A whole new world in a galaxy far, far away
October 30th, 2012 will forever go down in history as the nerdiest day of all time, thanks to the announcement that Disney purchased Lucasfilm, nabbing the rights to both Star Wars and LucasArts' wide range of gaming properties. That announcement also caused a rollercoaster of emotion: Our initial shock soon gave way to apprehension, but after thinking of all the potential crossovers that might come out of the deal (and how Star Wars Episode 7 might actually have a shot at being good--Disney's done good by the Avengers, after all), we were suddenly beaming from mouse ear to mouse ear.
Think of all of the Disney characters that might someday wield a lightsaber, or the potential new rides that could crop up in Disney World, or how Princess Leia is, technically, now a Disney princess. The possibilities! What follows is a list that details some of the Disney / LucasArts crossovers we'd love to see materialize.
Kingdom Hearts travels to a far away galaxy a long, long time ago
Obviously. You probably knew we were going here, but how could we not? Think about it: Sora and gang meet a mysterious Sith Lord bent on destroying Traverse Town, but lack the skills necessary to overcome his Force powers. They whine about it a bit, and then discover that the only way to put that jerk down for good is to hop in the Gummi Ship and head to a little swampy planet known as Dagobah to train under Yoda.
Of course, Sora must endure rigorous Force training in an arena sequence not unlike the one that took place at the Olympus Coliseum from Hercules. Here, he has a few missteps during encounters with Indiana Jones and Cloud Strife (who, for some reason, would battle with Luke Skywalker for sheer awesomeness). During Sora's encounter with Cloud, his Keyblade is destroyed, forcing the young padawan to adopt a new Keyblade enhanced by lightsaber crystals. Or something like that, anyway.
Guybrush Threepwood joins the cast of Pirates of the Caribbean
All Guybrush Threepwood ever wanted was to become a pirate. Probability be damned, he overcame the three trials of piratehood, put an end to the notorious ghost pirate LeChuck, and accomplished his lifelong dream. This swashbuckling buccaneer matured into a somewhat cocky (and quite self-assured) adventurer--and you know what? He and the infamous Jack Sparrow of Pirates of the Caribbean fame would make a hilariously compatible duo.
We know, it sounds a bit weird; but considering Pirates of the Caribbean is basically a rip-off of The Secret of Monkey Island, it totally makes sense. Guybrush and Jack are intelligent, have razor sharp wit, and are ultimately more selfless than selfish. Perhaps they could embark on a comedic series of misadventures in a new point-and-click adventure game (with Tim Schafer and Ron Gilbert at the project's helm, of course) where Sparrow, a tad more obsessed with mischief, constantly tries to enrich himself at the expense of others while Guybrush acts as a voice of reason. Granted, Sparrow would probably try to mack on Elaine, and that's just not cool.
Pixar makes a CGI Grim Fandango movie
While Pixar's already at work on something akin to a Grim Fandango film, the venerable animation studio is the only one we'd trust when it comes to bringing one of the greatest adventure games ever made to the big screen.
Grim Fandango's Land of the Dead setting and quirky plot built around corruption and intrigue would be the perfect follow-up to Cars 2 and Brave, which, while great movies, weren't quite up to the amazing standards by which we hold Pixar films. Tim Schafer's adventure masterpiece is both dark and hilarious--plus it still manages to educate, making it the perfect movie-going experience for gamers and non-gamers alike.
Fractures Jet Brody warps to John Carter's Mars--work with us on this one
Probably the unlikeliest Disney / LucasArts crossover would involve two unexceptional properties: 2012's sci-fi film John Carter, and 2008's futuristic third-person shooter, Fracture. The latter presents a war-torn Earth split into two armies: The Atlantic, aided by protagonist Jet Brody, and the Pacific. John Carter, on the other hand, tells the story of a former American Civil War captain who teleports to Mars and becomes the leader of sword-wielding warrior Martians. Put the two together, and you've got a recipe for something so inexplicably nonsensical that it's bound to be more interesting than either property alone.
Imagine the Atlantic and Pacific duking it out on Mars, with Jet Brody leading the charge against John Carter. For some reason, the humans on Mars in Carter's universe can breathe without a source of oxygen, and have immense strength as well as the ability to jump the distance of, like, eight miles. With the two armies going at it and jump-launching all over the place, we imagine the entire conflict would look something akin to Tribes: Ascend. Sure, there are no jetpacks--but when you can bunny hop from one side of the planet to the other, who needs 'em?
