Who remembers Whacked! (2002)?

[UndeadKingUK]

Whacked is a 2002 combat party game created by Microsoft and Presto Studios made exclusively for the Original XBOX.
This was created by an American comedian named "Matt Weinhold" and was in development as early as 2001, originally titled "Boing!"
Sadly this was the last game made by Presto as they did shut down after the game was released, despite Microsoft had released this game in Japan in 2003.
I started playing this in 2020, and its a hidden gem.
The game also features actors such as Tara Strong, William Morgan Sheppard and Wally Wingert.
The game follows 7 contestants putting their bodies on the line as they try and compete for the grand prize on Whacked!, hosted by Van Tastic. But there's something very fishy going on with the show itself as it progresses.
This was a failure, but had gained a cult following when footage for the game surfaced in the 2010s.
I've heard that a documentary is being made about the game as well.
Here's some gameplay footage.
(Credit: Microsoft, Presto Studios and CyberBlaster32)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rICW7lJGiwE

[UndeadKingUK]

Van Tastic, Lucky and Lance are my favourite characters.
I would love to see a film based on this game.

[UndeadKingUK]

Matt Weinhold played Van Tastic and also played a character similar to him in the Weird Al Show (1997-1998) where he played a game show host.
(Go to 8:04)
https://youtu.be/ag7x8OWR43U?si=NF1raMyRobZlZTcY&t=484

[Birds]

yeah, it made dr. genki from saints row feel derivative and like a cover up.

I don't recall exactly why Presto's rights were considered so valuable. maybe they owned the rights to the gameshow conceit?

[UndeadKingUK]

Messaggio originale di Birds:

yeah, it made dr. genki from saints row feel derivative and like a cover up.

I don't recall exactly why Presto's rights were considered so valuable.

I thought Microsoft had full rights to this game after Presto went bust.

[Birds]

Messaggio originale di UndeadKingUK:

Messaggio originale di Birds:

yeah, it made dr. genki from saints row feel derivative and like a cover up.

I don't recall exactly why Presto's rights were considered so valuable.

I thought Microsoft had full rights to this game after Presto went bust.

microsoft held a lot of rights for a few years then sold them off, iirc Presto's rights actually wound up under Volition, along with saints row.

...yeah, they got caught up in the general thq/nordstream rights merger and collapse. the series of acquisitions and failures nordic insiders perpetuated in order to clear the field for uk game development (which has yet to manifest.)

[UndeadKingUK]

There were people demanding a sequel to this game, but Microsoft said they have no interest in doing so due to Presto's shutdown.

[Delta]

Anyone remember Road Rash 64?

[Birds]

Messaggio originale di Delta:

Anyone remember Road Rash 64?

yes.

competed with wave racers, uk's foothold into jp game markets.

road redemption got C&D letters early on in development for being too similar to road rash, and most of its truly problematic mechanics revolve around the guidelines for 'avoiding road rash.'

the guidelines were originally litigated based on road rash 64, so the original road rash mechanic of 'encounter locking,' arguably the worst mechanic of all time, is definitively 'not road rash,' but being able to speed by people fighting without boost is road rash. based on boost having been litigated in i think wave64 vs fx ? and this precedent being ratified in diddy kong racing vs sony. then used in ... what was it, Fidelity vs THQ? Or did they sue PCPL directly?

or did thq only have the rights because acorn sued ea for the rights to the original series, and it got shuffled around?

[UndeadKingUK]

What does Road Dash 64 have to do with Whacked!?

[UndeadKingUK]

Also, if Microsoft had to make a sequel and I was in charge of it, I would hire Electronic Arts (EA) to make it.
It can be done.

[UndeadKingUK]

There's even a fandom wiki of Whacked.
https://whacked.fandom.com/wiki/Whacked!_Wiki

[Himitsu]

The box art was really nice also.

[UndeadKingUK]

Messaggio originale di Himitsu:

The box art was really nice also.

It is really good, I agree.

[UndeadKingUK]

My pfp is currently "Demon Van Tastic" who is the final boss of the game.

[76561199853800484]

Never heard of this game.