TODAY’S GAMES ON FILM ARE …
SUPER NINTENDO (1990) Nintendo
EARTHBOUND (1995) HAL Laboratory, APE Inc, Nintendo
Virtual Boy (1994) Nintendo
Game Boy (1989) Nintendo
Playstation (1994) Sony
Pokémon (1995-pressent) Game Freak, Creatures Inc., Nintendo
Game Boy Color (1998) Nintendo
XBOX (2001) Microsoft
“Frasier” (1993-2004) was created by David Angell, Peter Casey, and David Lee. A spin-off series from Cheers (1982-1993), created by Glen and Les Charles, where the character originally appeared at the start of Season 3. Both are excellent comedy series with many now classic episodes.
The series Frasier
Moving to Seattle from Boston, Frasier Crane works as a call-in radio therapist along with his producer, Roz Doyle (Peri Gilpin). Frasier’s plans for a stylish bachelor pad are cut short when his ex-police officer father, Martin (John Mahoney), along with his Jack Russell terrier (Moose), move in. Later, joined by a “psychic” physical therapist from Manchester, Daphne Moon (Jane Leeves).
Rounding out the main cast is Frasier’s brother, Niles (David Hyde Pierce), who is also a psychologist, and eventually marries Daphne, but for the first few seasons is married to “Maris,” who is frequently mentioned but is never seen or heard on screen throughout the entire series.
On its surface, the series has a very intellectual appearance when compared to its contemporaries of the era, which may put people off, but this isn’t the case. The series is very well written, and the jokes come more from Frasier trying to navigate situations while always trying to save face. rather than jokes trying to out smart the audience. A lot of the comedy and even some drama comes from the clash of ideas and values. As well as the generations differences between Frasier and his father.
The series is a mastery of farce and has perhaps one of the best supporting casts of any sitcom, including, but not limited toTom McGowan as radio manager Kenny Daly, Dan Butler’s role as Bob “Bulldog” Briscoe, and Frasier’s agent, Harriet Sansom Harris as Bebe Glazer.
Here are some select episodes where video games just so happen to appear…
“Frasier Grinch” S3, Ep9 (Dec 19, 1995)
It’s Christmas Eve, and everything is going as planned until the educational gifts Frasier has mail-ordered for his son, Freddie, haven’t arrived! With Freddie’s arrival in just a few short hours, Frasier and Niles head to the mall for some last-minute gifts. At the mall’s toy store, Fraiser struggles to find any educational toys, having to haggle with a stranger to buy some educational toys from the now-closed “YOUNG MINDS” store. (Not to sound like a Scrooge, but why would they close, when clearly other stores are still open?)
The Scene
In the toy store, an Earthbound box clearly stands out in the background, but that’s not all, there are SNES boxes and a Virtual Boy box, which seems to be facing backwards for some reason. While it’s difficult to spot, there are also some Game Boys on the other side of the bottom shelf. An extra can also be seen walking around holding a Game Boy box.
The games behind the boxes
Were these boxes empty? Where are they now? Who has the Frasier Earthbound!? Answers we’ll likely never know.
This is quite a strange store display. A mix of video games and other toys instead of a dedicated video game section. Then again, this was only a set, and so not necessarily a 100% accurate depiction of an actual shop floor.
Earthbound launched June 5, 1995, in North America (Aug 27 94 in Japan). Europe wouldn’t get it until 2013, on the the WIIU Virtual Console. Earthbound was later released on the New Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console in 2016. It was also one of the 21 games included in the SNES CLASSIC mini console in 2017. Most recently, Earthbound was added to Nintendo Switch Online in 2022.
Earthbound wasn’t the beloved classic it is now; back then it was more of a hard sell, even when it included a player’s strategy guide. RPGs were even more niche, but had a dedicated following. Earthbound broke the norm with a contemporary Americana setting opposed to the fantasy and medieval themes that were synonymous with the genre. The marketing for Earthbound was also arguably mismanaged, so it likely confused and turned consumers away.
It wasn’t long before Earthbound was marked down for clearance, impossible to imagine now, considering the high price tag the game commands.
“The Apparent Trap” S7, EP9 (Nov 18, 1999)
The scene
Frederick (Revor Einhorn) and his Uncle Niles (David Hyde-Pierce) can be seen playing an original PlayStation with some sort of third-party red PlayStation controller. In a later scene, Niles and Lilith (Bebe Neuwirth) (Frasier’s ex-wife) play.
