Showing posts with label gaming. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gaming. Show all posts

Saturday, 25 July 2020

The Racing Goes On In Mario Kart Tour

Nearly a year ago, I downloaded Mario Kart Tour on my smartphone and elaborated on what I enjoyed about the experience that marked the first time Mario and the crew raced outside of a Nintendo console or handheld [32] [33] [34] [35]. Since March 2020, Version Two helped the app maintain its cred for those Nintendo nerds who became rather hooked on it [14] [27], despite the negative feedback Version One received mostly for its questionably greedy deals [29] [40]. Looking at the reception the app has received [26], I would say that Mario Kart Tour is like Marmite. You either love it or hate it [1] [20] [28]. Have no fear because I have not spent a penny on the microtransactions and just spent five rubies on a pipe when I felt like it. Despite the negative side of the reception’s spectrum, I will always be a fan of the Mario Kart series [30] [31], especially when it comes to racing as my homegirl, Princess Peach [10] [13] [14] [15]. Moreover, fasten your seatbelt and do not step on the gas pedal for too long because we are about to zoom through a few updates on Mario Kart Tour in its second version in association with wishing the Super Mario franchise a happy 35th anniversary [5] [16].
Here is the new title screen for Mario Kart Tour in 2020. [14]
Oh. And did mention I love this Peach badge? [14]
Well, it looks like there is finally a real multiplayer mode after we have only witnessed opponents being controlled by artificial intelligence with usernames tacked onto them [17]. A player can also type in a room code if they wish to only play with those nearby in their local area [14], similar to how a contestant can enter a code for a game of Quiplash or Quiplash 2 [6] [7]. Alternatively and quite more ambitiously, there is also the option to race against actual players around the world, either in a standard race or a gold race that requires a gold pass to compete in. As someone who has not purchased one, I can see how it can increase the reward system by providing gold badges to earn and provide another challenge with the difficulty of 200cc [10] [11] [12] [14]. I am delighted to witness my opponents racing under the genuine influence of other Nintendo nerds. However, if there are any signs of one of them being a hacker that cheats in a race, bringing back unnerving memories of hackers in online races of Mario Kart Wii [4], bring on the blue shells in the name of karma! No gold passes for them!
Three ways to finally play Mario Kart Tour with other Nintendo nerds: locally, standard worldwide and worldwide with a gold pass. [14]
Here is one of my moments of finally playing the game with other racers rather than CPUs, but with another new feature… [14]
Another new feature that increases the appeal of Mario Kart Tour for some Nintendo nerds is the option to play it whilst holding the device horizontally [14] [18]. I like how the new Landscape mode shows more of the course being raced on and can make the experience feel more like a handheld game, quite similar to Sonic and SEGA All-Stars Racing and Sonic and All-Stars Racing Transformed for iOS and Android [21] [22] [36] [37]. However, I will admit that the Landscape mode was quite difficult for me to get used to, considering how I got very used to playing the game in its standard mode [14]. It felt quite awkward to swipe one thumb across the side of my screen whilst holding my other thumb down to drift. Nevertheless, enabling Smart Steering and Steer/Drift Button Display for the Landscape mode made it feel quite like my experience with Sonic and SEGA All-Stars Racing for iOS [22]. If some players prefer the standard ways of playing the game vertically, good for them. Playing Mario Kart Tour horizontally may sort of feel like playing Mario Kart DS and Mario Kart 7 once the Landscape mode without Steer/Drift Button Display starts to get comfortable to get used to [10] [13].
I remained a little unsure about Landscape mode before I activated Smart Steering. I am quite glad I got at least some feeling of playing Sonic and SEGA All-Stars Racing on my iPod Touch back in those good old days. I can say that was somewhat predicted in my first article about Mario Kart Tour [31] [32]. [14]
I also like how there is option to quickly change the mode to Portrait/Landscape mode just in case a new player may not get used to one mode and hopes to quickly switch to the other whilst focusing completely on the race. As long as the variety of alternations is present [32] [33], Mario Kart Tour can still appeal to its crowd. [14]
The cups in the newer tours do not need to be unlocked, compared to the first few tours back in late 2019 [32] [33] [34] [35]. Even though a form of challenge with a familiar task of unlocking new cups by completing the first one is now absent, the option to try out any race or challenge from any cup makes the experience excitingly non-linear and gives the player more freedom [14]. The tour gifts still need to be unlocked with certain amounts of stars from racing though. For only twenty-four hours, the icon of a cup will be highlighted in gold to show that its courses will give extra coins after racing, which can potentially motivate a player who wants to save coins for buying a new racer, kart or glider from the shop. There is also now a progress bar beneath each task in the lists of challenges, which is useful for the player to know how much more of the task they need to do to receive another badge. Besides eliminating glitches after calling the Glitchbusters [38] [39], many changes with a mobile game’s update can be useful or at least interesting, including specific changes in Mario Kart Tour’s 2020 updates [14].
