Playing WinBack: The Birth of Cover

[@ajojoreference2307]

The subtitles are italicized comic sans.

[@Tehsnakerer]

It's fitting

[@kyucumbear]

_𝖌𝖔𝖉𝖉𝖆𝖒𝖒𝖎𝖙_

[@saki453]

@@kyucumbear what is this black magic?

[@stevebutters306]

Awww, it's not working for me...

[@JazzyUnderscoreTrumpeter]

Wait, Is This A JoJo Reference!?

[@AnvilPro100]

The twist that the first cover-based shooter also knew that you can't solely base a video game on that mechanic, and instead turns out to be a speed game demanding you actually play fast enough to save the day is radical

[@fallingwater]

"Oh no, an error, we didn't have room for those!" had me laughing quite loudly :D

[@jor4114]

"Sounds easy enough. Reposition 180 degrees and... Are you nuts?" This game's level of self awareness is conflicting, to say the least.

[@4cam8]

It was bugging the shit out of me, but I knew I recognized the voice of the Secretary of Defense. It's fucking Barry from RE1. No wonder he's the best character in the game.

[@G0th1cpar0dia669543]

That was too close. You were almost a SCAT sandwich.

[@accountwontlastlong1]

@@G0th1cpar0dia669543 You're right!

[@JamesTobiasStewart]

Wow... Thanks for sharing that.

[@Someone7641]

"It's better if you, the master of taking cover, take cover."

[@roonitogoorooni]

"He was one of the good ones" Damn, that caught me by surprise. This deserves to be in the so-bad-it's-good video-gaming hall of fame.

[@IDrinkLava]

There's something really charming about early Dreamcast/PS2-era Japanese games that try to imitate western aesthetics. The character models are doll-like with uncanny valley anime babyfaces, the environments are oddly sterile, and the writing that's as overly-serious as it is absurdly cliche is hysterical. My favorite bit has to be the Street Fighter hitflashes that appear in place of blood when characters get shot. WinBack 2's artstyle is technically more competent, but it ends up looking generic and dull compared to the first game.

[@evanstein3011]

And they always used names like "Jean-Luc Cougar" lol

[@AlexK-sk4qb]

MGS is the same

[@boxtank5288]

Funny thing is, Winback was originally an N64 title so even then the Japanese tried to ape our thing and it is endlessly charming.

[@viscountrainbows6452]

Sniper 2 is the absolute peak of all those characteristics. That and a bitchin' smooth jazz based soundtrack.

[@boxtank5288]

@@viscountrainbows6452 If you're talking The Sniper 2, it is unfortunately boring as a game and failed to be what it was going for.

[@Abyss3223]

Only thing that could have made this game better is S.C.A.T written on the member's backs.

[@PenguinDT]

I wonder if this S.C.A.T. is related to the one from Night Trap?

[@DieHardjagged]

@@PenguinDT Well S.C.A.T was also the name of a NES game.

[@YouSoSpice]

S.C.A.T. are good, but they're no match for An.A.L.-V.O.R.E.

[@Jorvard]

@@YouSoSpice The Analythic Attack and Linguistics-Vector Ordnance Removal Expedition is the best team this world has ever seen.

[@100lightkiller]

@@YouSoSpice C vn0lýlìù

[@thomasderosso5625]

Jean-Luc: "For a guy named Solid Snake, you're *way* too flexible." Snake: "Flexible?" Jean-Luc: "Watch this!" Snake: "Hrrrrgh... Colonel, I think I've found a bioroid. No human can move like this guy!"

[@JamesTobiasStewart]

Wait are you saying Jean-Luc is something like a SNATCHER prototype, hence the naivety and tank like movement?

[@amduil8168]

This was the game that taught me that reloading still keeps the bullet in the chamber. 6 year old me didnt know what to do with that info but by god he had it now.

[@PosthumanHeresy]

Good information for life. Definitely one of those "belongs on a list of just random trivia that could save your life by random chance".

