Summary
Jack Black has beena big name within the film industryfor many years now, but he’s also portrayed the voice and motion capture for quite a few video game characters too. Jack has had the opportunity to play the leading role in one of the games he’s featured in thanks to his endless charisma and captivating way with words, but there have also been a few occasions where he’s been snuck in as more of a quick cameo who players can seek out during their adventure.
Anyone who has ever seen Jack Black on the big screen will know fully well that he goes all-in with his roles, but this doesn’t just apply to movies, as Jack is also just as fun and hilarious in the games he’s appeared in too. It’s time to take a closer look at the numerous video game characters Jack Black has played over the years, and what exactly has made each of them so memorable and iconic to many players.
Officer Dick has been a recurring character throughoutTony Hawk’s Pro Skaterseries for quite some time, but he was also played off as little more than a gag character. Vicarious Visions decided to make his character stand out a little more inthe remake of the first two gamesby getting Jack Black to provide the voice of the skateboard-obsessed police officer, and needless to say, he delivers some hilarious lines of dialogue while skating around the arenas.
Vicarious also went a step further in re-modeling Officer Dick to mimic Jack’s appearance as much as possible, resulting in a fantastic character design that stands out from the rest of the cast. With all this being said, it can be pretty easy to miss out on this character entirely since he can only be unlocked by finishing the Rags to Riches challenge, which is incredibly hard to complete, but considering how funny it is seeing Jack Black dressed up as a police officer while cruising on a skateboard, it’s well worth the time and effort.
Many of the more modernKing Konggames may not have been received very well by critics or fans, but themovie tie-in gamethat was released back in 2005 is held up by many as being one of the most underrated survival horror games ever made. However, while the intense FPS gameplay and incredible enemy designs helped make the game popular, the voice acting alsowent a very long way in adding to the immersion, especially from Jack Black, who plays the greedy screenwriter, Carl Denham.
Jack’s vocal performance is a lot more subdued and serious this time around compared to what many fans are used to hearing, but he still manages to do an excellent job of portraying a character who is both fascinated and terrified by his surroundings. Throughout the game, Carl finds himself in some pretty frightening scenarios, such as coming face to face with a T-rex and being surrounded by a swarm of flesh-hungry bugs, and Jack’s passionate and emotive delivery helps to drive home just how crazy and chaotic these sorts of situations would realistically be for any regular person.
A pairing between legendary game director Tim Schafer and iconic movie star Jack Black sounds like a match made in heaven, and thankfully, the two megastars got together once again for the development of thepoint-and-click adventure game,Broken Age. Anyone who has played Tim Schafer’s previous games will know that he’s a master at merging deep and emotional storylines with quirky and whimsical characters to create something truly unique, andBroken Ageis no exception, with the story focusing on themes of aging and reflecting on past regrets.
Luckily, the game never becomes too dark or depressing thanks to the lighthearted characters who occupy the world, one of which being the humorous yet mysterious entity known only as Harm’ny Lightbeard. Though he comes across as some sort of guru who claims to have all the answers that the player seeks, behind it all, he’s also a no-good crook who’s just trying to scam the player’s character out of their money. Jack Black does an excellent job of portraying this smooth-talking “Lifter of clouds,” and though he doesn’t get too much screen time, it’s still more than enough to make a big impression thanks to how memorable he makes the character.
After his fairly small cameo inBroken Age, Tim Schafer decided to invite Jack Black to play a much bigger role in his next project,Psychonauts 2, where Jack fills the shoes ofthe whacky and wonderful musician known as Helmut Fullbear. He doesn’t exactly start this way though, as when players first run into Helmut, he’s nothing more than a brain in a jar who’s been sealed away for over 20 years. After jumping through a few levels and taking on a myriad of formidable enemies, Raz eventually helps Helmut return to his body, resulting in one hell of a concert breaking out in celebration.
Jack doesn’t hold back with this performance either, belting out some hilarious lyrics that are complemented by the game’s absolutely stunning and very eye-catching visual style. With that being said, he’s still able to use a much more somber vocal tone when the character is getting more emotional, such as when he discusses the importance of the senses, and how they ultimately make us who we are. It’s a standout performance that helps to elevate Helmut as a character to a whole new level, making him a true fan favorite in the process.
Considering that Jack Black is already a huge metalhead, making him the protagonist of a game that is heavily inspired by rock musicians like Ozzy Osbourne and Tim Curry must have been a dream come true for the actor. This excitement most definitely shines through with his character, Eddie Riggs, a roadie who randomly finds himself waking up ina heavy-metal-themed worldfull of guitars, records, music stages, and a whole lot of creepy enemies who are lurking around every corner.
Because Eddie is an exaggerated portrayal of Jack himself, it means that he was given a ton of freedom to play the character in any way he wanted, resulting in one of the most hilarious, lovable, and charismatic protagonists ever seen in a game. Eddie is far from just a comic relief character though, as there are also plenty of more heartfelt scenes where Jack gets to show off his incredible vocal range, making the character much more believable as a result. It’s fair to say that Jack Black knocked it out of the park with his portrayal of Eddie, a character who’s since become iconic for just how fun and unique he is, which is a testament to Jack’s unmatched vocal talent and infectious charisma.
