Gamertell Exclusive: Interview with Fanboys screenwriter, Ernie Cline

When it comes to video game franchises, I’m surprised Star Wars doesn’t get more respect.

Zelda, Halo, Grand Theft Auto, Mario and such tend to get all the love but do they have as many as entries as those based on Star Wars universe? And are they as diverse? No.

However, when you’ve got this many games made by this many development companies, you just know that some won’t even be fit for the dianoga.

So, how do you determine what Star Wars games are the best? You ask Ernie Cline.

Ernie is the screenwriter of Fanboys, which any self-respecting Star Wars movie or game fan has seen by now. More importantly, he’s been playing video games since a time when arcades were the cool place to hang out at the mall. Ah, Aladdin’s Castle, I do miss you so.

Ernie was kind enough to give Gamertell some time between trips to Austin for BNAT and whatever else people go to Austin for (SXSW?) so we could discuss Star Wars, the gaming industry. And gold bikinis.

Gamertell: Okay, let’s get this out of the way now so our readers understand from where you’re coming. Who shot first?

Ernie: Han M.F. Solo shot first. Because that’s what die-hard space smugglers do when a green-headed, bug-eyed bounty hunter corners them at their favorite local watering hole. He wouldn’t wait to pull the trigger until after the aforementioned bounty hunter had shot at him from point blank range. That would make him a dumbass, and would also screw up his entire character arc.

Gamertell: Okay, well, that was a pretty safe question. One more before we start talking about games: Is the Force “…an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us, penetrates us, and binds the galaxy together.” Or, is it some microorganism that lives inside the cells of all living things?

Ernie: I actually don’t hate on the Midichlorians idea that much, because it seems to give a somewhat scientific explanation for what was previously a mysterious and supernatural concept. To me, this seems to be more of a Magic vs. Science question and I’ll go with science every time. Because, you know, it’s real and it works. Magic, not so much. He could have come up with a better name than Midichlorians, though. That sounds like a fancy chemical you put in your swimming pool to keep the water clear.

Gamertell: Yoda could’ve used that on Dagobah. Swimmable water and it would’ve been easier for Luke to get the X-Wing out. Anyway, my favorite aspect of Star Wars is how it seamlessly made the transition to video games, both within and outside the framework of the movies. Seems every gaming system/device I’ve ever owned has had a Star Wars game, from the Intellivision to the iPhone. But you’re the expert here… What was your first great Star Wars gaming experience?

Ernie: The original Star Wars arcade game [released by Atari in 1983] totally rocked my world, despite its crude Battlezone-esque vector graphics. The sit-down version of the game made me feel like I was climbing into the cockpit of a real X-wing to go blow up the Death Star. And that game even had a few sound samples from the movie, like “Red Five, standing by” and “Use the Force, Luke!” It’s still one of my favorite arcade games of all time.

That same year, I got Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back for my Atari 2600, made by Parker Brothers, and played it endlessly. That game let you fly a blocky 8-bit Snow Speeder and do battle with the Imperial AT-ATs attacking the rebel base on Hoth. Occasionally, the Star Wars theme music would start to play, indicating that “the Force was with you,” and your ship would temporarily become indestructible. So awesome. It was a truly great Atari 2600 game. I was bummed that I could only shoot the Imperial walkers, instead of also bringing them down with the harpoon/tow-cable combo used by the rebels in the movie. I don’t think gamers got a chance to do that until a decade later, when Star Wars Arcade was released in 1993.

Gamertell: Yeah, I remember both games, although I was playing The Empire Strikes Back on the Intellivision. The first time I played the Star Wars arcade game, when Obi-Wan said, “Let go, Luke,” I actually let go of the controls, and promptly died. It pissed me off, and the loss of that quarter precipitated my descent to the Dark Side.

Ernie: But you must have already seen the film and known that Obi-Wan was speaking figuratively. So, you’ve got no one to blame but yourself. But it doesn’t surprise me that an Intellivision owner would turn to the Dark Side over something so petty. I’ve long harbored a grudge against the “rich” kids who owned an Intellivision—born out of my jealousy of their superior graphics, futuristic non-phallic controllers, and gold console trim. I actually remember visiting your house circa 1990 and being impressed that your Intellivision was not only operational but also still being frequently used.

Gamertell: The Intellivision is still operational and frequently used, for what it’s worth, although not for Star Wars games anymore. I did decide to buy a Game Cube specifically to play Star Wars: Rogue Squadron II. Has Star Wars influenced any of your console purchase decisions? What system currently offers the best Star Wars gaming experience?

Ernie: Star Wars has yet to influence any of my console purchases but I have played the Clone Wars Lightsaber Duels and it makes me want to buy a Wii. I did once buy a Famicom cartridge adapter for the NES, just so I could play the 1987 Star Wars game that was only released in Japan. Thank you, ebay.

