by: Red Maverick
The gaming industry has grown so much, not just in technology, but also in its audience. Before, only those who are into the hard and gritty stuff, like "Tomb Raider" or "Counter Strike," or the long, arduous adventures, like "Pokémon" or "Final Fantasy," can enjoy video games. Now jocks have "2K" and "Madden," the book and mystery lovers have deep games like "Journey" and "Heavy Rain," and casual gamers have "Candy Crush" (you have to admit, Candy Crush producers are smart to give non-gamers something to play). There are games about surgery, law, art, you name it; chances are, there's a game about it already!
The gaming industry has grown so much, not just in technology, but also in its audience. Before, only those who are into the hard and gritty stuff, like "Tomb Raider" or "Counter Strike," or the long, arduous adventures, like "Pokémon" or "Final Fantasy," can enjoy video games. Now jocks have "2K" and "Madden," the book and mystery lovers have deep games like "Journey" and "Heavy Rain," and casual gamers have "Candy Crush" (you have to admit, Candy Crush producers are smart to give non-gamers something to play). There are games about surgery, law, art, you name it; chances are, there's a game about it already!
A screenshot of the video game "Arm Joe," a 2D fighter developed by Takase based on "Les Miserables"
Yes, this exists
Yes, this exists
Especially in recent years, the gaming industry has been sensitive about culture. Many games integrate cultural references into their games, like how "God of War" is about Greek Myth or "League of Legends" has characters that are based on classic literature like Dracula or Sun Wukong.
One reference that piqued my interest is the one where Freddy Krueger is a playable character in the fighting game "Mortal Kombat." Then it got me thinking that the fighting game is an easy genre to use when integrating references because the most common encounter in a video game is combat, and what better way to show combat then to use the genre that's all about combat.
There are many things that can be used in a game, but the medium I see not being used very much is the broadway musical, which is a shame because the broadway musical library is rich with so much culture. What if one made a tycoon game based on the producers? Or an RPG based on surviving Once on this Island? How about a tactics game based on the French Revolution as depicted by Les Miserables? This article theorises a fighting game that consists of Broadway characters. This top 10 list puts, what I think, are the best candidates for the game.
Picture of Freddy Kreuger from "Mortal Kombat" (2011)
One reference that piqued my interest is the one where Freddy Krueger is a playable character in the fighting game "Mortal Kombat." Then it got me thinking that the fighting game is an easy genre to use when integrating references because the most common encounter in a video game is combat, and what better way to show combat then to use the genre that's all about combat.
"Mortal Kombat" logo
or should I say... kombat?
There are many things that can be used in a game, but the medium I see not being used very much is the broadway musical, which is a shame because the broadway musical library is rich with so much culture. What if one made a tycoon game based on the producers? Or an RPG based on surviving Once on this Island? How about a tactics game based on the French Revolution as depicted by Les Miserables? This article theorises a fighting game that consists of Broadway characters. This top 10 list puts, what I think, are the best candidates for the game.
Character selection screen from "Marvel V.S. Capcom 2"
For this top 10, I chose characters who I knew can either be a unique version to a fighting game archetype, or a really unique and interesting add to the fighting genre in terms of mechanics and play style. As much as possible, I chose one character per style. All characters I considered are listed under the name of the character who made the list. For example, Beast is under Mufasa, because I found Mufasa to be a more interesting character than Beast. Also, to narrow down options, only one character from each musical can be in the final list.
The Thing from "The Addams Family" (TV Show 1964-1966)
First, for some honorable mentions. I considered the Thing from Addam's Family, because it would be interesting to use a character that small, but I didn't use him in the end because he wouldn't have a clear hitbox. Neither did I use Spider-Man and Superman, although they have a musical and they would be obvious choices, because they already are in fighting games. And with that, let's get on with the list!
Same style: Beast from "Beauty and the Beast," Rum Tum Tugger from "Cats," Scar from "The Lion King"
Same musical: Rafiki, Scar
Kicking off the list is the father of the musical's protagonist, Simba, who delivers a lot of wisdom to his son even in the afterlife. He is your archetypal feral creature. Of the 4 feral characters, I thought Mufasa would be the most interesting. For one, Beast is considered an antihero and Scar an antagonist, which this list has enough of as you will see later. Rum Tum Tugger would also be a nice character, but Mufasa has an aura about him that makes the idea of him being playable empowering. It's not just his wisdom and power, but also the meriting of his royalty.
