Thanks to Hamada and Source Gaming alumnus TheAnvil for helping with edits.
Dead Rising proudly sits among my all-time favorite games. Its immediate appeal is its zombies, mindless enemies players can kill and interact with in a variety of violent or goofy ways. On a deeper level, Dead Rising is a tense game unlike any other, forcing players to learn its map, pre-scripted events, and mechanics – especially its timer, which everything is built around. I can’t recall exactly how I was introduced to Capcom’s Xbox 360 classic, but upon its release exactly fifteen years ago, it became a ubiquitous entity among my social circle. We shared stories, compared strategies, and enjoyed watching each other play.
Adam MacIntyre, seen in 2006’s Dead Rising (Image: Capcom)
A Japanese interpretation of American culture, the first Dead Rising is set in the Willamette Parkview Mall and stars freelance photojournalist Frank West. Seeking a big scoop, the latter flies to the former and gets far more than he bargained for – a zombie outbreak has overtaken the town. Several hapless individuals are trapped within the shopping center, struggling for survival. But some of those people broke under the extreme pressure, succumbing to the chaos enveloping Willamette, and lash out. Many of these dysfunctional foes, like sexual predator Jo Slade, are purely malicious, taking advantage of the outbreak for their own ends. Others, meanwhile, are victims in their own right. Who couldn’t sympathize with Cliff Hudson, the traumatized Vietnam War veteran? However, we’re celebrating and mourning the most iconic of Rising’s rogues today.
Adam’s History
Sometime prior to Dead Rising, Adam MacIntyre – better known as Adam the Clown – was a performer, bringing laughter to kids visiting Willamette’s mall. However, that tragically came to an abrupt end once zombies entered the Wonderland Plaza. Having witnessed his audience be senselessly devoured before him, Adam snaps. Shortly thereafter, Frank infiltrates the mall and begins investigating. As his first day there starts winding down, he receives a call from the janitor, Otis, about Wonderland’s wayward roller coaster. Should players accept this side scoop, “Out of Control,” they’re led to its control mechanism, and upon examining it, Adam makes a cinematic entrance. As the deranged jokester (sort of) explains, he’s keeping the zombies away from the roller coaster, which his captive and a few bloody dolls are occupying. Then, he fights Frank, dropping the key card needed to deactivate the ride upon being slain. Additionally, clearing Dead Rising’s whole story unlocks its “Infinity Mode,” an open-ended sandbox where Adam can be fought twice.
John Kassir voices Adam in Dead Rising and its Wii approximation, Chop Till You Drop. He suits the role, conveying the clown’s jovial insanity. (Image: Capcom)
Dead Rising: Chop Till You Drop retains Adam’s role in the story and features five of him in its “Clown Circus” mission. Dead Rising 2 features a stylistically similar boss in Slappy, while its non-canonical retelling, 2011’s Off the Record, complements Frank’s return by introducing Evan, Adam’s brother. 2010’s Dead Rising Mobile hides one of the buffoon’s small chainsaws at the park. Similarly, his go-to tool returns as a combo weapon in Dead Rising 3. Frank once again can wield Adam’s famous sawblades while dressing as him in Dead Rising 4’s “Capcom All-Stars” mode. And while Adam himself never cameos in Capcom’s crossovers, remixes of his theme are used as Frank’s leitmotif in Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 and Infinite.
So, what’re my thoughts on Adam?
Dead Rising’s psychopaths are crucial to its identity. Let’s be honest: standard zombies are boring foes, only really posing a threat if you’re surrounded by a herd of them. That’s an issue these bosses help alleviate by adding variety and making the mall a denser, more realized setting. Sometimes, players may even stumble upon one by accident, giving a gratifying sense of discovery or surprise – after all, Willamette’s a living place where events transpire independent of you. And like the carnivorous corpses, these bosses service the game’s timer. Dead Rising is a perennial race against the clock, requiring players to plan their routes and constantly weigh objectives. Do you save those two stranded survivors at the risk of missing the next story mission? One of your escorts is snared by a zombie, while your others are keeping pace yet low on health. Would leaving the lagger behind better serve the greater good? Should you challenge a psychopath, things get more complicated – they’ll slow you down and are far more dangerous than any walking cadaver. But if you emerge victorious, there’s always a generous reward for your trouble: a survivor or two, an exclusive weapon, experience points, or something else of worth.
