Trivia Browser
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Mouthwashing uses a visual style inspired by games released on the original PlayStation, with low-poly visuals and a retro style. The game's art designer Johanna Kasurinen was introduced to this style by Puppet Combo, an indie developer that frequently uses it for their games as far back as their debut title Babysitter Bloodbath. While not promoted as "PS1-style", this visual style gained traction over time, with Kasurinan stating:
"I think people may be surprised by how long this [horror] subgenre has been going on, but part of why it is so popular and enduring is the community. I would never have been able to learn how to recreate this style of graphics if it wasn't for many artists before me making videos and tutorials explaining the process."
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An updated version of the game was released in 1999 that made numerous changes to the original version. This is perhaps most notable in the story, which while still sharing the same premise and plot outline, removed or changed various plot points:
• The original version had a subplot where LapTrap received what the game referred to as "wisdom of the village elders", in which he experienced visions of the villagers' pasts, providing possible motives for why they would want to steal the treasure. This was also how the ClueFinders obtained their clues, which appeared as beams of blue light that zapped LapTrap and gave him the info. The entire subplot was removed in the revision, with the original cutscenes being replaced with new ones featuring the ClueFinders discussing theories about the disappearances instead. Likewise, clues were obtained in a more typical fashion of talking to NPCs and having them share information with you.
• The fate of the true culprit behind the thefts, Spoiler:the apprentice, is different in both versions following his burial under an avalanche. In the original version, he escapes from the snow only to be dragged back under by the real Yeti. In the revision, however, this was changed to him simply climbing out and declaring that the ClueFinders can't stop him.
In addition, the series' art style was updated in 1999, leading to the graphics, and character sprites and content from the animated cutscenes being updated in the revision to better match it. Several music tracks were also added to areas that were silent in the original version.
• The original version had a subplot where LapTrap received what the game referred to as "wisdom of the village elders", in which he experienced visions of the villagers' pasts, providing possible motives for why they would want to steal the treasure. This was also how the ClueFinders obtained their clues, which appeared as beams of blue light that zapped LapTrap and gave him the info. The entire subplot was removed in the revision, with the original cutscenes being replaced with new ones featuring the ClueFinders discussing theories about the disappearances instead. Likewise, clues were obtained in a more typical fashion of talking to NPCs and having them share information with you.
• The fate of the true culprit behind the thefts, Spoiler:the apprentice, is different in both versions following his burial under an avalanche. In the original version, he escapes from the snow only to be dragged back under by the real Yeti. In the revision, however, this was changed to him simply climbing out and declaring that the ClueFinders can't stop him.
In addition, the series' art style was updated in 1999, leading to the graphics, and character sprites and content from the animated cutscenes being updated in the revision to better match it. Several music tracks were also added to areas that were silent in the original version.
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Based on a pre-release screenshot used as a preview in other JumpStart products, the menu interface originally had a different appearance. Specifically, the toolbar was a simple black bar that took up the full width of the screen, the icons used different colors and designs, and the background of a scene in which Ruby talks to Frankie in the backyard was much simpler and missing several elements present in the final game (i.e. the red wheel to the right of Frankie).
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The French version of the game features numerous differences from the US version:
• Both the auto play screen and the title screen are different, with the former using different artwork for the characters and the latter having a different design altogether.
• The Radio activity features six songs instead of eight, with four of those songs being completely different from the US version ("La chanson des nombres", "Hé mouche", "Promenons-nous dans les bois", and "La cucaracha"), and the two songs based on songs from the US version using different instruments and melodies as well as being shorter. The buttons were altered accordingly with only six present, and the four songs added in the French version use different graphics.
• The graphics for the decorations seen in the Clock activity were altered. The two sun and moon designs at the top were replaced with a different combined sun/moon design in the bottom-right corner, and instead of two green leaf designs at the bottom like in the original, there are three wood-colored leaf designs at the top and bottom-left corners. Additionally, the time display was changed from a 12-hour clock to a 24-hour clock.
• 9 holidays from the original game were completely omitted from the Bulletin Board in the French release, while others were replaced with different holidays. These include Martin Luther King Jr. Day being replaced by Epiphany, Easter being replaced by April Fool's Day, and Veteran's Day, Election Day and Thanksgiving all being replaced by Armistice Day.
• The Picnic area seems to have been deliberately removed from the French version, as it is completely absent in-game and in the manual, and interacting with the picnic basket in the backyard does nothing.
• In the French version, whenever a sound effect plays or a character speaks, the background music will stop playing until they are done. In the US version, the sound effects and dialogue will play over top of the background music.
• Both the auto play screen and the title screen are different, with the former using different artwork for the characters and the latter having a different design altogether.
• The Radio activity features six songs instead of eight, with four of those songs being completely different from the US version ("La chanson des nombres", "Hé mouche", "Promenons-nous dans les bois", and "La cucaracha"), and the two songs based on songs from the US version using different instruments and melodies as well as being shorter. The buttons were altered accordingly with only six present, and the four songs added in the French version use different graphics.
