Disclaimer This is a listicle that features the trailer for a forthcoming event in a game that contains moderate elements of horror. Reader discretion is advised.
A year ago, we listed a few cartoony crazes that infatuated us to an extent, such as the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles making an appearance in Minecraft as DLC, the turtles’ collaboration with Fall Guys, the magic of several Disney stars in Minecraft for Disney devotees, Fall Guys cosplaying as characters from Final Fantasy XIV and the cast of Lilo & Stitch being the highlight of the third season of Disney Speedstorm. This year, a new flock of sensations either newly launched or yet to occur later this month seems varied, but not all of them must be notably cartoony to be infatuating. Despite my admiration for 3D animation that is both cartoonish and visually appealing, especially in cutscenes, I hold no bias against realism that has progressed throughout the years, especially for a far grittier tone. After our bewilderments at The Sims 4 Lovestruck and the official collaboration between Tetris and Minecraft, let us discuss how these new crazes shine on their own terms to appeal to those with specific interests aside from a new collection of bath bombs based on various objects and beings of Minecraft from Lush.
If only the concept of Mario & Sonic At The Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 restored its youth with a visual novella app titled “Mario & Sonic At The Olympic Games Tokyo 2021” that was launched near the end of 2021. It would have been awesome to see Pauline and Wave the Swallow compete against one another in Mario & Sonic At The Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Seriously?! Dropping two of the most iconic mascots in gaming history for NFTs?! On a lighter note, get a load of these new establishments that shall be described one by one!
Previously in the fifth chapter of Fortnite: Battle Royale, Deadpool and Wolverine returned in a striking cel-shaded style in honour of the release of their debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe simply titled “Deadpool & Wolverine”. For the launch of the chapter’s fourth season that was revealed at this year’s D23, Logan’s parodic counterpart known as “Peelverine” and several other Marvel stars have been recruited to either strive against Doctor Doom’s tyranny or join him in honour of his role in the forthcoming Avengers: Doomsday being played by Robert Downey Jr., as ironic as that sounds after what happened at the end of Avengers: Endgame. Aside from Peelverine, the collaboration’s cast includes:
- Gwenpool
- Emma Frost
- Shuri
- War Machine
- Captain Jonesy
- Mysterio
Let us not forget about the ironic and bewildering crossover between Fortnite and Fall Guys that was launched nearly a week before the fifth chapter’s fourth season of Fortnite: Battle Royale began, as fitting as it is, considering how reliant on crossovers the two games have been to stay relevant. Despite how some crossovers in Fortnite have been considered less impactful and more forced than others, Epic Games will continue to be ambitious with its increasing number of third-party volunteers as there will soon be an invasion ruled by Disney villains.
No reference to the DOOM franchise intended, right? GIR will sing the Doom Song now. And yes, let us not forget about a new costume for a Fall Guy based on Stitch from the Lilo & Stitch franchise and Fishpool who was revealed at D23 (as Deadpool himself crashed the showcase) alongside a few other surprises that will be mentioned later on.
Speaking of Disney, Disney devotees can finally set sail in the ninth season of Disney Speedstorm after a limited-time event to unlock Ennui, one of Riley Anderson’s new emotions from Inside Out 2. You may recall good ol’ Captain Jack Sparrow from the Pirates at the Caribbean franchise (who happened to have recreated an iconic scene and meme with Fortnite characters in a cinematic short) racing in a previous season. His co-stars now get a chance to be racers too, including:
- Will Turner
- Davy Jones
- Captain Hector Barbossa
- Tia Dalma
Additionally, several minor characters of the film franchise, including Henry Turner, Shansa and Theodore Groves are new Crew Members. And yes, it would not be a highlight of a new season without a new track based on some notable scenery. Aside from a new season of Disney Speedstorm to compete in, there is hope that Zootopia 2 will be a sequel done right and some speculation on how faithful the upcoming live-action remake of Lilo & Stitch that is set to be released next year a few months before Zootopia 2 will be to the beloved original, yet Stitch’s new look makes me suspect that the CGI department took lessons from Detective Pikachu.
