16-bit Die Hard promo game is the real deal

Branded games to promote movies are big business for digital agencies right now. With so many competing for attention, it can be hard to stand out. So when Fox Home Entertainment asked freeform.LA to create a promotional online game to accompany the digital release of the latest Die Hard movie, A Good Day To Die Hard, full-service agency freeform.LA decided to go down the retro route.

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"As Original Nintendo fans ourselves, we thought a 16-bit theme would be a perfect fit," explains Sarah-Jane Dalby, director of digital. "This was also a total geek-out moment for myself and the rest of the creative team too."

But while for some, the novelty value alone would have been enough, freeform.LA really wanted to push the envelope. "We really wanted to create a game that could stand-up to the high standards of fellow gamers," stresses Dalby.

Built using HTML5 and playable on both mobile devices and desktop computers, the game is designed to be a serious challenge. "Level 3 is tricky," says Dalby, "but as we are paying homage to some of our favourite, childhood 16-bit games, we wanted to create a real game that’s very playable, not just another piece of marketing fluff that leaves you feeling unsatisfied.”

The agency's passion for the genre shines through, and the branded game is both cool looking and brilliant fun to play. Even if you didn't think much of the movie, this is a great way to wile away some down-time. Play it here (but don't let your boss see you).

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Have you seen any cool video games on the web? Let us know in the comments below!