When it comes to obscure cult classic video games, few have stood the test of time over the decades more than product placement video games. In the early days of the 16-bit era, games such as the Cool Spot series and the McKids video game were product advertisements for the 7-UP drink and the McDonald’s fast-food franchise respectively. In the 2000’s, the leap to advanced hardware allowed developers to become more ambitious with their licensed video game tie-ins. One of the most notable examples of this was Darkened Skye, a solid action-adventure game that some fans overlooked was a tie-in for the Skittles brand of candy.
One game that was released in the middle of the two eras was a title that fit the criteria of both a cult classic and an obvious licensed video game was Pepsiman. Developed and published by KID, Pepsiman was a Japan-exclusive action platformer for the PSX where players got to control the titular character through various hazards while on the quest to drink a can of Pepsi at the end of each level. Over the years, Pepsiman has increased in popularity due to the wackiness and charm of the character as well as the cutscenes played in-between each level. Its charm was enough for one developer to work on a prototype, envisioning the 22-year-old game on the PS5.
Using the original title as its source, developer Yahya Danboos recreated the first level of Pepsiman while also making several quality-of-life adjustments to the newer next-gen RTX build. The Pepsi logos used in the original Pepsiman are replaced with the modern Pepsi logo which can be seen in more detail comparing the Pepsi trucks from the original to the remake. The physics are also updated to give Pepsiman a more floaty-feel over the original. There are also several graphical improvements including the addition of bloom, shadows, and an overall detail overhaul compared to the original. Even the intro and the menu screen was recreated for this demo.
Currently, Yahya Danboos is a lead game designer at UNIVERS Inc, a Japanese game developer that specializes in VR gaming. While VR may be the furthest thing away from a Pepsiman remake, the thought of Danboos utilizing his expertise in VR to implement in Pepsiman is an interesting idea to think of. The Pepsiman recreation was nothing more than a fan project, however, as he tweeted that the game was one of his favorites growing up and a modern remake for today’s consoles would be an intriguing one. With several licensed video games becoming best sellers, it’s not impossible for a developer to officially usher the return of Pepsiman to modern platforms.
MORE: 10 Most Underrated Licensed Video Games Of All Time
Source: Twitter
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