How "Smells Like Teen Spirit" Got into an 8-bit Game

By TGB March 9, 2009 2 Comments

Once again I have gone off in search on the Internet for the forgotten history of Video Games! To boldly traverse into the unknown, to uncover the truths that almost no one will find interesting. My search brought me to the one place I didn't expect, to a system I had never known nor played. It brought me to South Korean Popular culture!

The Dinosaur Dooley is, according to the always correct *cough* Wikipedia, was a cartoon dinosaur who, like all beloved cartoon characters, became the star of his own absurd video game. The Dinosaur Dooley was a game that was made for the Sega Master System round abouts 1991 and 1992. In spite of the complete lack of the SMS popularity in the States, the Korean devloper of the game was excited and serious about bringing its creation to the West. The Korean team tried to break into the US market by asking their dubious American distributor for some help on creating the music. They wanted to appeal to the American public, but did not know what kind of music that American's like. They asked for and recieved mixed tape that was jam packed with current big hits in America for inspiration.

When I loaded up this game I was struck with a certain sense of nostalgia. "I've heard this song before, it wasn't this shitty, but I know the song." Yes, wanting to create game music that would appeal to the West the developer had outright copied the music for "Smells Like Teen Spirit" into a 8-bit midi diddy. The experience is made worse by the absolute horridness that is the Sega Master System sound chip. The Sega Genesis was no sound producing powerhouse but it was a freaking prodigy when compared to the utter metallic robust the SMS emitted. The team didn't stop there, such "great" songs like "Two Princes" by the Spin Doctors, and numerous other pop hits from 1991 that you are now embarrassed you liked, played prominently in the background of Dooley's so-so shooter adventure.

Suffice to say, the game was never released in America and has lay fallow for the last 17 years, its copyright infringement becoming just a distant Internet murmur. With the powers of the Internets, don't ask me how, it is possible to experience this lost gem." The gameplay is nothing to earth shattering, but I found the playing the game worthwhile if only for the novelty of trying to substantiate which musical hit of 1991-1992 is blaring somewhat incoherently in the background. The history of The Dinosaur Dooley is an interesting look into a simpler time in gaming. A time before Korea had transformed Starcraft into a national sport and began clogging the Internets with free MMO's. We've come a long way baby.    

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