Remember the magic of Kingdom Hearts, where Mickey Mouse teamed up with Donald Duck and Goofy alongside iconic characters from Final Fantasy? Well, it turns out that game almost paved the way for something even wilder: a full-blown Disney fighting game in the vein of Super Smash Bros.! Former developer Ken Christiansen is spilling the beans on this fascinating “what if” scenario.
The Kingdom Hearts Spark
In an interview with
, Christiansen, who worked as a concept artist at Disney Interactive and contributed to the original Kingdom Hearts, revealed that the game’s success opened Disney’s eyes to the possibilities of character crossovers. He recalled the initial reluctance from some executives regarding the idea of mixing characters like Simba from The Lion King with Ariel from The Little Mermaid.
Action Figure Face-Off: A Smash Bros. Clone?
The original Kingdom Hearts was a massive hit on the PlayStation 2, and its success undoubtedly fueled discussions about expanding the crossover concept. This led to the early development of a project tentatively titled “Disney’s Action Figure Face Off.” According to Christiansen, the initial idea was to “take the same conceit as Toy Story, but have [the toys] fight each other instead.”
A Roster of Dreams (and Nightmares?)
“Then, we can have all these action figures of Disney characters from Tarzan, The Lion King, and Treasure Planet, and it can be this Smash Brothers type of thing,” Christiansen explained. Interestingly, the “toys come to life” concept was also present in Super Smash Bros. 64, adding another layer of meta-awareness to the idea.
Why It Never Happened (This Time)
Unfortunately, “Disney’s Action Figure Face Off” never progressed beyond the prototype stage. The company reportedly decided to focus on safer film tie-ins instead. However, the spirit of character crossovers lived on in other Disney projects.
The Legacy Continues
While “Disney’s Action Figure Face Off” may have been a missed opportunity, the success of Kingdom Hearts paved the way for countless other crossover experiences within the Disney universe. And speaking of Kingdom Hearts, the series is still going strong! Kingdom Hearts 4 is slated to release late next year, and a new Disney Plus anime series is also in production.
Kingdom Hearts 4 launches late next year, and a
is also in production. The dream of a full-fledged Disney fighting game might not have materialized, but the magic of character crossovers continues to thrive!
Comments
Be the first to comment.