The game is the Winter Hangout I needed right now

Absence can make the heart more loving, and with Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: The Game the wait made me fall in love with its retro gaming nostalgia again. His return couldn’t come at a better time, either. Locked in my home away from friends and family as the days are short, cold and in the grip of the on-going pandemic, the ten-year-old beat’em up helps me recharge my batteries when I have it. Not needed anymore.

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: The Game was originally published in 2010 to coincide with the release of Bryan Lee O’Malley’s film adaptation of Universal Scott Pilgrim series of graphic novels, about a group of 20 Toronto slackers who navigate life and relationships through video game-inspired hijinks. Joint project of Ubisoft Montreal and Ubisoft Chengdu, it offered a Scott Pilgrim-spin on the classic RPG-lite beat ’em up, River City Ransom, which was uplifted by both artist Paul Robertson’s bubbly animation style and Upbeat soundtrack of chiptune punk band Anamanaguchi. The digital-only version has exploded on PSN and Xbox Live Arcade as a proficient licensed game with a deep, independent heart. And then on December 30, 2014, he was removed from both storefronts, quietly and seemingly disappearing forever, turning into a poster child for the pitfalls of preserving games in the digital age.

Now it’s back on PS4 and Xbox One, alongside PC, Switch, and Stadia, and just as good as I can remember. Beat ’em ups have had a bit of a renaissance in recent years, and although Scott Pilgrim vs the world cannot match the new gold standard of the genre recently fixed by Streets of Rage 4, it’s always a really fun playground to relax. As its source material, Scott Pilgrim vs the world revolves around its titular protagonist falling in love with a courier named Romona Flowers and battling her seven paranormal ex-boyfriends in the process.

Between cutscenes and boss battles, Scott Pilgrim vs the world It’s mostly about fighting with random mobs of aliens on the streets of Toronto and using the experience and money earned to level up and unlock new abilities. Levels, arranged as a Super Mario Bros. overworld map, are meant to be replayed, and feature stores where you can spend money on food to increase stats like health, strength, and speed. Pay Scott $ 500 in late fines at the video rental store and you unlock a menu of even more powerful upgrades to purchase. Enter a cheat code (Square, Square, Square, X, Circle, Triangle on PS4) and you can start each level with a deadly sword that sends out Master Sword style waves of energy.

All in Scott Pilgrim vs the world It’s like before, like coming back to your childhood bedroom, perfectly preserved in the years following your departure, through negligence as much as anything else. This includes the flawed but achievable online multiplayer that was previously released as DLC years after the game’s release. Back then it was like an afterthought, but today it’s a godsend. Scott Pilgrim vs the world is an extremely enjoyable walk through the past while playing solo, but with a friend or a group it turns into a real meeting place. I’ve played here and there with friends and strangers over the past week, and it’s like the unexpected respite from a day of snow combined with the exuberance of a freewheeling post-barcrawl session. – two things made miraculous fantasies by the pandemic.

There are of course many other great multiplayer games to relax with with friends. More than ever, in fact. But none touch all the same welcome notes Scott Pilgrim vs the world done, a retro tribute that returns with a unique layer of nostalgia all its own. This past year has been a mess, and no matter how badly I don’t want to face the next day, it always comes. Scott Pilgrim vs the world This is exactly what I needed right now to make the nights before last a little longer.