their earlier selves, They arrive in a timeline of 1986 Doc describes as 1986A because Biff now has two brothers, Cliff and Riff, and they are a mob for injury, Marty and Doc return to 1931 to rewrite this to prevent 1986A from occurring. Marty and Doc prepare to leave for the future, unaware their actions have caused Emmett to start dating Edna.
When Doc and Marty arrive at the present which Doc calls 1986B because it is not 1986A, but it is not the correct 1986 either, Doc soon vanishes, and the DeLorean crashes into a billboard. Marty finds that Hill Valley has become a totalitarian
society, overseen by "Citizen Brown". Finding his parents and girlfriend Jennifer unhappy with this new history, Marty discovers that Emmett forwent his science background and instead married Edna, who prompted him to construct the morally-correct city backed on his technological knowhow. Marty manages his way to see Citizen Brown, and explains how this is not his real future, showing him Doc's notebook. Brown realizes his true calling, and makes the repairs to the Delorean. Edna attempts to stop the two from leaving, but they are able to outwit her.
Brown's repairs to the time machine are not perfect, and they end up in 1931 several months after Emmett and Edna have begun dating. Marty finds the perfect opportunity to set Emmett on the right path through the Hill Valley Science Expo, but must break up Emmett and Edna's relationship. As Marty works with Emmett, Brown speaks to Edna to distract her, but instead finds sympathy for her. When Marty returns, having successfully ended the relationship, Brown questions whether Marty is sure that his timeline is the correct one, and that Marty is selfishly only considering himself, and not the feelings of Edna or Brown. Marty refuses to consider these sides and insists his version of the future is the right one. Brown walks away, later encountering a heartbroken Edna and scheming with her to disrupt Emmett's demonstration by kidnapping Emmett. Marty is able to rescue Emmett, and later help him to make amends with his father, allowing Emmett to successfully demonstrate his flying car. Having been implicated as the speakeasy arson, Edna runs away and steals the DeLorean, soon disappearing into time; Brown is hit by the car and realizes his future has been unwritten, and thanks Marty for showing him the truth before he fades away.
Emmett leaves the expo and thanks Marty for his help; Marty gives him a newspaper clipping to be read in the future that allows Doc to arrive shortly with the DeLorean. As the two regroup, they find Hill Valley fading away around them, leaving only themselves and the DeLorean. They encounter Marty's great-grandfather, who tells them that there once was a nascent town called Hill Valley but it was burned down to the ground in a fire. He directs the two to an elderly Edna who has forgotten much of her past, but are able to coax out of her that she was responsible for the accidental burning down of Hill Valley, while intentionally tried to burn down Hill Valley's first saloon. The two travel to 1876, and successfully stop the younger Edna from burning down the tavern, and then chase her in her copy of the DeLorean to override its controls and return her to 1931. She crashes into the side of the jail, where she is arrested by the police, while the second DeLorean copy becomes unstable in time and fades away. As they say their goodbyes to Emmett and Artie, Marty is shocked to find that Artie is married to Trixie, Kid Tannen's former moll
that helped turn him in. Doc and Marty return to 1986.
There, Marty finds his life as the same as he left it. Doc reveals that the reason he went back in time was to compile a history of the McFly family as a graduation gift for Marty, and had discovered that his grandmother was Trixie but that "Trixie" had just been a stage name
. Marty does find some things have changed for the better: as Doc's relationship with his father was repaired, he now spends part time in his lab, and the estate sale has just become an ordinary yard sale, while Edna is now happily married to Kid Tannen, having developed their romance while in jail together. Suddenly, three separate DeLoreans, with three separate Martys appear, and demand that Marty and Doc return with them to the future, but each insisting that their own future is the only correct one. Curious on this new development, Marty and Doc set off in their DeLorean.
in early June 2010, as part of a licensing deal to create video games based on Universal Pictures
' Back to the Future
and Jurassic Park
film series. The title is split up into five monthly episodes and is now available for Microsoft Windows
, Mac OS X
, PlayStation 3
and the iPad
.
