- J. Persico ing an animated Clouseau
around MGM Studios (I The Pink Panther was born in
guess UA lost the rights the opening sequence of the
by this time). Mini-games eponymous 1963 United Artists
were based on corny film comedy starring David
spoofs of then-popular Niven and Peter Sellers. How-
and classic movies (one of ever, in the film, the Pink Pan-
which might have even ther was the name of a price-
been based on an actual less jewel that thief David Niven
MGM film). was determined to pilfer and the
ever-bumbling Inspector Head Games paid for its
Clouseau (Peter Sellers) was hubris; the game bombed
tasked with protecting. at retail and drew critical
derision. Still, game com-The literal Pink Panther, how-
panies can be slow on the
ever, who traipsed through that uptake.
movie‟s credits was the creation
of animation legend Friz Fre- French developer Cryo
leng. UA saw potential in the sneered at history and
mute, soft crimson kitty and Friz‟ opted to Think Pink in
DePatie-Freleng studio were 2002 by releasing Pinka-
signed up to create a bunch of delic Pursuit on the Play-
cartoons. Station (a GBA edition
developed by Japanese The cartoons pretty much
Wanadoo FTG escaped a sucked. Pink wasn‟t much of a
year later). Anybody want character, he didn‟t speak, had
to guess how they sold? no personality and other than
That‟s right, Pinkadelic the cartoons in which he bedev-
was Stinkadelic and the ils a cartoon version of
marketplace agreed. Clouseau, no purpose. He kept
turning up, in repackaged se- Despite sporadic appear-
ries, the odd special and even a ances in a Sony mobile
cereal in the early 70s. phone game in 2004 and
a couple of forgettable The character is probably best
interactive adventures for
remembered as a silent pitch- the PC by Wanderlust
man in a series of animated TV
Pink Panther Movie Poster Interactive in ‟96, Pink ads for Owens-Corning insula-
has yet to make a positive tion and, more recently, Sweet „n‟ Low. I than a short demo, but Gerry Michaelson
impression on the game playing community.
think that says everything we need to know gave me a five-foot tall Pink Panther plush
about this feline non-entity, but for the fact with these giant feet. I had some serious fun The upside to unsuccessful games based
that he also polluted the world of video on the cab ride home from the airport after on an established, licensed character, how-
gaming. that show.” ever, is collectability. I can‟t even guess
what a copy of the US Games or Odyssey Pink first appeared on a video game screen, For Mr. Kunkel‟s sake, I hope his plush
prototypes would be worth. From the 90s according to Electronic Games co-founder lasted longer than the O2 Pink Panther
on, Pink Panther games turn up at yard Bill Kunkel. In an effort by US Games, ar- game, which was aborted when Magnavox
sales and online auctions now and then but guably the first third-party software pub- pulled the plug on its entire video game
the collector who turns their eye upon the lisher for the Atari 2600 (probably best operation.
Panther of Pink is in for a long and frustrat-known for Gopher), a Pink Panther game
It was around that time that Pink began to ing search, if history teaches us anything.
was shown at the Summer 1981 CES. “I develop a reputation as a jonah, a jinxed
remember that the Panther was pretty small character. In fact,
but he looked good against an all-black no other company
screen.” Kunkel claimed not to remember licensed the char-
any game-play specifics, but is a first- acter for another
person witness to the fact that the game decade, until the
was at least partially developed. development group
Alas, US Games went out of business be- Altron and pub-
fore the game could be released. lisher Head Games
released Pink Pan-
Pink disappeared from the game radar for ther Goes to Holly-
several years until the Odyssey2 was ready wood for the SNES/
to buy the farm. “I think it was at the same Genesis. This was
show where [Magnavox] debuted the never- an ambitious, if
released Odyssey3 and they had a Pink ridiculous project
Panther game. I don‟t recall much more that saw Pink chas-
Atari 2600 Pink Panther Prototype
45 | Video Game Trader Magazine | July 2008 |
www.VideoGameTrader.com
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