Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: The Game (2010)

I think this game is rightfully praised. Paul Robertson's pixel art is gorgeous. Anamanaguchi's chiptunes perfectly accompany the uber-video-game aesthetic of the Scott Pilgrim franchise. Also, it is nice to see the game accurately cover the story of the graphic novels.

However, the game doesn't do much mechanically to differentiate itself from other games in the side scrolling Beat 'Em Up genre. You have a more plentiful arsenal of attacks in River City Girls. You play a longer game with way more characters in Streets of Rage 4. You have computer companions in Mother Russia Bleeds. The animals go poo in fear of you in Castle Crashers. I wish all of these features were in Scott Pilgrim vs. The World.

The fact that SP vs. TW doesn't feature these newer conventions of genre doesn't make it a bad game. I still had a fun time during its short run time, and I'd recommend it to fans of the franchise. If you enjoy this game, maybe try out some of the games I mentioned earlier as the ceiling for the Beat 'Em Up genre is much higher than Scott Pilgrim would have you believe.

When I played this game on Xbox 360 the year of its release, I fell in love with its presentation, but I gave up pretty quickly because it was just too difficult for me.

Fast-forward to 2021: The game's considered a de-listed classic, and Limited Run announces some gorgeous physical re-releases. I order the "Classic Edition"... not because I love the game, but because I love Scott Pilgrim (the graphic novels and movie) and the Sonic Adventure-inspired alternate artwork.

I display the game on my shelf until 2022, when I decide it's time to give it another try.

The presentation is even better than I remember: The pixelated Bryan Lee O'Malley sprites, the dense backgrounds chock-full of fun details and easter eggs, the character selection and world map... it's all just delightful.

But I'm still awful at playing it. I can never time my blocks correctly, I move like a snail, it takes forever to recover from being knocked down, and I see the button combos in my move list but someone must have swapped the buttons around on my controller because I can only execute a couple of them.

Only this time, I know about the infinite money trick.

So I cheat and cheese my way through the game so I can experience more of the stuff I actually like. And I finally have a good time.

The Scott Pilgrim books by Bryan Lee O'Malley are, without a doubt, some of the best graphic novels ever written. They're an all-encompassing love letter to nerd-culture of the 90's, frequently and specifically paying homage to comic-books, indie music, video-games, movies, fashion, food, shopping-malls, Canadian fast food chains... the list goes on and on. The story isn't a shallow parade of references either. O'Malley's semi-autobiographical tale of a nerdy loser who discovers his true heroic potential through the power of love is a story that resonated with a lot of people, it turns out. This was no more obvious than in 2010, when the world was suddenly (and somewhat shockingly) inundated with Scott Pilgrim content, centered primarily around a film directed by Edgar Wright (director of Shaun of the Dead) and a retro brawler-style video-game developed by Ubisoft. It was an exciting time to be a Pilgrim-fan indeed. The film turned out to be incredible too, perfectly adapting a sprawling 6-book narrative into a tight, snappy, heart-felt and frequently hilarious film that kept the beating heart of the story intact while adding another layer of Wright's own voice as a director.

So logically, the game was also terrific right? Ehh... Yes and no. It certainly has it's strong points. The original sound-track composed by chip-tune band Anamanaguchi is stellar, perfectly fitting this 16-bit brawler version of Scott's story. The same goes for the art of Paul Robertson, which adapted and digitized O'Malley's original visual style with even more depth and character. The biggest problem, unfortunately, are in the departments of gameplay and story delivery. The game is repetitive, plain and simple. Now you might be able to chock this up to a genre where the primary gameplay is walk right, press punch and kick a bunch, repeat. But to me, the game could have used another layer of depth when it comes to combat. Also, this game as a standalone piece, does not convey its story well. It's clearly a companion piece for those already invested in the world instead of its own thing. Playing this game only gives you the faintest hint at the warmly comedic yet emotionally introspective narrative that the books and movie are known for. Video-game storytelling is pretty tough huh? In the end it's still a fun game, especially with friends, and it's great that it's actually available for purchase again on modern platforms after being de-listed for years. Just don't only play the game if you're planning on checking out the world of Scott Pilgrim because it's not where O'Malley's vision shines most brightly.