I ate an entire pizza, fell asleep, and had the strangest dream…OK, so due to the lateness of the hour I’m not entirely convinced that I’m not dreaming this. Do you see that picture above? Because I can’t believe that it’s real.
Do you ever come across something that’s smashed up from a bunch of random, unrelated things that you love individually but never expected to see them together? That just happened to me when I read a story on Kotaku that claims to have stumbled upon concept art for designer Warren Spector’s upcoming steampunk-tinged Disney videogame. Let’s break that down:
– A game designed by Warren Spector? Check.
– Crazy steampunky setting? Check.
– Disney? Uh, yeah.
Last year we mentioned, in passing, that Spector’s game design studio had been purchased by Disney in 2007 and he was working on a new, secret, character-centric game. I found this particularly exciting, as Spector is a genius of game design and was responsible for a number of seminal titles that helped define the cutting edge of PC gaming in the 1990s. He’s really quite good. So I was curious to see what someone known for their intricate action-RPGs would do with Disney characters.
Possible conceptual art for Epic MickeyWell, it looks like he’s doing something crazy. Kotaku found this art on concept artist Fred Gambino’s site. The various sources report that the codename for the project is “Epic Mickey.” It looks… wild. And doesn’t that first rendering look like the abandoned plans for the S.S. Disney?
Good old-fashioned nightmare fuel: Robo-Heffalump and Steam-Powered Goofy Cyborg are coming for your children! Now where’s Tik-Tok?There’s still no word on what the game is, when it’ll be released, or really anything else about it. It’s just such a confluence of insane things that I love, and that always warrants a mention.
This looks very very very very cool. Thanks for posting!
Egads Michael what are you trying to do to us?! -Oh crap I just squared myself- Actually it is pretty wild. Should I admit dread of unforeseen toon characters in the Haunted Mansion?
http://www.shacknews.com/screenshots.x?gallery=12496&game_id=7801#img138496
Found some more concept art. From the looks of it, a reimagined and horrifying version of the Phantom Blot is the villain, creating all sorts of monstrous cyborgs.
Oh my gosh that’s wild – thanks for the link! The Phantom Blot?? That’s brilliant! Talk about using the back-catalogue for good use…
The recurring images of paint thinner could hint at the plot, as it’s reminiscent of the Dip in Roger Rabbit. If the game is anything like some of those wild images… man. That’ll be something else. A robotic Big Al scorpion? Best. Game. Ever.
Not to mention robo-Seven Dwarf landing vehicles being fended off by Horace Horsecollar and the goat from Steamboat Willie, or the Oswald TWA Moonliner with the Clock of the World… Wow.
Other cool mentions: http://www.cartoonbrew.com/disney/epic-mickey.html
Some actual details have come up online. Game plays a lot like Okami, with Mickey drawing and erasing his way through levels. The plot itself involves some of the older and more obscure characters getting tired of MIckey’s fame and glory and rising up against him.
No mention of the Blot’s role yet, though I’m speculating he’s probably manipulating the mob.
That’s such a crazy plot for Disney to sign off on – I’m impressed that they got it through. The game looks more and more interesting; my only hope is that it doesn’t remain a Wii-exclusive.
Still excited about the Blot…