A fellow Mario Kart racer can now play any of the cups at the beginning of a new tour. [14]
Some progress bars are now visible to help the player know much they need to do left to earn more stars. [14]
Throughout the tours, the lists of unlockables in Mario Kart Tour just keeps getting bigger in the name of cultural cred and familiar aspects [14] [25]. I would also like to make a list of my favourite outfits worn by certain characters throughout the tours, including:
  •        Rosalina’s beach dress
  •        Peach’s vacation outfit
  •        Pauline’s party dress
  •        Mario’s musician suit
  •        Rosalina’s aurora dress
My favourite karts are:
  •       White Royale
  •       Glided Prancer
  •       Daytripper
  •       Rose Queen
My favourite gliders include:
  •       Blizzard Parasol
  •       Butterfly Sunset
  •       Pink Flower Glider
It is amazing and ambitious how the roster of racers, including clones of them in outfits that suit the theme of a tour, would continue to increase the game’s overall appeal to a large crowd of mobile gamers and Nintendo nerds with different interests if it was not for the very little chances to get a desired one [14]. I may not have unlocked much of my favourites, but I can always gaze at images of them [25]. Furthermore, some Nintendo nerds may be curious about what will be new in the next tours while some toy collectors are looking forward to being cuted out by the third series of Kitten Catfe this Autumn [8] [9].
Rosalina looks absolutely stunning in her Aurora outfit! [14]
And the blizzard parasol is beautiful! [14]
With a new option to play the game in a landscape view and a proper multiplayer mode [17] [18], I say that Mario Kart Tour might have further increased its cred to some degrees in 2020, even though some players must have stopped playing it for a while due to the disappointment of the chances of getting a high-end racer, kart or glider being too low [14]. I can say that the ongoing service for the app from Nintendo might have a coping mechanism during the first few weeks of lockdowns that were established to prevent the coronavirus outbreak from spreading any further [3]. While some doll collectors out there are delighted by the colours of the dolls within the first Rainbow High line and plenty of Sonic supporters are getting into the spirit of the Olympics by playing Sonic at the Olympic Games – Tokyo 2020 on their iOS and Android devices [2] [19] [23] [24], plenty of Nintendo nerds out there are still racing in Mario Kart Tour, possibly without spending a penny on any microtransactions. Have I been too optimistic about playing the app or can you tolerate it as much as I can? Let me know before I launch a blue shell at you!
Just look at Mario and Luigi’s cool outfits on my newest T-shirt! Could they be featured in a new tour of Mario Kart Tour soon? [30]
Strive and ride, Mario Kart Racers! [11]
References
  1. BugPowderDust. (2011). Marmite advert with Paddington. Available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XyIb6olr1uc. Last accessed 25th Jul 2020.
  2. BratzPassion888. (2020). Rainbow High™ fashion dolls commercial. Available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7Z_TMS2Ty0. Last accessed 21st Jul 2020.
  3. Channel 4 News. (2020). Breaking: UK to go into 3 week lockdown - PM says "You must stay at home".. Available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXj_itbwKro. Last accessed 25th Jul 2020.
  4. ColhanRantQueen. (2010). Mario Kart Wii Hackers. Available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqD4Xh1stQg. Last accessed 21st Jul 2020.
  5. Doolan, L. (2020). Hasbro Celebrates Super Mario's 35th Anniversary With Monopoly And Jenga. Available: https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2020/07/hasbro_celebrates_super_marios_35th_anniversary_with_monopoly_and_jenga. Last accessed 25th Jul 2020.
  6. JackboxGames. (2015). Quiplash. Microsoft Windows. Illinous, United States.
  7. JackboxGames. (2016). Quiplash 2. Microsoft Windows. Illinous, United States.
  8. JAKKS Pacific, INC. (2020). Meet Us. Available: https://kittencatfe.com/index.php#meet-us. Last accessed 23rd Jul 2020.
  9. JAKKS Pacific, INC. (2020). Series 3. Available: https://kittencatfe.com/products/series3/. Last accessed 23rd Jul 2020.
  10. Nintendo. (2011). Mario Kart 7. Nintendo 3DS. Tokyo, Japan.
  11. Nintendo. (2014). Mario Kart 8. Nintendo Wii U. Tokyo, Japan.
  12. Nintendo. (2018). Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. Nintendo Switch. Tokyo, Japan.
  13. Nintendo. (2005). Mario Kart DS. Nintendo DS. Tokyo, Japan.
  14. Nintendo. (2019). Mario Kart Tour. iOS. Tokyo, Japan.
  15. Nintendo. (2008). Mario Kart Wii. Nintendo Wii. Tokyo, Japan.
  16. Nintendo. (1985). Super Mario Bros. Nintendo Entertainment System. Tokyo, Japan.
  17. Nintendo Mobile. (2020). Mario Kart Tour - Multiplayer is Here!. Available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCId1ADBJv8. Last accessed 25th Jul 2020.
  18. Nintendo Mobile. (2020). Mario Kart Tour - Race in portrait or landscape, your choice!. Available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGUwAB-7FSE. Last accessed 25th Jul 2020.
  19. Rainbow High. (2020). Rainbow High Dolls Commercial. Available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aq728C6fox0. Last accessed 21st Jul 2020.
  20. Scott, A. (2007). Paddington Bear Marmite TV Commercial. Available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBY5epc8BS0. Last accessed 25th Jul 2020.