The development team sought input from fans on various scenarios by means of an online survey and brought in trilogy co-creator, co-writer and co-producer Bob Gale
as story consultant. Several concepts he and director Robert Zemeckis
had originally conceived for Part II
, such as the exploration of the Prohibition era and Doc's family history, were reworked into the game. Telltale Games found adhering to the timelines established by the films to be one of the greatest challenges regarding the development of the script. Many ideas had to be scrapped due to conflicts that would have caused paradoxes with the stories of the films. Gale stated that although the game is not part of the series canon
, it is possible that it could take place in alternate timelines.
In September 2010, the team revealed the first piece of concept art for the protagonists, created by artist Ryan Jones and based on actors Michael J. Fox
and Christopher Lloyd
, who allowed their likenesses to be used for the in-game characters. Season designer and writer Michael Stemmle
emphasized that the game's graphics would take a less realistic and more stylized approach while trying to stay true to the feel of the trilogy. The puzzles were designed to rely on applying items in the inventory to characters and objects as the developers did not think of Marty as a protagonist that would build a gadget from various parts.
As Fox was unavailable to reprise his role as Marty for the game, newcomer AJ LoCascio voiced the character instead, though Fox later provided voice work for Marty's great grandfather William in the fifth and final episode of the game, as well as for the three futuristic versions of Marty who appear in the game's final cutscene. LoCascio was able to get the part when his audition sample ended up in the email inbox of voice director Julian Kwasneski, and managed to impress both Gale and Lloyd with how closely it resembled the sound of Fox's voice during the time the trilogy was filmed. Lloyd returned to voice Doc Brown and began his first recording session for the game in late September 2010. Later, Claudia Wells
joined the cast, reprising her role as Jennifer Parker from the first film. Kid Beyond
provides the voice for Biff Tannen in place of actor Tom Wilson
, and James Arnold Taylor
as the younger Emmett. Though the game features other returning characters including George and Loraine McFly, voicework for these characters are provided by a variety of available voice actors in the Bay Area.
which occurred shortly after the game's announcement. Prior to the game's release, Telltale Games published their first Facebook
game, Back to the Future: Blitz Through Time, with mechanics similar to Bejeweled Blitz
, to tie in with the episodic series.
A voucher for a free copy of the first episode of the series was included in the 25th Anniversary Blu-ray release of the Back to the Future trilogy on October 26, 2010. A promotional offer was made on Telltale's web site to download a free copy as well. Via this promotion, however, the first episode began distribution on February 16, 2011. As of April 2011, Telltale offered the first episode for free for anyone with a registered account at their website. As a pre-order bonus, Telltale offered buyers a free copy of Puzzle Agent, access to a pre-release insider forum on their web site, and stated that they would donate one dollar to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research
for each pre-order.
's Greg Miller gave the episode a score of 8.5/10, writing, "it's a movie-inspired game that doesn't suck. Instead, it pushes the characters in interesting directions and whips up a good story." Miller praised Telltale Games for recreating the Back to the Future universe with attention to detail and for the iteration's witty dialogue. Nathan Meunier of GameSpot
gave the episode a 7.5/10 score, saying the series "shows a lot of promise with its debut installment". The review added that "The entertaining story that follows is enhanced by believable character interactions, imbuing the adventure with a great sense of authenticity". Meunier did note that the installment was "surprisingly light on challenge and content". Ben PerLee from GameZone
summarized his praise of the game by saying it is a "feel good cinematic experience that any fan of Back to the Future will want to check out, and everyone else would do well to check it out". PALGN
gave the installment a 7/10, saying that fans of the films "will find plenty to love with all of the callbacks and nostalgic moments", but calling the game's pace slow and the 1930s setting uninspiring. The review concluded, "Fans will delight in the more nostalgic and clever moments of 'It's About Time', but it's a short, easy and somewhat bland introduction to the series, which we hope still has time to get a lot better." In a two-out-of-five stars review, The Escapist
said the game "doesn't quite get the tone [of the films] right and fails to offer up much compelling gameplay". The reviewer called the setting, situations, and characters "bland", further describing the characters as "cardboard nobodies". The consensus among critics was that the voice acting was exceptional, with particular praise directed at A. J. LoCascio's impersonation of Michael J. Fox as Marty McFly. Most reviewers were critical of the episode's puzzles as being too simplistic and easy. Review aggregator Metacritic
assigned the episode an average review score of 74/100.
