Gametraders LIVE March 2019

LIVE APRIL ISSUE 2019

INTERVIEW: MORGAN GARRETT - INTERVIEW: JOSH GRELLE - BRIGHTBURN GIVE AWAY

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From the Editor Hello and welcome to the April edition of Gametraders Live and the first edition of this year!

We have a smaller issue for you this time but don’t worry we still have great content! Yoshi’s Crafted World Review, a look back at Disney games on Playstation and two great interviews. One with voice actress Morgan Garrett and one with voice actor Josh Gerelle.

Also we have an exclusive preview of our next compeition Brightburn, you are the first to know about it and if you mention it on our Facebook page you will get a double entry!

We hope you enjoy the magazine and as always if you are interested in writing for our magazine please email live@gametraders.com.au

Emily Langford Emily Langford, EDITOR

What’s inside

A LOOK BACK AT DISNEY GAMES ON PLAYSTATION

pg. 40

CAPTAIN MARVEL FACTS & TRIVIA

PG. 8

THE LIVE TEAM EDITOR & DESIGNER: Emily Langford

WRITERS: Paul Monopoli, Interviews / Retro Editor Paul Broussard, Stephen LaGioia & Adam

INTERVIEW WITH JOSH GRELLE

Cartwright, VGChartz

Pg. 20

INTERVIEW WITH MORGAN Pg. 12 GARRETT

BRIGHTBURN GIVEAWAY SILK, KICKSTARTER

Pg. 54

PG. 10

MOVIES BRIGHTBURN

INTERVIEW WITH MORGAN GARRETT

INTERVIEW WITH JOSH GRELLE

ANIME

,tv&

• Goose the cat was originally called chewie after chewbaca from star wars but was renamed goose after goose bradshaw from top gun

• Brie larson is allergic to cats, so her scenes involving goose were filmed with a puppet or computer-generated vfx.

• The name “captain marvel” is not used in the film until the closing credits.

• Goose was played by five different cats called Reggie, Rizzo, Gonzo, and Archie • In the movie Carol refers to Monica as “Lieutenant • Skrull makeup took 2hrs to Trouble”. In the comics, apply Lieutenant Trouble (a young girl named Kit • Furys clearence level was Renner) was Captain only level 3 Marvel’s biggest fan and later on became her • The film takes place in friend.

1995

DOUBLE PASS GIVEAWAY

ras hc ld r o w r e h t o n a m What if a ch il d fro ming a o c e b f o d a e t s in but la nd e d o n Ea rth, h ing t e m o s e b to d e v he pro he ro to m a nkind, fa r m o re s iniste r? ke r o f a m m il f y r a n io is v the With Brig htbu rn, esents r p r e h lit S d n a y x Ga la l new Gua rd ia ns o f the a ic d a r a n o e k a rs ive t e v b u s , g lin t r a t s a rro r! o h o r e h r e p u s : e r g en 23 Y A M S A M E N I IN C N #BRIG HTBUR

WIN A DOUBLE PASS Watch the Gametraders Facebook Page in MAY for your chance to win a double pass to Brightburn -Mention this magazine in your comment for a double entry!

©2019 CTMG. All Rights Reserved.

H T I W W E INTERVI MORGAN GARRETT For my next interview at Supanova I

Morgan takes it all in her stride, asking:

The Supanova media manager introduced

“Isn’t that fun?!”

my wife:

What ended up being more fun was

Me: Nice to meet you. This is my wife Mel.

Twitter without even realising she had

approached the smiley Morgan Garrett.

me to her, and I followed by introducing

Morgan: Hello wife Mel! At this point it struck me that this was going to be a fun interview. You see,

finding out she had won the award on been nominated for it. Though excited to be have been granted such an accolade,

Morgan is still aware that she hasn’t been in the voice over game for that long.

underneath Morgan’s wavy hair and big

“It’s cool because most of the people in

touch of cheekiness. With characteristics

have been doing it for fifteen, plus, years.

smile lies a quick wit and a more than a

like that it’s no surprise that she won voice the “Breakthrough voice actress of the

Year” award in 2012. This was followed up

with another similar accolade 6 years later.

Bleach - Hanataro Yamada

this business that work as much as I do

So I’m still in that stage where I’ve been

doing it for along time, but still not even close to as long as Colleen Clinkenbeard and Jamie Marchi and Monica Rial.”

g in n n u r e r ’ u o y if So . e is v o r p im o t e v “You ha nds a h r u o y t u p o t e hav u o y g in h t e m o s or d n u o s lf e s r u o y e k ma o t e k a h s d n a r e togeth ove. m t ’ n a c u o y e s u beca g in n n u r e r ’ u o y like !” m e h t f o ll a t o g !I h t o o b e h t f o s k ic Tr

We briefly discuss Monica, who I have

interviewed previously. A veteran voice

actor, Monica has been acting since the

was like, ‘uh, so you’re gonna play a 13 year old boy today.’”

