Once upon a time not so very long ago, movies and TV shows that were based on video games seemed eternally destined to disappoint. But thanks to more recent success stories like Peacock’s Twisted Metal, The Super Mario Bros. Movie, and many more, the so-called “video game curse” — the idea that studios simply can’t find success in adapting video game stories for the screen — has made a welcome and dramatic U-turn.
Season 2 of Twisted Metal is only days away from its July 31 premiere on Peacock, returning Anthony Mackie to his underdog “John Doe” role as an ace delivery driver trying to survive the crazy demolition-derby rules that define the show’s hilariously lawless wasteland setting. And though the series is indeed based on an acclaimed Sony video game franchise, it’s still fair to say that not everyone who’s seen (and loved) Twisted Metal on Peacock has a history with the games themselves. If that sounds like you, we’re here to help!
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Twisted Metal for PlayStation: The first game in the franchise
Twisted Metal got is video game start all the way back in 1995, arriving on Sony’s original PlayStation platform as a refreshingly raucous demolition derby game that was all about being the last driver standing when the dust had finally cleared.
On top of its vehicular combat theme and dilapidated dystopian setting, the first Twisted Metal introduced oodles of ideas that live on in today’s Peacock series — including the first appearance of the mysterious event organizer Calypso (who steps out of the mysterious shadows in Season 2 of the Peacock series), as well as killer clown Sweet Tooth (who appears on the original game’s box cover, whipping his demented ice cream truck for all it’s worth).
The first Twisted Metal game also set the tone for what survival requires in the franchise’s unruly, no-holds-barred story-verse. Just like John Doe and all his car-crazy haters in the Peacock series, driving around is only half the battle in Twisted Metal the game: Players had to pilot their vehicle while commanding a wicked weapons arsenal that could sabotage other drivers — all to win Calypso’s annual derby tournament and claim his promised single wish as their prize.
Mackie’s John Doe character in the Peacock series made his first appearance in the Twisted Metal game franchise with Twisted Metal: Black (which debuted in 2001 for the PlayStation 2). But his TV predicament perfectly mirrors the games’ story setup going all the way back to the franchise’s very beginning: It’s one thing to win and get your biggest wish granted… but it’s another thing altogether to live with the unintended consequences.
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How many Twisted Metal games are there?
Back in 1995, not even Sony could have foreseen that the first Twisted Metal game — developed in partnership with game studio Single Trac — would become the genesis for a juggernaut media franchise. But the game’s solid strategic gameplay, violently loony humor, and wildfire word-of-mouth popularity with fans all quickly inspired a sequel… and then another… and then another — and the rest, as we now know, is history.
In all, the Twisted Metal franchise has spawned 10 overall video games, including seven mainline titles (counting Twisted Metal: Head-On, which debuted on the handheld PlayStation Portable system) that fans regard as the series’ tentpole canonical entries in the series. The seven main games in the series include:
Twisted Metal (1995 — PlayStation and PC)
Twisted Metal 2 (1996 — PlayStation and PC)
Twisted Metal III (1998 — PlayStation)
Twisted Metal 4 (PlayStation)
Twisted Metal: Black (2001 — PlayStation 2)
Twisted Metal: Head-On (2005 — PlayStation Portable/PlayStation 2)
Twisted Metal (2012 — PlayStation 3)
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How to watch Twisted Metal on Peacock
Don’t look now, but Season 2 of Twisted Metal is already screeching around the nearest corner, barreling toward its big July 31 premiere date on Peacock. Need to catch up with the story so far? You can stream Season 1 of the Peacock-exclusive series right here.
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