Back to the Future Adventure Game

[TerranRich]

http://kotaku.com/5559234/telltale-takes-us-back-to-the-future

Perhaps through some sort of clever time manipulation, an episodic season of Back to the Future games will be the first fruit of the partnership, coming this winter to multiple gaming platforms.

How come none of you bastards told me!? Assuming the game will be good, this will be EPIC.

[GarageGothic]

Yeah, I'm also looking forward to this one - even more so after participating in the online survey they ran about what you would like to see in the game. They outlined four possible plots, and even if those turn out to be nothing like the released episodes, Telltale obviously know what they're doing. Very few elements clashed with the tone of the movies, and I was also relieved that none of them dealt with the distant past or far future.

From what I recall, the ideas took place in (should I spoiler tag this? Sure, why not):

Spoiler

1930-something, 1968 or '69, 1986, 2010

[close]

All of them set in Hill Valley - of course anything else would have been sacrilege, and some of them involving Marty and Docs from different eras. I didn't really like the overarching plot they suggested, that after the train destroys the time machine at the end of BttF3, the pieces were dispersed across the timeline, so it's your typical "collect the plot tokens" structure. But, hell, if they can use the plot device in some creative way like the paranormal toys in S&M season 3, maybe it'll work great - possibly adding new abilities to the DeLorean for each episode or something.

I really hope they get Christopher Lloyd to voice Doc, pretty sure Michael J. Fox doesn't do any kind acting anymore (sadly), but Thomas F. Wilson doesn't seem impossible. Both he and Lloyd acted in games before, and neither have much of a film career at the moment. If there's room in Telltale's budget, it would be pure awesome.

Edit: Adding some more spoileriffic details from the survey (from this site).

Spoiler

       * …November 5th, 2010. Working together, Teen Marty, Doc, and Present Day Marty finally corner the man who made off with Doc’s Time Train. While they argue about what to do with the well-intentioned time-hopper, a scary black vehicle appears out of nowhere. A familiar bulky presence steps out and confronts them. ‘Detective Tannen, Temporal Preservation Squadron.’ I’m afraid you’re all under arrest’…

       * …June 18th, 1938. Young Emmett Brown is about to announce his engagement to gold-digging young woman, turning his back on scientific pursuits forever. If Marty and Doc can’t bust into the party and get a singular Jules Verne novel into his hands, Emmett will never invent the time machine, a possibility too horrible to contemplate. Maybe they can sneak in with the swing band…

       * …May 12th, 1986. After stopping Biff Jr. from getting in a fight with his time-displaced son, Marty leaves the dance floor and sneaks into Strickland’s office, looking for the keys to the detention hall. He doesn’t know how three teenagers from 2010 got their hands on a time-travelling Delorean, but the most important thing now is getting them locked up in one place before they mess up everyone’s future…assuming they haven’t already…

       * …June 11th, 1968. Weaving their way through the peace protestors outside the courthouse, Marty and Doc surreptitiously use Doc’s temporal scanners to look for the mssing objects scattered through time by the wreck of the Time Train. After a number of dangerous encounters with riot police and hippies, there’s only one artifact left… the remnants of the train’s flux capacitor… repurposed as a peace necklace.. around the neck of a VERY pregnant Loraine McFly. Marty suddenly remembers that he’s going to be born tomorrow…

[also, while it's hinted at here, the other questions strongly suggested that there will be gameplay mechanics involving the hoverboard, Marty's arcade game taught gun-slinging talents, and probably some kind of guitar-playing minigame (nor sure which consoles it's coming on, but it'd be cool to see a Guitar Hero controller being used in a title that's not primarily in the rhythm game genre).]

[close]

[Dualnames]

All I can say is damn! Damn damn!

[Snake]

"It's just a very, intense, dream..."

I am a huge Back to the Future fan. My first wish is that it doesn't get canceled. My second wish is that it isn't ass. But it'll certainly be a game that we get when it comes out!

"It works!"
"Bet your ass, it works."

[IndieBoy]

Oh god, I need to take a shower, this is far too exciting.

[TerranRich]

After reading your post, GarageGothic, I nearly fainted. ANY of those stories sounds awesome, especially the first one.

Spoiler

"Detective Tannen, Temporal Preservation Squadron"? GOLD!!

[close]

[m0ds]

Well apart from destroying a personal dream to make a BTTF game, as long as they get Chris Lloyd in as the voice of Doc, and some actual JP people for voices from JP, things will be okay. No shitty sub-par voice actors please! Especially all those fake John Hammond's. I hope they actually ask Alan Silvestri to write the music for the BBTF game, I'd love to hear his "fourth part" as it were. Well, whatever happens, happens.

"Your future hasn't been written yet...so make it a point & click adventure."

PS. Universal, what are they like! They won't give the original writers of some films rights to their works but they're happy to give TellTale games rights to some of their older, bigger franchises. Odd company sometimes. Anyhoo yeah, somewhat excited

TerranRich - maybe you need to join "Point and click adventure games" on Facebook!

[Technocrat]

This is heavy!

[tzachs]

Man, I am still waiting for the invention of that hoverboard (and also the miniature pizza that turns big and cooked in 3 seconds), it should have already happened by now!!!

[Snake]

I once tossed a quarter into the wishing well at a chinese resturaunt once asking for a hoverboard in my room when I got home. Keep your quarters, it's a SCAM.

[GarageGothic]

and some actual JP people for voices from JP, things will be okay. No shitty sub-par voice actors please! Especially all those fake John Hammond's.

The only Jurassic Park game that matters DID have Sir Richard Attenborough.  Yeah, I'm talking Trespasser, bitches  8). Still standing by my fondness and respect for that game as a diamond-in-the-rough, way, way ahead of its time.