• The graphics for the decorations seen in the Clock activity were altered. The two sun and moon designs at the top were replaced with a different combined sun/moon design in the bottom-right corner, and instead of two green leaf designs at the bottom like in the original, there are three wood-colored leaf designs at the top and bottom-left corners. Additionally, the time display was changed from a 12-hour clock to a 24-hour clock.
• 9 holidays from the original game were completely omitted from the Bulletin Board in the French release, while others were replaced with different holidays. These include Martin Luther King Jr. Day being replaced by Epiphany, Easter being replaced by April Fool's Day, and Veteran's Day, Election Day and Thanksgiving all being replaced by Armistice Day.
• The Picnic area seems to have been deliberately removed from the French version, as it is completely absent in-game and in the manual, and interacting with the picnic basket in the backyard does nothing.
• In the French version, whenever a sound effect plays or a character speaks, the background music will stop playing until they are done. In the US version, the sound effects and dialogue will play over top of the background music.
subdirectory_arrow_right Pokémon SoulSilver Version (Game)
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During the Sinjoh Ruins event, in which Arceus creates a Lv. 1 Dialga, Palkia, or Giratina, a magic circle appears beneath it during the corresponding cutscene, remaining in place for most of the sequence. The layout of this circle is identical to a chart that Game Freak co-founder and prominent series staffer Junichi Masuda created during the development of Pokémon Diamond and Pearl in 2005, detailing the lineage of numerous Legendary Pokémon from the first four generations. This chart did not become publicly available until it was included in the Teraleak, a large-scale leak of internal server data from Game Freak in 2024.
In-game footage of the Sinjoh Ruins cutscene:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hi6WyRP6Cog
Twitter post by Centro Leaks (an account documenting material from the Teraleak) showcasing Masuda's lineage chart:
https://x.com/CentroLeaks/status/1845289910321762652
YouTube video discussing the Teraleak, including coverage of Masuda's lineage chart and the Sinjoh Ruins cutscene:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQs80F0dDdI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hi6WyRP6Cog
Twitter post by Centro Leaks (an account documenting material from the Teraleak) showcasing Masuda's lineage chart:
https://x.com/CentroLeaks/status/1845289910321762652
YouTube video discussing the Teraleak, including coverage of Masuda's lineage chart and the Sinjoh Ruins cutscene:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQs80F0dDdI
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In 2024, Ubisoft faced controversy over two instances related to the game's marketing prior to its release being delayed. The first instance revolved around them using a flag created by the Sekigahara Teppo-tai, a Japanese historical re-enactment group, as part of the game's concept art and marketing materials without the group's permission. Ubisoft Japan would later issue an apology for this, agreeing to remove the flag from the game's website, but stated that it would likely remain in the concept art as part of the game's printed art book, something that the Sekigahara Teppo-tai would later request be removed as well. On July 23, Ubisoft posted an apology to Twitter for including material in their marketing that "caused concern within the Japanese community".
Two months after this statement, Ubisoft would face criticism again for a collectible figurine produced by PureArts featuring the protagonists Yasuke and Naoe standing in the ruins of a one-legged torii gate. This drew ire from critics who were already upset over Ubisoft's handling of the game's historical background, as the only known one-legged torii in Japan is located at the Sannō Shrine in Nagasaki. This torii was one of the few surviving structures after the United States' atomic bombing of the city in 1945. It became one-legged as a result of it being within 900 meters of the explosion's hypocenter, and serves as a local reminder of the bombing today. On September 24, just a few days after the figurine's announcement, Ubisoft cancelled their appearance at Tokyo Game Show for "various circumstances" (likely including these prior marketing controversies among other development factors) and later announced that the game's release would be delayed into the next year to allow for more time to polish it. PureArts' pre-order page for the figurine was removed from their website around the same time. They later released a statement on October 15 apologizing for the "insensitive design" and stated they would redesign the figurine for a later release.
Two months after this statement, Ubisoft would face criticism again for a collectible figurine produced by PureArts featuring the protagonists Yasuke and Naoe standing in the ruins of a one-legged torii gate. This drew ire from critics who were already upset over Ubisoft's handling of the game's historical background, as the only known one-legged torii in Japan is located at the Sannō Shrine in Nagasaki. This torii was one of the few surviving structures after the United States' atomic bombing of the city in 1945. It became one-legged as a result of it being within 900 meters of the explosion's hypocenter, and serves as a local reminder of the bombing today. On September 24, just a few days after the figurine's announcement, Ubisoft cancelled their appearance at Tokyo Game Show for "various circumstances" (likely including these prior marketing controversies among other development factors) and later announced that the game's release would be delayed into the next year to allow for more time to polish it. PureArts' pre-order page for the figurine was removed from their website around the same time. They later released a statement on October 15 apologizing for the "insensitive design" and stated they would redesign the figurine for a later release.