90s, and is someone Morgan admires.

A statement that surprised Morgan at

range than Rial, who is best known for

this and had not rehearsed for the role.

With that said, Morgan has a lower vocal Bulma in Dragon Ball Super and Sakura in Card Captor Sakura Clear Card.

the time, as she had not been aware of

Regardless, she soldiered on and the role has become one of her favourites:

From here we move into her favourite

“Because, as an older woman who walks

that an actor has to endure. It can get

is a little bit freeing, cos you get to be all

roles, a staple question of any interview a bit old and I have been in a position

to see eyes glaze over at the thought of

around like me being a 13 year old boy scrappy.”

having to answer that question for the

With that question out of the way, I

still full of enthusiasm and tells me it was

mentioning that she has a Masters degree

umpteenth time. However, Morgan is

actually a great question without a hint of sarcasm in her voice.

“So I’m young Sabo in One Piece, and that has to be one of my favourite characters

show off my research to Morgan by

and is a classically trained actor. Suitably

impressed with my digging into her past, Morgan explains how she transitioned

from the stage to behind the microphone:

cos I’m always put into these very low,

“Well, I haven’t been on stage in a couple

powerful generals. When I came into the

overs after I graduated with my Masters

sexy, sultry voice, and, or these very

booth for One Piece I just thought it was going to be another role like that, and

Joel McDonald, the director at the time,

of years because I really looked at voice

and went ‘I should really put all of my time into this. I love it, it’s fun, it’s right here.

Comic Cons are one of my favourite things

to do, like… I should do this! So I stopped being on stage but the transition was, I’d

been at Funimation, because it’s in Dallas,

brings it back to the transition between stage and voice over:

so I’d been working there for 6 years as

“It’s so easily transitionable, because when

there or whatever.”

things feel when you’re punched or kicked

a side gig. Just a couple of hours here or

From there, Morgan employed the services of an agent, which was when the next

you’re on stage you start to learn how

or thrown around, and that transitions into the booth very well.”

phase of her voice over career started. As

Other voice actors have told me that the

commercial roles. After going off topic she

hardest things to do when you have never

well as voice over roles she started to get

Tokyo Ghoul:re: Akira Mado

expression of emotions can be one of the

Boogiepop and Others: Nagi Kirima

experienced something that the scene calls

together and shake to make yourself sound

career on stage, Morgan was able to bring

Tricks of the booth! I got all of them! That’s

for the actor to react to. Having started her the skill of conveying these emotions into the recording studio. She mentions that

working in the booth can be restrictive due

like you’re running because you can’t move. what I should do as a panel: Tricks of the booth.”

to a lack of movement available to you, but

I suggested writing a book instead…

when behind the microphone:

While stage acting remains Morgan’s first

“You have to improvise. So if you’re running

when it comes to a live production. On the

she lets me in on one of the tricks she uses

or something you have to put your hands

love, she admits to being hard on herself

flip side, she finds voice over work to be a lot of fun:

“You get to be in a dark room, in your

pyjamas, with a cup of tea, pretending like

you’re a cat. Like… that is the pinnacle. I’ve made it!”

Many voice actors have told me about

recording in their pyjamas, to which I query whether they have sleep overs at Okatron 5000 (where many Funimation series are

dubbed). Morgan jokingly insists that this

only happens on New Years, and that it’s a big party.

Heavy Object: Frolaytia Capistrano

Morgan is one of those voice actors who

I finished off by asking whether she wants to

Captor Sakura. I queried whether she likes to

acting, such as directing or script writing:

has replaced others in roles, such as in Card listen to the previous actor and attempt to

mimic them, or whether she is guided by the director.

“I go in cold, then I ask for their reads on certain things just so I can kind of voice

match a little bit. That doesn’t happen often, but when it does it’s a great challenge. One of the highest paid things I ever did was a

commercial where I was voice acting a girl from LA. Just voice matching her.”

Morgan enjoys the challenge and is aware that the natural raspiness in her voice is

something she might need to turn off to

meet the needs of the role she is employed for.

turn her attention to other aspects of voice

“Yes and no. I have a background in

journalism. Broadcast journalism was my

undergrad, so I had plans on doing this, but so far no, because like I said, I made the

decision to go from stage into voice acting

so I’m still kinda getting my feet wet when it comes to this world full force.”

Of the various roles she might want to

explore next, directing seems to be what

Morgan is gravitating towards. She wants

to keep establishing herself as a voice over artist first, but when the time is right you can expect her in the directors seat.

By Paul Monopoli

INTERVIEW WITH JOSH GRELLE Attending Supanova as media is a lot of

silly little line. You had to be there I guess…

while for your opportunity to put your

career and his travels around the world.

fun, though you do often have to wait a microphone in front of a celebrity and have

a chat. I was told by Supanova’s ever helpful media manager to wait by Josh Grelle’s line

and when he had finished signing we could do an interview.

