Absence can grow the heart, and with Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game the wait has made me fall in love all over again with his retro gaming nostalgia party. His return could not have come at a better time either. Locked in my house, away from friends and family, while the days are short, cold, and in the throes of the ongoing pandemic, the ten-year-old beat ’em-up helps me recharge when I needed it most.
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game was originally released in 2010 to coincide with the release of Universal’s film adaptation of Bryan Lee O’Malley Scott Pilgrim graphic novel series, about a group of 20-year-old Toronto slackers who navigate life and relationships through video game-inspired hijinks. A joint project of Ubisoft Montreal and Ubisoft Chengdu, it offered one Scott Pilgrim– spin to the beat ’em up RPG-lite classic, River City ransom, which was elevated by both artist Paul Robertson’s vibrant animation style and chiptune punk band Anamanaguchi’s cheerful soundtrack. The digital-only release exploded on PSN and Xbox Live Arcade as a skilled licensed game with a deep indie heart. And on December 30, 2014, it was removed from both storefronts, quietly and seemingly gone forever, turning into a poster child for the pitfalls of preserving games in a digital age.
Now it’s back on PS4 and Xbox One, in addition to PC, Switch and Stadia, and as best as I remember. Beat ’em-ups have had a bit of a renaissance over the years, and for a while Scott pilgrim against the world can’t match the new gold standard in the genre recently set by Streets of Rage 4, it is still a very nice playground to relax in. Just like the source material Scott pilgrim against the world revolves around its titular protagonist who falls in love with a parcel courier named Romona Flowers, battling her seven psychic-powered ex-boyfriends.
But between the cutscenes and boss fights, Scott pilgrim against the world is mainly about engaging in fist fights with crowds of random strangers on the streets of Toronto and using the experience and money earned to level up and unlock new skills. Levels, arranged as one Super Mario Bros. overworld map, are meant to be replayed and contain stores where you can spend money on food to improve stats like health, strength and speed. Pay Scott’s $ 500 in late fines at the video store and you’ll unlock a menu of even more powerful upgrades to buy. Enter a cheat code (Square, Square, Square, X, Circle, Triangle on PS4) and you can start each level with a deadly sword that emits energy waves in Master Sword style.
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Everything in it Scott pilgrim against the world is as it was, like returning to your nursery, perfectly preserved in the years since you left, just as much from negligence as anything else. This includes the imperfect but workable online multiplayer, which was previously released as DLC years after the game first came out. Back then it felt like an afterthought, but today it’s a godsend. Scott pilgrim against the world is an extremely pleasant walk through the memory playing solo, but with a friend or group it turns into a real meeting place. I’ve been playing here and there with friends and strangers for the past week, and it felt like the unexpected reprieve from a snow day coupled with the free exuberance of a chicken coop after a bar crawl – two things caused by the pandemic.
There are, of course, plenty of other great multiplayer games to hang out with friends. Even more than ever. But none of them all hit the same welcome notes for me Scott pilgrim against the world does, a retro homage that returns with its own unique layer of nostalgia. The past year has been a mess, and as much as I don’t want to face the next day, it always comes. Scott pilgrim against the world is exactly what I needed now to make the nights before last a little longer.