Article about the flag controversy:
https://www.ign.com/articles/ubisoft-apologizes-to-japanese-historical-re-enactment-group-for-using-its-flag-in-assassins-creed-shadows-art-without-permission
Sekigahara Teppo-tai response:
https://www.ign.com/articles/ubisoft-apology-for-using-historical-re-enactment-group-flag-in-assassins-creed-shadows-not-enough-group-says
Ubisoft July 23 apology:
https://www.ign.com/articles/assassins-creed-shadows-team-issues-apology-to-japanese-fans-for-marketing-that-has-caused-concern
Torii gate figurine announcement:
https://www.instagram.com/pureartsofficial/p/DAL2YMAA5z3/
Figurine pre-order page:
https://www.purearts.com/en-eu/products/qlectors-assassins-creed-shadows-yasuke-naoe-pvc-figure
https://web.archive.org/web/20240922062525/https://www.purearts.com/en-eu/products/qlectors-assassins-creed-shadows-yasuke-naoe-pvc-figure
Article about the torii gate controversy:
https://www.tweaktown.com/news/100669/ubisoft-pulls-out-of-tokyo-game-show-after-mounting-assassins-creed-shadows-controversy/index.html
City of Nagasaki tourism page with information about the torii gate:
https://www.discover-nagasaki.com/en/sightseeing/117
Pull-out from Tokyo Game Show:
https://insider-gaming.com/assassins-creed-shadows-previews-delayed/
Delay announcement:
https://x.com/assassinscreed/status/1838971189722562906
PureArts statement:
https://www.eurogamer.net/assassins-creed-shadows-statue-pulled-as-company-behind-it-acknowledges-insensitive-design
https://www.ign.com/articles/ubisoft-apologizes-to-japanese-historical-re-enactment-group-for-using-its-flag-in-assassins-creed-shadows-art-without-permission
Sekigahara Teppo-tai response:
https://www.ign.com/articles/ubisoft-apology-for-using-historical-re-enactment-group-flag-in-assassins-creed-shadows-not-enough-group-says
Ubisoft July 23 apology:
https://www.ign.com/articles/assassins-creed-shadows-team-issues-apology-to-japanese-fans-for-marketing-that-has-caused-concern
Torii gate figurine announcement:
https://www.instagram.com/pureartsofficial/p/DAL2YMAA5z3/
Figurine pre-order page:
https://www.purearts.com/en-eu/products/qlectors-assassins-creed-shadows-yasuke-naoe-pvc-figure
https://web.archive.org/web/20240922062525/https://www.purearts.com/en-eu/products/qlectors-assassins-creed-shadows-yasuke-naoe-pvc-figure
Article about the torii gate controversy:
https://www.tweaktown.com/news/100669/ubisoft-pulls-out-of-tokyo-game-show-after-mounting-assassins-creed-shadows-controversy/index.html
City of Nagasaki tourism page with information about the torii gate:
https://www.discover-nagasaki.com/en/sightseeing/117
Pull-out from Tokyo Game Show:
https://insider-gaming.com/assassins-creed-shadows-previews-delayed/
Delay announcement:
https://x.com/assassinscreed/status/1838971189722562906
PureArts statement:
https://www.eurogamer.net/assassins-creed-shadows-statue-pulled-as-company-behind-it-acknowledges-insensitive-design
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In the English release of Street Fighter II, one of Ryu's quotes to defeated opponents is "You must defeat Sheng Long to stand a chance." "Sheng Long" is a mistranslation of Ryu's flying uppercut move Shōryūken (昇龍拳) stemming from the first two Japanese characters meaning "shēng lóng" in Chinese pinyin. As a result, players mistakenly thought that Ryu was referring to a person named Sheng Long instead of his Shōryūken, and that he was a secret playable character.
Amidst a swarm of fan mail to gaming publications asking how to unlock Sheng Long, the American magazine Electronic Gaming Monthly published a guide to fight him as a secret boss for their annual April Fools' prank in 1992. Photoshopped screenshots of Sheng Long fighting Ryu were created by editor Ken Williams, who also wrote "ridiculous requirements" to find him that were meant to imply he was not real, but were actually attempted by players. In response to complaints, they revealed at the end of the year that Sheng Long was a hoax, and expressed surprise over it gaining worldwide coverage as other publications in Eurasian countries reprinted the guide without their permission.
Sheng Long was brought back for a second April Fools' prank in 1997 in response to rumors that he could be in Street Fighter III, creating hand-drawn art of him and claiming he was the localized version of the real non-playable character Gouken. Despite adding more obvious clues to it being a prank, according to the magazine's June 1997 issue, this second prank was so convincing that Capcom of America allegedly fell for it and called their Japanese headquarters to ask why they were not told he was in the game.
Sheng Long left a continuing influence on video game hoaxes and the Street Fighter series, leading to a scrapped official appearance in the game adaptation of Street Fighter: The Movie, and Capcom pulling their own Sheng Long pranks in 2008 and 2017. In 2023, Sheng Long made his first canonical appearance in the series in Street Fighter 6 as a non-playable opponent using Ryu's fighting style, and can be fought in the World Tour mode after completing the game.
Amidst a swarm of fan mail to gaming publications asking how to unlock Sheng Long, the American magazine Electronic Gaming Monthly published a guide to fight him as a secret boss for their annual April Fools' prank in 1992. Photoshopped screenshots of Sheng Long fighting Ryu were created by editor Ken Williams, who also wrote "ridiculous requirements" to find him that were meant to imply he was not real, but were actually attempted by players. In response to complaints, they revealed at the end of the year that Sheng Long was a hoax, and expressed surprise over it gaining worldwide coverage as other publications in Eurasian countries reprinted the guide without their permission.