As soon as the line cleared I placed my

After that we jumped into discussing his He had been quite busy in the “English

speaking parts of the southern hemisphere” recently, including New Zealand and

Australia. The travel has been life changing for Josh, who had been to a total of six countries that year.

rather chunky condenser microphone in

From there we jumped into discussing his

voice, declared that:

has amassed many roles, including the

front of Josh who, in his best town crier

“Once there was a microphone, it dreamed it could be the greatest microphone in all the land!”

One of the most difficult parts of an

interview can be breaking the ice with

someone, though with Josh it was as easy

as bursting into laughter with him over this

short, yet expansive career. In 15 years he Grand Minister in Dragon Ball Super and

Hughes in Fairy Tale. Josh is proud to have Anime News Network’s number 3 position

of the “most anime roles for a voice actor” list. He says that:

“For 15 years of work I’ve been insanely fortunate… incredibly fortunate!”

We discussed how Josh got his break in

made a huge impression on him as he

his face as he said:

Real people voiced these pieces of

voice acting, to which a smile crept across

“I wanted to go from nerd to pro basically.

I got into theatre when I was 5 years old.

realised that they were not mere cartoons. animation, and with a bit of work he could become one of them.

I did children’s theatre, then adult theatre

“I found out, as I got closer to my high

way through high school… When I was

ADV Films, who were 2 of the biggest

when I was old enough. I did that all the about 8 years old I decided I wanted to do voice work. I’d been a huge fan of

animation my whole life and anime started to get really huge in the States.”

The big anime boom of the late 90s, with

shows such as Dragon Ball Z and Pokemon

school graduation, that Funimation and producers in the States at the time, were

both in my home state, 2 hours away from

me. So I did whatever research I could, tried to find out ways to get in. Then a friend of mine went to school with a girl that

had done voices for ADV and got me their phone number.”

Josh started to call the studio once a

impossible ones that I thought would never

keep in touch and let them know he was

figure out what I want to do next”.

month, throughout his senior year, just to interested in working with them at some

be reachable and now I’m here trying to

point in the future. After about 4 months of

During our talk I determined that Josh has

role.

much knowledge as it can. As well as voice

calls, ADV gave Josh his first, life changing

“And here I am 15 years later… in Australia!

Yeah, I never would have imagined it would turn out as successful as this, and that I

hit every goal that I set myself, even the

an eager mind that just wants to absorb as acting he has also delved into script writing, occasionally performing these dual roles

on the same show. His creative endeavours have even led him to work in the comic industry.

‘I haven’t worked in comics for a very long

“I would much rather have a director

not as an artist. I did colouring for a few

myself… I’m probably going to misquote this

time, but I worked in comics for a while,

North American and some Australian comics actually, when I was first starting out, and

then anime took off for me and I didn’t need to dabble in both anymore”.

Working a dual career is hard for anyone,

so Josh had to decide whether to devote his career to comics or anime. I’m pretty sure

that his fans are convinced that he made the right decision, as is the man himself:

“Acting was what I wanted to do anyway, so the choice was pretty much made for me”.

directing me as opposed to directing

horribly but one of my best friends when I

first became a voice actor, Chris Ayers (the

voice of Freeza in Dragon Ball), used to say ‘If you have an actor directing themselves then you have an idiot for an actor and a fool for a director’… I have had to direct

myself before but it wasn’t as comfortable as I always second guess and third guess,

twelfth guess every take. It’s just much more streamlined if I have another creative voice directing me when I’m in the booth”.

While his career has been a huge success,

A “Jack of all trades”, Josh blames his active

something new and exciting.

cannot just stick to one thing. As a child

Josh is looking to sink his teeth into

“I do want to do more that is my artwork

and something that I create as opposed to spending all of my creative energy doing

characters and stories for other people. So I’m getting back into comics right now”.

I queried whether he would prefer to direct

mind on Hyper ADD and claims that he

he taught himself to use the digital tools that he could use to express his artistic

creativity. Learning to edit photos, audio

and film allowed him to become involved in the world of entertainment years before his career took him there.

the scripts that he writes, giving himself full

“I wanted do do it all, and it pays off, and

expression Josh explains why he doesn’t feel

creative control over his work. With a serious this is a good idea:

yeah, I’m doing it all!”

By Paul Monopoli

gameS

YOSHI’S CRAFT WORLD

SILK, KICKSTARTER

A LOOK BACK AT DISNEY GAMES ON PLAYSTATION HANDHELDS

S

TED

REVIEWS

Paul Broussard

REVIEW PS4:

DARKSIDERS III Darksiders III is in something of an odd

occurs before it was supposed to, the

two titles was closed, it seemed as if the

physical forms and are roaming an Earth

position. After the studio behind the first series was done for. Despite this, however, a new studio with many of the same

seven deadly sins have now obtained now overrun by angels and demons.

staff has defied the odds and produced

In keeping with Vigil/Gunfire’s rather

playing, though? Unfortunately, the

Fury, the surprisingly insecure third

the third game in the series. Is it worth answer is probably not.