I hope they actually ask Alan Silvestri to write the music for the BBTF game, I'd love to hear his "fourth part" as it were.

As long as they use the musical themes from the original trilogy score, or variations of them, I'll be happy. Wouldn't be BttF without the Silvestri music, but I don't expect them to get the man himself. Also hope they get a few period tracks like the 50's music and Huey Lewis songs from the originals.

Spoiler

The 1986 outline sounds in part like a Breakfast Club pastiche, and I really hope they go with that vibe. Would be a brilliant occasion to get some mid-1980's songs in there.

[close]

Edit: Gotta love Telltale. I just received a press release about the S&M season 3 finale, and at the end of the mail, I noticed this little bit about their presence at the Penny Arcade Expo: "To welcome Back to the Future news we'll share at PAX, we're bringing along an actual DeLorean Time Machine! (for real!)"

[Anian]

Strong Bad, Tycho (penny arcade), Heavy (tf2) and Max (sam and max) playing cards I guess:
http://www.gametrailers.com/video/exclusive-debut-untitled-telltale/703720

Telltale seemed to be expanding or something, with all these projects.

[GarageGothic]

New info and (possible) production artwork courtesy of USA Today.

Quotes of particular interest:

the Back to the Future game series will include the likenesses of Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd

Lloyd will also provide his voice for the games

Woohoo!

Bob Gale, who wrote the screenplays for the three films, is working with the game developers on the plot for the planned five "episodes"

And, hoping that USA Today allows external image links, the character artwork:


Seems they're going for a Tales of Monkey Island with more muted colors approach.

[TerranRich]

I was just about to post this. I love the look of the characters (if this is indeed concept art/test renders), and the fact that we'll see plenty of appearances of movie characters is a good sign.

[GarageGothic]

Yeah, I quite like the style of the characters too (though if this was the critics lounge, I'd suggest brightening the shadow under Marty's nose - I found it quite distracting). Doc's haunted look makes me wonder if they used a photo of Chris Lloyd as Uncle Fester for reference

I think it's a good mix of cartoony and realistic that will also work with their existing technology, and I must admit that I have a special fondness for Telltale's somehow angular, geometric take on stylization since it's similar to my own approach (not sure what to call the style, but Gerald Scarfe's character designs for Hercules shares some elements, as does the Clerks animated series).

For anyone critical of the designs, consider the alternatives:

(shudder)

[Dualnames]

I think its fine, I rather in fact love it very muchos!!
I wanna play a good game based on Back to the Future, I don't really care how it looks overall, and I'm sure we all agree there!

[Shane 'ProgZmax' Stevens]

Art style looks smashing.  The characters are easily recognizable while being caricatures of Marty and Doc, emphasizing their signature expressions (marty's cocky grin and Doc's mad-eye look).  If they stick with 2d and use sprites in this style the game could have real potential.  Hopefully Mike will get on board at some point since his Parkinson's won't really interfere with recording some lines and it's a great opportunity for him to help re-introduce BttF to a new generation rather than see some shithead do a remake without any of the cast...God, I think I'd finally snap and take a rocket launcher to Hollywood if that happened.

[Anian]

Art style looks smashing.  The characters are easily recognizable while being caricatures of Marty and Doc, emphasizing their signature expressions (marty's cocky grin and Doc's mad-eye look).  If they stick with 2d and use sprites in this style the game could have real potential.  Hopefully Mike will get on board at some point since his Parkinson's won't really interfere with recording some lines and it's a great opportunity for him to help re-introduce BttF to a new generation rather than see some shithead do a remake without any of the cast...God, I think I'd finally snap and take a rocket launcher to Hollywood if that happened.

People keep mentioning this, but I don't know why wouldn't Fox do the voice acting for this game? He probably has "bad" days but I saw some videos from this year and he looked pretty good (he was on Colbert report for example). I'm sure he could use the money and probably be glad to work (I'm sure they can mention his new book somewhere, maybe a name of an episode "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Future"   ).

About 2d sprites...would be great, but I have a feeling TT will use the same engine again and make it all 3d. Maybe they'll implement a DotT style mechanics or play as Doc and Martin, but I think that's where inovations will end.

Btw this Crysis mod looks fun as well:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZAaKH0FYO8

[Mr Flibble]

After playing The Devil's Playhouse, I'm sold on Telltale's ability to subvert the form. Now I've seen this art and Christopher Lloyd is confirmed too, I can only see myself enjoying this.

As for Michael J. Fox, I doubt it'd be illness related if he didn't partake. For instance he's even done some light TV work and certainly a lot of voice acting. Although, maybe his condition causes problems with being able to get to the studio or work comfortably or something? His condition could also have deteriorated since my last sight of him. Maybe it's something silly like Telltale can't afford him, or think he'd sound too old to voice Marty. I think Telltale are pretty sympathetic to what the fans will expect in terms of voices, although the danger here is that since BTTF is such a mainstream brand, they'll relax their standards a bit. Since it's going out to such a broad and (to use the parlance) "casual" audience, a lot of people probably wouldn't even notice a Michael J. Fox impersonator (compare how just about everyone who played TMI would have noticed if Dominic Armato wasn't in it).

Anyone know why Pater Sallis didn't voice Wallace in those Wallace and Grommit games? That surprised and bothered me, especially since Sallis always seemed so willing to take part in things. I guess he wasn't available to go to the states, what with Last of the Summer Wine taking up all his time.

[Scummbuddy]

Telltale did acquire the official replacement of Wallace, as you mentioned, they did not get the original. From what I read around the mixnmojo boards is apparently Pater is getting quite too old to continue the voice work. His replacement and him have been doing half-and-half work on the claymation movies, but I don't even know if Pater is still doing any of it.

By the way, I just watched the Wallace and Gromit in 'A Matter of Loaf and Death' last night.  Hysterical!