Support for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate may have come to an end, but crossover platform fighters live on through the power of licensing. The animation world in particular is excited about the genre’s potential. Both Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl and Warner Bros.’ MultiVersus represent a possible continuous thread in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate‘s wake, but what is strange is the lack of Disney in the scene. Considering the number of franchises the Walt Disney Company has acquired over the past decade and how influential Disney is on animation in general, it comes as a shock. A company as big as Disney could easily profit from what was founded by MultiVersus and Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl.
While there are planned announcements for future Disney-related video games, there are no confirmed plans for a Disney-themed platform fighter, nor are there any rumors. While these upcoming announcements will likely focus on the major franchises now owned by Disney, such as: Star Wars and Marvel, games based on the animated features and even the live action works are just as viable. The platform fighter is an excellent genre for a Disney-themed crossover, but if it were to happen, it should avoid a few pitfalls.
The important elements of a Disney crossover and a good platform fighter
Today, Disney crossovers are expected to include everything the company owns, including properties that Disney bought after its initial founding. The problem is that not only do the “traditional” Disney movies have enough material to work with, but so do the major properties and studios the company has acquired over the past decade. A multiplayer based game can be made by focusing solely on the Star Wars universe or Marvel characters. Even franchises that Disney has bought but generally left alone, like The Simpsonscan stand on its own. It would be overwhelming to include them all in a crossover, and the huge popularity of Marvel and Star Wars may risk overshadowing older, more obscure characters who contributed to Disney’s rise to fame and success.
A Disney platform fighter should focus on the company’s animated works and the Disney-produced live-action movies that still feature in pop culture, such as pirates of the caribbean, Tronand Who framed Roger Rabbit?. Games like Disney Emoji Blitz and Kingdom Hearts are an indicator of what people expect from Disney crossovers.
The tricky part is choosing which characters and movies actually deserve representation. Ideally, if this hypothetical game is to celebrate Disney history rather than promote its most profitable works, it should strike a balance between old and new, as well as what’s currently popular and the historically impactful. Such a selection might feature modern merchandise makers like Jack Skellington and Elsa, while reminding itself of studio icons like the Genie, Tinker Bell, Winnie the Pooh, and Pinocchio. Of course there is the issue of Pixar representation. Toy Story‘s success and popularity means that starting with just Woody and Buzz Lightyear sounds like a no-brainer, but Pixar has a lot more to offer.
Another important thing for Disney to realize if it were tackling the platform fighter genre is that long-term marketability doesn’t matter if the game is mediocre. A Disney platform fighter would need its own unique approach to stand out. MultiVersus for example, emphasizes collaboration in a tag team. This theoretical Disney version will have to come up with distinctive features that set it apart from the growing competition. Owning a plethora of iconic characters can only elevate a work so far.
A Disney platform fighter needs to focus on both the roster and the mechanics. Since there are so many characters in Disney and Pixar animations alone, it may come down to who was the most historically significant. If such a game were made and ended up as a shallower version of Smash Bros., it will soon disappear. Brand loyalty isn’t enough, even for one of the most powerful companies in the world. if Disney wants its own platform fighter, it will have to learn to stand on its own two feet.
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