Ahoy, me nerdy hearties! It seems like the next season will begin with the main cast of The Nightmare Before Christmas this Autumn.
If you are familiar with the Borderlands franchise and you vow not to confuse the term “Vault Hunters” for a series of mods for Minecraft, a new collaboration with Brawlhalla might be up your alley. The three playable characters from the Borderlands games are Lilith, Tiny Tina and Krieg and they have their own weapons as part of their personalities, most notably Tina with her mallet with half of its mule being a stuffed rabbit and what appears to be some staff resembling a unicorn that Deadpool could dream of. Reflecting on some previous special guest appearances, including SpongeBob SquarePants, Darth Maul from Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, the trio from TEKKEN and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, it can be said that Brawlhalla might end up becoming too reliant on crossovers to stay relevant. Nonetheless, it is interesting to see all these third-party brawlers in the vibrant art style of the game. Who could be a guest appearance in Brawlhalla next? The Powerpuff Girls? Ratchet & Clank? Shrek? Perhaps if the collaboration between Borderlands and Brawlhalla becomes popular enough, there could be a second one with some other Borderlands characters to make up for some missed opportunities in the near future.
Too bad the new live-action film based on the Borderlands games has not been considered as exceptional in terms of basing a movie on a video game franchise as Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and Detective Pikachu though.
The fourth and final craze on this list is the one to be the most cautious as it will take a player to some much darker territory. Survivors in Dead by Daylight previously guided the younger and more emotionally vulnerable Lara Croft from the Survivor timeline of the Tomb Raider franchise through what can be considered the polar opposite of her classic incarnation’s appearance in Hero Wars in May. Later this month, crusaders of the Castlevania franchise can hunt for blood as the series’ mysterious incarnation of Dracula or strive for survival with Trevor Belmont, an ancestor of Simon Belmont. You may recall Dracula and two of the Belmont bloodline in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and it looks like Castlevania is hunting a different kind of gameplay this year. As you can tell by the trailer that was released over a week ago, you can tell that it will be no fairytale starring a princess in a pink dress. It still may not be likely that the Slender Man will get a good grasp of a survivor with his tentacles in the game, but be warned near the end of this August…unless you choose to be warned about after plenty of beta testing.
In conclusion, these newly established crazes stand out on their own accords and it is up to you to declare which one enlightens you the most. Despite how easy it can be to sink a bit too deeply into nostalgia, proactivity is the key to ensuring that these industries we trust for our entertainment will keep thriving. Moreover, many intellectual properties ought to keep shining on their own as plenty of animal crossers are sure to keep their campsites in Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp flourishing and Lollipop Chainsaw RePOP is currently available to pre-order, but some of our fellow zombie hunters better act fast as pre-orders for the forthcoming remake of Lollipop Chainsaw will close two days before the launch of Dead by Daylight’s collaboration with Castlevania. Be sure to give some brand new properties that are either newly released or still in development, such as BOOM! Buster, Creatures of Ava, Stars In The Trash and Rad Venture a shot as well. If you are interested, that is. Until then, keep expressing your creativity and admiration for gaming, especially if you feel like you are going through a hard time, whether you consider yourself a Fortnite fighter, a Disney devotee, a Borderlands lover, a Castlevania crusader, an animal crosser or a fellow zombie hunter.
Did someone from Knick-Knack Games put Rayman, Sonic and Gex in a blender?!
Lastly, during the wait for Lollipop Chainsaw RePOP, some of our fellow gamers can either continue vibing to the anime, RPG and farm simulation essences of Fields of Mistria or relish in even more satanic insanity with the new “Unholy Alliance” update and DLC pack known as the “Pilgrim Pack” for Cult of the Lamb. Until then, please be kind to your fellow gamers, even after some fierce competing or a burnout from being challenged by undeniable difficulty.
