Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: The Game
Encyclopedia
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: The Game is a side-scrolling beat 'em up
game based on the Scott Pilgrim
series of comic books by Bryan Lee O'Malley
, tying in with the release of the film of the same name
. It is published by Ubisoft
and developed by Ubisoft Montreal
with Ubisoft Chengdu. The game was first announced at Comic Con 2009 in July 2009. It was released on PS3 on August 10, 2010, and on Xbox Live Arcade
on August 25, 2010.
and Ubisoft Chengdu. The game's art direction and animation was headed by Paul Robertson, whom the company contacted by e-mail. Robertson had previous experience working on the 5th Cell
series Drawn to Life
and created Pirate Baby's Cabana Battle Street Fight 2006
, an animated side-scroller game film. Robertson was responsible for designing and animating the game's sprites, effects, and other aspects. He felt he had "the most creative control" on any game he has worked on, but that he was still restricted by the source material, pleasing the publishers and producers, and programming limitations. Chiptune
punk
band Anamanaguchi
performed the soundtrack for the game. Bryan Lee O'Malley
, Scott Pilgrim series creator, and Edgar Wright
, director of the film adapation, have also been involved in development. O'Malley came to Ubisoft and discussed with the development team how the game's narrative and flow should be handled. He also drew several sketches on which the in-game cutscenes are based. According to O'Malley, he was initially approached by Telltale Games
to make a Scott Pilgrim adventure game
, but he declined as he could not see it as part of that genre.
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: The Game was first announced at San Diego Comic Con 2009 on July 28, 2009. On June 8, 2010, GameInformer presented their first hands on, where it was revealed the game would be a timed exclusive for PlayStation Network, with an Xbox Live Arcade release at a later date. The first trailer for the game was released on June 11, 2010, which showed some of the stages in the game such as inside a club, on a street and noticeably inside a Toronto Transit Commission
streetcar. The game makes various references to video games, such as River City Ransom
, Mario
, Kirby
, Mega Man
, and Guitar Hero
. An early pitch video was revealed on August 11, 2010, which showcased even more retro graphics and direct parodies of classic games.
Scott Pilgrim themed Avatar clothes and props were released on Xbox Live's Avatar Marketplace on August 12, 2010. The game's original soundtrack by Anamanaguchi was released on Amazon
and iTunes
by ABKCO Records
in North America on August 24, 2010, and was released internationally on August 30, 2010. Downloadable content was released for the PSN version on November 9, 2010, to coincide with the film's DVD and Blu-Ray release, including Knives Chau as a playable character and two additional game modes: arena and dodgeball. The XBLA version was later released on December 28, 2010
score of 79% based on reviews from 35 critics.
IGN
gave the game an 8.0 score and an Editor's Choice award, praising its style and soundtrack but criticizing its lack of online multiplayer or drop-in play. They later named it the 25th best game on Xbox Live Arcade.
Similarly, 1UP.com
criticized the game's difficulty and need for grinding, giving the game a B+ rank.
Joystiq
gave the game 5 stars, saying that "they couldn't recommend it any higher, especially at 10 bucks." Game Informer
gave the game a 9.0 score, calling it "the best modern brawler since Castle Crashers
."
GameTrailers
gave the game a score of 8.3, calling it "an excellent pastiche that will reaffirm your love for classic beat-em-ups."
GamesRadar
gave the game 8/10, calling it "a breezy blast from the past."
Kotaku
called it "an entertaining little old-school beat-em up that becomes exponentially more entertaining the more friends you play with."
GameSpot
gave the game a score of 6.5, saying the game is a bit too chaotic with four players on screen.
Prior to release Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: The Game received nominations for Best Downloadable Game of E3 2010
by both GameSpot
and GameTrailers
. It was nominated for "Best Downloadable Game" and won "Best Adapted Video Game" at the 2010 Spike Video Game Awards.
