Shmowzow! It looks like it’s pretty official now – there’s an Adventure Time video game coming to the 3DS and DS this Fall, as confirmed by the press release posted on the Frederator Studios blog. Creator of the wildly popular cartoon series, Pendleton Ward, announced the game less-than-officially on his Twitter account a couple months ago, but it’s nevertheless reassuring to finally see a proper press release touting the final title of the game, which is sheer brilliance, cover art (final or not), and a confirmed release window. Still no word, however, if this is going to be purchasable physically in a retail store or if it will be a downloadable title. Heck, maybe it’ll follow in NSMB 2’s footsteps and be available both in retail and digitally.
For those not in the know, WayForward, the same developer behind some of the greatest platformers released in recent years (Shantae: Risky’s Revenge, Mighty Flip Champs, Mighty Switch Force, A Boy and His Blob, etc.), has begun working very closely with Adventure Time creator Pendleton Ward to create a game based on the Cartoon Network series. It’s anyone’s guess right now, however, as to what kind of gameplay it will actually boast.
If WayForward’s track record and the nature of the show itself are any indication, it’s safe to bet it will predominantly feature platforming gameplay, but likely with a few surprises thrown in. It’d be neat if, for example, gameplay switched to a top-down view within dungeons, mimicking The Legend of Zelda, or if rhythm-based sections along the lines of Rhythm Heaven made the cut. The show’s music contributes greatly to its charm, after all. I’d also expect some RPG elements to come into play, as well. Levels, stats, weapon and form upgrades – the sky’s the limit. Pen Ward’s a fan of old-style RPGs, so it’s certainly a possibility. The Land of Ooo lends itself to a pleasant hodge-podge of different gameplay elements, being largely inspired by classic and modern video games in the first place, and it’ll be interesting to see how WayForward and Pen Ward flesh out this fantastic world we’ve thus far only been able to glimpse through our television screens.
Personally, I’ve got my sights set pretty high for this one. The building blocks for a great game already exist within the cartoon itself: a decent plot if you care enough to follow it (a rarity among cartoons today), lots of surprisingly developed characters living in an eerie, post-apocalyptic world, kick-butt tunes (again, inspired by retro gaming), and humor up the bazoobs. With all of these elements colliding in a game, well…I just hope our DS’s and 3DS’s don’t explode from all the awesome. The next few months are going to be an exciting time for Adventure Time fans. And who knows – if this game proves to be a success, maybe it’ll reopen the door for quality games based on our favorite animated series.