It becomes pretty clear early on that if you haven’t played the previous two

Darksiders games then you’re going to be in for a tough time trying to keep up with

the story in this one. After the apocalypse

loose adaptation of Christian theology, horseman of the apocalypse (Pestilence and Famine apparently not having

marketable enough names to make

the cut), is sent to hunt them down. Of course, this being a Darksiders game,

there will inevitably be a bunch of late

twists and at least one conspiracy theory

thrown in to complicate matters more.

But story is perhaps not why we’re here;

Darksiders III has by and large embraced

with utterly incomprehensible stories so long as the gameplay is entertaining.

its role solely as an action game this time

When you’re not fighting something,

solving from the original Darksiders and

of traversing the landscape, solving some

around, having ditched most of the puzzle the RPG/loot elements from Darksiders II. And, if Bayonetta has shown us anything, it’s that action games can often get by

Darksiders III’s gameplay mostly consists very basic puzzles, and searching for

bosses to kill. The game has taken a few

pointers from Dark Souls in that much of

the layout revolves around finding save

there’s a Bayonetta-esque system where

in-game currency obtained from killing

last possible moment before an attack

points from where you can level up with enemies. Dying means respawning at the last save point you reached, losing all of the currency you’re currently holding,

and having to travel back to the point

where you died to get it back. It’s a rather questionable inclusion, and I’m not sure

it really benefits an action game much to

encourage a slower paced, more cautious playstyle after death, but it’s not a major problem.

The actual combat of Darksiders III is

the player is rewarded for dodging at the lands. The game’s dodge is both fast and lacks many invincibility frames, which

puts a heavy emphasis on quick reactions and timing. It’s not exactly complex, but

dashing quickly in and out of enemy reach

is certainly fun, and bosses are challenging enough to make the relatively shallow system feel rewarding. There’s a pure,

almost child-like sense of fun to be had

from darting between enemies, racking up

big combos and avoiding attacks perfectly.

relatively simplistic, operating on a two

I do feel that the game missed an

the two weapons you can have selected

combat by not implementing directional

button system; one button for each of at any given time. It’s not particularly

complicated, but it’s still fun enough, and

there are a variety of interesting weapons and moves to play around with. Much of

the skill revolves around reacting to enemy attacks and dodging at the right time;

opportunity to add some depth to its

attacks similar to those you can find in the Devil May Cry series. Darksiders III operates with a hard lock-on system, which would have allowed for the

developers to expand the number of

moves Fury had available relatively easily.

Unfortunately, as it stands, the

combat isn’t much more complex

than a Warriors game, which does mean that once you’ve mastered

Fury’s movement and dodging, there isn’t a lot left for you to get good at.

The difficulty curve tapers off and

you’re just left to steamroll through the rest of the game.

From a technical standpoint, this is one of the least impressive games you’ll find on current generation

hardware. It looks like a late PS2 title, with some truly bad textures and low res environments. Even the previous

Darksiders games, which were by no means graphical powerhouses, were more impressive than this. There’s

no kind way to say it: this game does not look good.

I’m usually not one to make much of a

Despite these problems, I keep coming

title, as performance is usually more

to play, which is something that cannot be

fuss about graphical fidelity in an action important in a title that’s focused on

fast movement and quick reflexes, but

Darksiders III barely manages to touch

30 FPS consistently, with plenty of frame rate drops whenever things get hectic

on screen. 60 FPS is the benchmark that games focused on quick movement

and fast-paced melee combat should

strive to reach, and 30 FPS is something I grudgingly accept as a bare minimum.

This is completely unacceptable: there is

simply no justification for an action game failing to even reach a locked 30 FPS on

eighth gen hardware, let alone one which has its core mechanics focused around

quick reactions and inputs on the player’s part.

back to the fact that the game is just fun said for far too many recent mainstream releases. If you’re a fan of the series, or you’re just looking for the opportunity to beat people into the ground, you

may be able to overlook the myriad of

technical problems and the relative lack

of complexity. For anyone else, it’s hard to recommend dropping $60 on this. If you don’t already like hack and slash titles,

and the Darksiders series specifically, this

third installment certainly won’t make you a fan.

By Paul Broussard

Stephen LaGioia

REVIEW NS:

yoshis crafted world Nintendo has built a tremendous

platforms over the years and its most

platformers in its long gaming history.

but rather basic Kirby’s Epic Yarn, Yoshi’s

track record when it comes to quality

Developer Good-Feel, which has taken the reins for Yoshi-specific games in recent

years, comes with a less certain history.