[@planescaped]

26:27 I can still recall playing this on the N64 when I was like 7, and that scene in particular. My jaw dropped in horror when Matt gets killed right at the start. Kid me was utterly shocked by it. lol

[@LordofBroccoli]

This year's Christmas included a 3-hour long Whitelight vid on Darksiders 2, an hour long Raycevick vid on Mass Effect: Andromeda, a 35 minute long Mandalore vid on Pathologic, and now an hour long vid from Tehsnakerer? Merry Christmas! And thank you!

[@Tehsnakerer]

You're welcome, have a great christmas

[@Ouiigee]

Shammy came back from the dead as well :0

[@LordofBroccoli]

Wide Dantas A few months ago I found a dead owl in the woods and I was worried it was Shammy... All praise our Lord and Savior Shammy's revival from the dead!

[@Ouiigee]

Mandalore and shammy even uploaded in the same day. I almost died. Best Christmas presents I could ask

[@DB1Dragoon]

Not to mention Mauler about to drop a big body Civic worth of a video Christmas too? This has been my favorite holiday this year thanks to everyone of the KZbinrs I follow.

[@DeathToMonday]

Glad it's not just me that hates them dirty Sarcs.

[@csabaszabo6859]

Fun fact: In my native language "szar" (you have to pronunc like sar) means shit

[@b3nl555]

It's not racism, it's a fact.

[@formerlymax]

"If you had just told us, we might've found a way to help" THAT LINE made me burst into laughter. That was too good. I love your videos Tehsnakerer! I've been recommending them to all my friends!

[@contrabandresearch8409]

The original cover based shooter didn't actually want you to stick to cover LOL

[@Fencer_Nowa]

SCAT Someone must really hate these guys to call them that.

[@MalfunctionWhocares]

I find it funny how during the serious cutscenes, particularly with Matt's death and Law's sacrifice, the game still uses the colorful flashes of light to indicate characters getting hit. Matt and Law's dramatic deaths having bright red lights on their heads instead of blood spurts or something makes it even harder to take the story seriously, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

[@TooMuchSascha]

"It's always good to throw scat at a crying lion" Jesus fucking christ

[@mist8k]

Had the n64 version. Was the first game I smashed a controller to.

[@planescaped]

It was one of the first games I can vividly remember playing. Not Chrono Trigger... not Beyond Oasis, Secret of Evermore or Valley of the Eternal Sun... but freaking Winback is the only game I can actually picture playing as a child! I blame the song Blue by Effiel 65, as it was on TV when I came home from school and popped this into the N64. >__>

[@SnakeHiggins]

Same here, I actually threw my controller out a second story window.

[@mist8k]

@@SnakeHiggins 😂 those lasers that you had to roll under. Kept dying on them and the save takes you so far back in the level

[@SnakeHiggins]

@@mist8k Oh yeah that parts a total pain but the part where I threw the controller out the window was during the fight with Muscles Magee who had the rocket launcher, I got lucky on shotgun guy but that dude wrecked me, playing it back on ps2 years later I found him to be easy but back then...good gawd.

[@MrYoda-xb6mp]

@@planescaped not golden eye that’s the one I remember the most that and this game

[@brandonmorel2658]

Winback belongs to an extremely specific collection of Japanese games which all have these really arcady set of design philosophies that focus the meta game on speed and precision. God Hand, Devil May Cry and the early Resident Evil games are on the same band. What I love the most about them is the second playthrough, where the skill and reaction time are truly tested.

[@sir1thomas1]

This feels like a Time Crisis game that got made into a third person shooter for some reason

[@leejohnston2003]

I like the game but cant help but feel it should have been a light gun shooter

[@HappyBeezerStudios]

"I had a feeling you'd make it here, Jean-Luc" Yes Dan, you told Lisa that she should tell Jean-Luc where to find you directly after revealing your evil plan. Who would've guessed.

[@shintopig]

This one is your magnum opus. Really outstanding, keep it up!

[@dmas7749]

i like his take on hunt down the freeman better but this is good too

[@alexlindstrom9971]

I had a buddy who played this on the N64. I messed around with it a bit by renting it I think. Forgot about it for years. He'd taunt me that it was better than MGS because I was a Playstation guy (and he was a contrarian ass). Looking at it now in particular, I'm remembering just how bad it was, clunky in the extreme and frustratingly difficult. The art style also makes Earth Defense Force look like the Sistine Chapel. You know a similarly toned series nobody talks about anymore though? Siphon Filter. That's a blast from the past.

