Post by Badly-Drawn Manchild on Dec 24, 2010 22:00:47 GMT
You know, this question has often been on my mind. We seem to be in an era of remakes, when people take “classics” and bring them back for a modern audience. So far this practice has been hit-and-miss, to put it mildly.
An idea occurred to me though; what would I do if I was asked to remake a bad game, and fix what was wrong with the original? Sounds like a bad idea; memories of the original would sour games, but surely giving them a chance to improve them so they can find a fresh new audience of people who haven’t been sullied by the originals is one reason for doing it?
I want to know what you guys would do with a bad game that comes to mind. For now, here’s what I would do with one of Disney’s darkest moments in interactive entertainment...
FANTASIA
Premise
Most of us may remember the original; a good-looking but absurdly broken mess of a game with bust physics, enemies coming out of the woodwork and downright atrocious renditions of the film’s soundtrack. The developers themselves admitted later in life that the game needed at least two more months in development, but it was pushed out of the door so Sega could make some extra sales. Basically, this game was pure pain in electronic format (one big slap in the face in-particular was the absence of a grand battle against Chernabog/The Devil at the end).
This remake would be a 2D platformer; my ideal developer would be WayForward Technologies, as they’ve established a proven track record with 2D graphics and gameplay. I can see it being released on the PS2, Wii, Xbox Live Arcade and the PlayStation Network.
To bring things up-to-date I would also incorporate elements from the sequel, Fantasia 2000. While nowhere near as memorable as the original, it has some elements that could be converted well into gameplay format, and could even bring some new elements that the original didn’t have.
Of course, the main priority would be that the game is actually playable, with none of the crippling issues that mark the original as the train-wreck it is.
Story (which is really uncreative)
An ancient evil is spreading across the world. This evil, known only as “The Shadows” is possessing the inhabitants of the various lands and turning them into creatures of evil, draining all light and life from the land. As either Mickey Mouse or Donald Duck, you are the only hope of driving back the Shadows, tracking them to their source and (of course) saving the world.
Control
Control would be reminiscent of the old-school Disney platformers; one button lets you dash, another gives you a ranged attack, another gives you a melee attack, another jumps. For melee strikes Mickey uses a magical cape, while Donald uses a staff.
Ranged attacks are powered by a gradually-recharging meter. Hold down the fire button to charge up the strength of the attack, let go to fire. Mickey uses magic blasts, while Donald throws carpenter’s hammers. Meanwhile, holding Down and holding the Jump button allows you to crawl.
In two-player mode (unlocked later) the dash button serves another purpose for some team-specific modes. There are occasions reminiscent of World of Illusion where you’ll have to help your partner, usually by throwing a rope down from a higher platform. The level design in each level will be altered slightly in two-player mode, placing greater emphasis on teamplay. To unlock two-player mode, the player must complete both Mickey’s stages and Donald’s stages (though not necessarily the Endgame stages).
Stages
Both Mickey and Donald will have five unique stages each, and two more levels will be the Endgame segment. If you count the two bonus stages that can be unlocked if you know where to look, that makes for a total of fourteen levels. Each is based on one of the shorts from the two films.
Mickey’s Stages
YenSid’s Castle (based on “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice”)
We all know how this short goes; the brooms have run amuck and flooded the castle. Mickey’s got to find a way to stop them. A battle with YenSid will be at the end, as he decides to test Mickey’s worth in the battle against the Shadows.
Garden of Seasons (based on “The Nutcracker Suite”)
There will be various stages to this nature-themed level, as Mickey is forced to fight fairies, the Chinese mushrooms, the Russian thistles, and more besides. Hopping through an enormous flowerbed, swimming in the depths of a pond and watching the seasons change will all be waiting for Mickey here.
Prehistoric Canyon (based “The Rite of Spring”)
Mickey bears witness to the growth of life on Earth, as he faces volcanoes, strange caverns and of course legions of dinosaurs. He will have to face the monstrous Tyrannosaurus Rex in battle, and survive the extinction of the dinosaurs.
Mount Olympus (based on “The Pastoral Symphony”)
Mickey will have to fight the denizens of this mythical mountain as the Shadows threaten to corrupt it, enlisting the aid of the Pegasus family in his quest. A showdown with Zeus himself awaits.
The Duke’s Palace (based on “The Dance of the Hours”)
The Shadows are causing a great deal of disruption as the dancers try to rehearse, so it’s up to Mickey to stop this gate-crashing. As the day wears on he must bring the possessed dancers back to their senses, including the duo of Hyacinth Hippo and Ben Ali Gator.