  21. SEGA. (2012). Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed. iOS. Tokyo. Japan.
  22. SEGA. (2011). Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing. iOS. Tokyo. Japan.
  23. SegaAmerica. (2020). Sonic at the Olympic Games – Tokyo 2020™. Available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwO8QROQWVk. Last accessed 25th Jul 2020.
  24. Sonic News Network. (2020). Sonic at the Olympic Games (2020). Available: https://sonic.fandom.com/wiki/Sonic_at_the_Olympic_Games_(2020). Last accessed 25th Jul 2020.
  25. Super Mario Wiki. (2019). Gallery:Mario Kart Tour. Available: https://www.mariowiki.com/Gallery:Mario_Kart_Tour. Last accessed 21st Jul 2020.
  26. Super Mario Wiki. (2019). Mario Kart Tour. Available: https://www.mariowiki.com/Mario_Kart_Tour#Reception. Last accessed 25th Jul 2020.
  27. Super Mario Wiki. (2019). Mario Kart Tour update history. Available: https://www.mariowiki.com/Mario_Kart_Tour_update_history. Last accessed 21st Jul 2020.
  28. Too Old To Grow Up. (2017). Marmite - Love It Or Hate It?. Available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUSQbWxlz-E. Last accessed 25th Jul 2020.
  29. WatchMojo.com. (2019). Top 10 Worst Video Games of 2019. Available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0yaNmd8-WQ. Last accessed 21st Jul 2020.
  30. Williams, L. (2020). Available: https://twitter.com/LauraOnDuty/status/1286708017375981570. Last accessed 25th Jul 2020.
  31. Williams, L. (2020). Available: https://twitter.com/LauraOnDuty/status/1286726436829749248. Last accessed 25th Jul 2020.
  32. Williams, L. (2019). Mario Kart Tour Concludes The Mario Mobile Trilogy Of The 2010s. Available: https://laurasambitiouswriting.wordpress.com/2019/09/29/mario-kart-tour-review/. Last accessed 21st Jul 2020.
  33. Williams, L. (2019). Mario Kart Tour Concludes The Mario Mobile Trilogy Of The 2010s. Available: https://laurawritesanarticle.blogspot.com/2019/09/mario-kart-tour-review.html. Last accessed 21st Jul 2020.
  34. Williams, L. (2019). Mario Kart Tour – Mostly Competent In Every Competition. Available: https://laurasambitiouswriting.wordpress.com/2019/10/10/mario-kart-tour-review_2/. Last accessed 21st Jul 2020.
  35. Williams, L. (2019). Mario Kart Tour – Mostly Competent In Every Competition. Available: https://laurawritesanarticle.blogspot.com/2019/10/. Last accessed 21st Jul 2020.
  36. Williams, L. (2018). Mario Will Soon Park His Kart Outside Of The Nintendo Switch. Available: https://laurasambitiouswriting.wordpress.com/2018/03/07/mariokartoutsidenintendo/. Last accessed 25th Jul 2020.
  37. Williams, L. (2018). Mario Will Soon Park His Kart Outside Of The Nintendo Switch. Available: https://laurawritesanarticle.blogspot.com/2018/03/mario-will-soon-park-his-kart-outside.html. Last accessed 25th Jul 2020.
  38. Williams, L. (2018). The Sims Mobile: A Pink Plumbob In Every Event. Available: https://laurasambitiouswriting.wordpress.com/2018/03/29/the-sims-mobile-pink-plumbob/. Last accessed 25th Jul 2020.
  39. Williams, L. (2018). The Sims Mobile: A Pink Plumbob In Every Event. Available: https://laurawritesanarticle.blogspot.com/2018/03/thesimsmobile.html. Last accessed 25th Jul 2020.
  40. YongYea. (2019). Mario Kart Tour's Garbage Mobile Monetization Is Nintendo At Their Greediest. Available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GuF9aK6Jz5s. Last accessed 21st Jul 2020.

Friday, 10 January 2020

Dr. Fire Mario And Dr. Fire Peach - Is The Mario Franchise Running Out Of Ideas?

Remember the hype for Dr. Mario World last summer [6] [17] [18]? Not too long ago, it was announced that two new doctors will be the newest selectable characters in Dr. Mario World [1] [2] [3]. Can you guess who they are? Why yes, Dr. Fire Mario and Dr. Fire Peach! And yes, I know right? Even though I understand that they need to be referred as “doctors” for the sake of the app’s identity as a mobile app within the Dr. Mario series, but this has left me believing that Nintendo may be running out of ideas for the Mario franchise at this point [1], but it is probably not the first time as it has been steadily growing for almost thirty-nine years [5]. Another sign of Nintendo running out of ideas could be Mario, Luigi, Peach, and Daisy as babies in doctor attires in Dr. Mario World [17] [18], which is a sign I would honestly agree with. But since Nintendo has decided to start a new decade with two “new” playable characters to put into their mixed medical kit for modern mobile devices [17], I think it is about time I express a fairly neutral stance on it as someone who has been a Nintendo fan for years.
