Smashboards Creates: Game Pitch Challenges! [VOTE FOR: FISHING GAMES! SUBMIT FOR: EDGY REBOOTS!]

[Master Hero Sock-on-Rye]

Big's life only has room for one frog.

Sometimes I hate my train of thought, because I just thought of Big the Cat in one of Miss Piggy's outfits.

 

[MartianSnake]

CROSSOVER VOTE RESULTS
Metroid Vania (1 point)
Kirby & Bomberman: Explosive-Dream Planet (1 point)
Tokyo Mirage Sessions #XC (4 points)
Mega Man & Donkey Kong: Metal Monkey Business (8 points)
Ace Attorney in Dream Land (8 points)
T-Zero: F-Zero x Crazy Taxi (9 points)
Blue & White: Bomberman & Rockmen (11 points)

Looks like Blue and White wins this round! Congrats to KneeOfJustice99 !

FISHING SUBMISSIONS​

Challenge #14: Create a Fishing Game

For this challenge, I think I'll try turning the concept on its ear.

Fishing for Humans

Not much is known about how mermaids lure humans. Some say they climb on jagged rocks and sing beautiful melodies. Others tempt beachcombers with fanciful presents. This story invites a new take on it: Namely, how some mermaids go fishing for their captive audience. Yes, fishing.

There are three modes: Easy mode lets you play as a cecelia, who uses their tentacles to drag humans into their domain. Normal mode lets you play as a regular fish-tailed mermaid, using standard fishing equipment to reel humans in. Hard mode, on the other hand, lets you play as a jellyfish mermaid, who must also respect the ocean currents along the way.

After completing each level, a cutscene plays where you take your captured humans to the ruler of the oceans, who transforms them into merfolk. This invites a more casual side to the game, which takes after Animal Crossing or Harvest Moon, in which you take these newly-transformed merfolk and teach them the ways of the water.

By the end of the game, the mermaid population has doubled in size, allowing for more challenging areas to be unlocked, culminating in the finale, where aliens arrive to conquer the planet, only for the mermaid population to try and catch intergalactic forces in the same ways they've done for humanity.

The game comes with two endings. The good ending has the merfolk population gain access to alien technology, allowing them to spread out into outer space, which doubles as a potential teaser for a sequel. The bad ending has the aliens decide to blow up the entire planet, not only dooming humanity, but also the mythical creatures they inhabit as well.​

Final Fishing Fantasy
A game inspired by the infamous fishing mini-games from Final Fantasy XV but with characters from across the Final Fantasy franchise. Players can play solo or now can also play multiplayer against other players, attempting to catch better and more valuable fish. Players pick a character to play as, with each character having a special ability that will effect their fishing in some way, such as Cloud being able to use Buster to scatter fish, Tidus being able to slow time, and more. You can trade fish for Gil, with different fish gifting different amounts. There's a moggle will sell you new bait and items which you equip to your rod. There are maps taken from across the Final Fantasy

The game also features a story more which mixes RPG mechanics with fishing. The story tells of an ancient crystalline civilization that sank under the sea centuries ago and the powerful fish god that ruled it. Seeking to use this power, the gods Cosmos and Chaos once again assemble their champions and engage in a fishing contest in order to gain this power. You choose a team of characters and travel across the land, recruiting characters and getting into fishing contests with NPCS and other characters. There are also a few boss battles in which you must use your fishing rod against the boss. The game also features an original version of series staple Cid, A master fisherman who will build you new Rods and Boats.

Character List:

1. Warrior of Light [FF1]
2. Garland [FF1]
3. Firion [FF2]
4. The Emperor [FF2]
5. Onion Knight [FF3]
6. Cloud of Darkness [FF3]
7. Cecil Harvey [FF4]
8. Kain Highwind [FF4]
9. Golbez [FF4]
10. Bartz Klauser [FF5]
11. Gilgamesh [FF5]
12. Terra Branford [FF6]
13. Locke Cole [FF6]
14. Kefka Palazzo [FF6]
15. Cloud Strife [FF7]
16. Tifa Lockheart [FF7]
17. Sephiroth [FF7]
18. Squall Leonheart [FF8]
19. Ultimecia [FF8]
20. Zidane Tribal [FF9]
21. Adelbert Steiner [FF9]
22. Kuja [FF9]
23. Tidus [FFX]
24. Yuna [FFX]
25. Jecht [FFX]
26. Shantotto [FF11]
27. Vann [FF12]
28. Balthier [FF12]
29. Lightning [FF13]
30. Oerba Yun Fang [FF13]
31. Y'shtola Rhul [FF14]
32. Emet-Selch [FF14]
33. Noctis [FF15]
34. Ardyn Izunia [FF15]
35. Clive Rosfield [FF16]