Donald’s Stages
Flood Zone (based on “Pomp and Circumstance”)
As first mate to Noah, Donald Duck is charged with bringing the animals safely onto the Ark. However, the Shadows arrive with the flood, and Donald will have to face the deadly waters if he hopes to find his beloved Daisy and bring her safely to the Ark.
Galactic Migration (based on “Pines of Rome”)
A family of whales, sensing the devastation caused by the Shadows, have decided to leave our planet completely and find a new home. Donald must make sure that they succeed, including finding their lost calves.
Manhattan (based on “Rhapsody in Blue”)
Donald must make his way through a pastiche of 1930’s New York City, all while pursued by various criminals, chancers and dreamers.
Toyland (based on “Piano Concerto no. 2”)
Based on the story “The Steadfast Tin Soldier”, Donald must help a one-legged tin soldier save his lady love from an army of Shadow-possessed toys, led by a horrifying Jack-in-the-Box.
Flamingo Lake (based on “Carnival of the Animals”)
As the title suggests, Donald must make his way across the lake, now poisoned by the Shadows, while fighting off the possessed flamingos. One in-particular has some very nasty yo-yo tricks in mind for him.
Bonus Stages
There are two hidden passages in the game, tucked away in one of Mickey’s levels and one of Donald’s levels. They lead to one of two bonus levels, full of abstract designs that are a chance to earn more points and lives if the player makes it to the end (similar to the “The Band Concert” stage from Mickey Mania). Once discovered, they can be re-played from the map screen once the game is completed.
Toccata and Fugue in D-Minor – this is unlocked in one of Mickey’s levels.
Symphony No. 5 – this is unlocked in one of Donald’s levels.
Endgame Stages
Forest of Flames (based on “The Firebird Suite”)
Mickey and Donald must now face the strongest of the Shadows’ armies – the Firebird – as they negotiate a forest that has been destroyed in his fiery wake.
Bald Mountain (based on “A Night on Bald Mountain”)
The final challenge. Mickey and Donald must work their way through a haunted village and scale the mountain, all while fighting off ever more powerful Shadow creatures and demons. At the peak of the mountain, they must finally face the demonic leader, Chernabog (or The Devil, as he so obviously is). Only by defeating him can light and life be restored to the world.
Appropriately, “Ave Maria” will play over the closing credits.
... If you're still with me, you can go now.
An idea occurred to me though; what would I do if I was asked to remake a bad game, and fix what was wrong with the original? Sounds like a bad idea; memories of the original would sour games, but surely giving them a chance to improve them so they can find a fresh new audience of people who haven’t been sullied by the originals is one reason for doing it?
I want to know what you guys would do with a bad game that comes to mind. For now, here’s what I would do with one of Disney’s darkest moments in interactive entertainment...
FANTASIA
Premise
Most of us may remember the original; a good-looking but absurdly broken mess of a game with bust physics, enemies coming out of the woodwork and downright atrocious renditions of the film’s soundtrack. The developers themselves admitted later in life that the game needed at least two more months in development, but it was pushed out of the door so Sega could make some extra sales. Basically, this game was pure pain in electronic format (one big slap in the face in-particular was the absence of a grand battle against Chernabog/The Devil at the end).
This remake would be a 2D platformer; my ideal developer would be WayForward Technologies, as they’ve established a proven track record with 2D graphics and gameplay. I can see it being released on the PS2, Wii, Xbox Live Arcade and the PlayStation Network.
To bring things up-to-date I would also incorporate elements from the sequel, Fantasia 2000. While nowhere near as memorable as the original, it has some elements that could be converted well into gameplay format, and could even bring some new elements that the original didn’t have.
Of course, the main priority would be that the game is actually playable, with none of the crippling issues that mark the original as the train-wreck it is.
Story (which is really uncreative)
An ancient evil is spreading across the world. This evil, known only as “The Shadows” is possessing the inhabitants of the various lands and turning them into creatures of evil, draining all light and life from the land. As either Mickey Mouse or Donald Duck, you are the only hope of driving back the Shadows, tracking them to their source and (of course) saving the world.
Control
Control would be reminiscent of the old-school Disney platformers; one button lets you dash, another gives you a ranged attack, another gives you a melee attack, another jumps. For melee strikes Mickey uses a magical cape, while Donald uses a staff.
Ranged attacks are powered by a gradually-recharging meter. Hold down the fire button to charge up the strength of the attack, let go to fire. Mickey uses magic blasts, while Donald throws carpenter’s hammers. Meanwhile, holding Down and holding the Jump button allows you to crawl.
