Blatant clone or marketing hoax? The curious case of Tokyo 41 and Tokyo 42

Alleged footage from an emulated version of Tokyo 41.

The game industry isn't a stranger to accusations that a new game is just a lightly reskinned clone of another title. But there's that, and then there's the "cloning" debate surrounding Tokyo 42 and its alleged inspiration, a 30-year-old ZX Spectrum and PC game called Tokyo 41.

As manufactured controversies go, this one leaves a lot to be skeptical of. As clever marketing plans go, though, it's an interesting public performance that touches on some real issues in modern gaming.

The first mention of a game called Tokyo 41 anywhere on the Internet seems to have come from a Twitter account belonging to alleged developer Mark Followill. On the same day the account was created, Followill replied to Tokyo 42 publisher Mode 7 Games with a couple of CGA-style screenshots of Tokyo 41. Those shots heavily resemble Tokyo 42's isometric shooter gameplay despite Tokyo 41 allegedly being originally published in 1987. "It is clear that this game is strongly similar to my game Tokyo 41 which you are clearly aware of," Followill tweeted.

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