[@GreenEyedDazzler]

Alex Lindstrom siphon filter holy shit I played that but remember nothing about it

[@planescaped]

Haven't thought about Siphon Filter in a long time... Back when Pokemon cards and Furby's were hot shit.

[@StubenhockerElite]

Don't know why, but this reminded me of brute force.

[@fuzzydunlop7928]

I was just re-watching the Seven-Hour Bore video yesterday because I needed a Snakerer fix - this really hit the spot.

[@peppermillers8361]

Same deal here.

[@axiomaticanarchy7517]

Cecil comes off as a Starscream wannabe. Betrayal as a reaction instead of as a plan.

[@rkuzdas]

"Damn right I don't understand" is probably the truest line that character said all game.

[@Khyron56]

The dirty Sarcs lost the war because we managed to get far enough in the technology tree to master the art of 'hide behind box and sort of pop out the other side.'

[@Dragonrealms245]

It’s a real crime your channel isn’t well known. Your channel is a real diamond in the rough

[@Tehsnakerer]

Thanks for saying, it's been slow but steady growth though, could be faster but shouldn't complain

[@Dragonrealms245]

Keep it up dude. I’ve watched all your videos and enjoy them a lot

[@Jessica-el5yx]

I mean, a Brit taking an hour or two to talk about obscure and janky games isn't necessarily going to appeal to a large audience, although sometimes a small one has it's benefits.

[@Corrupted]

@@Jessica-el5yx Joseph anderson is basically doing the exaxt same videos, just longer & on mostly AAA games. Great channel btw

[@dmas7749]

@@Tehsnakerer: i like your stuff too

[@formerlymax]

Thank you for cover-ing this game!

[@Journey_to_who_knows]

A game version of a Segal direct to dvd film. Only way it could be better is if it played “I’m a scatman” on the ending

[@MrSomebodyStrange]

You, sir, have secured your place in my heart as my favourite British video game reviewer since TB's passing. Carry this banner with honor!

[@Micheals64]

The animation of the magazine and chamber in the lower left is really cool, especially for the time. I remember seeing that in Nintendo Power and being like 'Wow'

[@robertkovarna8294]

33:46 Just wait until the Operation Winback fanfiction where the Secretary of defense tries to get S.C.A.T killed, and when Jean Lue defeats him, he reveals his dislike of the S.C.A.T team and how he wanted to get rid of them on live televison.

[@PenguinDT]

Re-watching this, your second playthrough revelation seems very similar to mine with Vanquish. When I tried the demo, I approached it as a pure cover shooter. And if you play Vanquish as such, you'll end up having a rotten time - so I ignored the game at launch. It wasn't until about year later that I saw a gameplay dissection of it and realized 'holy heck, I got this game all wrong'. Upon returning to it, I loved it to bits (naturally)!

[@DGneoseeker1]

The best thing about this game was the hilariously unbalanced boss characters you could unlock to use in multiplayer.

[@HunterMearo]

I just had a Ray, Whitelight and Mandalore vid in what feels like a day. Are you guys timing this as a great Christmas gift!? Thanks.

[@dirpyturtle69]

later today a civvie 11 vid will be up in about four or five hours

[@robertharris6092]

@@dirpyturtle69 goooooood. And ofc its super early in the morning.

[@ultimaT]

This was one of my favorite N64 games for some reason. Thanks for covering it!

[@madeleineollerton5993]

you can do a lot better by popping quickly to lock on an enemy (when behind but not stuck to low cover) then lining up your headshot using the rubber-band aim controls and quick one-tapping guys. this can also be used to hit out-of-range enemies with some practice, no lock-on needed. another important winback skill is the 'winback flick' where a practiced amount of stick movement, just out of the dead-zone, can help you headshot enemies first try. it can be really satisfying to realize you've mastered the timing and can use single handgun bullets to delete some of the games most sadistically placed enemies.