Sheng Long was brought back for a second April Fools' prank in 1997 in response to rumors that he could be in Street Fighter III, creating hand-drawn art of him and claiming he was the localized version of the real non-playable character Gouken. Despite adding more obvious clues to it being a prank, according to the magazine's June 1997 issue, this second prank was so convincing that Capcom of America allegedly fell for it and called their Japanese headquarters to ask why they were not told he was in the game.
Sheng Long left a continuing influence on video game hoaxes and the Street Fighter series, leading to a scrapped official appearance in the game adaptation of Street Fighter: The Movie, and Capcom pulling their own Sheng Long pranks in 2008 and 2017. In 2023, Sheng Long made his first canonical appearance in the series in Street Fighter 6 as a non-playable opponent using Ryu's fighting style, and can be fought in the World Tour mode after completing the game.
Electronic Gaming Monthly Issue #033, April 1992 (page 60 in the magazine):
https://www.retromags.com/files/file/2823-electronic-gaming-monthly-issue-033-april-1992/
Electronic Gaming Monthly's 1992 Video Game Buyers Guide (page 22 in the book):
https://archive.org/details/ElectronicGamingMonthlyBuyerSGuide1993/page/n21/mode/2up
Electronic Gaming Monthly Issue #093, April 1997 (page 80 in the magazine):
https://archive.org/details/Electronic_Gaming_Monthly_93_April_1997_U/page/n85/mode/2up
Electronic Gaming Monthly Issue #095, June 1997 (pages 102-103 in the magazine):
https://www.retromags.com/files/file/3685-electronic-gaming-monthly-issue-095-june-1997/
Capcom Sheng Long 2008 prank:
https://web.archive.org/web/20080405021441/http://www.capcom-fc.com/sf4/2008/04/post_19.html
Capcom Sheng Long 2008 prank origins blog posts:
https://web.archive.org/web/20080405154132/http://www.capcom-fc.com/sf4/2008/04/41.html
https://web.archive.org/web/20080616135049/http://blog.capcom.com/archives/1106
Capcom Sheng Long 2017 prank:
https://web.archive.org/web/20170330210110/https://game.capcom.com/cfn/sfv/column/131583
https://www.capcom.co.jp/sfv/sp/160225_interview_02.html
Sheng Long in Street Fighter 6:
https://www.thegamer.com/street-fighter-6-things-only-fans-noticed/
https://www.ign.com/articles/30-years-later-street-fighter-6-finally-gives-sheng-long-the-canon-appearance-he-deserves
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fvYor_MVts
The Video Game History Foundation video on stories from Electronic Gaming Monthly's run:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4l_ACqlxrvI
GameSpot article on the history of Sheng Long:
https://web.archive.org/web/20090404063051/http://www.gamespot.com/features/vgs/universal/sfhistory/char_sheng_long.html
Supplementary Wikipedia article for more information:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheng_Long
https://www.retromags.com/files/file/2823-electronic-gaming-monthly-issue-033-april-1992/
Electronic Gaming Monthly's 1992 Video Game Buyers Guide (page 22 in the book):
https://archive.org/details/ElectronicGamingMonthlyBuyerSGuide1993/page/n21/mode/2up
Electronic Gaming Monthly Issue #093, April 1997 (page 80 in the magazine):
https://archive.org/details/Electronic_Gaming_Monthly_93_April_1997_U/page/n85/mode/2up
Electronic Gaming Monthly Issue #095, June 1997 (pages 102-103 in the magazine):
https://www.retromags.com/files/file/3685-electronic-gaming-monthly-issue-095-june-1997/
Capcom Sheng Long 2008 prank:
https://web.archive.org/web/20080405021441/http://www.capcom-fc.com/sf4/2008/04/post_19.html
Capcom Sheng Long 2008 prank origins blog posts:
https://web.archive.org/web/20080405154132/http://www.capcom-fc.com/sf4/2008/04/41.html
https://web.archive.org/web/20080616135049/http://blog.capcom.com/archives/1106
Capcom Sheng Long 2017 prank:
https://web.archive.org/web/20170330210110/https://game.capcom.com/cfn/sfv/column/131583
https://www.capcom.co.jp/sfv/sp/160225_interview_02.html
Sheng Long in Street Fighter 6:
https://www.thegamer.com/street-fighter-6-things-only-fans-noticed/
https://www.ign.com/articles/30-years-later-street-fighter-6-finally-gives-sheng-long-the-canon-appearance-he-deserves
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fvYor_MVts
The Video Game History Foundation video on stories from Electronic Gaming Monthly's run:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4l_ACqlxrvI
GameSpot article on the history of Sheng Long:
https://web.archive.org/web/20090404063051/http://www.gamespot.com/features/vgs/universal/sfhistory/char_sheng_long.html
Supplementary Wikipedia article for more information:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheng_Long
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To promote the release of the game, the 400th issue of Edge magazine featured ten variant covers based on the game's V.I.P. Bots, with different covers available through different means:
• Subscribers of the magazine could receive variants based on Bloodborne or The Last Guardian.
• Purchasing from UK retail would grant access to variants based on Shadow of the Colossus, Journey, God of War, and Returnal.