The Force Unleashed, on any platform. seems to be the best Star Wars game ever made. I think the PC probably gives you the biggest library of Star Wars gaming options (especially when you include old console emulators), so it gets my vote for Best Star Wars Gaming Experience. Sorry, Mac lovers.

Gamertell: Apology accepted. But seriously, The Force Unleashed is better than X-Wing and TIE Fighter? Better than Dark Forces? I’ll have to download it for my iPhone.

Ernie: Playing The Force Unleashed is like being the star of an entirely new Star Wars movie—one that is better written and more engaging than the first two prequels. You get to be Darth Vader’s secret apprentice and kick people’s ass with the Force. Good stuff. I’m not sure if you’ll get the full experience on your tiny iPhone screen, though.

I was never a big flight sim fan, so X-Wing and TIE Fighter weren’t favorites of mine. I loved Dark Forces, but something about its primitive FPS graphical engine made me nauseous – as did the original Wolfenstein 3-D – so I couldn’t play it for long unless I was loaded up on dramamine.

The only Star Wars games that might beat The Force Unleashed are the Star Wars Lego games for both trilogies. They rank as some of the funnest video games ever made, Star Wars related or not. So says I.

Gamertell: Well, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed: Ultimate Sith Edition is soon coming to the Mac with all of its titular colons courtesy of Aspyr, so maybe I won’t get stuck with just the iPhone version. But back to the movies for a moment, you left out the third when saying The Force Unleashed is better written and more engaging than the Star Wars prequels. I thought the third was still crap. You felt otherwise?

Ernie: Episode III totally redeemed the prequel trilogy for me. I absolutely loved it. It contained all the stuff I’d been dying to see in a Star Wars movie since I was a kid. In fact, in my humble opinion, if you don’t like Episode III, then you’re not (and never were) a real Star Wars fan. If the Anakin vs. Obi-Wan duel intercut with Yoda vs. the Emperor didn’t rock your world, then you’ve become bitter, old and jaded, and all of your Kenner action figures should be repossessed.

Gamertell: Well, I’ll be the first to admit I’m not a real Star Wars fan. My belief that The Empire Strikes Back is the only truly great movie in the series has led to many split lips and irreparably damaged friendships. you and I are closer in our opinion of Airwolf than in our take on the Star Wars franchise, but that’s another interview for another time. This is why we’re talking about Star Wars games. You’re the expert and are much closer to the source. In fact, Star Wars actors make appearances in your movie Fanboys. If you’d been able to challenge Billy Dee Williams or Carrie Fisher to a round of Atari’s Star Wars arcade game, would you have let them win or would you have just kicked their asses?

Ernie: I would have kicked Billy Dee’s ass. But I would have to let Carrie Fisher win, because I still have a crush on her (regardless of whether or not she still fits in that gold bikini).

Gamertell: That’s very noble of you. Now, you’re next script digs pretty deep into the world of gaming, right? What’s that about?

Ernie: It’s about a fictional video game competition called Thundercade, which is sort of a Super Bowl of video game tournaments. The competitors have to master every type of video game ever made, from Pong to World of Warcraft. The story focuses on a group of thirtysomething guys who enter and try to compete against the world’s best gamers, most of whom are teenagers. The Atari 2600 generation vs. the Xbox 360 generation.

Gamertell: So, it’s a movie that combines wasting afternoons watching Starcade on TBS with getting my ass handed to me by a 13-year-old in Counter-Strike? I’m there.

Ernie: Starcade was a huge influence along with the Saturday Morning Supercade. So was getting my ass handed to me by my nephew in several Xbox games. My goal is to usurp The Wizard as the greatest video game movie of all time. We’ll see if I can pull it off.

Gamertell: Well, best of luck with that. After Thundercade, maybe you can be the one to finally give us a sequel to The Last Starfighter.

Ernie: I would kill for that job, but it looks like the original writer and director are already working on a Last Starfighter sequel. But maybe I’ll get a chance to write a reboot of Max Headroom, another of my favorite ’80s properties.

Gamertell: I can think of no one better for the job, so I’ll let you go get started on it. Thanks for talking with us, and for setting us straight on Star Wars games. Good luck with Thundercade and don’t get your virtual ass kicked too much while filming it.

Ernie: Thanks for having me. And “May the Schwartz Be With You.”

Gamertell: To learn more about Ernie and his current projects (and to hear some fantastic slam poetry), visit ErnestCline.com or follow his Facebook account.

Fanboys is currently available on DVD and Blu-ray. His spoken word album, The Geek Wants Out, is available now on iTunes.