50 Cent: Bulletproof
50 Cent: Bulletproof is an action video game developed by Genuine Games and published by Vivendi Universal Games for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox, which released on November 17, 2005. The game was reworked into a PlayStation Portable version titled 50 Cent: Bulletproof G Unit Edition, with a top-down perspective, which released in 2006. A sequel, 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand, was released in 2009.
50 Cent: Bulletproof | |
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Developer(s) | Genuine Games |
Publisher(s) | Vivendi Universal Games |
Designer(s) | Haydn Dalton |
Programmer(s) | Steven J. Batiste |
Writer(s) | Terry Winter |
Composer(s) | Sha Money XL |
Platform(s) | PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, Xbox |
Release | PS2, XboxPSP
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Genre(s) | Action |
Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
The story revolves around protagonist hip hop musician 50 Cent's search for vengeance against the hitmen who attempted to murder him. The game features members of the G-Unit rap crew as a gang. Dr. Dre plays an arms dealer, Eminem plays a corrupt police officer, and DJ Whoo Kid plays himself as a person selling "bootlegged" music (of the G-Unit camp) out of his trunk. A soundtrack album titled, Bulletproof, was released by DJ Red Heat's Shadyville Entertainment. It won "Best Original Song" in the 2005 Spike TV Video Game Awards.
Plot
50 Cent finds himself being dragged back into the criminal underworld, taking on the most dangerous criminal organizations in New York City. 50 Cent gets a call from his former cellmate and friend K Dog, letting him know he is trouble. 50 Cent gets his gun and leaves, getting his crew together: rappers Lloyd Banks, the locksmith, Young Buck and Tony Yayo, a demolition expert. The crew goes to Queens, where they see K Dog being physically assaulted by unknown masked assailants. After killing multiple assailants, 50 Cent is shot nine times and left for dead. 50 Cent is brought to Doc Friday, a former licensed doctor until he started writing prescriptions for himself. After recovering, 50 Cent goes to Detective Aaron McVicar, a corrupt cop, for information. McVicar agrees to help 50 Cent in exchange for money. 50 Cent and Lloyd Banks go to see K Dog at a safe house, guarded by masked assailants and federal agents. They discover K Dog as well as the federal prosecutors' corpses. 50 gets K Dog's belongings and brings it back to Bugs, who is able to listen to the messages left on the phone. The messages say K Dog was supposed to meet up with "Spyder", a crystal meth drug dealer about transport routes. 50 decides to go after Spyder and goes to a junkyard to meet up with him. After killing Spyder's assailants along with McVicar, he kills Spyder. They notice a tattoo similar to the one on K Dog. He cuts Spyder's skin with the tattoo on it and gives it to Bugs. The tattoo is traced back to Wu-Jang, a Chinese drug kingpin. 50 kills Wu-Jang in Chinatown and takes his money.[1]
Development
G-Unit edition
On August 29, 2006, Vivendi Universal Games released a G-Unit edition for the PlayStation Portable. While the story and cut-scenes are the same as the console counterpart, the game eschews the third-person perspective game-play for a top-down, isometric viewpoint. Also added is multiplayer game-play through ad hoc wireless connectivity. The PlayStation Portable version featured a "Vitamin Water" mini-game in which the player plays as 50 Cent at the apex of his business endeavors.
Reception
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50 Cent: Bulletproof received generally mixed reviews due to poor gameplay mechanics, but it was praised for its solid storyline and music. It received 1 out of 5 and a Golden Mullet from X-Play.[36] In spite of this, it received a positive rating of 8/10 from Official UK PlayStation 2 Magazine.
The PlayStation Portable G-Unit Edition received mixed reviews from critics. GameSpot's Alex Navarro did, however, say that it was a better game than the PS2 or Xbox versions."[21]
50 Cent: Bulletproof sold nearly 1.2 million copies.[39] By July 2006, the PlayStation 2 version of Bulletproof had sold 600,000 copies and earned $27 million in the United States. Next Generation ranked it as the 98th highest-selling game launched for the PlayStation 2, Xbox or GameCube between January 2000 and July 2006 in that country. Overall sales of Bulletproof reached 850,000 units in the United States by July 2006.[40] Its PlayStation 2 version received a "Gold" sales award from the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA),[41] indicating sales of at least 200,000 copies in the United Kingdom.[42]
References
- "50 Cent Bulletproof XBox cover Scan".
- "50 Cent: Bulletproof for PlayStation 2". GameRankings. Retrieved 2013-06-08.
- "50 Cent: Bulletproof for Xbox". GameRankings. Retrieved 2013-06-08.
- "50 Cent: Bulletproof G Unit Edition for PSP". GameRankings. Retrieved 2013-06-08.
- "50 Cent: Bulletproof Critic Reviews for PlayStation 2". Metacritic. Retrieved 2013-06-08.
- "50 Cent: Bulletproof Critic Reviews for Xbox". Metacritic. Retrieved 2013-06-08.
- "50 Cent: Bulletproof G Unit Edition Critic Reviews for PSP". Metacritic. Retrieved 2013-06-08.