Beat 'em up
Beat 'em up is a video game genre featuring melee combat between the protagonist and a large number of underpowered antagonists. These games typically take place in urban settings and feature crime-fighting and revenge-based plots, though some games may employ historical or fantasy themes...
game based on the Scott Pilgrim
Scott Pilgrim
Scott Pilgrim is a graphic novel series by Bryan Lee O'Malley. It consists of six digest size black-and-white volumes, released between August 2004 and July 2010, by Portland-based independent comic book publisher Oni Press. It was later republished by Fourth Estate, an imprint of HarperCollins...
series of comic books by Bryan Lee O'Malley
Bryan Lee O'Malley
Bryan Lee O'Malley is a Canadian cartoonist. He is best known for the Scott Pilgrim series, but is also a musician using the alias Kupek.-Career:...
, tying in with the release of the film of the same name
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World is a 2010 comedy film directed by Edgar Wright, based on the graphic novel series Scott Pilgrim by Bryan Lee O'Malley. The film is about Scott Pilgrim , a young Canadian musician, meeting the girl of his dreams, Ramona Flowers , an American delivery girl...
. It is published by Ubisoft
Ubisoft
Ubisoft Entertainment S.A. is a major French video game publisher and developer, with headquarters in Montreuil, France. The company has a worldwide presence with 25 studios in 17 countries and subsidiaries in 26 countries....
and developed by Ubisoft Montreal
Ubisoft Montreal
Ubisoft Montreal is a Canadian video game developer owned by French publisher Ubisoft.Ubisoft's North American studio is located in Montreal, Quebec...
with Ubisoft Chengdu. The game was first announced at Comic Con 2009 in July 2009. It was released on PS3 on August 10, 2010, and on Xbox Live Arcade
Xbox Live Arcade
Xbox Live Arcade is a type of video game download distribution available primarily in a section of the Xbox Live Marketplace, Microsoft's digital distribution network for the Xbox 360, that focuses on smaller downloadable games from both major publishers and independent game developers...
on August 25, 2010.
Gameplay
Loosely following the story of the graphic novels, up to four players can play as Scott Pilgrim, Ramona Flowers, Kim Pine or Stephen Stills (along with the unlockable character NegaScott and the downloadable character Knives Chau), who must battle through seven levels in order to defeat Ramona's seven evil exes. Characters have their own individual movesets, which can be expanded upon by gaining enough experience, and are also able to use weapons. Each player has Heart Points and Guts Points, the latter of which can revive players if they are knocked out, or be used to perform special moves such as summoning Knives Chau or the unlockable assist character Mr. Chau. Defeating enemies earns coins which can be spent in shops to purchase items that can replenish health or boost stats. Certain items can be taken 'to go' to be automatically used when the player runs out of health. Players can also enter Subspace areas which act as bonus areas where extra coins can be earned. During co-operative play, players can revive fallen comrades at the cost of some money, give each other health or money and simultaneously taunt for a combined attack. Various cheat codes unlock extra features, such as a Boss Rush and a Survival Horror mode.Development
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: The Game was co-developed by Ubisoft MontrealUbisoft Montreal
Ubisoft Montreal is a Canadian video game developer owned by French publisher Ubisoft.Ubisoft's North American studio is located in Montreal, Quebec...
and Ubisoft Chengdu. The game's art direction and animation was headed by Paul Robertson, whom the company contacted by e-mail. Robertson had previous experience working on the 5th Cell
5th Cell
5TH Cell is an independently owned video game developer founded in 2003 as 5TH Cell Media, LLC. by Joseph M. Tringali, Jeremiah Slaczka and Brett Caird and currently develops video games for the Nintendo DS and Wii.-Overview:...
series Drawn to Life
Drawn to Life
Drawn to Life is an action-adventure/platform game for the Nintendo DS developed by 5th Cell and published by THQ. In the game, players create their own playable characters, level objects and accessories by drawing them using the DS's stylus and touch screen.Drawn to Life requires the player to...
and created Pirate Baby's Cabana Battle Street Fight 2006
Pirate Baby's Cabana Battle Street Fight 2006
Pirate Baby's Cabana Battle Street Fight 2006 is a 12-minute, black and white animated movie by Paul Laurence Robertson, featuring music by Cornel Wilczek, also known as Qua...
