Nerd Mentality

INTERVIEW: Scooby-Doo! First Frights

Posted August 27th 2009 by Jacob Barnes.

The Scooby-Doo series is quickly approaching a 40-year milestone that has attracted both young and new audiences through a multitude of mediums. I recently had the chance to talk with a producer of Scooby-Doo! First Frights about this latest game. Read on to find more about the new platformer from Torus Games.

N-philes: Could you briefly tell us who you are and how you contributed to Scooby-Doo! First Frights?

My name is Justin Woods, and I'm the Associate Producer on Scooby-Doo! First Frights at WB Games in Kirkland, WA. My role was to assist Torus Games through development with things such as localization, screenshots, videos, and provide feedback on story and gameplay.

N-philes: The first thing I noticed about the game is the style. The characters have a fresher, younger look to them. Why was this particular look chosen for Mystery Inc.?

We really thought it would be interesting and fun to tell stories of the Mystery Inc. gang from their beginning. These are some of the first mysteries the team solved together, and as such they are pretty young compared to their cartoon counterparts.

N-philes: How exactly can players switch between different characters to complete their goal? Does the gameplay focus more on puzzle solving or beating up enemies?

Players can switch between the two characters on the screen at any time by the press of a button. In Explore Mode, players can switch to any character they've unlocked (including one of over 20 costumes and enemies) by holding down the switch character button and bringing up the character wheel. The gameplay is balanced pretty evenly between action and puzzle solving. The game offers something for everyone in this regard.

N-philes: How does the Wii version make use of the motion controls?

We've put an emphasis on making each version of Scooby-Doo! First Frights accessible to anyone, regardless of which platform they choose to play it on. Because of this, motion control was not a major focus, but we have incorporated it into the Wii version. For example, if an enemy leaps and grabs on to your character shake the Wii remote to knock it off.

N-philes: Will we see any references to the original T.V. show, or is it more of an original build that your team came up with?

We certainly would not be doing Scooby fans any justice if we didn't tie the look and feel back to the original T.V. show in some regard. The humor is very similar. Scooby and Shaggy are always looking for food rather than clues. However, just like in the original show, this doesn't mean they avoid the story's villain by any means. You'll see a chase sequence in each of our 4 episodes where Scooby and Shaggy are running from the villain, just like in the old cartoon show, and have to avoid traps and obstacles.

The writer for this game worked on the original show as well, and we even got some of the original voice talent. Each episode is about solving puzzles and finding clues to unmask the villain. Players will have a choice to choose the person they think is behind the mask in each episode, and will earn rewards for guessing correctly.

N-philes: Does the game showcase much voice acting from any prominent voice actors?

We chose to go with voice talent that has been tied to the Scooby franchise for years, so each character should sound just as you expect. Of particular note is Frank Welker, who is one of the most talented and well-known cartoon voice actors of all time. He played Fred in the original cartoon series, and plays Fred and a number of other characters in our game.

N-philes: Finally, is there anything else you would like to tell us about this game?

The game features 4 separate episodes, each with their own unique story, villain, chase sequence, monsters, costumes, and puzzles. Whether you are a fan of the Scooby franchise, or just a fan of puzzle/action games, we've really packed this game full with something for everyone. There is so much content here. There are more than 20 levels, and more than 20 unlockable costumes as well as unlockable villains. Players can use these unlockables to play back through the game and find every last secret and earn every last trophy.

We are also really excited about our co-op feature, which allows one of your friends to drop in or out as they please. Both players can choose their favorite character and tackle each of the game's episodes together. Working with the Scooby franchise has been both an honor and a total blast, and I am really excited to see people pick up and play the game this Fall.

Tags: Scooby-Doo! First Frights, Interview, Torus Games

Posted in: Features, Gaming

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