Steam someone is making a Smash Bros inspired game where every playable character is from the public domain

[Krvavi Abadas]

yep, it's another episode of "bizarre Nintendo game clone shown at PAX"




featuring classic characters like.....

• Sweeney Todd (from "The String of Pearls")
• Mother Goose (from every children's story compilation ever made)
• "Dorothy" (from The Wizard of Oz, isn't her name actually Toto?)
• Lilith (from MESOPOTAMIAN MYTHOLOGY)

it actually does look quite good, certainly far better than the large amount of generic horror films and games people have been creating using these "IPs".
i believe Good Vibes Gaming briefly mentioning it in their PAX West video is what's brought it to public attention.

 

[Aurc]

It may have Sweeney Todd, but it lacks Mr. Sweeney from Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide, and that makes me sad!

 

[EvilChameleon]

Oh, I mean Mother Goose for sure!

 

[Jahranimo]

Is this a Slap City spiritual successor? lol

That's a compliment by the way.

 

[metwars]

you know not a bad use of characters like this, though the interpretations are a bit weird though, such as turning Dorothy into a dog. Sweeney Todd Being a evil cartoon barber sign is also very unique.

 

[BlackthornOrion]

oh wow this rules. Now this is the kinda shit I wanna see more people doing with the public domain. Just dumb, goofy, fun nonsense

Anyway guess I'm a "Dorothy" (Toto?) main

 

[9-Volt]

They should add superheroes from now defunct Nedor Comics! Every single of them is in public domain:

 

[Hero of Legend]

Okay the name is absolute genius.

 

[redmutineer75]

They should add superheroes from now defunct Nedor Comics! Every single of them is in public domain:

They could also add Daredevil (the original Lev Gleason one)

 

[Aether]

...I mean sure.

Then again their interpretations are not publick domain anymore, at least I haven't seen a statement.

Weird interpretations, and even weirder selection. Dorothy -> toto? Don't get that.

Wish them luck and maybe a handful of characters that stand out somewhat more.

 

[ammonite]

Jo March for Smash Royalty Free-For-All

 

[Brannigan]

At last, a spiritual successor to codename steam

 

[Bowser Sr.]

The dog is Wanderful.

 

[Sturmgeist]

I guess Sherlock Holmes will be in the Royalty-FreeLC?

 

[JorgenRaft]

Should have been Royalty Royale.

 

[Superstarxalien]

there's little point to this game if the public domain characters don't even really resemble the interpretations that people actually know them for. this isn't really dorothy, for instance

 

[batfax]

so when's Santa

 

[Lucifer]

there's little point to this game if the public domain characters don't even really resemble the interpretations that people actually know them for. this isn't really dorothy, for instance

Yeah, it's an interesting idea but wouldn't recognise anyone without the game telling me who it is.

 

[Melpomene]

People dunking on them for putting their own spin on the characters and insisting they resemble their most boilerplate concept are wack.

 

[DittoM]

Sweeney Todd? The Demon Barber from Fleet Street?

 

[BlackthornOrion]

I don't get the complaints. Is part of the appeal of public domain-based works not "for better or worse, creatives are free to offer their own take on familiar characters/locations/narratives", and seeing what that actually looks like when the rubber meets the road?

I get people having certain expectations of "how characters are", but let's be real: playing the hits gets old. Dracula would be boring if it was always just aping Bela Lugosi. Sherlock Holmes would be boring if it was always a general approximation of Basil Rathbone. And imagine where Christmas specials would be if Scrooge always had to be a Victorian Brit.

Let people get weird and throw some of their own ideas into the mix and see what sticks, y'know? Because that's where a lot of the fun stuff happens and how these archetypes get to evolve

 

[correojon]

Cool idea, let's see what crazy characters end up in there

• "Dorothy" (from The Wizard of Oz, isn't her name actually Toto?)

Wasn't Toto her dog?

 

[Jave]

I say put Steamboat Willie in.

 

[woodhead]

That is a very USA roster of characters.

 

[Tircros]

Can they use Mikey from Steamboat cartoon or winni the pu?

 

[Koren Lesthe]

Ah yes, this Dorothy.

 

[Chaotic Neutral]

This is amazing. A+ for getting a kind of silly but also a pretty neat idea and just running with it. Love it.

 

[Hermii]

They need to add Mickey Mouse from steamboat Willie.

 

[EvilChameleon]

Ah yes, this Dorothy.

Oh I get it, you wanna take credit for my design, is that it?

 

[totofogo]

They need to add Mickey Mouse from steamboat Willie.

and winnie the pooh

 

[ProteusRidley]

Can't wait for the DLC in 3 years that has snow white and the seven dwarves

 

[InfinityWarrior88]

People dunking on them for putting their own spin on the characters and insisting they resemble their most boilerplate concept are wack.

Any platform fighter not named Smash gets treated way harsher more often than not.

 

[Koren Lesthe]

Oh I get it, you wanna take credit for my design, is that it?

 

[Balfreys]

Lilith mains, rise up!

 

[MegaRockEXE]

Oh yeah, I played this at PAX West this weekend. Game is still kind of in an early state. Very floaty and exploitable moves. Fun concept though and it would be nice to see it more fleshed out.