Do you recognize these portraits from a computer game?
March 23, 2021 8:42 AM Subscribe
There is a 1988 computer game called Journey to the Center of the Earth that is based on the Jules Verne novel. I watched a video of someone playing it recently. The game has a character selection screen with four portraits of fictional scientists. This screenshot on Mobygames shows them:
Link to Mobygames.
Do you recognize the sources for these portraits?
I found a close match between "Francis Rutherford" and a portrait of Henrik Ibsen. This suggests all four images could be digitized images of well known people, with perhaps some retouching. Since I can't put names on the other faces, perhaps MeFites can help settle this bit of old computer game trivia.
I found a close match between "Francis Rutherford" and a portrait of Henrik Ibsen. This suggests all four images could be digitized images of well known people, with perhaps some retouching. Since I can't put names on the other faces, perhaps MeFites can help settle this bit of old computer game trivia.
Best answer: Wondering if Louis Burdon is a squeezed Gregor Mendel.
posted by Vortisaur at 8:54 AM on March 23, 2021 [3 favorites]
posted by Vortisaur at 8:54 AM on March 23, 2021 [3 favorites]
Best answer: Rossi looks a little like Charles Babbage's portraits?
posted by superlibby at 9:19 AM on March 23, 2021
posted by superlibby at 9:19 AM on March 23, 2021
If you remove Antonio Rossi's hair, he looks a bit like Mussolini, but that would be a strange choice, indeed.
posted by Dr. Wu at 9:24 AM on March 23, 2021
posted by Dr. Wu at 9:24 AM on March 23, 2021
Response by poster: I think Antonio Rossi's image is based on a portrait of Babbage with the hair looking darker. There are several versions of the portrait you can find with an image search. The darker hair could be on purpose, or just because of the low resolution. While Mussolini had hair when he was younger and the expression is somewhat reminiscent of him, I lean towards Rossi being based on Babbage.
But, just to make sure, I'll hold on for a while and let more eyes look at the picture. Unless someone convinces me differently from what I wrote above, I'll mark this as resolved in a day or so, and give superlibby best answer too. So far the two other answers clearly deserve being marked as best. Thanks!
posted by primal at 10:58 AM on March 23, 2021
But, just to make sure, I'll hold on for a while and let more eyes look at the picture. Unless someone convinces me differently from what I wrote above, I'll mark this as resolved in a day or so, and give superlibby best answer too. So far the two other answers clearly deserve being marked as best. Thanks!
posted by primal at 10:58 AM on March 23, 2021
Francis Rutherford looks immensely familiar, to the point where I think the source image may have been on a wall somewhere in my university days. Which would suggest it might be of someone in the sciences, with a possible Scottish connection, but I'd have to remember what building that picture was in to tell you the field.
posted by automatronic at 8:47 PM on March 23, 2021
posted by automatronic at 8:47 PM on March 23, 2021
Response by poster: @automatronic: I think you missed the part in my ask where I said I found on my own that Rutherford is Henrik Ibsen. I have a link in the part "under the fold" to the original portrait. Sorry if I structured my question to be needlessly confusing.
After taking a fresh look, I'll accept Charles Babbage as Antonio Rossi. It's close enough for me for the purposes of a casual ask like this.
posted by primal at 11:00 AM on March 24, 2021
After taking a fresh look, I'll accept Charles Babbage as Antonio Rossi. It's close enough for me for the purposes of a casual ask like this.
posted by primal at 11:00 AM on March 24, 2021
This thread is closed to new comments.
The other two are familiar but no names are coming forward.
posted by Vortisaur at 8:51 AM on March 23, 2021 [1 favorite]