Unique style: Outsmarting. Most feral or beastly characters focus on getting as much hits on your opponent. It would probably be good to have "bleeding" as a status ailment on the opponent, which not only gives you damage over time, but also increases damage from attacks. But because Mufasa is not just powerful but also wise, most of his moves may focus on manoeuvring around the opponent, like tripping or counter attacks.
Special Move: Beyond the Stampede. Can only be activated when low on health, a stampede of wildebeests first stomp on both and the opponent, dealing the same damage to both, and then Mufasa turns into his divine form and blasts light at the enemy damaging him. If opponent is still not dead, Mufasa is considered K.O.
Finisher: Circle of Life. Mufasa turns into his divine form, grabs the opponent's ghost using his maw, and tosses him into the sunrise.
Kicking off the list is the father of the musical's protagonist, Simba, who delivers a lot of wisdom to his son even in the afterlife. He is your archetypal feral creature. Of the 4 feral characters, I thought Mufasa would be the most interesting. For one, Beast is considered an antihero and Scar an antagonist, which this list has enough of as you will see later. Rum Tum Tugger would also be a nice character, but Mufasa has an aura about him that makes the idea of him being playable empowering. It's not just his wisdom and power, but also the meriting of his royalty.
Unique style: Outsmarting. Most feral or beastly characters focus on getting as much hits on your opponent. It would probably be good to have "bleeding" as a status ailment on the opponent, which not only gives you damage over time, but also increases damage from attacks. But because Mufasa is not just powerful but also wise, most of his moves may focus on manoeuvring around the opponent, like tripping or counter attacks.
Special Move: Beyond the Stampede. Can only be activated when low on health, a stampede of wildebeests first stomp on both and the opponent, dealing the same damage to both, and then Mufasa turns into his divine form and blasts light at the enemy damaging him. If opponent is still not dead, Mufasa is considered K.O.
Finisher: Circle of Life. Mufasa turns into his divine form, grabs the opponent's ghost using his maw, and tosses him into the sunrise.
from "Legally Blonde"
Same style: Charity Hope Valentine from "Sweet Charity," Edna Turnblad from "Hairspray," Lucy from "You're a Good Man Charlie Brown"
Elle Woods, the eccentric but smart lawyer, is my entry for the comedic-girl archetype. This is actually a fan favorite, as all of the people I talked to regarding this Top 10 list said that Elle Woods has to be in, and with good reason. You don't want all of your characters to be serious fighters. You'll want some lightheartedness too, and Elle brings a lot of that, with all of her pink quirky-ness. Because it's iconic for her to have her dog, Bruiser, her bag, and books, she will have all on hand, with the books in the bag. All 3 can be utilised using certain combos, and she can also use a signature move: Bend and Snap.
Unique style: Negotiation. One of the things that interests me about this characters is that while she is a bubbly, happy woman, she is also a very smart sweet talker. She is a lawyer after all, and so, as opposed to usual fighting moves, she would have a unique mechanic that allows her to talk as she fights. A successful negotiation lets the opponent drop his guard for a short while that makes him vulnerable to being stunned.
Special Move: Legally Blonde. Bruiser lets loose on the opponent. At the same time, Elle bashes the opponent with various kicks and swipes with her bag and books. The final blow is a stunning pink flash from inside Elle's bag.
Finisher: Delta Nu. As Elle deals a kick to the opponent's head, the opponent falls and is carried out by the daughters of Elle's fraternity, Delta Nu.
Same style: Angel Dumott Schunard from "RENT," Billy Eliot from "Billy Eliot," Danny Zuko from "Grease," Donkey from "Shrek the Musical," Fiona from "Shrek the Musical," Marcy Park from "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee," Rafiki from "The Lion King," Riff from "West Side Story"
The acrobatic fighter is the most common fighter on the list. After all, broadway musicals do require a lot of movement. Marcy and Fiona are athletic and are good fighters, Danny Zuko, Riff, and Billy Eliot have superb dancing skills, Angel even knows how to rock a sick beat, and Donkey, is well, donkey. Even Rafiki, for me, almost took the spot for his wisdom, cunning and agility, but I found the "Magical Mr. Mistoffelees" more interesting because of his use of illusion. Not only can he perform great physical and mental feats, but he is also a magician. Stealthy and sly, no one really knows if his powers a real or fake, but one thing is certain. It works!