Graphic adventure game
A graphic adventure game is a form of adventure game. They are distinct from text adventures. Whereas a player must actively observe using commands such as "look" in a text-based adventure, graphic adventures revolutionized gameplay by making use of natural human perception...
video game based on the Back to the Future film franchise
Back to the Future trilogy
The Back to the Future trilogy is a comedic science fiction adventure film series written by Bob Gale and Robert Zemeckis, directed by Zemeckis, produced by Amblin Entertainment and distributed by Universal Pictures. The main plot follows the adventures of a high school student Marty McFly and...
. The game was developed by Telltale Games
Telltale Games
Telltale Games is a leading independent digital first publisher and game developer founded in June 2004 as Telltale, Incorporated. Based in San Rafael, California, the studio includes designers formerly employed by LucasArts...
as part of a licensing deal with Universal Pictures
Universal Pictures
-1920:* White Youth* The Flaming Disc* Am I Dreaming?* The Dragon's Net* The Adorable Savage* Putting It Over* The Line Runners-1921:* The Fire Eater* A Battle of Wits* Dream Girl* The Millionaire...
. Bob Gale
Bob Gale
Michael Robert "Bob" Gale is an American screenwriter who co-wrote the science fiction film Back to the Future with writing partner Robert Zemeckis, and the screenplays for the film's two sequels. Gale also co-produced all three films....
, co-creator, co-writer and co-producer of the film trilogy, assisted Telltale in writing the game's story, while both the original actors Michael J. Fox
Michael J. Fox
Michael J. Fox, OC is a Canadian American actor, author, producer, activist and voice-over artist. With a film and television career spanning from the late 1970s, Fox's roles have included Marty McFly from the Back to the Future trilogy ; Alex P...
and Christopher Lloyd
Christopher Lloyd
Christopher Allen Lloyd is an American actor. He is best known for playing Emmett Brown in the Back to the Future trilogy, Uncle Fester in The Addams Family and Addams Family Values, and Judge Doom in Who Framed Roger Rabbit. He played Reverend Jim Ignatowski in the television series Taxi and more...
have allowed the developers to use their likenesses in the game for the lead characters Marty McFly
Marty McFly
Martin Seamus "Marty" McFly, Sr. is the protagonist in the Back to the Future film trilogy, and is portrayed by actor Michael J. Fox. Marty was also the protagonist in the animated series where he was voiced by David Kaufman...
and Doc Brown
Emmett Brown
Doctor Emmett Lathrop "Doc" Brown, Ph.D. is a fictional character and one of the lead characters in the Back to the Future film trilogy, in which he is the inventor of the first time machine, which he builds out of a DeLorean sports car...
, respectively. Lloyd also provides the voice for Doc, while new talent AJ LoCascio plays the role of Marty; Fox later appeared to voice two cameo roles in the final episode. The game is split up into five episodes available on multiple gaming platforms, the first episode released for Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
and Mac OS X
Mac OS X
Mac OS X is a series of Unix-based operating systems and graphical user interfaces developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc. Since 2002, has been included with all new Macintosh computer systems...
on December 22, 2010. PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
and iOS
IOS
iOS is an operating system for iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, and Apple TV.IOS may also refer to:-Companies and organisations:* Illinois Ornithological Society, American state-based bird club...
versions followed February 15, 2011. Episodes 2 through 5 were released throughout February to June 2011, with the final episode being released on June 23, 2011. Telltale will be publishing the series as retail products for the PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
consoles.
Gameplay
Back to the Future: The Game is a graphic adventure gameGraphic adventure game
A graphic adventure game is a form of adventure game. They are distinct from text adventures. Whereas a player must actively observe using commands such as "look" in a text-based adventure, graphic adventures revolutionized gameplay by making use of natural human perception...
; the player controls Marty to explore the 3D environments using either the keyboard, mouse or game controller to move around. The player can have Marty examine objects, talk to non-player characters (initiating dialog through conversation tree
Conversation tree
A dialog tree or conversation tree is a gameplay mechanic that is used throughout many adventure games and role-playing video games. When interacting with a non-player character, the player is given a choice of what to say and makes subsequent choices until the conversation ends...
s), and perform specific actions in order to solve puzzles and progress the game. Some items can be picked up and stored in Marty's inventory, and then can be used later to interact with other characters or objects. The game provides a list of current goals for the player to complete to advance the game. The player can access a hint system, revealing one clue at a time from a number of cryptic clues for how to solve a specific puzzle.
