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Disney Infinity: Good Idea, Bad Idea

Prep & Landing and Santa Buddies

by Becky Hollada and Kimberly Keller - December 26, 2013, 4:46 pm EST

Christmas Edition!

Prep & Landing (Good Idea) – by Becky Hollada

It’s that time of year and Disney has so much Christmas material lying around to use for seasonal Disney Infinity merchandise, the hard part is sorting through it for something different. The Santa Clause is easily one of Disney’s most iconic Christmas movies, marathoning so often on ABC every year that you’re not sure whether you like it or hate it by the end of the season. While this trilogy has some potential, we’ll bypass it in favor of Disney’s Prep & Landing, a 3D animated short from Walt Disney Animation Studios that released for Christmas in 2009.

Prep & Landing features Wayne and Lanny, two of Santa’s elves who are part of an elite squad who prep houses and aid in Santa’s landings. The best part about these elves is that they not only have unique personalities, but as part of the Prep & Landing unit they are armed with a lot of really awesome Christmas themed gadgets that would easily translate into Disney Infinity Power Discs. Candy cane grappling hook? Christmas ornament grenades that put enemies to sleep? They even have utility belts to hold it all. It’s like being a Christmas Batman.


Complete with nightvision goggles during the day.

The characters in this little short are also definitely Disney Infinity worthy. While the elves are pretty small, about teddy bear size, but they actually prove to be extremely versatile especially with gadgets. It might be a little difficult at their size to wield other, full-sized weapons, somehow I think they could still make it work.

Yes, we even have potential for a Christmas themed vehicle. Forget Blitzen, Comet, even Rudolph. Thrasher, Dasher’s ultra aggressive cousin, is where it’s at. You have utility, Christmas, and intimidation all in one neat package that is possibly on steroids.


Santa Buddies (Bad Idea) – by Kimberly Keller

Puppies! Lots and lots of puppies! Santa Buddies is an odd little concept spun off from the popular film Air Bud which follows the seasonal adventures of Buddy’s offspring, I think. There are about twelve movies in the Air Bud franchise so far, and the latest, Super Buddies, released earlier this year, so it’s safe to say this is a popular series.

While I’d rather not see any version of these little puppies make it to Disney Infinity, tis the season for all things red and green, so let’s focus on 2009’s Santa Buddies. This jolly film follows Santa Paws’ son, Puppy Paws (I cannot make this stuff up), as he learns the true meaning of Christmas from the Air Buddies… after destroying Christmas and Christmas-y magic, effectively grounding the reindeer permanently and causing the North Pole to lose power, all because he couldn’t believe in Christmas. I’m just going to ignore what this insinuates about Santa Paws’ parenting skills.


This screams Christmas. It's the candy cane, get it?

Disney is all about Christmas, just go visit any of their parks after Thanksgiving to see what I mean. This year Frozen was introduced, so that kind of sealed up their need for a holiday themed figurine, but what about upcoming yuletide seasons? Santa Buddies could be a viable option for a quick pick from the House of Mouse. They come from a profitable franchise and add just enough merriment with their little Santa hats and doggie Santa Sleigh.

I actually heard a small boy ask his mom to look for an Air Buddies figure while holiday shopping this season, so there’s at least one person interesting in seeing these pups come to life in Disney Infinity. Honestly though, what could they seriously add to the game that wouldn’t seem utterly ridiculous? Suburban holiday décor, dog pound objects, and an extremely temperamental “Christmas Icicle” seems about it.

I suppose these little puppies could make a pretty decent horde if they are treated as a singular character. They could stampede into enemies and nibble them to death if we’re going to get weird about this.

Oh, did I mention the dog-catching villain is played by Christopher Lloyd?

Images

Talkback

CericOctober 03, 2013

294,000 units.  Double Standard on Success.

Alright on the article.

CericOctober 03, 2013

I think Winnie the Pooh be an ok edition.


Now Roger Rabbit on the other hand would be one of those great on paper but not in reality combinations.  While I think the characters themselves be a great fit.  I don't see how the stages for them would work.  A large portion of the charm of Who Framed Roger Rabbit is having that contrast between the Cartoon and Real world and between Now and Then.  They would need photo realistic characters and settings to play the straight man to do it right.  They have to be different then the actual Infinity Universe style to get the contrast right.

BJWanlundOctober 03, 2013

YES to Roger Rabbit!  What about The Three Caballeros?  That technically would include a member of the Fab Five (or Six depending on your perspective), but hey, it'd certainly be interesting.

CericOctober 03, 2013

Lets really dig.  The Three Little Pigs.  They had their own series. 

MetalMario2October 03, 2013

None of these will be coming. The game ought to be called "Pixar Infinity: Featuring Johnny Depp".

CericOctober 04, 2013

To be honest Pixar properties are probably the easiest to port since they already have 3D models to start with.

Spak-SpangOctober 07, 2013

Actually Roger Rabbit would work if you only had Toon Town.  Toon Town was great and super Creepy...but you would have to get that sugary cell shaded world just perfect, and it would be a careful balance between annoying and brilliant. 