[@revengeofthesynth5430]

My best friend and I, growing up, used to ride our bikes to blockbuster during the summer, and this was one of those games that we thought we were the only ones in our friend groups that knew about the game, like a niche hidden game that we learned about from one summer day renting it and falling in love with the combat and tactical aspect of it. We were always big fans of typical action movies back in the day, Boondock saints, True Lies, The Rock (w/ Sean Connery), basically anything that had a guy sneaking like a predator into a facility somewhere with a long barrel silence pistol and use it like a badass. So there was something specific about Winback, with that tactical trained specialist main character and the (albeit primitive) feeling of sneaking in like a ghost.. before Splinter Cell for us there was Winback, a game we thought was a hidden gem... and it will still get brought up from time to time to this day if we're going down memory lane. I'll have to send him this video!

[@AustinJFerret]

Is it weird that this video kind of makes me want someone to make a remake of Winback using what's been learned in the last 20 years of shooters?

[@cpt.straginski]

i probably kinda late, but i think there is literally was a PS3 era sequel, and it was written by Swery65

[@zayaannashrid1374]

I can't believe an hour felt like 20 minutes. The pacing is really good, damn.

[@fuzzydunlop7928]

Speaking of El Presidente - I would love to see a Snakerer treatment of one of the Tropico games - the jankier the better.

[@roadent217]

Tropico 2 maybe? The pirate themed one.

[@utswriter]

Ya gotta love that our man here will actually put in clips when he is made to be incorrect, such as in here, but he'll put things that explain why this footage exists

[@Gerbs1913]

The thing I appreciate with cover based games is that it punishes you for trying to run and gun. Combine cover and AI that actually stay down as opposed to popping up on occasion just so they can die, and you get a game that forces you to use proper tactics. Brothers In Arms was one of my favorites because of the suppression system, pin an enemy squad down then send a fireteam or outflank on your own. it gets a bit tedious admittedly since every encounter boils down to the 4 f combat system of find, fix, flank, and finish but at the same time it feels like an actual firefight and not just a bunch of enemies that don't care if they die running right at you, or popping up at random times to fire off a few rounds and let you shoot them.

[@weew8345]

Easily one of my favorite channels, keep up the great work man.

[@Tehsnakerer]

Thank you kindly

[@Toanon]

Jean Luc-Cougar for Smash

[@rustyshackle8000]

*JEAN-LUC BUMBLES INTO THE FRAY!*

[@SnakeHiggins]

The game is like a third person Time Crisis. Kenneth Coleman could be a TC villain like a cross between Derrick Lynch from Crisis Zone and Wild Dog from the whole series. Hell Winback 2 has a full on Time Crisis style intro video.

[@NishaPerson]

Here on the anniversary of this masterpiece. Good stuff.

[@linkeffect82]

Great video! This was a fine today overview on what was an interesting game for the mechanics put in and it's unique flavor!

[@deevee5327]

The moment scat headquarters was mentioned i started laughing and could not stop

[@teiced]

The Secretary of Defense - Shintaro Kazama.

[@MegiddoRain]

Vanquish is an amazing example of a fantastic game that has cover but is still acrobatic as well as speed and skill based, I love it so much

[@CatalystOfFire]

The thing about this game is that I really like it and have no way to justify that to you.

[@Tehsnakerer]

You don't have to, despite its flaws I look back on it as a rather charming and unique title.

[@CatalystOfFire]

@ I just found out it’s on Switch so despite the N64 controls being really bad on anything besides N64, I’ve been having a blast anyway! Never even knew about the PS2 version!

[@wolfiewoo3371]

I'd love a modern reinterpretation of this game. Imagine if it took some extra inspiration from say Vanquish and/or Resident Evil 6 and 5's combat systems but still kept it's same cheesy story and writing, would be fantastic.

[@robertkovarna8294]

I would say RE6 over RE5 for cover systems. RE5 was nooooot made for cover shooting at all. And it shows in just how clunky it is. In RE6s case, it actually has a cover system like how you'd expect one to work.