Give everyone lightsabers--especially Deadpool
Fact: Lightsabers never go out of style. Another fact: Deadpool is a badass master swordsman. Logical conclusion: Deadpool needs lightsabers. Immediately. Yes, this is another obvious fusion we wouldn't mind seeing, but seriously, who hasn't imagined what it might be like if the Merc with a Mouth had (officially licensed) laser swords? If nothing else, he'd unleash enough comedic quips to rival the sick burns he'd dish out with his new weapons.
The upcoming Deadpool game by High Moon Studios might be the perfect opportunity for this quirky anti-hero to stumble across such powerful armaments. PLEASE, HIGH MOON, DON'T MISS THIS OPPORTUNITY.
Epic Mickey: The Power of the Force
All issues aside, Disney Epic Mickey was practically a dream come true for Disney fanatics, allowing them to explore a world that had been lost to the gaping jaws of time. But what if, going forward, Mickey explores the lost worlds of other franchises? Enter Epic Mickey: The Power of the Force, where our favorite anthropomorphic mouse gets sucked in through a still image of one of the most horrendous abominations ever conceived: The Star Wars Holiday Special.
This would likely be a dark comedy in videogame form, where Mickey arrives on the planet Kashyyyk just in time for the celebration of Life Day. Of course, Imperial forces crash the party when they storm Chewbacca's home, spurring Mickey into action. He grabs his magical paint brush and creates obstacles to impede the Imperials while Han, Luke, and Chewie overcome Boba Fett's sleeping virus. It all culminates in a glorious conclusion when everyone unites--after averting the Imperial threat--around the Life Tree in celebration. Here, Mickey uses his paintbrush to draw a shining star atop the tree, and the screen fades to black as he smiles and winks into the dimming camera.
Maniac Mansion and the Haunted Mansion become one
As Lucasfilm's first foray into the world of games, Maniac Mansion was a delightfully frightful point-and-click adventure experience. The thing is, it was released in 1987, and we're totally ready for a spiritual successor--sure, there was the beloved Day of the Tentacle follow-up, but we want to see Dave Miller and friends embark on a spooky adventure through Disney's Haunted Mansion. How would it work? Simple.
All that time machine tampering in Day of the Tentacle has somehow created an alternate universe where Purple Tentacle vacationed in Disney World, causing it to fall in love with the Haunted Mansion and set up shop there. Of course, this is no good for park attendance, so the Disney World execs call on Dave Miller to set things straight, propelling him and his crew through a super spooky--but endearingly quirky--adventure.
Zombies Ate My Frankenweenie
Both Zombies Ate My Neighbors and Frankenweenie pay homage to many classic horror films in a quirky sort of way, so it makes sense for the two to cross paths. And what better way for that to happen than in a four-player co-op downloadable game called Zombies Ate My Frankenweenie, where the squirt gun saviors Zeke and Julie team up with Victor Frankenstein and his zombified dog, Sparky.
The four could romp around the suburban neighborhood of New Holland, tasked with saving Victor's classmates while taking out gruesome horrors such as vampire cats, wererats, mummified hamsters, and more. Obviously, Sparky can't cradle a squirt gun in his undead paws, so he could just engage in some zombie vs. zombie action with his face. The twist? When you die, the townsfolk revive you with their car batteries. Yes, you'll join the ranks of the undead--but you'll be a kind-hearted zombie intent on saving those who are still alive.
Indiana Jones and the Den of Shere Khan
As the progenitor of actions heroes such as Lara Croft and Nathan Drake, Indiana Jones is about due for his own blockbuster outing--and we've got the perfect adventure all planned out. Indy catches rumors of a fabled "Jungle Book," an ancient relic supposedly worth millions of dollars. Of course, he's more interested in gaining knowledge than riches, so he heads out to the dangerous jungles of India in search of the object.
He then stumbles across Mowgli and Baloo, who are engaged in an epic battle against the fearsome Shere Khan. After Indiana helps them drive the beast off, they inform him that the Jungle Book is actually located in Shere Khan's den, where Mr. Jones faces a grueling series of deadly traps, and eventually the murderous tiger himself. Who he shoots. In the face. Because hes Indiana freaking Jones.
When you wish upon a (Death)star
There are tons of potential crossovers between Disney and LucasArts, and these are but a few of the most obvious. But we'd love to hear from you--if there are any we've blatantly missed, let us know in the comments below and we'll update this list with community suggestions in a couple days.