Plot
On October 26, 1985, Dr. Emmett BrownEmmett Brown
Doctor Emmett Lathrop "Doc" Brown, Ph.D. is a fictional character and one of the lead characters in the Back to the Future film trilogy, in which he is the inventor of the first time machine, which he builds out of a DeLorean sports car...
and his teenage friend, Marty McFly, are testing out Doc's DeLorean
DeLorean time machine
The DeLorean time machine is a fictional automobile-based time travel device featured in the Back to the Future trilogy. In the feature film series, Dr...
in the Lone Pine Mall parking lot. After they put Doc's dog Einstein in it and making it run to 88 miles per hour, the car disappears. Doc explains that the DeLorean is actually a time machine, and that he has sent Einstein to the future. However, the car does not come back, and furthermore, Doc begins to disappear because of a "horrible mistake".
Marty wakes up in his bed and finds that it was just a dream, revealing that it is now May 14, 1986. Marty is reminded by his mom to go to Doc's house where things are being sold off by the bank, Doc having disappeared in the months since. After recovering Doc's notebook outlining time travel from his father George, Marty is surprised by the sudden appearance of the DeLorean time machine
DeLorean time machine
The DeLorean time machine is a fictional automobile-based time travel device featured in the Back to the Future trilogy. In the feature film series, Dr...
outside the house, but with no one but Doc's dog, Einstein, inside. Marty had thought the machine was destroyed (later explained as a copy of the original machine, created when lightning struck it at the end of Back to the Future Part II
Back to the Future Part II
Back to the Future Part II is a 1989 American science fiction comedy film and the second installment of the Back to the Future trilogy. It was directed by Robert Zemeckis, written by Zemeckis and Bob Gale, and starred Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Thomas F. Wilson and Lea Thompson...
). A pre-recorded message from Doc explains that he had programmed the car to return to the present should he become stuck in the past. Marty follows a clue in the car to the home of bitter, elderly Edna Strickland, a former reporter in Hill Valley. From her newspaper collection, Marty finds Doc (while the player choose the name, Carl Sagan
Carl Sagan
Carl Edward Sagan was an American astronomer, astrophysicist, cosmologist, author, science popularizer and science communicator in astronomy and natural sciences. He published more than 600 scientific papers and articles and was author, co-author or editor of more than 20 books...
, Michael Corleon or Henry Callahagn) was going to be killed in 1931 by the mobster Kid Tannen, Biff's
Biff Tannen
Biff Howard Tannen is a character in the Back to the Future trilogy, serving as the primary antagonist of the first two films. He is played by Thomas F. Wilson in all three films as well as the ride, and Wilson voiced the character in the animated series....
father, for burning down his speakeasy
Speakeasy
A speakeasy, also called a blind pig or blind tiger, is an establishment that illegally sells alcoholic beverages. Such establishments came into prominence in the United States during the period known as Prohibition...
.
Marty and Einstein use the DeLorean to travel to 1931 to rescue Doc. Marty encounters younger versions of both Edna, a morally upright citizen, and Emmett, a lanky teenager helping his father with courthouse duties but trying to pursue a career in science against his father's wishes. Marty also encounters Artie, his grandfather, who acts as Kid Tannen's accountant, who fears crossing his boss. Marty convinces Artie to testify against Kid Tannen, giving a subpoena, placing the mobster under arrest and preventing Doc's death. Marty later rescues Doc during transport, and they return to the DeLorean. However, Marty finds himself disappearing, which Doc attributes to interfering in his own timeline; as a result of Marty's action, Artie will later be killed by Tannen. The two return to earlier in the day to convince Artie to leave town for a while for protection, enlisting both Edna and Emmett's help to avoid encountering their earlier selves, They arrive in a timeline of 1986 Doc describes as 1986A because Biff now has two brothers, Cliff and Riff, and they are a mob for injury, Marty and Doc return to 1931 to rewrite this to prevent 1986A from occurring. Marty and Doc prepare to leave for the future, unaware their actions have caused Emmett to start dating Edna.