Once again, the writers use generic gaming techno-babble to describe the gameplay. The red third-party controller is also something of note, given how many third-party controllers were available at the time, and that it’s quite difficult to get a good look at the controller it’s not easy to 100% identify. However it could possibly be a Mad Cat’s or Logic Tech controller.
The writers used this rare situation of Niles playing a video game quite well, for some character based jokes. Niles somehow manages to die in the tutorial stage, which is quite a funny idea.
Are they playing?
No, although this is perhaps one time when having a character awkwardly hold and tap buttons pays off, being that Niles wouldn’t be at all familiar with how to play video games. Later, when Lilth plays, she holds the controller in a completely different way; again, this is actually a nice attention to detail for the character, confidently trying to do something (even with little knowledge.)
There is also what looks like a PlayStation game case that can be seen in the background in certain parts.
Although they are not playing the lighting cues from the TV screen really add to the scene. Their general performance is one of the better examples of pretend playing, only let down by the fact that the buttons they press don’t necessarily correspond to the way most games are played.
The episode aired in late 1999, the PS2 was on the horizon, but the PlayStation still remained one of the more popular systems that came out of the mid 90s. The original “graystation” would see a slimming redesign in 2000 with the “PlayStation One.” The original PlayStation was discontinued worldwide in 2006.
“The Three Faces of Frasier” S7, EP21 (May 4, 2000)
In this episode Frasier gets a caricature drawn of himself to be hung on a restaurant’s wall that displays caricatures of its famous clientele. Frasier is, of course, displeased with his caricature and goes to great lengths to change it. Meanwhile, it’s Roz’s daughter Alice’s birthday.
The Scene
In the episode, it’s Roz’s daughter Alice’s birthday. One of the refreshments at Alice’s birthday party, according to Roz is “Pokémon Punch.”
The Games
A small line, but an acknowledgment of Pokémon all the same. On a larger note, this is one off line/joke is evidence of just how quickly Pokémon’s popularity grew that it could be used as a line in Frasier.
Pokémon was (and still is) huge, especially in the late 90s and early 2000s. Given that there were many Pokémon-branded food product tie-ins at this time it’s possible that “Pokémon Punch” did exist in some form.
Cranes Unplugged S8 EP10 (Jan 16, 2001)
In an effort to connect with his son, Frasier and Freddie, along with Martin, go on a camping trip.
The Scene
When Freddy comes to visit Frasier, he brings with him a Game Boy Colour and a stack of games. (See picture)
The Games
It’s a little hard to see what games Freddy has exactly, but what looks like the Mission Impossible logo can just about be made out. (on the game on the top of the stack) There is also what looks like the box of the Game Boy Color itself. (Carrying around the Game Boy in its box, and not a case, did anyone else really do this?)
War of the Words S9, EP 18 (March 12, 2002)
In this episode Freddy competes in a Spelling Bee. More importantly while in Frasier’s apartment, he plays on an Xbox.
The scene
Part of this episode see Frasier’s son, Freddie, play an original Xbox, and we see a return of the big Ass Duke controller (last seen in Smallville GOF#15). The gameplay sound effects used in the scene seem to be taken from Defender, Williams Electronics, 1981.
The Games
Microsoft’s XBOX (2001) was the newcomer on the console scene at the time. By this point in time, when the episode aired, SEGA had officially dropped out and gone third-party. The XBOX’s main competition was THE PLAYSTATION 2 (2000) and GAME CUBE (2001).
Frasier, on Game Boy Color?
Now, if only this game made its way into the Frasier reboot series, the circle would be complete.
To conclude
A good range of games and references, a lot of these Games on Film are connected to Freddy Crane. This would only seem natural as none of the main cast would seek out video games on their own. Although I speculate that Frasier would enjoy the mind-challenging gameplay of Tetris.
The series had a long run spanning decades. It actually tracks video game trends fairly well, starting in the 90s with the SNES, then later with the Playstation then to the explosive popularity of Pokémon in the early to late 90s and 2000s, to the introduction of the Xbox.
Grub Street Productions
Grammnet Productions
Paramount Television
Paramount Domestic Television
NBC
(Frasier Screen Shots) Credit: Edward La Barbera