, an animated side-scroller game film. Robertson was responsible for designing and animating the game's sprites, effects, and other aspects. He felt he had "the most creative control" on any game he has worked on, but that he was still restricted by the source material, pleasing the publishers and producers, and programming limitations. Chiptune
Chiptune
A chiptune, also known as chip music, is synthesized electronic music often produced with the sound chips of vintage computers and video game consoles, as well as with other methods such as emulation. In the early 1980s, personal computers became cheaper and more accessible than they had previously...
punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
band Anamanaguchi
Anamanaguchi
Anamanaguchi is a chiptune indie rock band from New York City that "makes loud, fast music with a hacked NES from 1985." The band has four members: lead songwriter Peter Berkman, bassist James DeVito, guitarist Ary Warnaar and drummer Luke Silas. Akin to other chiptune artists, Anamanaguchi creates...
performed the soundtrack for the game. Bryan Lee O'Malley
Bryan Lee O'Malley
Bryan Lee O'Malley is a Canadian cartoonist. He is best known for the Scott Pilgrim series, but is also a musician using the alias Kupek.-Career:...
, Scott Pilgrim series creator, and Edgar Wright
Edgar Wright
Edgar Howard Wright is an English film and television director and writer. He is most famous for his work with Simon Pegg and Nick Frost on the films Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, the TV series Spaced, and for directing the film Scott Pilgrim vs...
, director of the film adapation, have also been involved in development. O'Malley came to Ubisoft and discussed with the development team how the game's narrative and flow should be handled. He also drew several sketches on which the in-game cutscenes are based. According to O'Malley, he was initially approached by Telltale Games
Telltale Games
Telltale Games is a leading independent digital first publisher and game developer founded in June 2004 as Telltale, Incorporated. Based in San Rafael, California, the studio includes designers formerly employed by LucasArts...
to make a Scott Pilgrim adventure game
Adventure game
An adventure game is a video game in which the player assumes the role of protagonist in an interactive story driven by exploration and puzzle-solving instead of physical challenge. The genre's focus on story allows it to draw heavily from other narrative-based media such as literature and film,...
, but he declined as he could not see it as part of that genre.
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: The Game was first announced at San Diego Comic Con 2009 on July 28, 2009. On June 8, 2010, GameInformer presented their first hands on, where it was revealed the game would be a timed exclusive for PlayStation Network, with an Xbox Live Arcade release at a later date. The first trailer for the game was released on June 11, 2010, which showed some of the stages in the game such as inside a club, on a street and noticeably inside a Toronto Transit Commission
Toronto Transit Commission
-Island Ferry:The ferry service to the Toronto Islands was operated by the TTC from 1927 until 1962, when it was transferred to the Metro Parks and Culture department. Since 1998, the ferry service is run by Toronto Parks and Recreation.-Gray Coach:...
streetcar. The game makes various references to video games, such as River City Ransom
River City Ransom
River City Ransom, released as in Japan and as Street Gangs in PAL regions, is a video game for the Nintendo Entertainment System . It was developed by Technōs Japan and originally released in Japan on April 25, 1989. It is the third game in Technos' Kunio-kun series released for the console,...
, Mario
Mario (series)
The video game series, alternatively called the series or simply the series, is a series of highly popular and critically acclaimed video games by Nintendo, featuring Nintendo's mascot Mario and, in many games, his brother Luigi. Gameplay in the series often centers around jumping on and...
, Kirby
Kirby (series)
The series is a fantasy video game series developed by HAL Laboratory and Nintendo, and produced by Nintendo. The gameplay of a majority of the games in the series consists mainly of action, platform and puzzle-solving elements...
, Mega Man
Mega Man (series)
Mega Man is a video game franchise from Capcom, starring the eponymous character Mega Man, or one of his many counterparts. The series is well-known and comprises well over fifty releases, easily making it Capcom's most prolific franchise. As of December 31, 2010, the series has sold approximately...
, and Guitar Hero
Guitar Hero
Guitar Hero is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems and published by RedOctane for the PlayStation 2 video game console. It is the first entry in the Guitar Hero series. Guitar Hero was released on November 8, 2005 in North America, April 7, 2006 in Europe and June 15, 2006 in...
. An early pitch video was revealed on August 11, 2010, which showcased even more retro graphics and direct parodies of classic games.
