This violent crime epic may be the most nostalgic game ever featured on this website.

Featuring an all star cast of some of Hip Hop’s biggest icons at the time, this violent crime thriller ticks off a lot of nostalgia boxes for gamer’s of a certain age.

For those of you who may not be familiar with Rapper, 50 Cent, it’s important to bring up his violent past. Born Curtis Jackson, 50 was raised in Queens, New York. His mother was shot and killed as a child and he was raised by his grandmother. Constantly in and out of juvenile prison and running with gangs at the age of twenty five he was gunned down in front of his Grandmother’s house. Sitting in his friends car he was shot nine times, one bullet even hitting his jaw. The assassination attempt was because of a song 50 had written detailing a notorious crack kingpin’s criminal dealings. He spent thirteen days in the hospital but it would be those circumstances that would alter the course of his life forever. He would focus on his music career even harder and within two years would be discovered by Dr. Dre’s protege, Eminem. For more of 50 Cent’s story here is an article on it.

So aside from it being an exceptional story of survival, luck and determination, 50 Cent’s well known shooting background also acts as a backdrop for his game 50 Cent Bulletproof. The game begins with 50 getting a call from his friend K-Dog in obvious distress at a drug deal gone wrong. As 50 leaves his apartment to go rescue his friend he rounds up his G-Unit gang members, (all apart of his musical group of the same name) and they quickly reach their destination where masked men with high power rifles descend upon them.

The Story Mode is mission based, in-between each mission it has you return to a home base of sorts named, “50’s Hood”. Here you can buy new and old 50 Cent and G-Unit videos and songs. Purchase more health, armor and Vitamin Water (which gives you more overall health). The whole thing would be a shameless cash grab/ extended commercial if the game wasn’t so damn fun.

They find the perfect balance between shameless self promotion and a game that caters to and repays fans. The gameplay mechanics are simple but they do the job. The voice acting isn’t great but it’s all of the real celebrities and hip hop heroes one could ever want. The story is bananas, violent and over the top with enough self awareness and humor sprinkled through to remind gamers that this isn’t meant to be taken seriously. This is pure mayhem infused entertainment and it’s a breathe of fresh air in the cultural wasteland we live in now where everything is required to have some sort of larger, bullshit reason to even exist.

This is pure unadulterated early 2000’s and I miss it.

Overall: 87% (SILVER)