Antony Mackie stars as John Doe in the much anticipated television adaptation of the classic game franchise,Twisted Metal, which has just been released on Peacock. The show is set in a post-apocalyptic world where the fastest cars and the deadliest weapons are the only way to survive the carnage. John Doe is a delivery driver with amnesia who gets embroiled in the middle of it all with his car, Evelyn. A normal life evades him, as he struggles to remember the family he once had. His latest job is to deliver a mysterious package which leads him on a journey across the country. As expected, he encounters bad drivers along the way who are clearly out for blood.
Twisted Metalspawned 10 games across a 17-year period, and it was only a matter of time beforethe video game franchiseexpanded into scripted drama. Now it’s gotten the TV treatment, and fans of the games have been eagerly trying to spot all the Easter eggs in the new show. But even the most dedicated fan is bound to miss some of the references to the games.
10Suburbs Level
When John Doe is introduced in the TV series, he’s bustling through many shops in the Ridgepointe Center mall. This location is featured heavily in theTwisted Metal: Blacklevel “Suburbs.” It’s the second level in the game, but the player must choose between this level or one called Freeway.
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Suburbs was always a fan favorite choice, as good as the Freeway one is. The creators of the TV series have clearly taken note of the fans love of this level and included it at the beginning of the show.
9Playstation Game Case
During the opening battle sequence involving the introduction of John Doe, there are explosions aplenty as things go from bad to worse. However, one very interesting thing survives the carnage.
A PlayStation game case appears on John’s windshield before he brushes it away with the wipers. This is a pristinecopy of the originalTwisted Metalgame from 1995. It’s a great nod to the original game, whilst also providing humor. Despite the damage going on around it, the game remains untouched. Blink and it’ll be missed, but fans of the games will be delighted with this nostalgia-filled moment.
8Invincibility Code
No game is complete without cheat codes. Despite some fans insisting on completing games without them, sometimes gamers have to use them to progress to the next stage, or even just to see what they do.
TheTwisted Metalgame series was full ofcheat codes, and the show makes a nod to this when John Doe implements one into his car. When trying to escape Sweet Tooth, his car, Evelyn, breaks down, until John jumps into the driver’s seat and inputs the invincibility cheat code fromTwisted Metal 2.It might go over the heads of new fans to the franchise, but long time fans will delight in the reference to the games.
7Raven
Screamstar Neve Campbell is a good enough reason to watch any show or film, and when she turns up inTwisted Metal, she elevates the show to a new level.
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Campbell plays the leader of New San Francisco and her character was originally introduced inTwisted Metal: Black. She was a young Goth girl in the games, but has been changed somewhat in the TV series. Fans may need to do a double take to recognize that her character is actually based on someone from the games. But Neve Campbell owns the role, and plays off Anthony Mackie very well.
6Twisted Metal: Small Brawl
The two kids playing with remote control cars outside Radio shack might seem like a random event in the TV series, but that is very much not the case. This is a reference toTwisted Metal: Small Brawl, which was released on the PlayStation way back in 2001.
The game was an attempt to appeal to younger fans, as it was originally titled Twisted Metal Kids in production. The two cars that the kids are playing with in the show strike an uncanny resemblance to Hammerhead and Crimson Fury from the game, so it’s clearly a cheeky little nod to it.
5Agent Shepherd
At first glance, Agent Shepherd in the Television series might seem like a run-of-the-mill FBI agent. However, the character was first introduced inTwisted Metal: Head On. He became the new driver of Crimson Fury and played a key role in the game.
In the show, Shepherd is Agent Stone’s first in command, and he’s expertly portrayed by Jared Bankens. Kudos to the makers of the series for putting Agent Shepherd in the mix, and linking him to Stone through their shared love of Crimson Fury.
4Cypress Hill
ThesoundtracktoTwisted Metal’s first season is off the charts in terms of tracks filled with nostalgia. However, there’s one particular band that feature in the very first episode which link to the games, and fans might’ve missed the reference.
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In the show, John Doe races around in his car, listening to “(Rock) Superstar” by Cypress Hill. Fans think this could be a nod toTwisted Metal 4, as Cypress Hill’s song “Lightning Strikes” features on the road rage level. Of course, this could be pure coincidence, but it’s doubtful as a great deal of attention has been made to link the games to the TV series.
3Blackfield Asylum
John gets the tour of Sweet Tooth’s casino living space in the TV series, and he comes across a jacket that reads Blackfield Asylum, which has the name Kane M embroidered on it, which is Sweet Tooth’s real name.
This is a very clear reference toTwisted Metal: Black,which features Blackfield Asylum as a place where the characters reside and are then recruited by Calypso to join his deadly game. It’s another nice little Easter egg toTwisted Metal: Black,which features heavily in the TV series.
2Harold
There’s no doubt thatSweet Toothis a weird and wonderful character, but just when fans thought he couldn’t get any weirder, the show introduces viewers to his best friend, Harold. There’s a twist, though: Harold is a crumpled-up brown paper bag. As best friends go, this is rather weird. But Harold’s appearance in the TV show isn’t just a strange indulgence, as he dates back to the original game.
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In the orignalTwisted Metalgame, Sweet Tooth wins the original tournament, and tells Calypso that he wants to have this bag, named “Harold the Wacky Lunch Sack,” back in his possession, to Calypso’s dismay. He drives off, delighted to be back with his best friend. It’s an amazing Easter egg to bring Harold back in the TV series, and just shows how committed the creators are to honoring the games' legacy.
1Sweet Tooth’s Appearance
Fans had to wait until the end of the first episode to meet Sweet Tooth, the maskedserial killer. Will Arnett provides the voice, and wrestler Samoa Joe portrays him in the TV series.
Twisted Metal: Blackportrayed Sweet Tooth as a more physical presence than previous entries, and he’s definitely similar in appearance in the TV show. However, the mask he wears is more like the one he had in the 2012 remake. Depending on whether a Season 2 is greenlit, fans may see more similarities with his appearance in the games.