Unique style: Illusion. He does perform magic, making things appear and disappear, zapping things with electricity, and even manipulation of fire. But, he is also a stealthy cat. "He is always deceiving you into believing that he's only hunting for mice," when, in fact, he's hunting you! Mistoffelees can use his magic to disappear and reappear, and he can jump pretty high. Because of his superior athleticism, he may even be able to deal quick blows while tumbling around. He makes use of blackouts and stunning to confuse the opponent.
Special ability: The Original Conjuring Cat. Mistoffelees first gets a hat to release 7 kittens. After which he launches various energies on the enemy before finally finishing off with his signature 24 pirouettes.
Finisher: Gawn. Mistoffelees launches the opponent into the air, but as the opponent hits the ground, you will see that he has disappeared behind a puff of smoke.
Same style: Cain from "Children of Eden," Enjolras from "Les Miserables," Lancelot du Lac from "Spamalot," Mrs. Lovett from "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street," Macavity from "Cats"
Same musical: Mrs. Lovett
Now we get one of my favourites. Half of this list was in my top 10 from the moment I started this article and Sweeney Todd is the first I'll introduce. Various characters have gone crazy in musicals. Enter Sweeney Todd. For those who are not Broadway fans, you would probably know this character as having been brilliantly portrayed by Johnny Depp in the film. Although originally an antagonist in the story "The String of Pearls," he was reworked in 1973 as an antihero who was driven mad by the loss of his family.
Unique style: Meat Pies. Mrs. Lovett could be a separate character, as shown above, but it would be more interesting for her to be an accessory character, instead, for Sweeney Todd. Sweeney, razor in hand, can give the opponent bleeding, and every time Sweeney attacks a bleeding opponent with the razor, he fills a special "meat" meter. One minute after the meter is filled, Mrs. Lovett can come in to toss a meat pie at Todd which cures him a bit of health.
Special ability: Demon Barber. This will just be a flurry of slices with the razor. Ending with a knock back punt. If the opponent dies during Demon Barber, Sweeney Todd goes behind the opponent instead, slashing his throat.
Finisher: Unquenched Anger. Sweeney tosses the body behind him, where fires would erupt, indicating a furnace.
Now we get one of my favourites. Half of this list was in my top 10 from the moment I started this article and Sweeney Todd is the first I'll introduce. Various characters have gone crazy in musicals. Enter Sweeney Todd. For those who are not Broadway fans, you would probably know this character as having been brilliantly portrayed by Johnny Depp in the film. Although originally an antagonist in the story "The String of Pearls," he was reworked in 1973 as an antihero who was driven mad by the loss of his family.
Unique style: Meat Pies. Mrs. Lovett could be a separate character, as shown above, but it would be more interesting for her to be an accessory character, instead, for Sweeney Todd. Sweeney, razor in hand, can give the opponent bleeding, and every time Sweeney attacks a bleeding opponent with the razor, he fills a special "meat" meter. One minute after the meter is filled, Mrs. Lovett can come in to toss a meat pie at Todd which cures him a bit of health.
Special ability: Demon Barber. This will just be a flurry of slices with the razor. Ending with a knock back punt. If the opponent dies during Demon Barber, Sweeney Todd goes behind the opponent instead, slashing his throat.
Finisher: Unquenched Anger. Sweeney tosses the body behind him, where fires would erupt, indicating a furnace.
from "Carrie"
Same style: Papa Ge from "Once on this Island," Subway Ghost from "Ghost"
Same style: Papa Ge from "Once on this Island," Subway Ghost from "Ghost"
Various characters have gone crazy in musicals. Some characters, if they were fighters, would fight melee, or close combat. Carrie falls into the other category, the crazies who can move things with their mind. Carrie, for me takes the bacon (get it? Bacon? Pigs blo... never mind) for this category. She would have a lot of combos that allows knock back and levitation, but that's not the only thing that makes her unique. She's also one of the 5 that was in my top 10 from the very start.
Unique style: Driven mad. A lot of characters, especially in this list, have abilities that allow you to get stronger as you attack. But Carrie, to match her flavour will get stronger when she is attacked instead. As she gets attacked, she grows stronger and faster and a special "madness" meter fills up.
Special ability: Destruction. Can only be used when the "madness" meter is full. Carrie mirrors the destruction she wrought on the prom night at her school, flinging stones, chairs, lights, and even setting the opponent on fire. Afterward, the madness meter resets.