• Purchasing from overseas retail would grant access to variants based on Horizon, Gran Turismo, Ghost of Tsushima, and Ratchet & Clank.
• Subscribers of the magazine could receive variants based on Bloodborne or The Last Guardian.
• Purchasing from UK retail would grant access to variants based on Shadow of the Colossus, Journey, God of War, and Returnal.
• Purchasing from overseas retail would grant access to variants based on Horizon, Gran Turismo, Ghost of Tsushima, and Ratchet & Clank.
subdirectory_arrow_right Moon (Game)
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Yoshiro Kimura videos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLgU3hMVkLA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGBRgqlxjwo
Yoshiro Kimura and Kazuyuki Kurashima Famitsu interview:
https://web.archive.org/web/20200814014007/http:/vgperson.com/posts.php?p=moonswitchfamitsu
Article about cut ending:
https://vidyasaur.medium.com/lost-moon-on-the-unused-ending-of-moon-remix-rpg-adventure-155af430eae2
Original upload of the cut area:
https://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm25266675
English fan translation of the cut area:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCNNXKtL01c
The Cutting Room Floor article:
https://tcrf.net/Moon:_Remix_RPG_Adventure_(PlayStation)#The_Dragon.27s_Room
Bilby White-Feathered Arrow interaction:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Up3i91KZ-0#t=8607s
Minister documents:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Up3i91KZ-0#t=5879s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLgU3hMVkLA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGBRgqlxjwo
Yoshiro Kimura and Kazuyuki Kurashima Famitsu interview:
https://web.archive.org/web/20200814014007/http:/vgperson.com/posts.php?p=moonswitchfamitsu
Article about cut ending:
https://vidyasaur.medium.com/lost-moon-on-the-unused-ending-of-moon-remix-rpg-adventure-155af430eae2
Original upload of the cut area:
https://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm25266675
English fan translation of the cut area:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCNNXKtL01c
The Cutting Room Floor article:
https://tcrf.net/Moon:_Remix_RPG_Adventure_(PlayStation)#The_Dragon.27s_Room
Bilby White-Feathered Arrow interaction:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Up3i91KZ-0#t=8607s
Minister documents:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Up3i91KZ-0#t=5879s
subdirectory_arrow_right MySims Kingdom (Game)
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On the cover of both versions of MySims Kingdom, King Roland is depicted as having light blue eyes. While this is reflected in the Wii version, the DS version instead depicts him with grey eyes in-game.
Wii version gameplay:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAmTwz2v5Ao#t=630s
DS version gameplay:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2F87iuK1acQ#t=138s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAmTwz2v5Ao#t=630s
DS version gameplay:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2F87iuK1acQ#t=138s
Collection: MySims
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According to artist Chris Neuman's portfolio website, an MMO based on the MySims series (tentatively referred to as "MySims Online MMO") was in development in 2009, with Neuman having served as the lead artist on the project. Based on the art shown and the description provided, it would have had character customization, an art style that provided a more "vinyl" look for the series cast, assets converted from the various Wii games, new and returning locations (such as Gino's Pizzeria from MySims Agents), and different minigames such as one taking place on a dance floor. Additionally, one of the art pieces shared featured several characters from throughout the MySims series (specifically Madame Zoe, DJ Candy, Chef Gino, Skip Rogers, Zack and Sapphire), suggesting that pre-existing characters were planned to appear here.
Collection: MySims
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In 2010, development began on a MySims game for the Nintendo 3DS titled "MySims Friends", being made by Behaviour Interactive, the developers behind MySims Racing and MySims SkyHeroes. It would have featured extensive customization options (most notably the ability to customize the environment around you) and would have been an online-only game, requiring features such as StreetPass and Nintendo connectivity. It was cancelled after EA decided to move the The Sims franchise into a new direction, one that did not include the MySims series. Years later, art director Xavier Garcia would release pieces of concept art for the game.
NintendoEverything article:
https://nintendoeverything.com/ea-pulled-the-plug-on-mysims-friends-a-project-planned-for-3ds/
Concept art:
https://www.simsnetwork.com/news/2016/09/19/mysims-friends
https://nintendoeverything.com/ea-pulled-the-plug-on-mysims-friends-a-project-planned-for-3ds/
Concept art:
https://www.simsnetwork.com/news/2016/09/19/mysims-friends
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A sequel to MySims Agents called MySims Agents 2 was planned, but was ultimately shelved in Fall 2009. Years later on May 12, 2023, designer Brian Kaiser shared an old completed story outline for the game on his Twitter account. Based on the outline, the plot would have revolved around the player investigating a series of strange events involving an unknown energy source (later revealed to be seeping through portals from the Nightmare Realm), all while contending with the new S.P.A. director Morgan (a reworked version of the scrapped character Vice Admiral Morgan from MySims Kingdom) and her advisors Dragomir and Svetlana (reused from MySims SkyHeroes), who has shut down several branches of the agency as part of "restructuring" and captured Walker after he began to investigate them. Several characters from the original game would have returned, with Roxie Road, Jenny, Dr. F, Buddy, and Vic Vector all being part of the player's team as they solve cases all over the globe. While full gameplay details are unknown (aside from a new grapple hook mechanic), some pieces of concept art have been released since, such as designs for Morgan's various monster forms.