So the plumbers and the princesses were all sent to medical school when they were babies? Quite weird. [18]
But as for this, is this scraping the bottom of the barrel? [2] [3]
The roster in Dr. Mario World just screams, “Hey! Let’s make everyone a doctor because it’s Dr. Mario for crying out loud!” without any self-awareness whatsoever [17] [18]. Since when did Bowser take enough time to get Wendy, Ludwig and Bowser Jr. into medical school?! I really like the designs of Peach and Daisy’s doctor outfits and I think Wario and Waluigi’s doctor outfits are quite well designed too [16] [17]. However, I feel as if Dr. Rosalina’s appearance does not have much effort put into it as it is just her regular attire with a doctor’s coat and a stethoscope tacked onto it, unlike Dr. Peach and Dr. Daisy’s doctor outfits that are more appropriate for the occupation [17] [18]. I would not trust Dr. Dry Bowser as my doctor, even though his coat is at least interesting as it is light grey with some ripping [18]. I know a roster of characters dressed as doctors suits the title of the app and they all at least have unique abilities to spice up the gameplay, but the way a few of them are wearing very basic doctor accessories is unfortunately quite uninspired, including Dr. Fire Mario and Dr. Fire Peach [18].
More effort was put into these costumes for Daisy, Wario, and Waluigi. They look very ideal for doing the duties of a doctor. [18]
Simply tacking a white doctor’s coat and a stethoscope onto a character’s usual attire is not really inspiring. [18]
I was up for Princess Peach’s fire dress from Super Mario 3D World to return in the Mario franchise someday [12], but not like this. Do not get me wrong. Signs of the medical couple of fire’s ability are present in the new trailer [3], but the doctor’s coats and stethoscopes that are just slapped onto their outfits are quite distracting. Well, it may not be as distracting as…dare I say it…Dr. Bowsette [4]. Some of us may have seen Peachette, the fusion of Peach and Toadette from New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe as a sign of Nintendo running out of ideas, but at least she can be a sign of Toadette seeing Peach as a role model, thus indicating a loyal bond between them [22] [23]. Dr. Fire Mario and Dr. Fire Peach just seem rather pointless, aside from being doctors just for the sake of fitting in the app’s roster. I know that a similar statement applied to Pink Gold Peach in Mario Kart 8 as there is still yet to be a reason for her existence in the main Mario games and I strongly believe it should be clearly established in a future instalment [7] [8] [9] [20].
I would have like Dr. Fire Peach’s design more if the characters designers took Dr. Peach’s outfit and changed the colours of the skirt and coat to shades of red. [18]
As a fan of the Mario franchise, I know Nintendo can think more creatively than this. [3]
I am terribly sorry to make this statement, but the ability to throw fireballs from your hands and the occupation of a doctor do not blend together very well [2] [3]. I know that Dr. Fire Mario and Dr. Fire Peach have perfect control over their powers and can at least not harm their innocent allies with them [3], but my point still stands. The only time such a combination could work quite well in real life is when a patient needs enough heat to recover from hypothermia…as long as the fire doctor does not set the patient on fire. What other uses of fire would be practical for treating an illness? Even a university student who has studied medicine for five years and dreams of becoming a doctor would agree with me. I believe a fusion of Peach’s fire dress and her biker outfit from Mario Kart Wii would be a more reasonable combination as it seems like quite a missed opportunity to feature that in Mario Kart 8 or Mario Kart 8 Deluxe when she receives a fire flower on a bike or ATV [7] [8] [10] [12]. What’s next? Dr. Ice Mario, who will certainly not freeze his patients to death [11]?
 
A plumber’s hat and overalls would not be very ideal for a doctor’s job. [3]
A long princess dress would not be very ideal for a doctor’s job either. [2] [3]
What else is next? Dr. Baby Pink Gold Peach [3] [7] [8] [9] [20]? We can see that the princess of Mushroom Kingdom has gone from a pixelated damsel who was in another castle to a doctor in a white dress with fire powers [3] [13]. Despite how uninspired Dr. Fire Mario and Dr. Fire Peach seem, it should not negatively affect the gameplay for those who still enjoy playing Dr. Mario World [3] [17]. And despite how uninspired the fire doctors seem, more original ideas for the future of the Mario franchise may await us Nintendo nerds. In order to expand on the Mario franchise’s ambitions, I feel like an almost entirely forgotten Mario character should be brought back in any future Mario instalment, such as Perry from Super Princess Peach [15] [19]. I feel like the next main Super Mario game can feature him befriending Tiara, the Bonneter who was in Peach’s head during her forced wedding to Bowser [14] [21]. We all know how Pauline made a huge comeback to the franchise in the late 2010s as a mayor, tennis player and a kart racer [14] [24] [25]. Furthermore, Nintendo ought to eventually focus on further developing less recognised characters instead of producing unnecessary versions of the most iconic characters.
I miss this cute taking parasol. [15] [19]
Oh. And more more thing, Dry Bones is also a new assistant for Dr. Mario World. At least there’s some good news for Dry Bones fans who have the app. [3] [17]
References
  1. FunkyKong84. (2020). Dr Fire Peach is now available to buy on Dr. Mario (Dr Peach already exists). Available: https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/boards/231924-mario-kart-tour/78316206. Last accessed 9th Jan 2020.