The Legend of Zelda: Tranquil Waters
In the tranquil realm of Hyrule, peace is maintained by the harmony of nature and its creatures. One day, an ancient legend resurfaces about the mystical Ebbing Pearl, a legendary fish said to grant the wielder immense wisdom and harmony with nature. However, the pearl is hidden deep within the mysterious Lake Luma, guarded by elusive aquatic spirits and ancient puzzles.
Link, guided by Princess Zelda and the wise old fisherman Talo, sets out on a serene quest to find the Ebbing Pearl. Along the way, he learns about the importance of patience, understanding, and respecting nature’s balance. The journey is not just about catching fish but also about uncovering hidden secrets of Hyrule’s waterways and restoring harmony to the land.

Players take control of Link as he explores various fishing spots around Hyrule, including lakes, rivers, and coastal areas. The game emphasizes relaxing gameplay, combining exploration with skillful fishing.
Players use a variety of fishing rods and bait, each effective for different fish species. The fishing mini-game involves casting, waiting for the right moment to reel, and skillfully managing tension to avoid losing the catch. Timing, patience, and understanding fish behavior are key.
Certain fishing locations require solving environmental puzzles or completing side quests to access. For example, clearing debris or calming water spirits to reveal hidden fishing spots.
Catches include a diverse array of fish, some of which are rare or magical. Collecting these fish can unlock upgrades, new bait, or special abilities. Some fish are needed to complete quests or craft items.
Special fishing challenges appear, such as timed catch competitions, or catching specific rare fish under unique conditions, like during a storm or at dawn.
Players can upgrade their fishing gear, unlock new fishing locations, and customize their fishing boat or gear to improve their chances of catching rare fish.
Certain fish are tied to story elements—catching a spirit fish might reveal a hidden message, or acquiring a special fish might unlock a new area or puzzle.

Pitch #014: Ever heard of blast fishing? Let's take it one step further, with Blast Fishing: Ocean Warfare. Basically, this would be a turn-based strategy game.

You're the commander of a fleet of new fishing boats called the Greenhorns, having entered the Open Ocean in search of riches. However, the Open Ocean's got something weird about it... everyone fishes with explosives! You'll need to use your limited fleet and cache of explosives to collect schools of fish, clear obstacles and hazards, and potentially even sabotage your opponents - but be careful, because each scenario has your opponents doing the same!

(For context; explosives work with timed fuses, which tick down after every turn. However, they can be chained together into subsequent blasts even if their fuse isn't up yet. This means the environment is likely to quickly fill up with bombs, so be sure to try and find safe places of refuge!)

Between rounds, you'll be able to spend the money you earn from fishing to upgrade your fleet, pay for more fuel and explosives, and perhaps even buy intel on the next scenario with elements like weather, speculated fish prices, and so forth. Then, after preparing, set out to try and net as much fish as you can - with different fish types earning more based on supply and demand.

Not only this, but different ships have different stats, passives, and abilities to bear in mind - as well as new explosive types granting different properties (like fuse lengths, blast power, or unique effects) - and that's not including equipment that might help in certain scenarios, like fog lights, sonar systems, and so forth. Of course, you'll need to be sure to balance the money coming in and the money going out - or you'll end up drowning in debt!

In essence; Minesweeper meets Battleship, with Rogue-like elements. Sorry for the lack of visuals...

"Froggy, where are you?"

aw ****, it's

Big's Big Fishing Quest

Finally a game for the greatest Sonic character, Big the Cat!
​

A local fishing competition is going on in Station Square, with a Chaos Emerald as the prize! Now, Big isn't typically one for a competition, but after his buddy Froggy swallows the Chaos Emerald, Big is forced to compete in order to win back his pollywog pal.

Gameplay:​

The story campaign is structured into rounds where Big must compete against a different character to catch a specific list of fish within the time limit. Each round will have a different shaped pond with a different number of fish, and different obstacles such as rocks or plants, in a different setting. You'll start out having to only catch one fish or multiple fish of the same type, but eventually you'll have to catch multiple fish of varying different types.