Story outline thread on Twitter:
https://x.com/VonKaiser/status/1657038598888120327
Location concept art posted by artist Norman Felchle (likely for Skip Rogers' mansion, mentioned at the start of the outline):
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=216206145073383&set=pb.100063556808091.-2207520000.
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=216205668406764&set=pb.100063556808091.-2207520000.
Morgan boss concept art:
https://beyondsims.com/2010/11/mysims-agents-2-canceled-boss-details-on-morgan/
https://x.com/VonKaiser/status/1657038598888120327
Location concept art posted by artist Norman Felchle (likely for Skip Rogers' mansion, mentioned at the start of the outline):
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=216206145073383&set=pb.100063556808091.-2207520000.
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=216205668406764&set=pb.100063556808091.-2207520000.
Morgan boss concept art:
https://beyondsims.com/2010/11/mysims-agents-2-canceled-boss-details-on-morgan/
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Faith Connors from Mirror's Edge and Natasha Volkova from Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 were planned to appear in the game as guest characters, but were both scrapped for unknown reasons. Despite this, Faith makes a cameo as a picture on the wall of Gal Force 4's base, and Natasha has leftover files in the game, suggesting that she was cut late in development. Additionally, artwork exists of an old man character who would have appeared in the game as a member of Crescent Moon, but was also scrapped.
Unused characters:
https://tcrf.net/MySims_SkyHeroes_(PlayStation_3,_Xbox_360,_Wii)
Faith cameo:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPu7igeTrXM#t=27s
https://tcrf.net/MySims_SkyHeroes_(PlayStation_3,_Xbox_360,_Wii)
Faith cameo:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPu7igeTrXM#t=27s
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The New World script seen throughout the game is a cipher for the Latin alphabet. While this is most visible with the subtitles for "Welcome to the New World", which are provided in both scripts, all other instances are just as easily translatable, producing coherent English-language messages.
In an interview for Nintendo's "Ask the Developers" column, series director Shinya Kumazaki and associate producer Kei Ninomiya revealed that they deliberately designed and utilized the New World script in a way that would allow players to translate it themselves, with Kumazaki describing it as a way to make the game more immersive for curious audiences.
In an interview for Nintendo's "Ask the Developers" column, series director Shinya Kumazaki and associate producer Kei Ninomiya revealed that they deliberately designed and utilized the New World script in a way that would allow players to translate it themselves, with Kumazaki describing it as a way to make the game more immersive for curious audiences.
GamesRadar+ article:
https://www.gamesradar.com/kirby-and-the-forgotten-land-has-its-own-language-so-i-set-out-to-learn-it/
TheGamer article:
https://www.thegamer.com/kirby-fans-are-translating-the-forgotten-lands-buildings-and-signs/
ScreenRant articles:
https://screenrant.com/kirby-forgotten-land-new-language-decode/
https://screenrant.com/kirby-forgotten-land-secret-language-deciphered/
Ask the Developers interview:
https://www.nintendo.com/en-gb/News/2022/March/Ask-the-Developer-Vol-4-Kirby-and-the-Forgotten-Land-2187039.html
Tweet by @ObscureKirby decoding the New World script:
https://x.com/ObscureKirby/status/1499761597039845377
https://www.gamesradar.com/kirby-and-the-forgotten-land-has-its-own-language-so-i-set-out-to-learn-it/
TheGamer article:
https://www.thegamer.com/kirby-fans-are-translating-the-forgotten-lands-buildings-and-signs/
ScreenRant articles:
https://screenrant.com/kirby-forgotten-land-new-language-decode/
https://screenrant.com/kirby-forgotten-land-secret-language-deciphered/
Ask the Developers interview:
https://www.nintendo.com/en-gb/News/2022/March/Ask-the-Developer-Vol-4-Kirby-and-the-Forgotten-Land-2187039.html
Tweet by @ObscureKirby decoding the New World script:
https://x.com/ObscureKirby/status/1499761597039845377
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Drill Dozer marked the first time Ken Sugimori directed a game since Pulseman eleven years earlier in 1994. In a 2005 Nintendo Dream interview, he revealed that due to the increasing amount of content and collaboration required in making modern games and much of Game Freak's newer staff only having experience in the Pokémon series, he was prompted to place his full trust in the younger staff for most of the gameplay development as he realized he was not as young as he used to be. Sugimori scaled back his efforts to focus on drawing art for the game while character designs were done by Hironobu Yoshida. He also noted that Drill Dozer gave him an opportunity incorporate ten years worth of ideas from previous games that went unused due to memory constraints or deadlines, and felt they succeeded, which gave him a sense of relief.