  2. GALA-MOS. (2020). DR. MARIO WORLD GETTING NEW STAGES, DR. FIRE MARIO, DR. FIRE PEACH, AND MORE ON JANUARY 9. Available: https://nintendosoup.com/dr-mario-world-getting-new-stages-dr-fire-mario-dr-fire-peach-and-more-on-january-9/. Last accessed 9th Jan 2020.
  3. GameXplain. (2020). Dr. Fire Peach Coming to Dr. Mario World - Trailer (+ Dry Bones Assistant!). Available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2p_K85OBgGg. Last accessed 9th Jan 2020.
  4. Know Your Meme. (2018). Bowsette. Available: https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/bowsette. Last accessed 9th Jan 2020.
  5. Nintendo. (1981). Donkey Kong. Arcade. Tokyo, Japan.
  6. Nintendo. (2019). Dr. Mario World - Launch Trailer. Available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APZkk9qiXQI. Last accessed 10th Dec 2019.
  7. Nintendo. (2014). Mario Kart 8. Nintendo Wii U. Tokyo, Japan.
  8. Nintendo. (2017). Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. Nintendo Switch. Tokyo, Japan.
  9. Nintendo. (2017). Mario Kart Tour. iOS. Tokyo, Japan.
  10. Nintendo. (2008). Mario Kart Wii. Nintendo Wii. Tokyo, Japan.
  11. Nintendo. (2009). New Super Mario Bros. Wii. Nintendo Wii. Tokyo, Japan.
  12. Nintendo. (2013). Super Mario 3D World. Nintendo Wii U. Tokyo, Japan.
  13. Nintendo. (1985). Super Mario Bros. Nintendo Entertainment System. Tokyo, Japan.
  14. Nintendo. (2017). Super Mario Odyssey. Nintendo Switch. Tokyo, Japan.
  15. Nintendo. (2005). Super Princess Peach. Nintendo DS. Tokyo, Japan.
  16. Nintendo Mobile. (2019). Welcome to Dr. Mario World. Available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8b4DNKfs_tU. Last accessed 10th Jan 2020.
  17. Super Mario Wiki. (2019). Dr. Mario World. Available: https://www.mariowiki.com/Dr._Mario_World. Last accessed 9th Jan 2020.
  18. Super Mario Wiki. (2019). Gallery:Dr. Mario World. Available: https://www.mariowiki.com/Gallery:Dr._Mario_World. Last accessed 9th Jan 2020.
  19. Super Mario Wiki. (2007). Perry. Available: https://www.mariowiki.com/perry. Last accessed 10th Jan 2020.
  20. Super Mario Wiki. (2014). Pink Gold Peach. Available: https://www.mariowiki.com/Pink_Gold_Peach. Last accessed 9th Jan 2020.
  21. Super Mario Wiki. (2017). Tiara. Available: https://www.mariowiki.com/Tiara. Last accessed 9th Jan 2020.
  22. Williams, L. (2018). Another Deluxe Delight For Mario’s Switch Era Is On Its Way. Available: https://laurasambitiouswriting.wordpress.com/2018/09/24/newsupermariobrosudeluxe/. Last accessed 9th Jan 2020.
  23. Williams, L. (2018). Another Deluxe Delight For Mario’s Switch Era Is On Its Way. Available: https://laurawritesanarticle.blogspot.com/2018/09/newsupermariobrosudeluxe.html. Last accessed 9th Jan 2020.
  24. Williams, L. (2019). The Perils And Powers Of Pauline, Mario’s Ex-Girlfriend. Available: https://laurasambitiouswriting.wordpress.com/2019/01/06/pauline-evolution/. Last accessed 9th Jan 2020.
  25. Williams, L. (2019). The Perils And Powers Of Pauline, Mario’s Ex-Girlfriend. Available: https://laurawritesanarticle.blogspot.com/2019/01/pauline-evolution.html. Last accessed 9th Jan 2020.


Saturday, 10 August 2019

Will You Be Insane Enough For Alice: Asylum?

Have you ever thought of the American McGee’s Alice franchise finally becoming a game trilogy? A terrifying twist of Lewis Carroll’s Alice In Wonderland was firstly established back in 2000 as “American McGee’s Alice” [5] [6]. Eleven years later, the twisted tale was somehow remastered. Additionally, the mentally unwell Alice went through hypnotherapy in London and slayed fiends in Wonderland again in “Alice: Madness Returns”, the tale’s sequel [5] [24]. Sometime in late 2015, we are treated with two animated shorts that were part of “Alice: Otherlands” [4] [25] [27]. I quite liked the Otherlands shorts due to how they each provided a unique style of animation that was not established in the series before [25] [27], but it is a shame that it was quite underwhelming for plenty of fans [4]. I hope the production of a third Alice game with a whole new team who will always have McGee’s back will make up for the majority of Spicy Horse’s squad leaving due to how uneasy working with Electronic Arts seemed [2] [12] [24]. Sharpen your vorpal blades and hold onto your stuffed rabbits because we are about to fall into another deep, dark, disturbing and developing rabbit hole, Alice: Asylum [2] [24] [28] [29].