Finisher: Remember my Name. Carrie outstretches her arms and lifts the opponent of the ground. She grabs blood from him and writes her name on the background before finally stopping the opponents heart using her power, just as she did with her mother Margaret, after which, the opponent collapses to the ground.
Same style: Agwe from "Once on this Island," Elphaba from "Wicked," Jafar from "Aladdin," Peter Pan from "Peter Pan," Ursula from "The Little Mermaid"
Same musical: Jafar
Filling this spot was pretty interesting, because 2 of the characters stated here, Agwe and Elphaba, I wanted their own spot in the Top 10, but because of their magical similarities, I needed to pick one, and I chose the Genie. The Genie is the only other comedy character on this top 10 so that I could still keep the dark tone. Despite being cheeky and playful, the Genie is still a very powerful spirit that can do almost anything at the flick of a finger.
Unique style: Three wishes. The Genie, like Sweeney Todd, can also have an accessory character for this style, Aladdin, but I don't think it's necessary. Throughout the fight, the Genie has 3 counters for the amount of wishes, and every time the Genie does a special attack, one counter appears. The lower the number of wishes, the stronger your special ability. However, the moment you lose your last wish, which is to set Genie free, Genie then becomes drastically weaker.
Special ability: 1st wish – Prince Ali. Genie makes Aladdin into a Prince. A parade stampedes across the screen doing some stunning damage.
2nd wish – Rescue. Genie suckerpunches the opponent knocking him back, then he flies to behind the opponent to zap him back, then Genie goes back with his stomach out, holding someone he just saved, probably Aladdin if he's not playable, stopping the opponent. This also stuns the opponent.
3rd wish – I'm free! Genie zaps the opponent with a lot of magic bolts and a flurry of punches before transforming into a human amidst fireworks and flares. The transformation causes the opponent to get burned as well as stunned. "Burning," for non-gamers, is usually represented by a gradually decline of the opponents health.
Finisher: Slave to the Lamp. This can only be used if all 3 wishes were used up. The opponent is turned into a genie and is imprisoned inside his lamp.
Same style: Arthur Pendragon from "Spamalot," Javert from "Les Miserables," Captain Hook from "Peter Pan"
The 3rd of my 5 definite choices is from the Andrew Lloyd Weber musical about a lost, marginalised man who falls in love with the perfect woman. The Phantom is a swordsman and is the archetype for the balanced character, usual one with equal speed and strength.
Unique style: Angel of Music. As long as the Phantom of the Opera is idle and is not interrupted by attacks, he is singing towards the opponent. If that goes on for a second, the opponent gets stunned and then slowly walks to the Phantom, ignoring player controls. The only way for the opponent to snap out of it is if the opposing player mashes buttons until the character is broken loose from the trance.
Special move: Chandelier. The Phantom hangs on to a piece of rope. As he ascends, a chandelier descends, just like it did at the end of Act 1 of "The Phantom of the Opera," dealing a huge amount of stunning damage.
Finisher: The Point of No Return. The Phantom ties the rope around the opponents neck and opens a trapdoor that leads to a pit filled with water. The Phantom pulls the end of the rope, making a drowned corpse ascend.
from "Bonnie & Clyde"
Same style: Crystal, Ronnete, and Chiffon from "Little Shop of Horrors"
Bonnie and Clyde is an interesting and unique character because they are 2 separate entities but acting as one. While one acts as the prominent figure, which changes throughout the game through the combos, they still act as a synchronised whole.
Unique style: Partners in Crime. When Clyde is the prominent character, attack strength increases, and when Bonnie is the prominent one, speed increases. Also, every attack makes gold coins fall from the opponent and fills a special "money" meter.
Special ability: Made in America. Depending on how full the money meter is, the guns Bonnie and Clyde use will be different, whether pistols, uzi's, shotguns, automatic rifles, or rocket launchers. Bonnie and Clyde use their arsenal to empty it all out on the opponent.
Finisher: Raise a Little Hell. Bonnie and Clyde call the police pretending to turn themselves in, but before the cops can shoot them, they turn aside, making the cops shoot the opponent. Finally, they drop a vault on the cops which spills out gold coins.
Alternate – Dyin' Aint so Bad. The cops come from the opponent's side instead, and they die as the opponent dies.
Same style: Crystal, Ronnete, and Chiffon from "Little Shop of Horrors"
Bonnie and Clyde is an interesting and unique character because they are 2 separate entities but acting as one. While one acts as the prominent figure, which changes throughout the game through the combos, they still act as a synchronised whole.