According to his notebook entry, Adam is thirty-seven years old and was “presumably hired to entertain children.” (Image: Capcom)
So how does Adam, specifically, fare? By this early point in the game, Otis has only altered Frank to a few stray survivors, all of whom conveniently sit within areas he’s already visited. Getting his call concerning the malfunctioning roller coaster is significant, encouraging players to finally start exploring if they hadn’t already.
Alongside the trio of convicts who haunt the park, Adam is the first optional boss players can potentially encounter. An antagonist like him was inevitable too, given the prevalence of the “evil clown” archetype in media (one of whom we’ve covered before). Using the motif to inform his fighting style, this difficult, well-realized opponent packs three projectiles and two cyan chainsaws. In terms of mobility and close-quarters combat, the madman completely outclasses Frank, especially during early playthroughs. Adam can effortlessly deflect bullets and melee attacks with his petrol saws. If you try to keep your distance, however, he’ll counter with his flamethrower, hunting knives, or balloon, the latter of which stuns Frank.
Fighting Adam teaches Rising newcomers that its bosses have vulnerabilities. Bursting his balloon with a well-timed shot stuns him, and he momentarily pauses after lunging at you. (Image: Capcom)
Thankfully, Rising does grant players two luxuries here. Where other psychos may occupy secluded areas, Adam’s showdown encompasses all of Wonderland Plaza. If Frank leaves the Space Rider attraction, Adam will tail him, but evading the clown isn’t too challenging a task. Moreover, even summoning the scream is wholly optional; if you don’t touch that machine, he’ll never spawn.
But here’s the thing: you want to beat Adam. If you’re playing Dead Rising at a higher level, doing so is basically mandatory. Upon his defeat, he drops one of his signature small chainsaws, one of Rising’s best weapons. And Adam’s captive, Greg Simpson? Arguably, he’s a greater asset; after freeing him, he leads Frank to Wonderland Plaza’s restroom, unveiling a secret passageway to Paradise Plaza. Spacically, these plazas exist on opposite ends of the mall, and in a game of this nature, being able to effectively teleport between them is invaluable.
In an Off the Record trailer and the game itself, the boorish journalist expresses a strong disdain for clowns. (Image: Capcom)
And I would be remiss if I didn’t address Adam’s final moments. Often, psychopaths unintentionally kill themselves in an ironic manner, a form of karmic justice. Adam establishes that tradition, doing so with aplomb – laughing maniacally, he falls atop his chainsaws, which brutally cut into his stomach. Speechless, the reporter can only look on in horror as Adam’s laughter deepens and pool of blood expands.
Now, Dead Rising’s timer admittedly has limitations. Since you’re given finite time to clear missions that run concurrently with and follow each psychopath’s scoop, fights can’t be too complex and, therefore, time-consuming. However, Adam proves interesting, entertaining bosses can thrive under the series’ traditional confines. In terms of gameplay and presentation, he is the quintessential Dead Rising psychopath. All the attributes that make them interesting – unique backstories, abilities, weapons, and deaths – are introduced by him. And Adam explores these concepts thoroughly, rendering him one of the series’ most captivating combatants. It’s no surprise the motor saw-wielding madman endures as an irreplaceable part of Dead Rising’s iconography; everyone who plays it will inevitably meet him, get murdered by him, and hopefully, eventually overcome him.
Congratulations, Adam! AAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
Adam’s shadow lingers over Frank. And since Frank is the definitive Dead Rising protagonist, Adam will always remain around in some capacity. (Image: Capcom)
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