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Sometime in 1987-88, Sega and the Japanese magazine "Beep!" held a "Story Recruitment Campaign" to let readers submit ideas to be considered for Phantasy Star II. This contest was held both to set a base for the start of development and to market the game to a wider audience on the name value of Phantasy Star, with the game being heavily advertised in Beep! thereafter. Despite the contest's name, Sega accepted any idea and gave out awards for scenario writing, illustrations, and game mechanics. Out of over 2000 entries, 29 were selected as winners and awarded with individually numbered "Associate Planner" certificates. They were also offered to meet with the game's developers for a planning meeting on March 20, 1988 at Sega's headquarters in Otorii, Tokyo, among other prizes. The events of the planning meeting and the top 7 winners were published in the June 1988 issue of Beep!, including a picture of the full roundtable. Producer/programmer Yuji Naka and artist Rieko Kodama were two of the developers in attendance.
Associate Planner No. 001, the Grand Prize winner, was Fumiko Sato. Of the 29 winners, three of them are known to have gone on to work in the video game industry and returned for work at Sega:
• No. 004 was 17-year old Masahiro Sakurai, who won the "Game System Award". Sakurai often recalled the contest without mentioning the game by name, claiming he came up with "something like the action-focused Active Time Battle system seen in JRPGs" before it existed. It's believed that this meeting was what prompted Sakurai to drop out of vocational school to pursue a full-time career in game design, using the award to advance his professional image until he was hired by HAL Laboratory after graduating high school in 1989. Sakurai became known for his work with them and Nintendo, creating the Kirby and Super Smash Bros. series.
• No. 005 was Yukinobu Arikawa, who won the "Game System Special Award" for his entry titled "Those who inherit the legend". While it's not known if he attended the planning meeting, Arikawa would join Sega's AM2 team in 1990 and is still employed at Sega as of 2022. He became known for the comedic touches he adds to the games he works on, having worked as a game designer, writer, localizer and texture artist on different games in the Yakuza: Like a Dragon, Super Monkey Ball, Virtua Fighter, and Daytona USA series.
• No. 011 was middle schooler Keisuke Ōuchi, who described his proposal as being full of "middle school syndrome", but was unable to attend the planning meeting because he lived in the countryside at the time. Ōuchi worked on games as a character designer and graphics artist in various capacities, and created and directed the 1998 visual novel Ojou-sama Express, which similarly to Phantasy Star II held a long-term reader participation contest in the gaming magazine "Dengeki G's Magazine". He also works as a collectors' toy designer under the name Alan Moriguchi, specializing in mechs and robots.
It's unknown if or how any of the winners' ideas were used in the final game, as all of the developers used pseudonyms in the credits and no Associate Planners were credited.
Associate Planner No. 001, the Grand Prize winner, was Fumiko Sato. Of the 29 winners, three of them are known to have gone on to work in the video game industry and returned for work at Sega:
• No. 004 was 17-year old Masahiro Sakurai, who won the "Game System Award". Sakurai often recalled the contest without mentioning the game by name, claiming he came up with "something like the action-focused Active Time Battle system seen in JRPGs" before it existed. It's believed that this meeting was what prompted Sakurai to drop out of vocational school to pursue a full-time career in game design, using the award to advance his professional image until he was hired by HAL Laboratory after graduating high school in 1989. Sakurai became known for his work with them and Nintendo, creating the Kirby and Super Smash Bros. series.
• No. 005 was Yukinobu Arikawa, who won the "Game System Special Award" for his entry titled "Those who inherit the legend". While it's not known if he attended the planning meeting, Arikawa would join Sega's AM2 team in 1990 and is still employed at Sega as of 2022. He became known for the comedic touches he adds to the games he works on, having worked as a game designer, writer, localizer and texture artist on different games in the Yakuza: Like a Dragon, Super Monkey Ball, Virtua Fighter, and Daytona USA series.
• No. 011 was middle schooler Keisuke Ōuchi, who described his proposal as being full of "middle school syndrome", but was unable to attend the planning meeting because he lived in the countryside at the time. Ōuchi worked on games as a character designer and graphics artist in various capacities, and created and directed the 1998 visual novel Ojou-sama Express, which similarly to Phantasy Star II held a long-term reader participation contest in the gaming magazine "Dengeki G's Magazine". He also works as a collectors' toy designer under the name Alan Moriguchi, specializing in mechs and robots.
It's unknown if or how any of the winners' ideas were used in the final game, as all of the developers used pseudonyms in the credits and no Associate Planners were credited.
