Beastie Boys' Triple Trouble Online Game

Philadelphia Weekly
August 11, 2004

SPIN CYCLE

Beastie Boys Triple Trouble Online Game
www.capitolrecords.com/beastieboys/tripletrouble/

As the political convention season bears down upon us, the Beastie Boys offer a brief respite from the tension and mudslinging via Triple Trouble, a Frogger-inspired Flash animation game featured on their Capitol Records website.

The object is simple enough--guide your chosen B-Boy across a six-lane N.Y.C. highway where he can join the throngs of protesters rallying against the tyrannical policies of the current regime.

While this may sound easy enough in theory, the chips in this case are stacked squarely against the left-leaning lot. In order to safely traverse the blacktop expanse, the Beasties must maneuver their modest means of transportation--Ad Rock's skateboard, Mike D's scooter and, of course, MCA's low-rider bicycle--through an endless assault of tanks, Humvees and Bradley fighting vehicles manned by none other than the big three behind the war in Iraq: Bush, Rumsfeld and Rice.

If you're skillful--or socially conscious--enough to roll through the first 10 stages unscathed, the tables are turned and suddenly you're charged with guiding Condi, Rummy and Dubya into the hands of the protesters.

While this may seem destined to produce another beatdown à la the Timoney Three from the 2000 RNC, we've also come to see how ruthlessly Bushco regards the fate of loyal soldiers. Dare we guess how it may handle civil disobedients? (Joshua Valocchi)