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Interview: Scott Pilgrim production manager Marc-Andre Boivin
Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World has been selected as one of Joystiq's E3 Standouts this year. It's got everything an old school gamer could want: a 2D beat-em-up foundation, pixel art by Pirate Baby's Cabana creator Paul Robertson and a chiptune soundtrack by Anamanaguchi -- not to mention it's based on Bryan Lee O'Malley's seminal rock and roll Canadian comic. Can it get any more geek chic than that? We spoke with Ubisoft production manager Marc-Andre Boivin to learn more about how this nugget of awesomeness came about, the PSN timed-exclusivity agreement and our one disappointment so far: the game's lack of online co-op. The full interview follows. Joystiq: This Scott Pilgrim game is sparkling with indie charm, and yet it's being made by Ubisoft -- a big company. How did this project come about at Ubisoft? Marc-Andre Boivin: From my understanding, Universal first proposed a project to Ubisoft, and it was the vision of the initial director and the initial team. They worked with [Scott Pilgrim creator] Bryan Lee O'Malley, with the creative team in place, and they found that the beat-em-up style with the pixel art style was a good direction to go. I think everyone agreed at that time that this could be interesting, and I think the creator of the books, Bryan Lee O'Malley, liked the genre as well. So they started the project that way. Since the beginning, that was the vision -- a beat-em-up with the pixel art style that we have. %Gallery-95506%
Preview: Scott Pilgrim vs. The World
It seems impossible for Scott Pilgrim vs. The World to live up to the promise presented in its screens and trailers. People who love retro games, indie comics, chiptunes, pixel art and brawlers could potentially all find reason to hang their hopes on Ubisoft's PSN/XBLA title. Based on a short demo put together for E3, the game has more than satisfied my hopes. In other words, wow, this game. As a lifelong River City Ransom fan, this game is kind of a dream. A dream with a soundtrack by Anamanaguchi. %Gallery-95506%
Scott Pilgrim vs. PSN on August 10
If you don't mind spoiling the events of the Scott Pilgrim storyline before the movie (keeping in mind that it's all based on existing comics), you'll be able to play out the story in sprite-based brawler form three days before the movie hits. At the Ubisoft booth displaying Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (look for our impressions soon!), an August 10 release date was posted next to the game demo. It's a timed exclusive for PSN, so if you're looking to play on Xbox 360, you'll have to endure an unspecified number of (evil) days before you can take on Ramona's evil exes.%Gallery-95506%
Scott Pilgrim and the Amazing Trailer
We don't know what extremely gracious act of charity and selflessness was committed somewhere in the universe to make this beautiful Scott Pilgrim vs. The World game karmically possible, but whoever you are out there committing Mother Theresa-level good deeds, thank you. Thank you thank you thank you thank you. Even if the actual game somehow ends up being less than Sex Bob-omberiffic, just a trailer like this, with its Anamanaguchi chiptunes and samurai fighting and epic pixelated cutscenes and guitar minigames (!) brings more light and joy into our world than we probably deserve. We don't know what you did, but it must have been really great, because the trailer after the break will make a lot of people very happy.
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World is timed exclusive on PSN
Game Informer's recent, glowing preview of Ubisoft's upcoming adaptation of the graphic novel-turned-film Scott Pilgrim vs. The World revealed a surprising fact about the game's release plans. As of right now, the download-only title is slated to drop on the PSN in August, then on the Xbox 360 at an unspecified later date. Though staunch supporters of Microsoft's home console may find Pilgrim's temporary exclusivity irksome, it sounds like the game's shaping up to be worth whatever wait you might be subjected to. An old-school beat-em-up, animated by Pirate Baby's Cabana Battle Street Fight creator Paul Robertson, orchestrated by Anamanaguchi, and featuring characters from one of our favorite graphic novels of all time? Don't mind if we do.
Chiptune rock band Anamanaguchi providing soundtrack for Scott Pilgrim game
If you're a fan of both the high-energy electro-rock stylings of Anamanaguchi and the illustrated adventures of Scott Pilgrim, you're in for a serendipitous treat -- the 'Guch announced during their PAX East concert last night that they would be providing the musical accompaniment for Ubisoft's recently announced video game adaptation of the Scott Pilgrim comic series. Given the comic's penchant for 8-bit gaming references, and the band's penchant for 8-bit gaming synthesizers, we think this partnership is a match made in heaven.
Scott Pilgrim game tackled by Ubisoft
Bryan Lee O'Malley's Scott Pilgrim is making the leap from indie comic page to video game in 2010. Ubisoft Montreal is in the early stages of developing Pilgrim's video game debut, proving almost nothing can take O'Malley's Canadian indie-hero out of the Great White North. According to IGN, the Scott Pilgrim game will follow the story of the comic series where an unmotivated Pilgrim falls for "the perfect girl," Ramona Flowers, and in order to win her heart he must battle her seven evil exes. While details of the game are scarce, O'Malley expects it to resemble a side-scrolling beat-em-up -- as the creator is a big fan of classic video games. Pilgrim-purists should be happy to hear the game will be modeled after the "cartoony" look of the comic series. No console platforms were revealed. Scott Pilgrim's movie debut is currently filming in-and-around Toronto and stars Canadian Michael Cera. For a teaser of what to expect from the film, watch anything Cera is in. He pretty much acts the same in everything.