When Doc and Marty arrive at the present which Doc calls 1986B because it is not 1986A, but it is not the correct 1986 either, Doc soon vanishes, and the DeLorean crashes into a billboard. Marty finds that Hill Valley has become a totalitarian
Totalitarianism
Totalitarianism is a political system where the state recognizes no limits to its authority and strives to regulate every aspect of public and private life wherever feasible...
society, overseen by "Citizen Brown". Finding his parents and girlfriend Jennifer unhappy with this new history, Marty discovers that Emmett forwent his science background and instead married Edna, who prompted him to construct the morally-correct city backed on his technological knowhow. Marty manages his way to see Citizen Brown, and explains how this is not his real future, showing him Doc's notebook. Brown realizes his true calling, and makes the repairs to the Delorean. Edna attempts to stop the two from leaving, but they are able to outwit her.
Brown's repairs to the time machine are not perfect, and they end up in 1931 several months after Emmett and Edna have begun dating. Marty finds the perfect opportunity to set Emmett on the right path through the Hill Valley Science Expo, but must break up Emmett and Edna's relationship. As Marty works with Emmett, Brown speaks to Edna to distract her, but instead finds sympathy for her. When Marty returns, having successfully ended the relationship, Brown questions whether Marty is sure that his timeline is the correct one, and that Marty is selfishly only considering himself, and not the feelings of Edna or Brown. Marty refuses to consider these sides and insists his version of the future is the right one. Brown walks away, later encountering a heartbroken Edna and scheming with her to disrupt Emmett's demonstration by kidnapping Emmett. Marty is able to rescue Emmett, and later help him to make amends with his father, allowing Emmett to successfully demonstrate his flying car. Having been implicated as the speakeasy arson, Edna runs away and steals the DeLorean, soon disappearing into time; Brown is hit by the car and realizes his future has been unwritten, and thanks Marty for showing him the truth before he fades away.
Emmett leaves the expo and thanks Marty for his help; Marty gives him a newspaper clipping to be read in the future that allows Doc to arrive shortly with the DeLorean. As the two regroup, they find Hill Valley fading away around them, leaving only themselves and the DeLorean. They encounter Marty's great-grandfather, who tells them that there once was a nascent town called Hill Valley but it was burned down to the ground in a fire. He directs the two to an elderly Edna who has forgotten much of her past, but are able to coax out of her that she was responsible for the accidental burning down of Hill Valley, while intentionally tried to burn down Hill Valley's first saloon. The two travel to 1876, and successfully stop the younger Edna from burning down the tavern, and then chase her in her copy of the DeLorean to override its controls and return her to 1931. She crashes into the side of the jail, where she is arrested by the police, while the second DeLorean copy becomes unstable in time and fades away. As they say their goodbyes to Emmett and Artie, Marty is shocked to find that Artie is married to Trixie, Kid Tannen's former moll
Gun moll
Gun moll is a term that refers to the female companion of a male professional criminal. In some contexts, gun moll more specifically suggests that the woman handles a firearm....
that helped turn him in. Doc and Marty return to 1986.
There, Marty finds his life as the same as he left it. Doc reveals that the reason he went back in time was to compile a history of the McFly family as a graduation gift for Marty, and had discovered that his grandmother was Trixie but that "Trixie" had just been a stage name
Stage name
A stage name, also called a showbiz name or screen name, is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers such as actors, wrestlers, comedians, and musicians.-Motivation to use a stage name:...
. Marty does find some things have changed for the better: as Doc's relationship with his father was repaired, he now spends part time in his lab, and the estate sale has just become an ordinary yard sale, while Edna is now happily married to Kid Tannen, having developed their romance while in jail together. Suddenly, three separate DeLoreans, with three separate Martys appear, and demand that Marty and Doc return with them to the future, but each insisting that their own future is the only correct one. Curious on this new development, Marty and Doc set off in their DeLorean.
