Game Over: Season One DVD Review:

The CGI animated series “Game Over” isn’t probably a series a lot of you aren’t going to remember. The basic premise was that the folks at fledgling network UPN were trying to find a way merge the billion-dollar industry of videogames with a sitcom.

So basically you have the series central characters are a “Gran Turismo” styled race-car driver named Ripley "Rip" Smashenburn (Patrick Warburton) and his wife is a “Lara Croft: Tomb Raider” wanna-be named Raquel (Lucy Liu).

The concept of the series is that when you switch off your PlayStation or Xbox, these virtual characters return to the normal everyday lives. Rip and Raquel return to their suburban home and their two problem-ridden children.

Ok, for an idea for a series it’s sort of interesting but the problem is that the creators forgot to make the series funny, interesting and well, relatable to its key demographic.

I really do believe that the reason this series failed was when the series added the character Turbo (Artie Lange), who is a cigar-smoking and overly crude family pet. He is so unlikable and annoying its no surprise the series didn’t find an audience.

I really think the series could have had something going for it if it would have adapted some of the “Family Guy” vibe like bringing in more pop culture references and had appearances from actual videogame characters. It would have been a hoot to meet Mario or Sonic in this world.

Probably the best episode of the short-lived series is Episode 5: Alice and the C.A.T.'s, which finds Billy Smashenburn falling for a Japanese foreign-exchange student. The episode is clever, precise and how the series handles the anime exchange student is priceless. This episode clearly shows how good the show could have been if it tried.

The series is interesting as a concept, Episode 5 is a lot of fun and the new DVD does have a lot of interesting extras but the series itself really isn’t worth remembering unless you’re a fan.

DVD Details:

The new 2-disc collection from Anchor Bay Entertainment features a lot of extras for a short-lived series. The set includes character bios, trivia game, production secrets and a progression reel featuring storyboard to layout to animation to final picture crew photos. The set also includes one never-before-seen episode: Monkey Dearest.

Episode List:

1. Meet the Smashenburns

2. Basic Win-Stincts

3. All Work and All Play

4. Into the Woods

5. Alice and the C.A.T.'s

6. Monkey Dearest



Dean Kish