- Coffey, Robert (2006-08-31). "50 Cent: Bulletproof G Unit Edition". 1UP.com. Archived from the original on 2013-06-08. Retrieved 2013-06-08.
- Deci, T.J. "50 Cent: Bulletproof - Overview". Allgame. Retrieved 2013-06-08.
- Deci, T.J. "50 Cent: Bulletproof -- G Unit Edition - Overview". Allgame. Retrieved 2013-06-08.
- PSW Staff (2005-12-17). "Review: 50 Cent: Bulletproof". Computer and Video Games (PlayStation World). Archived from the original on 2008-06-19. Retrieved 2013-06-08.
- PSW Staff (2006-11-03). "Review: 50 Cent: G Unit Edition". Computer and Video Games (PlayStation World). Archived from the original on 2007-03-07. Retrieved 2013-06-08.
- "50 Cent: Bulletproof". Edge: 91. January 2006.
- "50 Cent: Bulletproof G Unit Edition". Electronic Gaming Monthly: 116. October 2006.
- Rossignol, Jim (2005-12-11). "50 Cent: Bulletproof Review". Eurogamer. Retrieved 2013-06-08.
- Whitehead, Dan (2006-11-12). "50 Cent: Bulletproof G-Unit edition Review". Eurogamer. Retrieved 2013-06-08.
- Helgeson, Matt (February 2006). "50 Cent: Bulletproof". Game Informer: 104. Archived from the original on 2008-01-11. Retrieved 2013-06-08.
- "50 Cent: Bulletproof G-Unit Edition". Game Informer: 146. November 2006.
- Ouroboros (2005-12-16). "Review: 50 Cent: Bulletproof". GamePro. Archived from the original on 2007-06-08. Retrieved 2013-06-08.
- Gerstmann, Jeff (2005-11-28). "50 Cent: Bulletproof Review (PS2)". GameSpot. Retrieved 2013-06-08.
- Navarro, Alex (2006-08-30). "50 Cent: Bulletproof G Unit Edition Review (PSP)". GameSpot. Retrieved 2013-06-08.
- Fischer, Russ (2005-12-06). "50 Cent: Bulletproof". GameSpy. Retrieved 2013-06-08.
- Leeper, Justin (2007-06-22). "50 Cent Bulletproof Review". GamesRadar+. Retrieved 2013-06-08.
- Edison, Bryce (2006-10-09). "50 Cent: Bulletproof G-Unit Edition Review". GamesRadar+. Retrieved 2013-06-08.
- "50 Cent: Bulletproof G-Unit Edition Review". GameTrailers. September 11, 2006. Retrieved 2013-06-08.
- Sandoval, Angelina (2006-09-24). "50 Cent: Bulletproof G-Unit Edition - PSP". GameZone. Archived from the original on 2008-10-05. Retrieved 2013-06-08.
- Roper, Chris (2005-11-21). "50 Cent: Bulletproof". IGN. Retrieved 2013-06-08.
- Roper, Chris (2006-08-28). "50 Cent: Bulletproof G-Unit Edition". IGN. Retrieved 2013-06-08.
- "50 Cent: Bulletproof Review". Official Xbox Magazine UK. January 2006.
- "50 Cent: Bulletproof". Official Xbox Magazine: 80. February 2006.
- "50 Cent: Bulletproof Review". PSM: 81. February 2006.
- "50 Cent: Bulletproof G Unit Edition Review". PSM: 82. November 2006.
- "50 Cent: Bulletproof Review". PSM3. January 2006.
- PSM3 Staff (2006-12-19). "Review: 50 Cent: Bulletproof: G-Unit Edition". PSM3: 98. Archived from the original on 2007-09-16. Retrieved 2013-06-08.
- Fisher, Matthew (2005-11-23). "50 Cent: Bulletproof Review". TeamXbox. Archived from the original on 2012-03-06. Retrieved 2013-06-09.
- "50 Cent: Bulletproof Review". X-Play. Archived from the original on 2007-01-01. Retrieved 2013-05-30.
- Mastrapa, Gus. "Reviews - 50 Cent: Bulletproof G Unit Edition". X-Play. Archived from the original on 2006-10-16. Retrieved 2013-06-08.
- Saltzman, Marc (2005-12-08). "'50 Cent: Bulletproof' produces stale gameplay". USA Today. Retrieved 2013-06-08.
- Hinkle, David (9 May 2009). "50 Cent: Blood on the Sand sales pale to Bulletproof". Engadget. AOL. Archived from the original on 27 June 2015. Retrieved 27 June 2015.
- Campbell, Colin; Keiser, Joe (July 29, 2006). "The Top 100 Games of the 21st Century". Next Generation. Archived from the original on October 28, 2007.
- "ELSPA Sales Awards: Gold". Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association. Archived from the original on March 19, 2009.
- Caoili, Eric (November 26, 2008). "ELSPA: Wii Fit, Mario Kart Reach Diamond Status In UK". Gamasutra. Archived from the original on September 18, 2017.
External links
- 50 Cent: Bulletproof at MobyGames
- 50 Cent: Bulletproof at MobyGames (PSP)