In two-player mode (unlocked later) the dash button serves another purpose for some team-specific modes. There are occasions reminiscent of World of Illusion where you’ll have to help your partner, usually by throwing a rope down from a higher platform. The level design in each level will be altered slightly in two-player mode, placing greater emphasis on teamplay. To unlock two-player mode, the player must complete both Mickey’s stages and Donald’s stages (though not necessarily the Endgame stages).
Stages
Both Mickey and Donald will have five unique stages each, and two more levels will be the Endgame segment. If you count the two bonus stages that can be unlocked if you know where to look, that makes for a total of fourteen levels. Each is based on one of the shorts from the two films.
Mickey’s Stages
YenSid’s Castle (based on “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice”)
We all know how this short goes; the brooms have run amuck and flooded the castle. Mickey’s got to find a way to stop them. A battle with YenSid will be at the end, as he decides to test Mickey’s worth in the battle against the Shadows.
Garden of Seasons (based on “The Nutcracker Suite”)
There will be various stages to this nature-themed level, as Mickey is forced to fight fairies, the Chinese mushrooms, the Russian thistles, and more besides. Hopping through an enormous flowerbed, swimming in the depths of a pond and watching the seasons change will all be waiting for Mickey here.
Prehistoric Canyon (based “The Rite of Spring”)
Mickey bears witness to the growth of life on Earth, as he faces volcanoes, strange caverns and of course legions of dinosaurs. He will have to face the monstrous Tyrannosaurus Rex in battle, and survive the extinction of the dinosaurs.
Mount Olympus (based on “The Pastoral Symphony”)
Mickey will have to fight the denizens of this mythical mountain as the Shadows threaten to corrupt it, enlisting the aid of the Pegasus family in his quest. A showdown with Zeus himself awaits.
The Duke’s Palace (based on “The Dance of the Hours”)
The Shadows are causing a great deal of disruption as the dancers try to rehearse, so it’s up to Mickey to stop this gate-crashing. As the day wears on he must bring the possessed dancers back to their senses, including the duo of Hyacinth Hippo and Ben Ali Gator.
Donald’s Stages
Flood Zone (based on “Pomp and Circumstance”)
As first mate to Noah, Donald Duck is charged with bringing the animals safely onto the Ark. However, the Shadows arrive with the flood, and Donald will have to face the deadly waters if he hopes to find his beloved Daisy and bring her safely to the Ark.
Galactic Migration (based on “Pines of Rome”)
A family of whales, sensing the devastation caused by the Shadows, have decided to leave our planet completely and find a new home. Donald must make sure that they succeed, including finding their lost calves.
Manhattan (based on “Rhapsody in Blue”)
Donald must make his way through a pastiche of 1930’s New York City, all while pursued by various criminals, chancers and dreamers.
Toyland (based on “Piano Concerto no. 2”)
Based on the story “The Steadfast Tin Soldier”, Donald must help a one-legged tin soldier save his lady love from an army of Shadow-possessed toys, led by a horrifying Jack-in-the-Box.
Flamingo Lake (based on “Carnival of the Animals”)
As the title suggests, Donald must make his way across the lake, now poisoned by the Shadows, while fighting off the possessed flamingos. One in-particular has some very nasty yo-yo tricks in mind for him.
Bonus Stages
There are two hidden passages in the game, tucked away in one of Mickey’s levels and one of Donald’s levels. They lead to one of two bonus levels, full of abstract designs that are a chance to earn more points and lives if the player makes it to the end (similar to the “The Band Concert” stage from Mickey Mania). Once discovered, they can be re-played from the map screen once the game is completed.
Toccata and Fugue in D-Minor – this is unlocked in one of Mickey’s levels.
Symphony No. 5 – this is unlocked in one of Donald’s levels.
Endgame Stages
Forest of Flames (based on “The Firebird Suite”)
Mickey and Donald must now face the strongest of the Shadows’ armies – the Firebird – as they negotiate a forest that has been destroyed in his fiery wake.
Bald Mountain (based on “A Night on Bald Mountain”)
The final challenge. Mickey and Donald must work their way through a haunted village and scale the mountain, all while fighting off ever more powerful Shadow creatures and demons. At the peak of the mountain, they must finally face the demonic leader, Chernabog (or The Devil, as he so obviously is). Only by defeating him can light and life be restored to the world.
Appropriately, “Ave Maria” will play over the closing credits.
... If you're still with me, you can go now.