MetalMario2October 09, 2013

I actually binge-watched the Tinkerbell movies on Netflix on a day that I felt particularly bored and shiftless, and I've got to admit, they weren't that bad. Strictly kid's stuff, but not that bad. Disney is doing a good job of developing the character's genesis gradually over the course of this series of films. In the third film, they explained why Tinkerbell can't speak to humans using her normal voice, and the next film in development is supposed to feature a young Captain Hook (before Peter Pan cuts off his hand, of course).

WahOctober 09, 2013

Lucario ::)

MetalMario2October 25, 2013

Yeah, "The Black Cauldron" sucked.

UncleBobRichard Cook, Guest ContributorOctober 25, 2013

Song of the South.

MetalMario2October 25, 2013

They could actually do that if they left out Uncle Remus and the Tar Baby. I mean, it worked for Splash Mountain.

TeaHeeOctober 25, 2013

I didn't hate "The Black Cauldron" but I was also completely enamored with the book series it was based on back in junior high. Following much of the logic put forward against it, I would have to guess that "The Sword and the Stone" would also fall in the bad idea list.

KeyBillyOctober 27, 2013

I didn't realize that Black Couldron was so hated.  I saw it a few years ago and liked it a lot.  It has a unique tone and style that captured my imagination.  I don't plan on getting Infinity, but maybe it would work to make statues/buildings/mountains/weapons/etc. for the lesser known franchises, similar to trophies in SSB.

Jasae BushaeOctober 28, 2013

Having read the books the black cauldron is based upon, I can certainly say that the movie was worlds better by comparison and that a darker vibe would not have saved the film in the least.

And, I agree that it might not make the best of playsets for Infinity. As structured as that movie was, unless the playset was having you go through the plot of the film to detail, the creators would have to create some pretty new material (perhaps borrowing from other books in the original series?) which might be more work than they want to put in.
That said, if they did do it, it would not necesarily be a bad playset. The lone ranger playset received much much higher reviews than the film did and gets near universal praise for its approach despite the films mixed reaction. So if they were to tackle the black cauldron, they could probably make it work.


Though thinking on it, the black cauldron would actually make a pretty awesome kingdom hearts world. Given that settings penchant for telling the stories of movies over with the inclusion of kingdom hearts setting...They could simply give the horned king a cauldron that summons heartless and run the characters through a pretty solid world.


As for kim possible, I have to ask, what basis makes that series a good choice? They are already planning a phineas and ferb playset. They have the Incredibles already lined up. What could a kim possible playset offer that does not come off as a boring repeat of the already established playsets?
Lone Ranger tackled wild west
Incredibles did superheroes
Pirates did pirates
Monsters University did college life

The playsets at least for the first year or two should be trying to branch out and cover multiple genres instead of making a bunch of very similar playsets elsewise your just creating a game with tedium that is rereleasing the same content over and over.
Which would be bad for Kim Possible since as you said, it HAD its final season and its only getting older and further from public memory

TrekStyxNovember 04, 2013

I think the Kim Possible and her world of characters would be an awesome addition to Infinity.


It's true that The Incredibles already covers the superhero territory and Monsters U covers college/school life, but Kim Possible is NEITHER of these genres. She's a spy!


She's got gadgets, stealth, and acrobatics and fights evil all without the benefit of Mr. Incredible-esque strength. She's the Disney cartoon equivalent of Batman or James Bond, and the spy genre and martial arts action is something that is seriously fun and currently lacking in the current roster of Infinity swashbucklers and supers.


Plus a KP playset has great potential. If there's any doubt in your mind that her unique world of characters doesn't translate into a good gaming experience, check out the "Kim Possible: What's the Switch?" game from 2006. It is surprisingly addictive and even more surprising, incredibly challenging.


As for The Black Cauldron. It is indeed dated and doesn't work. While it may be true that something like The Lone Ranger got a playset that was more well received than its more polarizing film counterpart, that was also a modern, recent Disney property and one with Johnny "Captain Jack" Depp attached no less. Suffice it to say, The Lone Ranger deserved a second skin in gaming and Disney was rightly motivated to give it that chance.


Black Cauldron is old, irrelevant and didn't work for Disney even in its heyday. While the right group of developers might be able to fish through the source material and conjure up a fresh take on the story in game form, that would say more their own creativity than it would for The Black Cauldron as a deserving Infinity candidate.


Definitely proper good/bad ideas this week!

Tron, Flynn and Sark.


I have to disagree on Loki though—I prefer my Marvel, LucasFilm and Disney separate. If the line gets blurred, we may end up with Spider-Mickey and Darth Goofy, and I don't know if I want to live in that kind of world.

UncleBobRichard Cook, Guest ContributorDecember 06, 2013

You don't say....

http://www.geekrest.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Darth-Goofy.jpg

I'm not sure if I'll ever get this game, but if they came out with Wall-E, my wife would buy the figurines regardless.

azekeDecember 07, 2013

Quote from: ballisticmedicine

Kill me. Now.

I know right?..

They're smearing all stinky SW business over our precious Goofy!..

Zombie Goofy in one of the latest Mickey Mouse shorts was so creepy

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