Good-Feel has created a handful of

charming and enjoyable titles for Nintendo

notable efforts include the well-crafted Woolly World, and Wario Land: Shake It. I’m happy to say, however, that the

developer’s latest effort on the Nintendo

Switch - Yoshi’s Crafted World - just might be Good-Feel’s best game yet.

Crafted World utilizes a mechanic of aiming

much at times, the cardboard themes in this

hit cardboard pieces. This is a simple yet

in a literal and figurative sense. This allows

and firing eggs in a pseudo-3D space to

effective and satisfying hook, and continues the trend of boundary-pushing Yoshi

platformers. While Woolly World’s yarn

gimmick tended to be in your face and a bit

title reside more in the background - both for a tighter, more enjoyable experience;

and one that’s a touch more fast-paced. It

comes off as distinct, while feeling closer to Yoshi’s Island/Story in spirit. It truly felt to

me like a nostalgic trip back to the mid 90s

Yet Crafted World has completely ditched

mechanic, especially after seeing the return

cumbersome yarn-yanking mechanic. In

when playing around with the egg-firing

of baddies like Spear Guys, Goonies, and

the main villains - Baby Bowser and Kamek.

The artistic vibe of Yoshi’s Crafted World maintains that predominant level of

colorful cuteness that Woolly World pulled off so well. Much like Woolly World, it

really feels like you’re playing through

a rich, kid-friendly animated piece here.

its predecessor’s “hook” of its often

its place we get the more straightforward approach of shooting cardboard cut-outs scattered throughout 2.5D planes. These

cutouts take on a variety of images that are often meant to blend into the background, providing a certain scavenger hunt feel.

Nailing them can yield various goodies,

such as hearts that replenish heath, as well as coins and flowers.

Crafted World nicely interweaves the

collectables into the gameplay itself, as

you can use earned coins to buy a variety

scramble to earn the plethora of goodies in each stage, some of which are well hidden.

of cute cardboard costumes that give

While the mechanics as a whole feel more

rarity. These range from common items

game mixes in a vast array of courses that

you extra protection depending on their like a bottle cap, to a more coveted Labo

keyboard and Monty Mole shell. The other

collectables mainly revolve around flowers,

which are needed to pass certain blockades on the world map, including a colorful

secret area that opens upon completion

of the game. Crafted World keeps things rather light and easy-going for the most

part. But make no mistake - completionists

will have their work cut out for them as they

traditional compared to Woolly World, the differ thematically and mechanically. The

biomes number well over a dozen, and each one comes with a handful of stages, which themselves usually offer distinct qualities.

The sporadic nature of environments and themes is reminiscent of Super Mario

Galaxy. It can feel a tad inconsistent at

times, but on the plus side any feeling of repetition is certainly kept to a minimum with this approach.

Stages range from train

stations, to ninja dojos which obscure your view behind a screen, to a haunted house in which you’re hunted by

creepy axe-wielding clowns.

You’re even dropped into

a handful of more action-

based vehicular stages. This

includes a course where you control a large mechanical

version of Yoshi who plows and punches through all in his wake, and a solar-

powered racing stage where you’re forced to avoid

shadows. I enjoyed the both

the ingenuity of the concepts and richness of each stage’s

unique atmosphere, and was happy to see a refreshing

converted into additional flowers following

tropes.

sort of time trial, as gathering all 3 Poochies

lack of typical environmental

An additional “Flipped Mode” allows you to run through variants of each stage in

which 3 Poochie dogs are hiding. These scurrying

pups can be nabbed and

completion. Flipped Mode also doubles as a and reaching the goal in a certain amount of

time nets you another flower. You’re also tasked with the option of revisiting stages and seeking out specific items to bring to robot-like allies at various spots on the map. These are neat inclusions, as they not only add yet another dimension to Crafted World but drastically

On top of this, there’s the return of a 2 player

dying, especially when donning a costume.

as a different colored Yoshi of their choice and

You’re sometimes given a lack of eggs, which

amusing, it’s quite easy to get in the way of

smart about egg use usually mitigates any

co-op mode, which allows a player to jump in provide assistance. While this usually proved

eachother, sometimes impeding or disrupting progress more than helping towards it. Since you’re on a limited 2D plane, accidentally

lapping up your partner, clocking them with

an egg/turtle shell, or hopping on their back will likely be a common occurrence. In a

wise NSMB-esque inclusion, though, a Yoshi dropping out of frame will morph into an

egg, which will simply float towards the other player and drop back into the action.

Collect-a-thons notwithstanding, most of Yoshi’s Crafted World is a breeze to get through. The main game can ideally be

finished in a handful of hours and with few deaths, for those looking to get right to

business. This might be off-putting to some, though there certainly is a place for the “sit back and relax” style Good-Feel’s become

notorious for. Most of the various enemies creeping about don’t pose too much of a

challenge, as you can gobble them up and convert them to egg ammo rather simply.

You’re also typically granted several hits before

can make things a bit hairy, though being

issues here. The bosses, while granting some exciting and amusing moments, usually go

down in 3 well-placed hits with little sweat.