[@wolfiewoo3371]

@@robertkovarna8294 Fair point. I agree

[@planescaped]

I still, all these years later, remember vividly playing Winback on the N64 after we rented it more than I even remember playing Chrono Trigger or Earthbound as a kid... I don't know why. Must've been just at the right place right time. I mean around then I spent most of my time playing epic far-spanning legendary adventures with pebbles I found... Games before then were more smashing buttons on a controller and game over'ing every 5 minutes, yet being utterly enthralled by it. Winback was one of the first games where I was finally starting to figure things out.

[@herpydepth1204]

I still think it’s hilarious that everyone addresses the main character by his full name

[@PosthumanHeresy]

16:52 We can't stop here, this is SCAT country!

[@elitedonger546]

I love the video man. I was so excited when I saw it in my notifications

[@eioo8790]

"Bam! Dated the video at the last second!" Jokes on you, I watched this on 23.12.2020, you git!

[@MrTinTinTinny]

"Time Crisis" is the first vidya I played where cover was really important.

[@doomyboi]

Honestly this game feels like they wanted to be an evolution of Time Crisis.

[@CatalystOfFire]

25:50 I was so confused when you started talking about this scene lol I had never seen this before!

[@thatbrowncoatedwhovian4564]

37:28 I know this is a silly jank ps2 game but there’s something oddly grim about one of the main antagonists declaring the world must change and then blowing their brains out in front of the protagonist, I could imagine a scene like that in a better game landing really hard.

[@Larry]

Surely Cabal is where cover shooting originated?

[@Tehsnakerer]

When I was thinking about things in really loose terms I decided that if I really wanted to I could make the case Space Invaders would be one of the earliest if not the first, but then more for marketing reasons than anything decided that "the birth of stick-to-wall cover mechanics" was a bit too long. It's a bit disingenuous I admit, but I wanted to keep it to cover mechanics in a more modern form.

[@bubby6539]

Wonderful

[@trollbreeder2534]

*[Old man voice]* Baack in my day, you took cover by manually crouching behind the cover! I can't understand kids these days with their fancy cover systems when a simple crouch button can do wonders.

[@lukeeatschips6324]

People that loved D Souls will love this game. Both DS and this game are incredible experiences for masochists

[@bloodrunsclear]

Winback: Proof the voice cast of the original Resident Evil DID go on to other games

[@jjust_a_guy]

Hearing Barry Burton's voice come out of anybody else's mouth is a bizarre experience...

[@ZenithfilmsUK]

Just picked this up for both PS2 and N64. 😎 All I can say is, 'Good work Jean-Luc, you're doing well.'

[@MutatedPixelation]

Rented this at a friggen BlockBuster on the N64 and absolutely loved it. Glad to see you did a review on it!

[@Jaholeyoh]

Great vid as usual

[@IndustrialBonecraft]

I would never have guessed that this game could ever spawn an entire hour of analysis. I fucking loved it as a ten year old on the N64, but reflecting on it some years later I was struck by the arcadiness and how ridiculously drawn out it was in comparison to what I remembered, and I left it at that.

[@OuroborosChoked]

I _knew_ it! Barry Gjerde - the legendary Barry Burton himself- lent his voice to WinBack!

[@emilynace3090]

The credits in the subtitle font was a nice touch

[@Tehsnakerer]

I wanted to alternate yellow and white per name at first but realised it would take ages and gave up

[@emilynace3090]

@@Tehsnakerer No I think what you ended up doing was the right call. Just noticed it was used for the chapter titles and misc. text as well. It really works.

[@antshield]

Holy shit!! My dad loved this game when the PS2 first came out. That, Tekken Tag and the Bouncer. He never bought another game ever again.

[@Zombie1Boy]

The problem with why the controls seem weird is because it was designed for the legendary n64 death claw with its Z trigger shenanigans (along with C-button functions..). Playstation controllers are missing that Z trigger button which means they had to move its functions elsewhere. Its been so long I honestly forget what its mapped too. But I still remember mapping it to a keyboard (IJKL for D-pad, Arrows for stick.. numpad for c buttons 'n everything else) and beating the game since default sensitivity for stick movements was perfect enough for a simple tap to aim up when you auto-aim at an enemy for an easy headshot. Game became a matter of finding cover and getting enemy to stop so you can cap him.