Episodes
| Episode | Release date | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| "It's About Time" | PC/Mac: December 22, 2010 PS3: February 15, 2011 iPad: February 17, 2011 |
|||
The DeLorean, thought to be destroyed, reappears, and Marty travels to the year 1931 to rescue a time-stranded Doc Brown, who has been accused of burning down a speakeasy and put in jail. To break him out, Mart must work with Doc's younger self to build a rocket drill(in the process, Marty gives a subpoena to his grandfather Arthur to arrest Biff's father Kid Tannen for his wrong doings). Doc is suddenly moved to another jail, so Marty races after him on a rocket powered bicycle and frees him, but as they prepare to go back to 1986, Marty's hand suddenly begins to disappear. . . Notes:
|
||||
| "Get Tannen!" | PC/Mac: February 16, 2011 PS3: March 29, 2011 iPad: April 20, 2011 |
|||
|
Doc realizes from a newspaper that Marty's grandfather will be killed, explaining why Marty is disappearing, and Marty goes off to save him, and does so, but back in 1986. he finds that Biff has two brothers now and are bully everyone in the town. Marty then goes back to the day Kid would be arrested to fix the timeline. Notes:
|
||||
| "Citizen Brown" | PC/Mac: March 29, 2011 PS3: May 3, 2011 iPad: May 26, 2011 |
|||
|
Returning to 1986, Marty finds that the timeline has been changed, turning Hill Valley into a brainwashed society run by an alternate version of Doc. Notes:
|
||||
| "Double Visions" | PC/Mac: April 29, 2011 PS3: June 7, 2011 iPad: June 2, 2011 |
|||
|
Marty's gotten into a sticky situation as he is dealing with the consequences of his and Doc's actions back in 1930's Hill Valley, so it's going to take some crafty thinking for him to get out of this mess and back in time to fix the altered timeline. Notes:
|
||||
| "Outatime" | PC/Mac: June 23, 2011 PS3: July 26, 2011 iPad: July 21, 2011 |
|||
|
Marty discovers that Edna has burned down Hill Valley as a result of his actions in 1931. Doc and Marty must stop Edna from destroying Hill Valley to fix their timeline. Notes:
|
||||
Development
Back to the Future: The Game was announced by developer Telltale GamesTelltale Games
Telltale Games is a leading independent digital first publisher and game developer founded in June 2004 as Telltale, Incorporated. Based in San Rafael, California, the studio includes designers formerly employed by LucasArts...
in early June 2010, as part of a licensing deal to create video games based on Universal Pictures
Universal Pictures
-1920:* White Youth* The Flaming Disc* Am I Dreaming?* The Dragon's Net* The Adorable Savage* Putting It Over* The Line Runners-1921:* The Fire Eater* A Battle of Wits* Dream Girl* The Millionaire...
' Back to the Future
Back to the Future trilogy
The Back to the Future trilogy is a comedic science fiction adventure film series written by Bob Gale and Robert Zemeckis, directed by Zemeckis, produced by Amblin Entertainment and distributed by Universal Pictures. The main plot follows the adventures of a high school student Marty McFly and...
and Jurassic Park
Jurassic Park (franchise)
The Jurassic Park franchise is a series of books, films, comics, and videos centering on a disastrous attempt to create a theme park of cloned dinosaurs...
film series. The title is split up into five monthly episodes and is now available for Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
, Mac OS X
Mac OS X
Mac OS X is a series of Unix-based operating systems and graphical user interfaces developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc. Since 2002, has been included with all new Macintosh computer systems...
, PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
and the iPad
IPad
The iPad is a line of tablet computers designed, developed and marketed by Apple Inc., primarily as a platform for audio-visual media including books, periodicals, movies, music, games, and web content. The iPad was introduced on January 27, 2010 by Apple's then-CEO Steve Jobs. Its size and...
.
The development team sought input from fans on various scenarios by means of an online survey and brought in trilogy co-creator, co-writer and co-producer Bob Gale
Bob Gale
Michael Robert "Bob" Gale is an American screenwriter who co-wrote the science fiction film Back to the Future with writing partner Robert Zemeckis, and the screenplays for the film's two sequels. Gale also co-produced all three films....
as story consultant. Several concepts he and director Robert Zemeckis
Robert Zemeckis
Robert Lee Zemeckis is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. Zemeckis first came to public attention in the 1980s as the director of the comedic time-travel Back to the Future film series, as well as the Academy Award-winning live-action/animation epic Who Framed Roger Rabbit ,...
had originally conceived for Part II
Back to the Future Part II
Back to the Future Part II is a 1989 American science fiction comedy film and the second installment of the Back to the Future trilogy. It was directed by Robert Zemeckis, written by Zemeckis and Bob Gale, and starred Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Thomas F. Wilson and Lea Thompson...