Then you’ve got the return of “Mellow Mode”, which allows you to quite literally drift across a stage, and grants a drastic increase in hits before dying.

Aside from its relative simplicity and

occasionally touchy co-op bits, the latest Yoshi installment really is a well-crafted platformer if you’ll excuse the pun. It offers an impressive

variety of innovative concepts that keep things feeling fresh. At the same time, it adheres to

the crisp and familiar mechanics - along with

other cool nostalgic nods - found in the classic Yoshi’s Island. It’s quite the artistic marvel

too, with its imaginative atmosphere and fine detail, making it one of the prettier games to grace a Nintendo platform. Yoshi’s Crafted

World is a pleasant, enduring experience that

platforming fans on the Switch shouldn’t miss.

By Stephen LaGioia

Adam Cartwright

A LOOK BACK AT DISNEY GAMES ON PLAYSTATION HANDHELDS There are few brands out there that have

lineup considerably in recent years by

of Disney. Thanks to decades of beautiful

(although for the purposes of this article,

anything like the appeal and recognition

and critically acclaimed animated films, the company is a household name that has

expanded beyond just movies to include a variety of other ventures, including

videogames. Disney has also grown its

acquiring Marvel, Pixar, and Star Wars

I’ll only be covering Disney/Pixar output).

Thanks to their broad audience, Disney

games usually show up on every viable

platform out there, meaning that despite the brand’s affinity with Nintendo’s

YOUR SAY

younger-skewing audience, both the

ins often using platformer gameplay

throughout their lives. Some of this

younger and older audiences. So it felt

PSP and Vita received a number of titles was through Disney’s own developer/

publisher (Disney Interactive Studios), but the firm also licensed out its IPs for other companies to try their hand at – with somewhat mixed results.

The very first time I wrote about a series

of games on the Vita, it was for the LEGO franchise – a collection of licensed tie-

and quirky references to appeal to both right to return to a comparable series

here, because even if the titles aren’t all necessarily related in story or setting,

many utilise the same sense of Disney

wonderment that make the company’s animated films such a success.

P O R T A B L E

Probably the best place to start

Buzz Lightyear to the Rescue! was

beginning of Disney games on

the genre (sadly the TV show tie-in

this article is to go back to the PlayStation hardware, with the

release of the very first PlayStation, when a number of different

C L A S S I C S

publishers were trying their hands at making tie-ins to classic Disney films. Many of the titles which

landed on that console came to

seen as one of the better entries in Buzz Lightyear of Star Command didn’t receive the same acclaim), while the others were a bit more

forgettable, although they could

generally be fun if you were a fan of the source material.

the PSP (and by extension Vita)

Just as common were 2D

program in 2006, which allowed

sensibilities, such as the beautifully

with the launch of the PS1 classics them to be downloaded and taken on the go.

Among the titles offered through the program were things like 102

Dalmations, A Bug’s Life, Atlantis,

Toy Story 2, and Lilo & Stitch – early outings into the 3D platformer

genre (which had flourished on the

PS1), which usually had you running around finding dozens of collectible items and jumping on the heads

of bad guys. Of them, Toy Story 2:

platformers designed around older animated Hercules: Action Game or Tarzan, both based on the

moderately popular films, as well

as Mickey’s Wild Adventure, which

was an original platformer starring the firm’s mascot. There was also a further game based on Pixar’s

biggest IP in Toy Story Racer, which aped Mario Kart‘s design for a

fairly enjoyable time. All of the

aforementioned titles are available on Vita through backwardscompatibility.

My personal favourite of the bunch

is Monsters Inc: Scare Island, a game

which has you running around as Mike

and Sulley practicing their intimidation skills in a training course designed

for monsters. It was a first foray into

the Disney licensed arena for Sony –

something the company would revisit many years later for its handhelds.

Throughout much of the seventh generation (which is when Sony introduced its handheld PSP

console), one publisher seemed to

have a monopoly on family-friendly software, including Disney/Pixar

games. That was THQ, whose titles

T H E

remain on the PlayStation Store

despite the company itself going bankrupt in 2012.

THQ’s debut effort on Sony

portables was a tie-in game for

Pixar’s Cars. In contrast to the 3D platformers Disney games were

known for up until that point, this was a racing title that had you

capturing the feel of the film while still being enjoyable to play. It

proved to be a successful formula

that THQ would attempt to emulate years later with Cars Race-O-Rama, but sadly this wasn’t quite as well received.

familiar direction. Ratatouille was a very traditional 3D platformer that

had you playing as Remy, following the events of the film, in a game

that was far from essential but was nonetheless a decent amount of

fun. Then there was Wall-E, which

T H Q

playing as Lightning McQueen and friends. It was actually fairly solid,

Following this, THQ went in a more

was based on a PS2 version of a

multi-platform release spanning generations.