I can already imagine this sample of concept art turning out to be like the final cover for the game. [2]
On the other mentally unwell hand in a straitjacket, the cover ought to feature a dull background that resembles Rutledge Asylum in order for it to suit the title. [2]
Before we look into more of the concept art, I shall state that the project will be crowdfunded due to how executives of Electronic Arts tend to be defensive of what IPs they publish [2]. The way American McGee can receive funds is through his Patreon page [28]. The Otherlands shorts were also crowdfunded back in 2013, but on Kickstarter [4] [26]. Since there needs to be some way to get enough money for an ambitious project, I have nothing against crowdfunding, as long as what has been proposed does not turn out to be a scam or fraud. Apart from that, we can agree that not all honest crowdfunded projects end up satisfactory. As part of the negative feedback on John Kricfalusi’s eventually completed Kickstarter project, “Cans Without Labels”, its six year delay was considered to be inexcusable [33]. At least the Kickstarter project for the second remake of the first Leisure Suit Larry game from Replay Games was exceptional with faithfulness to what made the series quite acclaimed [22] [31]. Hopefully the finished game will come out on its proposed deadline or at least after a reasonable delay, so that it will be far more passable and excusable than the outcome of Cans Without Labels [2] [33]. 
Leisure Suit Larry: Reloaded had a pretty satisfactory outcome that made its crowdfunding worth it. [22]
But as for Cans Without Labels, it could have been almost as outstanding as an episode of the original Ren and Stimpy. [33]
Apparently, Alice Liddell will be aged down to a possibly almost a thirteen-year-old as the game will take place during her time at Rutledge Asylum, according to one sample of concept art [2]. Despite this, I think it is safe to classify the younger Alice hinted in the development as a preteen since the age of thirteen might not be the final age for her. I believe that it would be a good move to establish the premise as a prequel to American McGee’s Alice as we know that Alice finally got a new job at the London Royal Opera House and gained the ability to look into other lands aside from her Wonderland in Otherlands [5] [25] [27]. In addition to how Alice will be a preteen in Alice: Asylum, it would make sense if her weapons would be various classic toys, expect that she may learn how to use a Vorpal Blade for the first time…which would never be recommended in real life [2]. Even though Alice appears to be aged down and may have a more innocent and child-like personality, I may still personally relate to her when it comes to feeling like an outcast in the society I grew up in.
The Alice in American McGee’s Alice and Alice: Madness Returns may be miserable and mentally unstable, but she is relatable and likeable. Even though she will be a preteen in Alice: Asylum, could she still maintain that likeability? [6] [11]





Uh oh! And there might be another Alice known as “Shadow Alice” as the true antagonist of the game. Encountering a shadowy form of the protagonist would increase the game’s psychological horror factor. Alternatively, perhaps Shadow Alice could explain the Rage and Hysteria forms from the previous two Alice games. [2] [9] [10]
The majority of the concept art that has been revealed so far is fantastic, including the artwork for the mentally unstable heroine [2]. I like the variety of different outfits for her, including the new ash dress that could represent the devastating house fire [2]. Some other dresses, besides her iconic blue dress that could be presented in the final outcome are:
  •       Denial
  •       Depression
  •       DeathTime
  •       Blackening
  •       Asylum
  •       Hospital
  •       Pleading
There also seems to be another equivalent of Rage from the first game besides Hysteria from Madness Returns [9] [10]. One sample of concept art shows Alice with fire-like hair and orange and yellow skin. “Inferno” sounds like a good name to describe preteen Alice’s powerful form due to its fire-like design. Heatblast from the Ben 10 franchise ought to eat his flaming heart out [15]. The quality of the concept art reminds me of visuals within the Alice Madness Returns Storybook app I downloaded onto my iPad back in about 2014 [1], which unfortunately does not seem to be available in the App Store anymore and can no longer be played on an iPad with iOS 11 due to lack of updates [3] [19].
The Denial dress would have to be my favourite dress within the batch of concept art. The way that “It’s Your Fault” is constantly written in blood on the back of the petticoat could make the design represent Alice hiding her survivor’s guilt. [2]
I like how fierce Alice’s Inferno form looks. Could it be associated with how she survived the flames that reduced her home to ashes? [2]
As well as some examples of a younger Alice, let us look into the other characters…with caution. Alice is not the only one to receive a younger appearance as the Cheshire Cat could receive a new look that makes him seem more like a kitten [2]. Additionally, could he really receive an alternative look that represents the fire that killed Alice’s family? Since Alice: Asylum is meant to be a chronological prequel, the Mad Hatter will apparently be shown in full human flesh before an incident causes him to become a mentally unstable cyborg, which is strangely fascinating to me [2]. Considering how the Queen of Hearts was the main antagonist in the first game from 2000 [6], it would be no surprise that she would represent anger as part of Alice’s stages of grief, along with the possibility of any conflict between her and the Red Queen occurring [2]. Hopefully we will not worry about being late if we see the White Rabbit with his pocket watch [13]. Considering how Wonderland became corrupted during Alice’s time at Rutledge Asylum, those who dare to play the game once it has been released should take caution in the environments.
