Kingpin: Life of Crime

Kingpin: Life of Crime
Developer(s)Xatrix Entertainment
Publisher(s)Interplay Entertainment
Director(s)Drew Markham
Programmer(s)Rafael Paiz
Artist(s)
Composer(s)Cypress Hill
EngineOriginal
Quake II engine
Reloaded
Unity
KaPe Engine[4]
Platform(s)Linux, Microsoft Windows
Release
  • NA: June 28, 1999[2]
  • EU: July 9, 1999[1]
  • AU: 1999[3]
  • WW: December 5, 2023 (Reloaded)
Genre(s)First-person shooter
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Kingpin: Life of Crime is a first-person shooter developed by Xatrix Entertainment and published by Interplay Entertainment in June 1999.[5][6][7][8] The game begins with the player character wounded and beaten up by associates of the crime boss The Kingpin, and the story follows his thirst for revenge. Released shortly after the Columbine High School massacre, the game attracted controversy due to the overall timing of its release; thus, it was not sold by various retailers in the US, despite receiving generally positive reviews from critics. The game was also ported to Linux.[9]

In 2020, 3D Realms announced a partnership with Interplay Entertainment to release a remastered version of the game, titled Kingpin: Reloaded. It was initially planned for a release later that same year, but due to development issues the game got delayed. It was eventually released on December 5, 2023 for PC.[10][11]

  1. ^ "Gone Gold : EuroGold". Archived from the original on February 10, 2001. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
  2. ^ Fudge, James (June 28, 1999). "Kingpin: Life of Crime hits the streets". Computer Games Strategy Plus. Strategy Plus, Inc. Archived from the original on May 24, 2003. Retrieved May 21, 2021.
  3. ^ Clarke, Stuart (July 24, 1999). "Curses and corpses". The Sydney Morning Herald. p. 210. Retrieved April 15, 2024. Kingpin: Life of Crime//Price: $89.95//Classification: MA15+
  4. ^ "Is this a unity port? :: Kingpin: Reloaded General Discussions".
  5. ^ Mills, Justin (July 12, 1999). "Kingpin: Life of Crime (Page 3)". The Adrenaline Vault. Archived from the original on February 11, 2006.
  6. ^ Callaham, John (November 5, 2002). "HomeLAN Fed interview with Greg Goodrich". HomeLAN. Archived from the original on January 8, 2006.
  7. ^ Boal, Mark (July 19, 1999). "One step ahead of the law". Salon. Archived from the original on May 21, 2021. Retrieved May 21, 2021.
  8. ^ Takahashi, Dean (November 23, 1999). "Video-game violence back under attack". ZDNet. Red Ventures. Archived from the original on March 12, 2007. Retrieved May 21, 2021.
  9. ^ "Linux Kingpin". Blue's News. March 27, 2000. Archived from the original on November 10, 2018. Retrieved May 9, 2016.
  10. ^ Handley, Zoey (September 30, 2023). "Long Delayed Kingpin Reloaded Now Has a Release Date of December 5". Destructoid. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
  11. ^ Smith, Ed (December 5, 2023). "Controversial, cult classic FPS game is finally back after 24 years". PCGamesN. Retrieved December 5, 2023.