Raise your hand if you haven't started humming the Marsupilami theme song, complete with * Uba Uba * when they saw the game's official announcement. The whirlwind of nostalgia for that announcement was so powerful that it sparked a memory contest among the members of the editorial team, each with their favorite cartoon to put on the table. As much as we were pleased with Marsupilami's announcement, there are other cartoons from our childhood that we would like to see return to the videogame environment, with a graphic design to the height and a modern gameplay. Some of the titles mentioned have already seen minimal adaptation in the past, but nothing so memorable as to still be considered a playable title in our day, and since these are our dreams, let's get straight to the point and give some suggestions for a modern adaptation. !
Historically speaking, cartoons and video games have gone hand in hand since the dawn of the information age. Some adaptations were born and died along with the cartoons that accompanied them in the 90s, such as Action Man and Mighty Max, while others have evolved and continue to churn out new games, such as Pokemon or Dragon Ball. Given the ever increasing number of remastered and the ease with which we all fall victim to rogue nostalgia, we have decided to pull down a nice list of titles that we would like to see on our screens, strictly taken from the cartoons of our childhood!
Rossana - Visual Novel
Rossana was perhaps the only cartoon from the late nineties to spot the mix between "my god, look at what a beautiful love story" for young ladies and "I'm a bad boy who can bully as much as he wants" for boys, resulting in a universal carton.
There is no need for cartoons with a strong romanticism with Sanremese award themes such as "Little heart problems", but even the mix of the theme, which featured Her Majesty Cristina D'Avena and a Giorgio Vanni on the launch pad, stole attention from all guys regardless of gender.
Given the premises, which cartoon could possibly adapt better to modern Visual Novels than Rossana? Imagine poor Rossana wandering through the corridors of the school in search of that wretched Eric: the situation lends itself too much to a visual novel, perhaps with that pinch of love and cuddles from dating sim and a little gore / splatter at the Yandere Simulator . I, at 30, would buy it.
Cat's Eyes - Turn-based strategy
Another game that has made a mess of both traditional genres is Cat's Eye, albeit for very different reasons.
On the one hand, the complicity of the three sister-friends, on the other their curves, a perfect mix that kept everyone glued to the television and that generated excellent memories (even if, of the plot, no one remembers anything).
Going beyond that superficial patina that we had placed over the cartoon at 10, it must be recognized that Cat's Eyes had a non-trivial narrative structure, something that would fit perfectly in a turn-based game in which the characters can be controlled individually.
Tati unlocking the alarm, Sheila distracting the guard, and Kelly stealing the swag.
A good idea that wouldn't leave anyone out, not even poor Matthew.
Lupine - Stealth
If you think of Lupine, you think of how the gentleman thief was able to always find the flaw in any system to get to what he wanted (and then lose it to a woman). Unfortunately or fortunately, over the years there have been many games that have put the French thief at the center (last in chronological order was Lupine the Third: The Greatest Brain Battle in History in 2010), none of which has reached a minimum level of notoriety. If you want to get hurt with titles that no one or hardly anyone has ever heard of, wikipedia has something for you.
Coming to the point, and dreaming of a modern adaptation (and who knows it won't come thanks to Netflix, although I'd prefer a cartoon version), I imagine something along the lines of Hitman in style, narrative and gameplay, but with more puzzles and strictly no murder. A main storyline, missions with Goemon and Jigen, and the usual Zenigata that ends up upside down every single time. Something that perhaps derives from Lupine The 3rd: Treasure Of The Sorcerer King, the PS2 game closest to embodying the spirit of the gentleman thief.
If they also gave me the original voice actors, I would buy the game, the special edition, the DVD with a dedicated cartoon that follows the video game, the action figure, and a share in the company capable of developing this masterpiece. I have a dream (and Lupine stole it).
Skin and Bones - Horror Game
Horror games in which the protagonist is a monster are rare, and with the right narrative design Skin and Bones could be a revolutionary title.
That fetid and hideous guardian storyteller, with his monster friends, would be the perfect protagonist for a game with dark colors, a little Silent Hill and a little Resident Evil.
Imagine what it could be if instead of being a game with a linear story it followed the style of the cartoon and proposed a series of short-stories in which each mission is independent but equally terrifying.
A structure of that type would lend itself a lot not only to modding, but also to a game with a not too high base price and with continuous DLC. Ancient Egypt, zombies, vampires, werewolves: every horror lover would have his adventure, rigorously commented by an ancient legionnaire of which nothing remains but Skin and Bones ...
I Puffi – VR God-Like
For the Smurfs Lupin's speech is worth a little: many, many games, but none really memorable.
I had to put a VR game on the list, and while VR troopers were probably my favorite cartoon, I decided to take a walk on acid street and come up with a game that would sell more than Half-Life: Alyx. You know Black & White, that wonderful game in which you play the role of a god on a tropical island, who has the power of life and death over his followers?
