Move Over McFly – Video Games’ Alternate Future Visions Of 2015

Back to the Future II's vision of 2015 didn't quite pan out. With the exception of a Skype-like communication service that the McFly family uses within their homestead, most of the technology in the film is still very much science fiction. We don't have flying cars, hover boards, or pills that transform into full meals. Back to the Future II's fashion and sports predictions also didn't pan out. We don't wear two ties at once (although we could start that trend today), and all signs right now point to the Cubs not winning the World Series this year.

A few video games from yesteryear were also set in 2015, a year that game creators predicted would be filled with alien invasions and global war. Join us for a brief look back at these games' plots and futuristic views.

The Peace Keepers

Released by Jaleco for the Super Nintendo on December 17, 1993, this side-scrolling brawler came close to predicting a financial crash set in 2011. In our world, stocks in Europe, North America, the Middle East, and Asia, dropped sharply in August 2011 due to concerns over Europe's debt crisis. The game begins with the "economic wars of 2011," and transitions to show the state of the world four years later in 2015. After most nations went bankrupt, the world and most of its resources are controlled by the Deutchland Moldavia Corporation, a super power intent on reshaping the world to its vision. The DM's perfect world is never fully fleshed out in the game, but we do learn they are trying to create 'super beings' by mixing biology with nanotechnology. The closet we've come to doing something like this in the real world is Barry Bonds.

We played The Peace Keepers on a recent episode of Replay. You can find the episode below.

Ninja Blade

From Software's vision of 2015 is filled with ninjas, kaiju, and all sorts of cool things like motorcycles, and space trains. The game, which released for Xbox 360 on April 7, 2009, begins with a village being attacked by mutant creatures. The survivors were infected with an alien parasite called the "Alpha-Worm." The infected patients eventually went bonkers and they were all killed. The government wiped out all traces of the facility and the parasite. To ensure an event like this never happened again, the world created the secretive G.U.I.D.E. (Global United Infestation Detection and Elimination) group. Since all of this is secret, and most of our governments keep secrets from us, From Software's predictions are all likely true. If you think you may be infected by an Alpha-Worm, seek a doctor or ninja immediately.

We played Ninja Blade on a recent episode of Replay. You can find the episode below. You can also find our review of the game here.

Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation

Ace Combat 6 begins in a world embroiled in war recovering from a war that was brought about by a devastating asteroid shower. It's a difficult, troubled place, but technologically, not all too different from the world of 2007 – which is when the game released. There is an experimental airplane called the Nosferatu which has vertical internal weapon bays, uses electromagnetic launchers, and experimental anti-aircraft railguns. That all sounds pretty fancy, and could very likely exist today considering what we know about airplane technology. The game's opening cutscene also features a school bus and a portable radio, two pieces of technology which are widely known to be obsolete.

Soldiers of Anarchy

Released in 2002, 13 years ahead of the year the game represents, Soldiers of Anarchy features an Earth ravaged by Spontaneous Genome Degeneration Syndrome. Billions died due to the disease and the player is part of a group of soldier survivors who have been living in a bunker for a decade. The pre-disease world is referred to as "Old Time", there are locations like New Boston, and there is also a suspicious of a group of monks known as the Children Of The Undying Child. No one trusts anyone, there is a thing called a Death Knight cyborg, and Mad Max: Fury Road feels more like a documentary than a hit Hollywood film, so it's more or less a perfect prediction of what life is like in the world today.

Alien Soldier

Back on November 5, 1995, Sega and developer Treasure released Alien Soldier for Sega Genesis, a game that predicted we might have settled on a different planet by now. According to the game, the planet Sierra is under siege by an alien terrorist group known as Scarlet. The war prevents humans from traveling outside the universe. Scarlet's members can somehow use parasitic abilities to allow them to live inside of human beings, animals, and machinery. As ridiculous as all of this sounds, odds are, Sierra is in the galaxy that our scientists are studying because they think it may hold alien life. All of this sounds legit to us.

Who do you think came the closest to representing current day? Also, which future (but also sort of present) do you want to live in? You have to pick one.