[@SuperNerd000]

Then they announced the N64 version of WinBack to be among the first wave of N64 games to be available to Nintendo Switch Online owners.

[@someguy2653]

God, I have this game for N64, and played the shit out of it. Absolutely loved it, aced it on all difficulties. Good times.

[@PosthumanHeresy]

That ending I think proves it's an intentional MGS parody. It's parodying the end of the original Metal Gear so hard it's parodying the end of MGSV over a decade early.

[@nanObytez-kb5ru]

You know a game is hardcore when they have special forces named "scat". They take names and chew excrements!

[@Slamraptor]

I never thought I'd see this game again. (: Pure nostalgia and I 100% agree that it is a product of it's time. I had fun playing it back then. It's the good kind of janky. (:

[@thewafflemaniak5698]

WinBack feels like if someone tried to make a third-person shooter Virtua Cop game

[@peppermillers8361]

I hope next year there would have just as much well made videos as this year from you.

[@Tehsnakerer]

I'll try for it

[@LazyTitan212]

I have no idea how I played this game at eight years old or how I missed this amazing voice acting

[@vaugna1620]

The controls for Winback are a bit better on N64, the overuse of one button for a lot of actions makes more sense when you have two face buttons to work with and the N64 analog stick (when not totally busted by Mario Party) is much better suited to fine aiming than a Dualshock.

[@loneronin6813]

"We have no room for error." ...Of which that was one of them :P

[@angogablogian2168]

I played this in real time when it came out... I never got the SCAT reference until now. My life has been a lie.

[@GameMaster136]

I think the game with my favorite cover system would be Army of Two: The 40th Day. It's been some years since I've played it and if I remember correctly the cover system was quite dynamic. It didn't feel sticky and your character was quite smart with how they would aim and fire around the cover they were behind. Quite a damn shame they ditched that system in The Cartel. God knows why they did.

[@skello5]

I used to adore this game on N64. Back when I was some how stupider than I am now.

[@Irishlozcat]

I always saw cover shooting mechanics in the same way i saw turn-based combat: its a solid framework that needs to be expanded on with other inovative ideas. I hate when people blame a whole mechanic based only on a game not doing enough to develop it

[@DGneoseeker1]

I could be wrong about this but from my play of this years ago, I seem to recall it being very easy to get a headshot once you've locked on. That would very much help avoid getting shot when against multiple enemies.

[@badger6728]

Ah man, the stream of this was a treat

[@fuzzydunlop7928]

I think they designed Jean-Luc with Hayden Christensen in mind for the leading role in the tie-in film. 1:00:05 - did this fucking guy just pull a Frankensteiner?

[@sheevthesenatepalpatine8863]

This game was my ENTIRE gaming childhood

[@93camping]

I remember that stream you made of this. Exited to see how the video went!

[@ShadowLibrarian]

Who doesn't love throwing scat at crying lines.

[@SMG-vx3mu]

47:55 here is the thing, i think that cecile always had that second plan that shown up in the good ending. but it's a backup plan in case S.C.A.T. were able to get to the control room in time and if they didnt, well, he was probs only going with the crying lions cause it was gonna pay out big time if their plan was successful. regardless if america pulled those troops out sarcozia or not. he didn't get the money regardless of whether it was the good ending or not, but at least in the bad ending he played a major part in completely destroying america's government. dan being a solid no show in the bad ending is something i have nothing for. maybe he died from the heli blowing up in the bad ending? or was just able to secretly get to where cecile and kenneth were without anyone knowing to keep an eye on them in case cecile betrayed them or something. and in the bad ending, he slipped out of the facility and went completely AWOL and was never found again.

[@timorr-vz7je]

If you enter the Konami code, you can unlock all the characters for multiplayer. Only way to play it in my opinion.

[@KaoticReach1999]

I remember playing this when I was a kid....sigh better times :(

[@KazuTree]

I can't believe I missed this video, this game is definitely one of my favorites. Also! I totally forgot how much the Secretary Of Defense looks like a Caucasian Shintaro Kazama.