The cultural consciousness loves the ‘Akira Slide’; a single second within the 1988 anime film Akira the place Shōtarō Kaneda, following a motorcycle race, skids throughout the tarmac to sluggish himself down, going through the display screen, his bike side-on, trails of smoke billowing up from the highway. After all, he might use his brakes, nevertheless it wouldn’t be as flashy now, would it not? Distributors Toho knew what they have been doing after they slapped Kaneda and the bike on the film poster.
Even if you happen to’ve by no means seen the film, you’ve virtually undoubtedly seen the physics-defying Akira Slide. 37 years later, TV showrunners, animators, and administrators can’t get sufficient of that easy skid. It’s featured in every thing from Batman: The Animated Collection to Journey Time to Jordan Peele’s 2022 sci-fi horror Nope to even lovable exhibits like Doraemon and the Pokémon anime.
And naturally, Shadow the Hedgehog even bought his personal likelihood to do it within the Sonic the Hedgehog 3 film final 12 months.
It’s pure, then, that video video games equally fell in love with this seconds-spanning second. The most recent instance sees house bounty hunter and all-around badass Samus Aran in Metroid Prime 4: Past, using Vi-O-La and braking in the very same movement as Kaneda almost 4 many years in the past (really greater than that if you happen to depend the 1982 manga, the place it’s much more low-key).
By some means, I’d satisfied myself that Samus had already finished the Akira Slide; Vi-O-La was revealed means again in September, and he or she’s by no means had a bike earlier than. What higher method to introduce her fancy new gear than by doing one thing flashy with it? But this week’s ‘Survive’ trailer (beneath) is the primary time she’s finished this.
From what we find out about Prime 4, Samus is on a planet known as Viewros, and he or she’s making an attempt to flee. This trailer pits her in opposition to many unfamiliar creatures, aliens, and hulking foes, a lot of that are new to the Metroid collection. And he or she’s ‘surviving’.
Truly, she appears to be like like she’s kicking butt. Her Akira Slide in direction of the top, proper earlier than Sylux makes an look, establishes that. Samus is highly effective. And whereas she is perhaps caught out by Sylux’s entrance (no less than, the response seems to be a part of the identical scene), she’s nonetheless largely in management. The shot frames her as able to take motion.
It’s not possible to disclaim that Samus is cool; she’s an icon in Nintendo’s storied historical past and an vital feminine character and position mannequin for ladies, girls, anybody. However Metroid is a collection that I don’t outline for its ‘coolness’. Sure, the power-ups and the upgrades supply an influence fantasy that builds over the course of the sport. However Metroid is the ambiance, at the start. Even the Prime video games.
They’re additionally fairly rattling scary at instances. Metroid Dread has some unsettling moments even exterior of the hectic E.M.M.I. sequences. Tremendous Metroid will without end be one among my favorite video games due to the creepy hallways of Brinstar and Norfair, of watching Crocomire’s pores and skin soften off within the lava after which getting jumpscared by the skeleton because it makes an attempt to take your life one final time. Or Mom Mind not simply being a mind, however some cybernetic alien dinosaur that very virtually does kill you. And don’t even get me began on the Chozo Ghosts in Prime. Samus wants these moments of cool.
Akira scared me as a child; it’s nonetheless unsettling at the moment.
Metroid’s Akira Slide is definitely the proper comparability level to the unique. As a result of, like Metroid, Akira’s ‘coolness’ isn’t the factor that sticks with me. The Akira Slide is just one cool second that takes place within the first 5 minutes of the film, a movie filled with grotesque imagery, horrifying corruption, and youngster experiments, and (admittedly) a number of cool moments.
What I bear in mind is the cyberpunk surroundings and ambiance soaked in rust and neon and petrol, the biker gangs and violence, and the quite-honestly-terrifying physique horror sequences in direction of the top. Akira scared me as a child; it’s nonetheless unsettling at the moment.
However the slide is vital, as a result of Kaneda is establishing himself within the film; he is the one to beat, he is the ‘hero’, he is the character we’ll see the world by way of.
It additionally units up tonal expectations which might be later dashed. Is that this a cool motion film? Generally! Will there be physique horror? At this level, you haven’t any thought. It pairs completely with Samus’ personal power-versus-the-unknown.
More often than not, although, the slide isn’t utilized in that means. Suda51’s No Extra Heroes isn’t precisely identified for subtlety, so when it slapped an Akira Slide on the finish of a trailer for a faux TV present selling No Extra Heroes III, I wasn’t stunned. The entire level of those video games is the ultraviolence, the silliness, the meta and popular culture references, the ‘coolness’ of them. Travis Landing additionally does the Akira Slide on the finish of each Bike Mission.
However the world of No Extra Heroes is fairly tousled; within the third sport, mega companies construct whole islands and murderous aliens create faux, murderous competitions based mostly round turning into a superhero. We want that goofiness, that silliness, and people moments of coolness.
Sq. Enix additionally couldn’t assist (watch out of spoilers right here) placing the slide in Closing Fantasy VII Remake, too, one other sport the place gentle reduction is all the time welcome. I received’t discuss it right here, however the bike sequence from the unique is a bit more fleshed-out right here with increased stakes. Cloud additionally thinks he’s cool, however my favorite defining trait of his? He’s really a little bit of a doofus, and that’s emphasised in Rebirth extra. We’ll let him have the slide.
Cyberpunk 2077, clearly, needed to have the well-known slide in it, and it’s one of many ones you may really do, too; V can deliver their bike to a cease by angling it simply proper. Once more, who wants brakes? Cyberpunk is one gigantic homage to the style, in order one of many defining ‘issues’ of anime cyberpunk, this was necessary.
It’s additionally the one means any of us will have the ability to do the Akira Slide with out inflicting a site visitors accident in actual life.
Whether or not it is character introductions in combating video games (thanks, Road Fighter VI) or skidding on ink in Splatoon 3, the Akira Slide by no means fails to impress. Even when it’s not utilized in the very same means as the unique film. It’s only a very easy, fashionable motion that makes you look fairly darn smokin’
Nevertheless it does transcend coolness. Amidst chaos, amidst despair, and amidst the horrors of house, the Akira Slide is there to remind you that this character means enterprise; they seem to be a insurgent with a trigger, establishing their energy or dominance in a single second, just like the modern-day (or futuristic) equal of drawing your sword at first of a battle, or making eye-contact throughout a duel.
Nothing will cease anybody from ensuring you — and your enemies — know who’s in cost. Not even the legal guidelines of physics.
What’s your favorite Akira Slide in a online game? Does Samus now take the crown because the queen of the bikes? Tell us within the feedback.
