And im back! FFL Devblog 32: Zoo Crew

Im gonna admit that i dissapeared from the earth of blogger for a while now, but im back! Heres the latest devblog for FFL.

"I don't like the look of this place. What kind of zoo doesn't even have animals?"

"Oh for the love of... that's why we're here, remember? ...to find the missing animals? Were you NOT paying attention on the way over here?"

"Man, I was totally listenin'! Say, you want a juice box? Chips?"

     Before the invasion, the city zoo was once a happy attraction and wildlife center. While Lord Fuse and his minions haven't had a chance to take a strong hold of it by infecting the area, the caged animals have all mysteriously disappeared, and no one can explain why. To top it all off, the whole area is dark and creepy, as if a storm cloud is perpetually hanging over it, with no creatures present other than the occasional Fusion Spawn or one of Fuse's weird animal monstrosities (like the Roadblock Rhino, for instance). Already a spooky labyrinth of abandoned cages and habitats, Fuse's minions roam the zoo and lurk in dark places, leaping out to attack unsuspecting players.

     But what exactly happened to all the animals? The girl who would like to know the answer to that question the most is none other than Bubbles. If she had a choice, she'd be over at the Townsville Zoo right now smashing through spawns trying to piece the puzzle together. Unfortunately for her, she's stuck at City Hall, babysitting the mayor protecting the area. This is where our two unlikely heroes come in.

The Rowdyruff Boys are one of the most highly requested groups of characters from the shows represented in FusionFall. We found Jackie Khones to be a fun fit for the new story revolving around Boomer and his brothers.

     Boomer isn’t the brightest of the Rowdyruff trio. ...nor is he the most rowdy, or, well… rough. Created by Mojo Jojo as part of a plot to destroy the Powerpuff Girls, he, like his brothers, has a seemingly natural hatred towards them, although the trio never really stopped to think and ask why they had to be the bad guys. Boomer always had his head in the clouds and his train of thought usually tends to shift directions seemingly at whim. One day, his mind stumbled on to that very question, and his life was changed from that point on. Deep down, he respects the Powerpuff Girls for being able to always do the right thing no matter the circumstances, and he’s fairly envious of how popular they’ve become.

     Over the years, Boomer has gradually grown apart from his brothers, not getting the same satisfaction they do from causing mayhem and destruction. In the beginning, Brick and Butch don’t even really notice or care that he doesn't seem to be all that interested in committing crimes. As far as they’re concerned, they’re better off without him there to slow them down, and as long as he’s not helping anyone, he can do whatever he wants.

     When Planet Fusion arrives, Boomer sees it as a golden opportunity to turn over a new leaf, help save the world, and finally get some respect. Needless to say, this doesn't make his brothers too happy. When he suggests teaming up with the other heroes to take down Fuse, they think it’s the funniest joke they’ve ever heard! However, when he insists that he’s serious, the two practically disown him, unable to believe that their own brother would even think about stooping so low (or high?). Brick and Butch skip town, not wanting to be around Boomer until he stops going through his “goodie-goodie phase.”

     Out of all the people he wants to earn the respect of, the Powerpuff Girls are high on his list. ...well, one certain member of the trio, at the very least. When the animals from Townsville Zoo mysteriously disappear overnight, Boomer decides to take on the case, hoping to impress Bubbles and be seen as a hero.

...as it turns out, all this hero stuff is harder than it looks! Boomer is no detective, and he’s going to need a lot of help. When he hears rumors about Jackie Khones’ amazing detective work through the grapevine (...rumors that Jackie started himself, mind you), he enlists him to help find the missing animals for the low price of just two sandwiches a day, plus chips. Needless to say, you guys will end up doing most of the real detective work.

Boomer and Jackie meet with Bubbles to discuss the evidence on one of their routine visits with her at City Hall.

     Bubbles helps with the investigation when she can, but it’s mostly left up to Boomer and Jackie to sort things out. Due to the years and years of being picked on by his brothers, Boomer’s self-esteem is pretty low. Heck, he’s not even sure he’s up to the task at first, but Bubbles tries her hardest to convince him that he’ll be able to pull it off. Not only does she want to help him turn over a new leaf, but she understands that the more heroes they have fighting Fuse the better, and that he may be her only chance to look for the missing zoo animals. While Jackie Khones tends to be pretty much useless in most situations, he has got a few leads on potential animal stealers. Despite his lack of the most basic detective skills, Boomer trusts Jackie to help pull the case forward, in part due to his lack of confidence in himself.

   We’ve asked our new composer, Panman14, to compose a music track to play as you solve crime (one sandwich at a time), while completing these new missions. Expect more unique tracks and fun musical cues in FusionFall Legacy.

Listen to the brand new track right Here!.

     Of course, more characters means more nanos! That’s right, resident Rowdyruff Boomer and detective Jackie Khones will both get their very own nanos for Legacy! Both nanos will be secondary nanos and will not be required to level up.

     Noticeably, the Boomer nano has a slightly different design than both his original cartoon design and his FusionFall Legacy design. The Powerpuff Girls from the original game also featured some slight alterations in this very way, including Bubbles, who inspired the jeans and striped shirt of the Boomer Nano. These slight differences help to keep the Powerpuffs and Rowdyruffs looking like more than just recolors of the same nano 3 times over.

     Jackie Khones of the Foster’s series sports a rather squat look compared to his normal demeanor, but that’s in order to keep the nano look consistent. He’s got total control of his single eye which allows for quite a bit of expression and character to shine through.

     Finally, while researching and referencing character design for Boomer, we noticed Bubbles looked a little lacking, or in the very least could use a tune up. So, we’ve fitted her up with new textures and a slightly better model to get her in tip top shape for Legacy! We don’t want to outshine the original cast!


    Here’s the silhouette lineup with Boomer and Jackie thrown into the mix! We'll see you all in the next one!