Unique style: Partners in Crime. When Clyde is the prominent character, attack strength increases, and when Bonnie is the prominent one, speed increases. Also, every attack makes gold coins fall from the opponent and fills a special "money" meter.
Special ability: Made in America. Depending on how full the money meter is, the guns Bonnie and Clyde use will be different, whether pistols, uzi's, shotguns, automatic rifles, or rocket launchers. Bonnie and Clyde use their arsenal to empty it all out on the opponent.
Finisher: Raise a Little Hell. Bonnie and Clyde call the police pretending to turn themselves in, but before the cops can shoot them, they turn aside, making the cops shoot the opponent. Finally, they drop a vault on the cops which spills out gold coins.
Alternate – Dyin' Aint so Bad. The cops come from the opponent's side instead, and they die as the opponent dies.
Same style: The Dragon from "Shrek the Musical"
Same musical: Crystal, Ronnete, and Chiffon
Audrey is an interesting character because, other than the Dragon, she's the only one with a bigger body than normal playable characters. She is the mysterious carnivorous plant that feeds your greed as you feed it. She is one of the 5 I immediately thought of for this list, especially because of her unusual size. Bigger reach and tougher defences, but a tad slower than the average character.
Unique style: Feed Me. If the Dragon were to compensate for its size, it would do so through the use of firepower. Audrey II would use a different mechanic. It is stationary and can only move very minimal, but it's heavy attacks cause bleeding (e.g. from a bite), and when Audrey II bites when the opponent is bleeding, she grows. The larger she is, the more she can move and the stronger she gets.
Special move: Suppertime! Can only be activated when Audrey II reaches maximum size from Feed Me. She attacks various times with her vines as other carnivorous buds emerge from the ground before dealing a final blow with a bite.
Finisher: Don't Feed the Plant. Audrey II gulps the opponents body and swallows it, becoming a more monstrous plant.
Audrey is an interesting character because, other than the Dragon, she's the only one with a bigger body than normal playable characters. She is the mysterious carnivorous plant that feeds your greed as you feed it. She is one of the 5 I immediately thought of for this list, especially because of her unusual size. Bigger reach and tougher defences, but a tad slower than the average character.
Unique style: Feed Me. If the Dragon were to compensate for its size, it would do so through the use of firepower. Audrey II would use a different mechanic. It is stationary and can only move very minimal, but it's heavy attacks cause bleeding (e.g. from a bite), and when Audrey II bites when the opponent is bleeding, she grows. The larger she is, the more she can move and the stronger she gets.
Special move: Suppertime! Can only be activated when Audrey II reaches maximum size from Feed Me. She attacks various times with her vines as other carnivorous buds emerge from the ground before dealing a final blow with a bite.
Finisher: Don't Feed the Plant. Audrey II gulps the opponents body and swallows it, becoming a more monstrous plant.
Same style: Rocky Balboa from "Rocky the Musical," Shrek from "Shrek the Musical"
The top spot of the list goes to none other than Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. They immediately went to the top spot the moment I thought of them, and even with careful deliberation, they still stayed at the top, and with good reason. Many people are familiar with the character and even a small gist of the story, and the character has a good mechanic to ride on.
Unique style: Transformation. Though he takes the brawler spot of the list (which is why Rocky and Shrek are listed below him), Jekyll and Hyde's main asset is the ability to switch to each other. Given they meet certain criteria. Jekyll, who has some health regeneration but weak attack and slow speed can turn into Hyde, who has much better stats, after using the special ability This is the Moment. Hyde turns back to Jekyll after reaching 10% health, although Jekyll does not go back to full health.
Special ability: Jekyll – This is the Moment. Give time for the special "HJ7" bar to fill. When that is full, Jekyll can use his ability which stuns the opponent and transforms Jekyll into Hyde at full health.
Hyde – Alive. Hyde ravages at the opponent, dealing a lot of damage but leaving Hyde stunned, to mirror Jekyll confronting Hyde on the inside.
Finisher: Murder. If Jekyll is the in play, he transforms into Hyde. Hyde then punches a hole through the opponent.
Constantine Maroulis as Dr. Henry Jekyll in the Broadway show "Jekyll and Hyde"
And that's my top 10 broadway characters as fighters! I hope you enjoyed the descriptions and what I thought the characters moves would be. What is your top 10? Would you have treated the character abilities different? Write them down on the comment section below!
Acknowledgements:
Alecx Lorica, Anissa Aguila
