If you think classic rock and video games don’t go well together, you are mistaken. Rock legends – or better said, their digital avatars – have routinely shown up on the computer screens since the early days (some would say “the glory days”) of gaming. One of the famous personalities of classic rock who routinely showed up in video games was Lemmy, born Ian Fraser Kilmister, the founder, singer, songwriter, and bassist of the British rock band Motörhead. Lemmy was featured in everything from fantasy action games to online pokies that keep his memory alive to this day.
Motörhead (1992)
Built for the Commodore Amiga system by Kaitsu Software (and distributed by Virgin Games) in 1992, Motörhead put players in the role of Lemmy who had to investigate the kidnapping of his fellow band members. The game was a side-scrolling beat’em up that saw Lemmy fight increasingly tough enemies across six levels, armed with his bass guitar, and occasionally riding a bike.
Brütal Legend (2009)
Brütal Legend is a modern-day love letter to classic rock. Starring Jack Black as Eddie Riggs, “the world’s best roadie”, the game takes its players into a fantasy world entirely inspired by heavy metal created by “Ormagöden, The Eternal Firebeast, Cremator of the Sky, and Destroyer of the Ancient World” where he has to take on the evil Emperor Doviculus and his glam metal minion Lionwhyte (based on David Bowie, voiced by Rob Halford). Lemmy shows up in the game in the role of Kill Master, the bass-playing healer – the singer didn’t only lend his voice to the character but also his likeness.
The game is filled with amazing renditions of classic songs – it features more than 100 songs from 75 bands, covering every subgenre of heavy metal from industrial to doom.
Motörhead by NetEnt (2016)
While a bit unusual, NetEnt’s 2016 slot machine is still a tribute to one of the greatest personalities of rock music. The game is as simple as one might expect from a pokie machine – what makes it special is its visuals inspired by the lyrics and iconography of the band… and, of course, its soundtrack featuring songs like “Ace of Spades”, “Iron Fist”, “Killed by Death”, and “Overkill” – not to mention Lemmy’s likeness on the reels.