, such as the exploration of the Prohibition era and Doc's family history, were reworked into the game. Telltale Games found adhering to the timelines established by the films to be one of the greatest challenges regarding the development of the script. Many ideas had to be scrapped due to conflicts that would have caused paradoxes with the stories of the films. Gale stated that although the game is not part of the series canon
Canon (fiction)
In the context of a work of fiction, the term canon denotes the material accepted as "official" in a fictional universe's fan base. It is often contrasted with, or used as the basis for, works of fan fiction, which are not considered canonical...
, it is possible that it could take place in alternate timelines.
In September 2010, the team revealed the first piece of concept art for the protagonists, created by artist Ryan Jones and based on actors Michael J. Fox
Michael J. Fox
Michael J. Fox, OC is a Canadian American actor, author, producer, activist and voice-over artist. With a film and television career spanning from the late 1970s, Fox's roles have included Marty McFly from the Back to the Future trilogy ; Alex P...
and Christopher Lloyd
Christopher Lloyd
Christopher Allen Lloyd is an American actor. He is best known for playing Emmett Brown in the Back to the Future trilogy, Uncle Fester in The Addams Family and Addams Family Values, and Judge Doom in Who Framed Roger Rabbit. He played Reverend Jim Ignatowski in the television series Taxi and more...
, who allowed their likenesses to be used for the in-game characters. Season designer and writer Michael Stemmle
Michael Stemmle
Michael J. Stemmle is a computer game writer, designer, and director who cocreated some of LucasArts' adventure games in the 1990s and early 2000s...
emphasized that the game's graphics would take a less realistic and more stylized approach while trying to stay true to the feel of the trilogy. The puzzles were designed to rely on applying items in the inventory to characters and objects as the developers did not think of Marty as a protagonist that would build a gadget from various parts.
As Fox was unavailable to reprise his role as Marty for the game, newcomer AJ LoCascio voiced the character instead, though Fox later provided voice work for Marty's great grandfather William in the fifth and final episode of the game, as well as for the three futuristic versions of Marty who appear in the game's final cutscene. LoCascio was able to get the part when his audition sample ended up in the email inbox of voice director Julian Kwasneski, and managed to impress both Gale and Lloyd with how closely it resembled the sound of Fox's voice during the time the trilogy was filmed. Lloyd returned to voice Doc Brown and began his first recording session for the game in late September 2010. Later, Claudia Wells
Claudia Wells
Claudia Grace Wells is a Malaysian-born American actress.Born in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, she spent her early childhood years growing up in Punto Fijo, Cariubana, Falcón, a Venezuelan city, later graduating from high school in San Francisco, California, where she was also raised...
joined the cast, reprising her role as Jennifer Parker from the first film. Kid Beyond
Kid Beyond
Kid Beyond is a singer, beat boxer and live looper based in the San Francisco area.-Early career:Chaikin attended Brown University and was a leader in the co-ed fraternity Zeta Delta Xi. He sang in the Jabberwocks, a student a cappella group...
provides the voice for Biff Tannen in place of actor Tom Wilson
Thomas F. Wilson
Thomas F. Wilson is an American actor, writer, musician, painter, voice-over artist and stand-up comedian. He is best known for playing Biff Tannen in the Back to the Future trilogy and Coach Ben Fredricks on NBC's Freaks and Geeks.-Early life:Thomas Francis Wilson, Jr. was...
, and James Arnold Taylor
James Arnold Taylor
James Arnold Taylor is an American voice actor, Impressionist, and Announcer. He is the current voice provider for Fred Flintstone as well as Obi-Wan Kenobi in the TV series Star Wars: The Clone Wars and also the movie Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Johnny Test in Johnny Test...
as the younger Emmett. Though the game features other returning characters including George and Loraine McFly, voicework for these characters are provided by a variety of available voice actors in the Bay Area.