A further tie-in to Up was released in 2009 and it included some

interesting character-switching

mechanics. Sadly, THQ’s license quickly ran out after this and it would be the last of its Disney

E R A

titles. The company bowed to financial pressures and exited

gaming altogether soon thereafter.

While Disney would continue to license out its Pixar films to

publishers such as THQ during most of the seventh generation,

it also continued to produce content through its own subsidiary

- Disney Interactive Games - providing an even broader range of content for Sony’s handhelds.

For example, there were multiple games based on the popular

D I S N E Y S

Pirates of the Caribbean film series (which itself was based on a

ride at Disneyland, amusingly). Dead Man’s Chest was an action-

adventure title that released in 2006, quickly followed by another tie-in to At World’s End in 2007. Both are available on PSN as a double pack, and although neither is particularly memorable, they can provide a good swashbuckling distraction. Disney

also worked with Warner Bros. to create LEGO: Pirates of the

Caribbean in 2011, which was a tonne of fun, even if the PSP port was merely an up-ressed DS game.

O W N

Disney continued to work in partnership with other publishers beyond this, such as with Square-Enix on the-then latest entry in its long-running crossover RPG series

Kingdom Hearts, entitled Birth by Sleep. It was seen by many as the best handheld

entry in the franchise to-date, as well as being a return to form following a number of questionable releases. Sadly, due to licensing issues, Birth by Sleep was never made available on PSN, meaning you’re unable to play it on Vita without hacking it.

E F F O R T S

Elsewhere, in 2010 the company worked on Toy Story 3 (a 3D

platformer) and Tron: Evolution (a bizarre combat/platformer/racing hybrid), neither of which were particularly well received on Sony’s handheld thanks to their stripped-down content (for example on consoles, Toy Story 3 included a toy box mode that allowed you

to create your own levels, something that would be a template for their later series Disney Infinity). This low effort was a precursor to

what would follow which was dropping support completely, but an

unexpected source stepped in to continue bringing Disney games to Sony handhelds.

S T E P S

S O N Y

An odd partnership was struck in 2011 between Disney

and Sony, where the Spanish developer Virtual Toys was

commissioned to make games based on a variety of Disney’s IP’s for Sony’s handheld lines, likely as part of a broader

attempt to engage younger gamers with Sony’s platforms (this also included things like the new IP Invizimals).

This first happened for Cars 2, based on the Pixar sequel

from 2011. Rather bizarrely, instead of being a port of any

pre-existing version, Cars 2 was a bespoke experience built specifically for the PSP, shifting the racing mechanics to an isometric perspective reminiscent of Micro Machines.

I N

This was followed in 2012 by a direct port of Phineas & Ferb:

Across the 2nd Dimension, again for the PSP, although by this point it was clear that the initiative would have to shift over to a newer platform, not least because Phineas had some major performance problems.

This happened a couple of years later in 2014 when Muppets Movie

Adventures released on PlayStation Vita, Sony’s handheld replacement for the PSP. Another bespoke experience, and one that attempted to make

use of the console’s unique inputs, it unfortunately was a bit of a boring mess that isn’t really worth playing. That was a shame, given previous Muppets titles had proved in the past that they could be pretty fun.

Virtual Toys worked on one last Disney game on Vita in 2015, which was Phineas & Ferb: Day of Doofenshmirtz. An expansion of the gameplay

basis that had been developed in Across the 2nd Dimension, it offered

some enjoyable if uninspired 3D platforming action that thankfully was a big improvement over Muppets.

A L A S T F E W

H A N D H E L D

Between 2008 and 2012,

It spawned a sequel in 2012

reportedly lost over $200m

Two), which Sony paid to be

Disney Interactive Studios

per year, causing some deep

restructuring of the company and shifting priorities. This is undoubtedly one of

the reasons the company never really pledged any

support for Vita. However,

beyond its work with Virtual

(Epic Mickey 2: The Power of ported to Vita a year later.

It was a bizarre decision,

and the game itself received a very lukewarm critical

reception, but it did at least provide a nice bit of variety for the console’s library.

Toys, Sony also engaged

Sony also got involved

this missing content to its

bigger gamble to the

other developers to bring handheld.

For example, one of Disney’s biggest titles of the seventh

generation was Epic Mickey, a sweeping 3D platformer

which aimed to tell the tale of Disney’s mascot and his

history throughout the years.

in bringing Disney’s even handheld - Disney Infinity.

Disney Infinity was an

ambitious entry in the

toys-to-life genre which

allowed gamers to play in the fantastical worlds of

Marvel, Pixar, and eventually Star Wars, as well as build their own levels using in-

D I S N E Y

depth creation tools. The

second entry, Disney Infinity 2.0: Marvel Super Heroes,

received a belated port in 2015 which included an

exclusive Black Suit Spider

Man figure, but it failed to set the sales charts alight

due to its tardy appearance

and the toys-to-life concept

not fitting all that well with a portable platform.