I would be up for seeing the Cheshire Cat in an ash form like this, despite how it would contradict Alice’s remark about him becoming mangier in the first game. It just looks pretty cool to me. [2]
That face above those ghastly red tentacles. It sure would be scary if the Queen of Hearts was able to transform into a horrific beast. [2]
The likely domains for the game seem to represent the seven stages of grief, which could basically sum up the third Alice game’s plot and fits the psychologically horrific themes of the franchise because of how Alice suffered from survivor’s guilt due to how she survived the house fire that killed her family [2] [5] [6]. The drafts of each domain are:
  •       Alice’s house after the fire, representing Shock [2]
  •       A circus in Wonderland that represents Denial [2]
  •       The Queen of Hearts’ castle, representing Anger [2]
  •       The Mad Hatter’s Domain, representing Bargaining [2]
  •       An icy lake in the streets of London that represents Depression [2]
  •       The Land Of Fire and Brimstone that represents Testing [2]
  •       Checkmate in Red, the stage that represents Acceptance [2]
An additional stage of grief could be slumber and the location to represent it would be Rutledge Asylum [2]. It seems likely that a few aspects of Alice’s time at the asylum would be loosely based on Wilson’s Casebook, an unofficial journal that was written by Greg Roensch and sold with the first Alice game [5] [11] [14]. But since Alice: Asylum is meant to be an official prequel, it is more likely that those aspects will be based on what was shown in the Alice: Madness Returns Storybook app [1] [3] [11] [19].
Some concept art of Alice’s first stage of grief. Considering how the previous two games were 3D, I do not think I would be surprised if Alice: Asylum turns out to be a 3D game too. [2]
The additional stage of grief must represent Alice’s coma from her survival, leading up to the rest of her days in the asylum towards the start of American McGee’s Alice. [1] [5] [19]

Aside from the drafts of the characters and locations, there is a logo that appears to be the final draft [2] [29]. I am hoping the revealed logo will be the final logo that will be revealed in the trailer because of how impressed I am with its design. Speaking of trailer, if there ought to be enough funds for an animated teaser trailer, hopefully it will not be misleading like the teasers for Alice: Madness Returns [16] [17] [20] [21] [30]. Remember Alice’s differently designed London outfit and Wonderland attire, along with the wine red coat she wore in the second teaser, but not in the final game [35]? Oh, and remember that beta logo for Madness Returns too [16] [17]? Not even a hypnotherapy session with Bumby will make me forget them [7]. It makes sense if a cinematic teaser that looks almost nothing like the final game was finished before its modelling, rendering and programming. However, I am sure that most of us would prefer a more honest and reliable cinematic teaser or beta gameplay trailer that ought to be completed and released by the time a fair amount of the game’s visuals are done [8] [23], along with the final choice for the game’s logo.
Who knows? The misleading teasers can always be classified as the final game in an alternate universe or something. [17] [20]
The beta Alice: Madness Returns logo. EA…what have you done (back in 2010 and 2011)? [16] [21]
What has been revealed about Alice: Asylum seems like Fran Bow all over again [18]. A three year schedule ought to ensure the best quality for a specific chapter of Alice’s life without anything being rushed. Could a preteen Alice’s time away from the asylum drive you into madness? Or could it drive yours truly into insanity [35]? Will the crowdfunding be successful? And will the outcome of Alice: Asylum be more satisfying than Otherlands [4] [25] [27]? Being quite a fan of nineteen-year-old Alice who vowed to restore the wonders of her Wonderland [35], I sincerely hope it will, whether the remains of Spicy Horse are still with Electronic Arts or not [12]. If you wish to support McGee’s next big step in his legacy before October 2021, you can check out his Patreon page and donate. It seems like rewards will be available for those on the Alice: Asylum fan list, so I guess becoming a Patreon of his would be worth it [24] [28] [29]. If you begged for a third Alice game for a few years [34], this proposed project could be for you. Now if you will excuse me, I need to go into Hysteria mode [9]. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!!!
And of course, Fran Bow, the point-and-click horror game from 2015 was crowdfunded as well, but on Indiegogo. [18]
Halloween 2021 sounds like the time to roam through the corruption of Alice’s Wonderland again. Again, I am very impressed with this logo’s design as its aspects suit the horror themes of the Alice franchise. [29]
References


  1. Alice: Madness Returns Storybook. (2011). iOS. California. United States.
  2. Alice Wiki. (2019). Alice: Asylum. Available: https://alice.fandom.com/wiki/Alice:_Asylum. Last accessed 30th Jul 2019.
  3. Alice Wiki. (2011). Alice: Madness Returns Storybook. Available: https://alice.fandom.com/wiki/Alice:_Madness_Returns_Storybook. Last accessed: 2nd Aug 2019.
  4. Alice Wiki. (2015). Alice: Otherlands. Available: https://alice.fandom.com/wiki/Alice:_Otherlands. Last accessed 9th Aug 2018.
  5. Alice Wiki. (2019). Alice (series). Available: https://alice.fandom.com/wiki/Alice_(series). Last accessed 30th Jul 2019.
  6. Alice Wiki. (2011). American McGee's Alice. Available: https://alice.fandom.com/wiki/American_McGee's_Alice. Last accessed 9th Aug 2018.