Scott Pilgrim themed Avatar clothes and props were released on Xbox Live's Avatar Marketplace on August 12, 2010. The game's original soundtrack by Anamanaguchi was released on Amazon
Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
and iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
by ABKCO Records
ABKCO Records
ABKCO Music & Records, Inc. is a major independent record label, music publisher, and film and video production company. It owns and or administers the rights to music by Sam Cooke, The Rolling Stones, The Animals, Herman's Hermits, Marianne Faithfull, The Kinks as well as the Cameo Parkway label,...
in North America on August 24, 2010, and was released internationally on August 30, 2010. Downloadable content was released for the PSN version on November 9, 2010, to coincide with the film's DVD and Blu-Ray release, including Knives Chau as a playable character and two additional game modes: arena and dodgeball. The XBLA version was later released on December 28, 2010
Reception
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: The Game has received positive reviews from critics, with a MetacriticMetacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
score of 79% based on reviews from 35 critics.
IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
gave the game an 8.0 score and an Editor's Choice award, praising its style and soundtrack but criticizing its lack of online multiplayer or drop-in play. They later named it the 25th best game on Xbox Live Arcade.
Similarly, 1UP.com
1UP.com
1UP.com is a video game website owned by IGN Entertainment, a division of News Corporation. Previously, the site was owned by Ziff Davis before being sold to UGO Entertainment in 2009....
criticized the game's difficulty and need for grinding, giving the game a B+ rank.
Joystiq
Joystiq
Joystiq is a video gaming blog founded in June 2004 that has since become one of the most successful sites within the Weblogs, Inc. family of weblogs. It is the centerpiece of WIN's own network of video gaming blogs, which also includes a blog dealing specifically with the popular MMORPG World of...
gave the game 5 stars, saying that "they couldn't recommend it any higher, especially at 10 bucks." Game Informer
Game Informer
Game Informer is an American-based monthly magazine featuring articles, news, strategy, and reviews of popular video games and associated consoles. It was formed in August 1991, when FuncoLand started publishing a six-page magazine, free in all its retail locations...
gave the game a 9.0 score, calling it "the best modern brawler since Castle Crashers
Castle Crashers
Castle Crashers is a beat 'em up console video game independently developed by The Behemoth and published by Microsoft Game Studios. It features music created by members of Newgrounds. The Xbox 360 version was released on August 27, 2008 via Xbox Live Arcade as part of the Xbox Live Summer of Arcade...
."
GameTrailers
GameTrailers
GameTrailers is a media website that specializes in video game related content. It provides free access to original programming , game trailers and recorded game play. Along with standard definition , many of the video clips are offered in a higher resolution .Users can upload videos, create...
gave the game a score of 8.3, calling it "an excellent pastiche that will reaffirm your love for classic beat-em-ups."
GamesRadar
GamesRadar
GamesRadar is a multi-format video game website featuring regular news, previews, reviews, videos, and guides. It is owned and operated simultaneously in the UK and US by worldwide publisher Future Publishing...
gave the game 8/10, calling it "a breezy blast from the past."
Kotaku
Kotaku
Kotaku is a video games-focused blog. It is part of Gawker Media's "Gawker" network of sites, which also includes Gizmodo, Deadspin, Lifehacker, io9 and Jezebel. Named to CNET News' Blog 100, Kotaku is consistently listed in the top 40 of Technorati's Top 100...
called it "an entertaining little old-school beat-em up that becomes exponentially more entertaining the more friends you play with."
GameSpot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
gave the game a score of 6.5, saying the game is a bit too chaotic with four players on screen.
Prior to release Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: The Game received nominations for Best Downloadable Game of E3 2010
Electronic Entertainment Expo 2010
The Electronic Entertainment Expo 2010, commonly known as E3 2010, was the 16th Electronic Entertainment Expo held. The event took place on June 14–17 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. E3 is an annual trade show for the computer and video games industry presented by the Entertainment Software...
by both GameSpot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
and GameTrailers
GameTrailers
GameTrailers is a media website that specializes in video game related content. It provides free access to original programming , game trailers and recorded game play. Along with standard definition , many of the video clips are offered in a higher resolution .Users can upload videos, create...
. It was nominated for "Best Downloadable Game" and won "Best Adapted Video Game" at the 2010 Spike Video Game Awards.