Promotion
To promote the title, Telltale brought a replica of the DeLorean time machine as part of their booth display at the 2010 Penny Arcade ExpoPenny Arcade Expo
The Penny Arcade Expo is a semi-annual gamer festival held in Seattle and Boston. PAX was created by Jerry Holkins and Mike Krahulik, the authors of the Penny Arcade webcomic, because they wanted to attend a show that gave equal attention to console gamers, computer gamers, and tabletop...
which occurred shortly after the game's announcement. Prior to the game's release, Telltale Games published their first Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
game, Back to the Future: Blitz Through Time, with mechanics similar to Bejeweled Blitz
Bejeweled Blitz
Bejeweled Blitz is originally a Facebook application which is developed and published by PopCap Games. It soon expanded into a downloadable game, based on the then-in-development Bejeweled 3 engine, due to popularity of the differences from Bejeweled 2 and its new graphics. As with the Bejeweled...
, to tie in with the episodic series.
A voucher for a free copy of the first episode of the series was included in the 25th Anniversary Blu-ray release of the Back to the Future trilogy on October 26, 2010. A promotional offer was made on Telltale's web site to download a free copy as well. Via this promotion, however, the first episode began distribution on February 16, 2011. As of April 2011, Telltale offered the first episode for free for anyone with a registered account at their website. As a pre-order bonus, Telltale offered buyers a free copy of Puzzle Agent, access to a pre-release insider forum on their web site, and stated that they would donate one dollar to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research
The Michael J. Fox Foundation
The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research is dedicated to finding a cure for Parkinson's disease through an aggressively funded research agenda and to ensuring the development of improved therapies for those living with Parkinson's today. Established by actor Michael J...
for each pre-order.
Reception
Back to the Future: The Game received mixed to positive reviews. The first episode, "It's About Time", was praised by several reviewers as an effective start to the series. IGNIGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
's Greg Miller gave the episode a score of 8.5/10, writing, "it's a movie-inspired game that doesn't suck. Instead, it pushes the characters in interesting directions and whips up a good story." Miller praised Telltale Games for recreating the Back to the Future universe with attention to detail and for the iteration's witty dialogue. Nathan Meunier of GameSpot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
gave the episode a 7.5/10 score, saying the series "shows a lot of promise with its debut installment". The review added that "The entertaining story that follows is enhanced by believable character interactions, imbuing the adventure with a great sense of authenticity". Meunier did note that the installment was "surprisingly light on challenge and content". Ben PerLee from GameZone
GameZone
GameZone is an American multiplatform video game website. GameZone's daily coverage includes reviews, previews, news, hints & cheats, and editorials. Additionally, GameZone offers downloads, a child-targeted website and in association with GameStop, hosts GZGameShop, an online retailer...
summarized his praise of the game by saying it is a "feel good cinematic experience that any fan of Back to the Future will want to check out, and everyone else would do well to check it out". PALGN
PALGN
The PAL Gaming Network is an Australian based video game news and reviews website that focuses on the videogame industry and culture in PAL territories, particularly Australia and the UK. It was launched in 2003 by a group of PAL forum members on the IGN message boards who were disenfranchised by...
gave the installment a 7/10, saying that fans of the films "will find plenty to love with all of the callbacks and nostalgic moments", but calling the game's pace slow and the 1930s setting uninspiring. The review concluded, "Fans will delight in the more nostalgic and clever moments of 'It's About Time', but it's a short, easy and somewhat bland introduction to the series, which we hope still has time to get a lot better." In a two-out-of-five stars review, The Escapist
The Escapist (magazine)
The Escapist is an online magazine covering video games, gamers, the gaming industry, and gaming culture. Published by the Themis Group, it was edited by Julianne Greer up to June 30, 2009, then by Russ Pitts through September 2011, and is currently edited by Steve Butts. The Escapist was first...
said the game "doesn't quite get the tone [of the films] right and fails to offer up much compelling gameplay". The reviewer called the setting, situations, and characters "bland", further describing the characters as "cardboard nobodies". The consensus among critics was that the voice acting was exceptional, with particular praise directed at A. J. LoCascio's impersonation of Michael J. Fox as Marty McFly. Most reviewers were critical of the episode's puzzles as being too simplistic and easy. Review aggregator Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
assigned the episode an average review score of 74/100.