Here, for the Smurfs I would like a game like that, maybe that fully exploits the power of virtual reality. Following the false line of the cartoon, a game of the Smurfs would see the protagonist in the role of Mother Nature or Father Time, who must control the seasons, the elements, and everything that surrounds the most famous mushroom village ever, supporting (or hindering ) the evolution of the little blue men and saving them not only from the surrounding world but also from the evil Gargamel and his cat Birba.
I'm not on drugs, but in my head it feels like a great trip.
Who should I call to propose it?
Inspector Gadget - Graphic Adventure
I remember having this thought already when he reviewed Blacksad - Under the Skin. There are many other cartoons that would lend themselves well as graphic adventures (City Hunter among all), but the inspector Gadget in my head is on the top step of a hypothetical podium.
It's not just simple humor, similar to what you'll find in Detective Conan years later, that works: Inspector Gadget, with his multi-function hat, could present a huge range of fun and ingenious puzzles and puzzles. A first attempt has already been made in the past, with the 1992 SNES game, followed by a second attempt in more recent times with Inspector Gadget: Mad Robots Invasion, nothing that has, however, exploited the full potential of the cartoon for diversity and ingenuity.
Let's be clear, I wouldn't want to be the game designer who is supposed to balance gadgets, gameplay, UI and flow, but the potential would be huge. Hop hop Gadget develop it for us!
Street Sharks – Hack n’Slash
Street sharks are such a cool concept that I could see them in pretty much any video game genre, but it's perhaps like Hack n'Slash that they would find their triumph. These "four beautiful brothers" are too aggressive in the face for a simple game, but they are not bad enough for a fighting game or something.
By giving the right boost to the story, which was already very well thought out, Street Sharks could become a little gem. A game not for everyone perhaps, but one that would fit into the center of the crown of the best games for a small niche.
Biker Mice – Racing game
You know that feeling of tamarraggine that runs along your spine thinking about when you made up your mopeds at 14, convinced that life on two wheels was everything? Here, this game should bring you the same emotions back (and the crazy Android version is actually a good start).
If I think of the Biker Mice I imagine the wickedness of Limburger, of his mad scientist whose name I don't remember, but I think a lot and above all of Steering, Turbo, and Pistone, with their super cool bikes built on Mars.
A driving game like the old Need For Speed, where only the accelerator and brake count, without too many simulations, and I would still be happy. This is one of those cases where less is more. So give us more, please.
Sailor Moon - Beat 'em up
Should I comment? Do I really have to comment? Okay, let's comment. There would be cartoons that in style would be closer to fighting games (two dragons for a black belt, the 5 samurai, and so on), but none have a number of relevant characters like the sexy warriors from the moon. Of all the franchises named on this list, Sailor Moon is the only one still active, with new games being released periodically, though none have ever really made it to the European audience. I would like a remastered Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot style of the original BishĹŤjo Senshi Sailor Moon S: JĹŤgai RantĹŤ !? Shuyaku SĹŤdatsusen (Yes I copied the name), an arcade fighting game dated 1994.
With a thousand thousand series, enemies, warriors, lovers, cats and crystals, Sailor Moon is one of the few cartoons with a violent base that can afford a roster large enough for a fighting game (and yes, Sailor Moon was a violent cartoon, in which there is was always someone ready to lead) in which the player is able to recognize all the characters.
It would also have the minimum variation needed to make the characters unique and characterize them with dedicated moves. Wouldn't you like some delicious punches in the forehead from the warriors in sailor-style dress?
Futurama – Open World
It may not seem like it, but Futurama is a cartoon that landed on our screens for the first time in the last millennium, and which, unlike the Simpsons, has never found a vaguely acceptable videogame outlet. A first platform was released in 2003, when Futurama seemed to be the most popular, and a management software called Futurama: Worlds of Tomorrow came out for Android in 2017. Too little for a franchise with this potential.
Since these are my fantasies and I'm in charge here, Futurama has to become an open world, period. Let them slap themselves Cyberpunk, Skyrim, Fallout, Red Dear Redemption and all the various pseudo-action / sandbox / rpg of this world.
Futurama, with all its characters, its stories, its recurring jokes, and its voice actors, deserves to be taken identically from the cartoon, rendered 3D, and transformed into a real game, with a completely explorable world, not only on the land in beautiful New York, but also at Mars University, at the edge of the universe, and in all the places covered by the series. Take The Outer Worlds, change the style, make it futurama, and cry for joy.
Epilogue
Even just writing the list of eligible cartoons has brought the mind back twenty years, when life was Italia Uno, TMC, cartoons, and more cartoons.
There would have been a thousand and a thousand other titles that could have been part of the list, but at a certain point a line must be drawn.
What would you have added? What are you dreaming of? Let me know in the comments, and let's feel old together.
