WHHAT: 8-Bit Battle
Revenge of the gamers.
This week we have a “Not Like Us” mobile game from Richie Branson and perhaps one of the first instances of a hip-hop video game beef “back & forth”.
This dropped back in July 2024 however I’ve been reviving a “Big 3” project and was researching all things “Kendrick vs. Drake”. I wanted to share this game because I found lots of inspiration from the designer which has motivated me to take a Chance on a smaller project very soon (stay tuned).
“Not Like Us” The Game
The Kendrick vs. Drake beef officially crossed over into the video game world courtesy of this Whac-A-Mole style game from game designer Richie Branson:
Set to an 8-bit version of DJ Mustard's "Not Like Us" beat, the game recreates the "Not Like Us" music video at the crescendo moment of the song:
"WOP" subtitles added for emphasis.
Branson shared the site on Twitter. In the credits, he calls it "a free love letter to video games and hip-hop".
He also lists his prior experience in the credits, including designing games for Bleacher Report and working for Epic Games as a designer on Fortnite.
Inspiration
During his promo and well-deserved celebrations (including 2 million game-plays) I’m glad he tweeted his route to success:
I hope he can inspire more game designers and developers to believe in alternate routes into the "industry".
He also shared this tweet which has inspired some of my own ideas:
Wop Wop Wop Wop
So with that, give "Not Like Us" a try!
FYI according to Branson, the game has an intentional "spike in difficulty above 17, so any score 18 and above should be celebrated".
Team Drake’s Unofficial Response
But wait–!
Within a week, an anonymous* game developer released a “response” game:
The objective of the game is to “feed” Grammy’s to Kendrick, a reference to Drake’s sarcastic (and hilarious) line on “Family Matters”:
In case there’s a question of whether this game was a direct response to Brandon’s game, the credits say “THAT NOT LIKE US GAME WAS TRASH” 😅.
* I say “anonymous” because I don’t believe anyone has claimed the development of this game. The credits mention 13DEUX but I haven’t been able to track them down.
Wrap Up
Thanks for tuning in, new projects on the way!
Peace!✌🏽