This led to the third entry –

G A M E S

Disney Infinity 3.0 – skipping Vita altogether, although by this point it was becoming

clear that the franchise was

failing to hit its sales targets and support would soon be pulled altogether.

F U T U R E D I S N E Y

G A M E S O N V I T A

I’ve already written extensively

tie-ins to Monsters University

production worldwide and,

Mansion were announced by

about Vita now ending

unsurprisingly, younger-

gamer-friendly titles like

and Mickey’s Haunted

Sony’s Spanish division.

those based on Disney IPs are

In fact, Disney games on

console is reaching the end

much less prevalent these

among the first to go when a of its life. Virtual Toys (the

developer of numerous Disney games from 2011 onwards) moved on to a PS4 MOBA

after Phineas & Ferb launched and since then appears to

have shut down, while Sony

itself rapidly withdrew support for its own handheld. The latter in particular was a

shame because at one point

consoles in general seem

days – instead they’ve shifted over to mobile as the AA

market has somewhat fallen

through. The odd title to slip through the cracks here and there, such as Cars 3: Driven to Win, haven’t release on

Vita, which is unsurprising but a little disappointing all the same.

CONCLUSION Despite often being aimed at

representation, but for whatever

of fun to be had with some

decided to start paying for

younger gamers, there’s a lot Disney titles, making them a

nice addition to any console’s

library. While this meant they’ve

naturally gravitated more towards Nintendo machines over the

years, due to a better audience

match, there’s still a nice selection of games available on both PS1 & PSP, including some solid 3D

platformers such as Monsters Inc: Scare Island and Wall-E.

As for the Vita, the bankruptcy

of THQ and heavy restructurings at Disney Interactive Studios

left the handheld without much

reason Sony stepped in and

ports of these titles by itself; a bizarre move given Sony’s

lack of support elsewhere in

the handheld’s library. While

Disney Infinity 2.0, Epic Mickey 2, and Phineas & Ferb: Day of

Doofenshmirtz may not go down as among the best games ever

made, they nonetheless helped broaden the platform’s library.

By Adam Cartwright

SILK, Inspired by The Lords of Midnight, Hits Kickstarter New sandbox RPG adventure, inspired by the late Mike Singleton’s ZX Spectrum classic, brought to Kickstarter by the designer of Discworld Noir Manchester, 28th February 2019: International Hobo is pleased to announce that Silk, a Sandbox RPG Adventure Game, has launched on Kickstarter. If funded, the game is targeting release on Steam, PS4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch.

Kickstarter video: https://youtu.be/Eulngufz-iQ Silk is a tribute to the late Mike Singleton, especially his ground-breaking 1984 game The Lords of Midnight, and development is being directed by Chris Bateman, designer of Discworld Noir and Ghost Master.

The engine used to produce the world of Silk has an identical design to the original ‘landscaping engine’ that Mike Singleton designed for The Lords of Midnight, although it uses 2D assets rendered in Unity to create a more vibrant feeling wilderness with retro roots and a contemporary lo-fi vibe. All the exploration and warfare of the original is here, along with trading and recruiting Advisors who make up an RPG party inspired by the Clan Ring of King of Dragon Pass.

WRITTEN BY PAUL MONOPOLI

With a lo-fi visual aesthetic and a lightweight interface that delivers endless engaging decisions, Silk is an innovative role-playing adventure like no other. Rise into glory by running your caravan from the Roman Empire to war-torn Three Kingdoms China. Defend yourself from bandits, sandstorms, and rebellions by hiring Advisors skilled in everything from battle to wayfinding. Fall in love with your own unique party of Advisors and the enchanting world of the Ancient Silk Road in 200 AD. Gameplay trailer: https://youtu.be/cFyvMgstQug

“This is a game I’ve wanted to make for some time, but it never felt like the right time.” said award-winning game designer Chris Bateman, Creative Director, International Hobo Ltd. “But there might never be a good time to honour the influence Mike’s work as a game developer had on me, and now is a great time to be trusting fans of indie games to support something innovative and unusual, that’s not like anything else out there, and that pays tribute to a pioneer who sadly passed away in 2012 at the age of 61. I can think of no better way I can memorialise his achievements than to make a game inspired by what I loved in his classics.”

Playable Demo: https://bit.ly/2StpLrD Press Assets: https://bit.ly/2GQjwgp Kickstarter Page: http://kck.st/2EmVMwr --About International Hobo Ltd International Hobo combines award-winning creative services with a new game development studio. The core company is one of the world’s most successful game design, narrative design and scriptwriting consultancies, and games the company has worked upon have collectively sold more than 10 million units while franchises its staff have worked on have sold in excess of 80 million units. They are currently expanding operations to include development teams working on innovative ‘heirloom’ console game projects for niche markets, of which _Silk_ is the first title in development.

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