Beep! - screenshots of March 1988 issue (in Japanese; it's believed that this issue is where the full list of winners were first published, but no full scan of the issue is available online):
https://retoge-mag.websa.jp/archives/215
Beep! - June 1988 issue (in Japanese; Page 86 in the magazine):
https://archive.org/details/beep-1988-06/page/86/mode/2up
Beep! - September 1989 issue translated developer interview:
https://shmuplations.com/psiirelease/
Masahiro Sakurai (No. 004) on Creating Games video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yk8WsbCQXGc#t=194s
Sakurai translated magazine column on school/early work experience:
https://sourcegaming.info/2015/07/06/school-work-and-specialists-sakurais-famitsu-column-vol-3334/
Sakurai - The Guardian interview:
https://www.theguardian.com/games/2018/aug/08/super-smash-bros-ultimate-masahiro-sakurai-35-years-gaming-history-nintendo
A conversation between gamers and game journalists about the future of computer games, held on August 15, 1989 at Dempa Publications, Inc. (19-year old Sakurai partook in this, and is credited with winning the Game System Award in the Phantasy Star II contest) [published in "CHALLENGE!! Personal Computer AVG & RPG 5 JP Book"] (Pages 341-355 in the book, Sakurai only appears on page 348 and did not participate in the rest of the conversation):
https://retrocdn.net/images/d/d5/CHALLENGE%21%21_Personal_Computer_AVG_%26_RPG_5_JP_Book.pdf
Yukinobu Arikawa (No. 005) career history:
https://segaretro.org/Yukinobu_Arikawa
https://www.mobygames.com/person/69425/yukinobu-arikawa/credits/
Keisuke Ōuchi (No. 011) tweets:
https://x.com/AlanMoriguchi/status/1320302751096553472
https://x.com/AlanMoriguchi/status/1321068321450553347
Alan Moriguchi (Ōuchi) revealing his identity in 2014:
https://x.com/AlanMoriguchi/status/520581151493070849
Ōuchi MobyGames page:
https://www.mobygames.com/person/456584/keisuke-ouchi/
Dengeki G's Magazine - August 1998 issue (Pages 49-61 in the magazine):
https://archive.org/details/dengeki-gs-magazine-013-august-1998/page/48/mode/2up
Japanese Wikipedia article on Ojou-sama Express with magazine citations (including the above issue):
https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/お嬢様特急
Sega Associate Planner No. 017 tweet:
https://x.com/suginov/status/1321062605033664513
Sega Associate Planner No. 019 tweet:
https://x.com/unlucky_numbers/status/1539132578120486912
1988 contest materials were reportedly republished in the reprint mook " Beep(ビープ) 復刻版―特別付録 音楽CD2枚組 ":
https://www.amazon.co.jp/Beep-%E5%BE%A9%E5%88%BB%E7%89%88%E2%80%95%E7%89%B9%E5%88%A5%E4%BB%98%E9%8C%B2-%E9%9F%B3%E6%A5%BDCD2%E6%9E%9A%E7%B5%84-Softbank-mook/dp/4797326239
Tweets that served as a starting point for researching this submission:
https://x.com/gosokkyu/status/1585114095329898496
https://x.com/gosokkyu/status/1705220228828045506
https://retoge-mag.websa.jp/archives/215
Beep! - June 1988 issue (in Japanese; Page 86 in the magazine):
https://archive.org/details/beep-1988-06/page/86/mode/2up
Beep! - September 1989 issue translated developer interview:
https://shmuplations.com/psiirelease/
Masahiro Sakurai (No. 004) on Creating Games video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yk8WsbCQXGc#t=194s
Sakurai translated magazine column on school/early work experience:
https://sourcegaming.info/2015/07/06/school-work-and-specialists-sakurais-famitsu-column-vol-3334/
Sakurai - The Guardian interview:
https://www.theguardian.com/games/2018/aug/08/super-smash-bros-ultimate-masahiro-sakurai-35-years-gaming-history-nintendo
A conversation between gamers and game journalists about the future of computer games, held on August 15, 1989 at Dempa Publications, Inc. (19-year old Sakurai partook in this, and is credited with winning the Game System Award in the Phantasy Star II contest) [published in "CHALLENGE!! Personal Computer AVG & RPG 5 JP Book"] (Pages 341-355 in the book, Sakurai only appears on page 348 and did not participate in the rest of the conversation):
https://retrocdn.net/images/d/d5/CHALLENGE%21%21_Personal_Computer_AVG_%26_RPG_5_JP_Book.pdf
Yukinobu Arikawa (No. 005) career history:
https://segaretro.org/Yukinobu_Arikawa
https://www.mobygames.com/person/69425/yukinobu-arikawa/credits/
Keisuke Ōuchi (No. 011) tweets:
https://x.com/AlanMoriguchi/status/1320302751096553472
https://x.com/AlanMoriguchi/status/1321068321450553347
Alan Moriguchi (Ōuchi) revealing his identity in 2014:
https://x.com/AlanMoriguchi/status/520581151493070849
Ōuchi MobyGames page:
https://www.mobygames.com/person/456584/keisuke-ouchi/
Dengeki G's Magazine - August 1998 issue (Pages 49-61 in the magazine):
https://archive.org/details/dengeki-gs-magazine-013-august-1998/page/48/mode/2up
Japanese Wikipedia article on Ojou-sama Express with magazine citations (including the above issue):
https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/お嬢様特急
Sega Associate Planner No. 017 tweet:
https://x.com/suginov/status/1321062605033664513
Sega Associate Planner No. 019 tweet:
https://x.com/unlucky_numbers/status/1539132578120486912
1988 contest materials were reportedly republished in the reprint mook " Beep(ビープ) 復刻版―特別付録 音楽CD2枚組 ":
https://www.amazon.co.jp/Beep-%E5%BE%A9%E5%88%BB%E7%89%88%E2%80%95%E7%89%B9%E5%88%A5%E4%BB%98%E9%8C%B2-%E9%9F%B3%E6%A5%BDCD2%E6%9E%9A%E7%B5%84-Softbank-mook/dp/4797326239
Tweets that served as a starting point for researching this submission:
https://x.com/gosokkyu/status/1585114095329898496
https://x.com/gosokkyu/status/1705220228828045506