Scott Pilgrim's XBLA debut lacks modern gaming amenities, but retains all of the retro fun that the 8-bit era delivered.
Scott Pilgrim VS. The World: The Game follows Scott Pilgrim in his quest to find love, specifically the love of Ramona Flowers, a spunky girl with blue hair and a checkered past when it comes to relationships. Scott, completely infatuated with Ramona, must take on Ramona's past by defeating her seven evil exes. Fortunately, Scott doesn't have to go it alone. With help from his friend Stephen, his ex-girlfriend Kim, and Ramona herself, Scott travels across town taking on demon-summoners, super-powered Akira-esque vegans, and the occasional ninja. Scott Pilgrim's video game debut follows the comics and feature film well, making reference to many of Scott's friends and enemies along the way. It does lean towards the comics more, so it's best to read the books if you want to really get all of the in-jokes that the series brings upon itself. The comics' creator Bryan Lee O'Malley's sense of referential humor is always present. Though it's strongly suggested that you read the books (or at least see the movie) before you dive into the game, there's enough clever humor to distract you from the slight dependence on knowledge of its source material.
Scott Pilgrim's video game debut is a throwback to famed NES beat-em-up's like River City Ransom or Double Dragon. Scott has a brief repertoire of moves initially, but progressing through the stages well lets Scott earn more moves along the way, some more useful than others. The controls feel tight, especially for a reflex-intense genre as the side-scrolling beat-em-up. Scott's moves are responsive and very well implemented, and while some moves are pretty much useless in a serious fray, there's enough variety in the combat to keep even the most stagnant encounters worthwhile. Some diversity doesn't hurt either, especially thanks to dynamic action sequences and challenges throughout. Scott Pilgrim VS. The World: The Game is a simple, but fun beat-em-up. It nails the reminiscence of its influences while adding just enough style and new elements to keep from feeling dependent on the genre's nostalgic fuel.
Very much like Castle Crashers, Scott Pilgrim VS. The World: The Game mixes the action-packed gameplay of the retro beat-em-up with the leveling up and statistics of an RPG. By defeating enemies, doing damage, and completing stages well, Scott and crew earn experience and level up. Leveling up earns the characters new skills and stats. This smart blend worked well for Castle Crashers and it works even better for Scott Pilgrim. Yes, there is the ever-present eye of the "grind" (repeating levels to gain experience to overcome harder levels), and to be honest, it can get slightly repetitive, but unlike many other games with a level-up system, returning to older levels to fish for experience isn't a problem here. In fact, it's actually fun. Scott Pilgrim nails the great feeling of progression. Earning experience is rewarding once you are able to head back to older levels and smash through a formerly difficult boss like paper. It's an odd feeling to describe, but this presence of progressive accomplishment holds staying power for Scott Pilgrim. Maybe it's the fantastic level design, clever humor, or rock-solid controls; whatever it is, though, Scott Pilgrim VS. The World: The Game has done the impossible and actually made the grind fun.
The most obvious dent in this otherwise stunning XBLA title is the lack of any online cooperative gameplay. It's puzzling that the designers didn't implement online co-op, especially considering how successful other beat-em-up games like Castle Crashers have been. The leaderboards are nice, and the game captures a nice "Smash Bros." party game appeal, but being tied down to purely local multiplayer is a disappointment. That's not to say that the local multiplayer is lousy; far from it. If you can get yourself and three friends in the same room on a single 360, Scott Pilgrim VS. The World: The Game is a simply sublime package that encourages frantic, though cooperative gameplay. On the other hand, if you're mostly a lone wolf who finds the best in online multiplayer, prepare to be disappointed.
One of the game's most impressive aspects is the retro presentation, which confidently makes reference to the days of simple, cooperative side-scrolling fighters. Each character has an odd blocky aesthetic, but the animations are far from restrictive. The fighting sequences are wacky and expressive, especially the super moves. The boss fights are stellar and enormous, and watching an enemy blast out a tremendous special attack feels epic. The graphics are purposely retro, and the game benefits from that aesthetic. To compliment a powerful visual element, the game's soundtrack is beyond unique. Supported by chip-tune legends Anamanaguchi, the themes are comfortingly nostalgic, while also keeping the action front and center. It's incredible seeing such attention to the retro presentation. Ubisoft Montreal has constructed a visual and aural representation of Scott Pilgrim's world in a fluid and carefully authentic way, setting the bar for licensed games in general.
Pros
+ Funky, retro presentation is nostalgic and charming
+ Gameplay possesses the fun of the old-school beat-em-up genre
+ Excellent party multiplayer
+ Captures the referential humor seen in the comics and movie
Cons
- No cooperative online multiplayer
- Slightly repetitive
Scott Pilgrim VS. The World: The Game is exactly what a licensed game should be. It borrows elements from its source material, but doesn't use them as a crutch. The humor is exactly where it needs to be: front and center. If you've read the comics or seen the movie, every reference will be pristine and clear. But those who aren't familiar with Scott's adventure will find the gameplay to recapture every excellent piece of nostalgia that the beat-em-up genre has constructed over the past 25 years. The only real problem that the game has lies in its modernization. While it nails the retro elements of the genre, the lack of modern elements like online co-op brings it down a few notches. Still, the local multiplayer is amazing, some of the best seen on the Xbox Live Marketplace, and the presentation is unique and expressive. Good luck getting some of the Anamanaguchi tracks out of your head for a while. At 800 Microsoft Points, Scott Pilgrim VS. The World: The Game is well-worth the download. It may lack some of the modern amenities seen in other XBLA titles, but when it comes right down to it, Scott Pilgrim VS. The World: The Game is the reincarnation of gaming's glorious past, and that's not something worth ignoring.