  7. Alice Wiki. (2019). Angus Bumby. Available: https://alice.fandom.com/wiki/Angus_Bumby. Last accessed 8th Aug 2019.
  8. Alice Wiki. (2011). Beta Content. Available: https://alice.fandom.com/wiki/Beta_Content. Last accessed 5th Aug 2018.
  9. Alice Wiki. (2011). Hysteria. Available: https://alice.fandom.com/wiki/Hysteria. Last accessed 3rd Aug 2019.
  10. Alice Wiki. (2009). Rage Box. Available: https://alice.fandom.com/wiki/Rage_Box. Last accessed 3rd Aug 2019.
  11. Alice Wiki. (2011). Rutledge Asylum. Available: https://alice.fandom.com/wiki/Rutledge_Asylum. Last accessed 5th Aug 2018.
  12. Alice Wiki. (2011). Spicy Horse. Available: https://alice.fandom.com/wiki/Spicy_Horse. Last accessed 3rd Aug 2019.
  13. Alice Wiki. (2011). White Rabbit. Available: https://alice.fandom.com/wiki/White_Rabbit. Last accessed 6th Aug 2018.
  14. Alice Wiki. (2011). Wilson's casebook. Available: https://alice.fandom.com/wiki/Wilson%27s_casebook. Last accessed 7th Aug 2019.
  15. Ben 10 Planet. (2008). Heatblast (Classic). Available: https://ben10.fandom.com/wiki/Heatblast_(Classic). Last accessed: 2nd Aug 2019.
  16. Electronic Arts. (2010). Alice: Madness Returns - Announcement CG Teaser (Part 1 of 3). Available: https://youtu.be/TrjXLlsoPlI. Last accessed: 2nd Aug 2019.
  17. Electronic Arts. (2010). Alice: Madness Returns | Teaser #2. Available: https://youtu.be/hUmLstbaK-g. Last accessed: 2nd Aug 2019.
  18. Fran Bow Wiki. (2015). Fran Bow (Game). Available: https://fran-bow.fandom.com/wiki/Fran_Bow_(Game). Last accessed: 2nd Aug 2019.
  19. henkman00. (2017). Alice Madness Returns (Storybook App). Available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27hDG53PlQI. Last accessed 3rd Aug 2019.
  20. IGN. (2011). Alice: Madness Returns - Official Teaser Trailer. Available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VR8wXsvUrBg. Last accessed 3rd Aug 2019.
  21. IGN. (2010). Alice: Madness Returns Teaser. Available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhBRSfCkDxY. Last accessed 7th Aug 2019.
  22. Leisure Suit Larry Omnipedia. (2013). Leisure Suit Larry Reloaded. Available: https://leisuresuitlarry.fandom.com/wiki/Leisure_Suit_Larry_Reloaded. Last accessed: 2nd Aug 2019.
  23. McGee, A. (2011). Alice 2 March Trailer FINAL WMV9 Widescreen 1280x720. Available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPX-8Ck14mk. Last accessed 3rd Aug 2019.
  24. McGee, A. (2017). Alice: Meow & Woof - Asylum Pre-Production, Madness Returns Returns, Out of the Woods, and PRIZES!. Available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTnzQ211aXY&feature=youtu.be&t=3200. Last accessed 3rd Aug 2019.
  25. McGee, A. (2015). Alice Otherlands: A Night at the Opera. Available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_cSQPoFivMA. Last accessed 30th Jul 2019.
  26. McGee, A. (2017). Alice Otherlands Files. Available: https://www.americanmcgee.com/2017/09/09/alice-otherlands-files/. Last accessed 6th Aug 2018.
  27. McGee, A. (2015). Alice Otherlands: Leviathan. Available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RoOnfC2Cao. Last accessed 30th Jul 2019.
  28. McGee, A. (2019). American McGee. Available: https://www.patreon.com/americanmcgee. Last accessed 31st Jul 2019.
  29. McGee, A. (2009). American McGee's Blog. Available: https://www.americanmcgee.com/. Last accessed 6th Aug 2018.
  30. Official EA UK. (2010). Alice: Madness Returns | Teaser Trailer #2. Available: https://youtu.be/Z7XLeu-rTn0. Last accessed: 2nd Aug 2019.
  31. Replay Games. (2012). Make Leisure Suit Larry come again! Available: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/leisuresuitlarry/make-leisure-suit-larry-come-again. Last accessed: 2nd Aug 2019.
  32. Resnick, T. (2019). "Alice: Asylum" Patreon Teaser Trailer. Available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0lHi03QrWnE. Last accessed 30th Jul 2019.
  33. Rozanski, J. (2019). Animated Atrocities #162: "Cans Without Labels". Available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCbgXDQoMF4. Last accessed 31st Jul 2019.
  34. Smith, S. (2014). We want Alice III (A third Alice video game).Available: https://www.ipetitions.com/petition/we-want-alice-iii-a-third-alice-video-game/. Last accessed 7th Aug 2019.
  35. Williams, L. (2014). Alice...what have you done?. Available: https://www.deviantart.com/totallydeviantlisa/art/Alice-what-have-you-done-489209755. Last accessed 3rd Aug 2019.