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    We take Max Payne 3, one of the biggest video game releases of 2012, back in time to see what it would look like if it was released back when all games were 8-bit versions.

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    With its hardboiled noir storyline and gratuitious ultra-violence, it is unlikely Max Payne 3 could have made it onto an 8-bit console. But if it did, here's our version of what it might have looked like.

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    Rooftop Battle

    These Comando Sombra punks kidnapped Fabiana, and Max is out for some up-close revenge while his wingman, Raul Passos flies the Huey overhead. You never get a great look at them in the game, but the letters on the building spell out Boitatá, which is a fiery snake dragon from Brazilian folklore.

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    Machine Gun Boss

    "Machine Gun Boss" appears in Chapter 6. In the 8-Bit version, Max can use crates to dodge the hail of bullets, his 360/PS3/PC counterpart isn't so lucky. Max Payne is not blessed with the extraordinary jumping powers of his 8-bit predecessors.

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    Sao Paolo Strip Club

    Max isn't looking for a fight, but these locals have pushed him to the edge. With no booze to dampen his rage, Max blows up when he gets bullied one time too many. The only thing louder than his guns is his ridiculous tropical shirt.

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    Game Over

    Max Payne is one of the few characters that actually knows he's in a video game. In Max Payne 3 he doesn't have time to break the fourth wall (he's too busy killing), but the superb comic book sequences frame the action and create impromptu masterpieces of gore that take some of the bite out of an excruciating death.