​

The basic fishing gameplay is fairly simple. In order to catch your desired fish, you'll need to aim the rod at where the fish you want, and press the right button combination at the right moment. Smaller fish will only have you press one button, but the larger fish will have you press more elaborate combinations. If you go too long without getting the fish to bite your rod, the desired fish may move, in which case you'll have to pull back your rod and adjust it's position.

There is also different types of bait purchasable at the store. Different fish are attracted to different types of bait, and you can swap out different types of bait on the fly to get different types of fish.

Your opponent will also be trying to catch the same fish as you. There are multiple of each fish in the pond, but if your opponent gets all of their fish before you, you'll lose. There are also fish Badniks in the pond, who will be actively heading towards your rod and will slow you down if they grab it, but they can also work to your advantage by grabbing your opponent's rod.

Winning a round will award you with rings that you can use to buy different kinds of bait, as well as costumes for Big and items for your AquaChao Garden (see below)

Story:​

The fishing tournament will be presented as a live tv broadcast, with Omochao acting as a reporter.

​

Each of your opponents will be an original character, each with their own backstory and reason for competing in the tournament, told via interviews with Omochao. They will also have pre-match banter with Big, where he throws them off with his carefree attitude, unaffected by their snide remarks.

The only opponent who is an established character is the final boss, Dr. Eggman himself, who shows up to claim the Chaos Emerald, only to accidentally release Froggy, who jumps into the nearby pond.

Final Boss:​

Big and Eggman must compete against eachother in an attempt to catch Froggy, who is the only non-Badnik creature in the pond, but is constantly moving around the pond quickly, and is unaffected by bait, so you must line up your rod perfectly to catch him. Additionally, as Badniks are loyal to Dr. Eggman, they will only go after you.

Extra Modes:​

Challenge Mode: A harder version of the main campaign with less time, more fish to catch, etc. Unlocked after beating the main campaign.

Free Mode: Replay each level with no time limit or opponents, to try and catch as many fish as possible. Each stage is made available in this mode after completed in the main campaign

Multiplayer: A second player controls the opponent! Includes both local and online.

AquaChao Garden: A garden that houses a unique variety of Chao that live in the water. Can be given any of the fish caught to absorb their attributes, as well as accessories bought at the store that can increase stats or just look cute. Minigames include Chao Races, as well as Chao Jousting, replacing Karate. Both are underwater. There are various unlockable garden based on water levels of various Sonic games such as Labyrinth Zone and Aquatic Ruin Zone.

Big's Big Fish Journal: A Piklopedia-like journal of each fish Big has caught, with various pictures and a description containing Big's thoughts for each fish. Completing the journal will unlock a metallic Big skin (Sonic Heroes reference).

View attachment 402805​

Vote for your top three and NOT yourself, at all.

GAME PITCH CHALLENGE 15
Pitch an Edgy Reboot of a Classic Game!
​

Ahh yes, the edgy reboot, a fairly popular trend during the 2000s. Let's revisit that.

For this challenge, I want you to pitch an edgy reboot of a classic game, like you've been sent back in time to 2008, and the executives deem this the only way the franchise can be "saved" in the modern day.

Feel free to go about this any way, with any game. You can be cheeky with it, or really put a lot of care into making a genuinely good edgy reboot, your choice.

Examples for types of games like this are Bomberman Act Zero and Bionic Commando

 

[DragonRobotKing26]

1. Big's Big Fishing Quest (a True Sonic Spin-off)
2. Blast Fishing
3. Fishing for Humans

again,i didn't submitted my fishing game,because i do'nt know a lot about fishing

this choice for challenge 15 is so hard,and i need some suggestions for choices

 

[MartianSnake]

1. Big's Big Fishing Quest (a True Sonic Spin-off)
2. Blast Fishing
3. Fishing for Humans

again,i didn't submitted my fishing game,because i do'nt know a lot about fishing

this choice for challenge 15 is so hard,and i need some suggestions for choices

I would look at lists of retro games and see which one would be funny or cool in an overly serious setting

Here's some random examples
BurgerTime
Frogger
Joust
Mega Man
Tetris

 

[KneeOfJustice99]

1. Fishing for Humans - It's a simple inversion, but I love the amount of thought that's gone into it. The idea of different merfolk types and the like just seems like it lends a lot of variety to the gameplay. I like this.
2. Big's Big Fishing Quest - I'm shocked that this was the only Big submission, but I like that this feels surprisingly earnest considering how many suggestions for Big games tend to be really tongue-in-cheek.
3. The Legend of Zelda: Tranquil Waters - The idea of a Zelda game centred more on patience is an intriguing one, and solving puzzles through the process of fishing seems like it'd be an interesting one to explore in concept.

Job #015: I'll get something submitted for this at some point, just thought I should post votes first. Might be a couple of days, but I'll edit this.

Atari SA, XBLA (2010)​

Seeking to diversify their portfolio of releases across the board, in a not dissimilar manner to the context behind the release of Yar's Revenge in 2011, a reimagining of another classic Atari title would be proposed; Marble Madness. Inspired more directly by the works of M.C. Escher (akin to Mark Cerny's design process) as well as a growing cultural interest in ideas of "pop" psychology and the like in media, the game's design would be focused on the idea of "Marble Madness", as well as lending a more serious tone to the series compared to the cartoon-inspired tone of the unreleased Marble Madness 2.

The game follows an experienced therapist under investigation by the police after a number of his patients die under mysterious circumstances. All of them seem to have tried to keep themselves awake for extensively long times before inevitably dying from the side effects, even without any history of insomnia - though his latest patient rambles incoherently about "being the marble" in some kind of rat-run within his dreams, desperately trying to stay awake to avoid dreaming. In an attempt to understand what's going on, the therapist locks himself in the cell his latest patient is being held in, doses them both with sleeping pills, and the pair fall asleep... finding themselves in an asylum of dreams, where both of their essences have been trapped in glass marbles.

This is where the actual gameplay occurs; it's Marble Madness, so it's mostly just a momentum-based ball platformer of sorts with a focus on moving your marble through the environment and maneuvering around different obstacles, all taking place inside a strange world where things like gravity and direction can seemingly change on a whim. After your patient (in marble form) is knocked away and smashed by a gigantic raven, you set out to chase down the raven along the course of numerous levels, each featuring different gimmicks and stage elements - while other marbles attempt to sabotage your efforts. Of course, the lack of a trackball means that controls are handled with the joystick, and dropping even an inch will result in your marble shattering and letting out a distorted scream.

The game would ultimately be critically panned for its bizarre visual style (including the use of distorted, grotesque faces within the marbles and the highly uncomfortable groaning noises made during movement) and the equally bizarre story with significantly questionable ethical elements at play, ultimately resulting in the sequel, "Marble Psychosis" (featured in the game's credits) being unceremoniously cancelled. Apparently, around 40% of the game's budget was entirely lost in the process of attempting to license a Paramore song for the game's opening credits. Despite all of this, the director of the game insists to this very day that if Atari had granted his team just a couple of extra months of development time, it would have been a smash hit.

 

[Master Hero Sock-on-Rye]

Huh. For once, you're early. In that case, I'll come back tomorrow.

Fishing Votes:

1. Blast Fishing - The sheer lunacy of using explosives in a fishing area has me hyped. And trust me when I say people will make funny videos about this game.
2. Big's Big Fishing Quest - Honestly, I'm glad this guy wasn't forgotten about for this job. It makes too much sense not to include. That, and the djinn-like answer to the Chao Garden comeback did make me chuckle, like "You guys want Chao Garden back? Fine! Here it is in a Big the Cat game."
3. Final Fishing Fantasy - The juxtaposition of Sephiroth going fishing made this a game I might check out sooner or later. That said, even if Tidus couldn't stop time, his Blitzball experience should make him OP anyway for a game like this. I mean, if he can survive rigorous underwater movement for five minutes minimum, he can totally fish up a great white shark without issues.

Job #15: Edgy Reboot

Q*Bert
Release: October 2011
Platform: PS3 and PSP (also ported to PS Vita)

In the seventh generation of video game consoles, only one console reigned supreme. Not the Xbox 360. Not the PS3. But the Nintendo Wii.

While both Sony and Microsoft tried to copy Nintendo's homework, the Xbox Kinect arguably found better success than the PlayStation Move. Adding insult to injury was Microsoft using a trusted partner of Nintendo's to create games for the new hardware, that being Rare, who you could say found a Renaissance period under this generation. Between the Kinect and Rare's renaissance period, Sony was forced to dig deep into their library to find a cartoony mascot of their own. And if that mascot has an edge to him, that could also let them compete with Konami and Capcom and their rugged interpretations of classic characters they own.

For three months, the Sony development teams were going back and forth on which property to let out of the vault. They had considered ideas like "Parappa the Rapper, but with fantasy racism added" or "Ape Escape crossed with Dragon Ball Z". But when they discovered Q*Bert, a platforming mascot whose gimmick involved swearing? They had officially found their multi-hit combo.

And so, at E3 2009, a gritty reboot of Q*Bert was revealed to the public. In this game, his swears are explicitly spoken aloud by Ben Burtt, who had just completed work on Pixar's WALL-E. As a consequence, this game was rated M for Mature by the ESRB, so they decided to roll with it as far as the rating could take them.

It starts out pretty familiar to those who recognize the game, with a brief level involving Q*Bert making all the squares into one singular color while evading Coily and the gang. That is, until a nuclear Reactor (get it?) blows up the entire screen, prompting the familiar symbol swears to mutate into actual swear words, beginning with the old-fashioned F-word.

Things don't get much better from there, as Q*Bert wakes up in a post-apocalyptic wasteland as a red-headed human in a patterned sweater vest, traversing this new and unfamiliar world while trying his best to survive.

Along the way, he meets up with another survivor, a little girl named Q*Cy (pronounced Qucy) who clings to Q*Bert for protection from mutated versions of Q*Bert's old enemies. Now in this harsh wasteland, Coily leads a biker gang that knows no rules, with an outfit reminiscent of a U.S. soldier (take a wild guess), Slick and Sam have become punk rockers with bovine DNA splicing giving them cow udders, Ugg has grown in size and is able to stomp the remains of skyscrapers into fragments of glass, and Wrong-Way has died of the after-effects of nuclear radiation.

What follows is a game where Q*Bert and Q*Cy walk, hop, and/or fly from place to place in the pursuit of making new names for themselves in this different era of life. Adding to this, the flying rainbow discs are now recontextualized as hoverboards.

Unsurprisingly, it was a flop. But astoundingly, it still laid a mark on Sony. The renewed relevance of Q*Bert resulted in his appearance in Disney's video game love letter Wreck-It Ralph getting more appreciation, which in turn led to Saturday Supercade being released through Warner Archive around the same time.

But what really made it more than a footnote was when the team at Naughty Dog thought they could do this premise better and made The Last of Us. That's right. In this timeline, one of Sony's most popular modern franchises came out from the ashes of Q*Bert's gritty remake, which itself got a reappraisal since TLOU became a juggernaut. Why, Q*Bert even got a cameo appearance in Astro Bot in both his 80s and 2000s personas.

And they said a turd can't be polished.​

 

[MartianSnake]

Huh. For once, you're early. In that case, I'll come back tomorrow.

Fishing Votes:

1. Blast Fishing - The sheer lunacy of using explosives in a fishing area has me hyped. And trust me when I say people will make funny videos about this game.
2. Big's Big Fishing Quest - Honestly, I'm glad this guy wasn't forgotten about for this job. It makes too much sense not to include. That, and the djinn-like answer to the Chao Garden comeback did make me chuckle, like "You guys want Chao Garden back? Fine! Here it is in a Big the Cat game."
3. Final Fishing Fantasy - The juxtaposition of Sephiroth going fishing made this a game I might check out sooner or later. That said, even if Tidus couldn't stop time, his Blitzball experience should make him OP anyway for a game like this. I mean, if he can survive rigorous underwater movement for five minutes minimum, he can totally fish up a great white shark without issues.

Job #15: Edgy Reboot
COMING SOON

Generally, I'm thinking occasionally posting on sundays when I get a sense there's not gonna be any more last second submissions would help my flow on this thread. Posting monday is still the standard official date though.

 

[DragonRobotKing26]

Challenge 15: Captain Commando: The New Attack

The beat em up game,Captain Commando got a reboot in 20XX,but this reboot changes the gameplay of a Beat em Up to a 3D Yakuza-like gameplay game,the story tells a man named Calvin Connor who is a former police captain who was hired to get a new job to join on an organization named Rapcorp who is creating a new superhero that they haven choosed a name,but Rapcorp got a project called Project CapCom,and while the story of the game advance,Calvin became the great superhero named Captain Commando.

The game have a gamplay similar to Yakuza series, but Captain Commando have some superpowers, it have the other classic characters from the classic game, who are Mack The Knife, Ginzu and Baby Head, Mack is an alien who escaped from his homeplanet, Ginzu is a cyborg ninja who is trained from his grandfather who he was an ninja too, and Baby Head is an baby with a mind of an smart adult that created his own mecha by himself,but the main focus is Captain Commando that Calvin evolued being a superhero, and it being edgy it's because Captain Commando: The New Attack is a desconstruction from superhero genre but darker but not so edge like Spawn or Batman.