Let's Discuss: Skullgirls

[Kopikatsu]

I think there's another name for the type of setting, "Diesel Punk", but I think that's more about the advanced technology housed in art deco aesthetics, not so much the moody setting. I do kinda wonder what "year" Skullgirls takes place in, if that would have any impact on the idea of it...

Oh, also you ought to note: this is a small thing, but Peacock was made by "Dr. Avian" at ASG Lab 8, not Last Hope. Last Hope is a part of Lab Zero. There was an interview where... one of the devs, don't remember which said there was more than one "section" of the lab and clarified that Peacock and Painwheel didn't come from the same lab exactly.

My question is more about why the anti-Skull Girl weapons have such issues. Can't they just get stable volunteers? 'Hey, who wants superpowers?' would attract people.

I'll add this to the OP, but I forgot to mention something important.

The developers consider Skull Girls' setting to be 'Dark Deco'. Which...is a subgenre they've made of Art Deco. Since I suck at explaining things...! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Art_Deco

That goes into music, as well.


The composer is Michiru Yamane. She did the soundtrack for Castlevania: Symphony of the Night.

Edit: I also changed the pictures for Peacock, Filia, and Ms. Fortune. Because I'm cool like that.

Ms. Fortune's pic is broken again. Just thought that you would like to know.

/rages

 

[LilithSlave]

Peacock is a little scary, she's like some sort of psycho monstrosity.

Isn't she just moe?

 

[LKArtillery]

My question is more about why the anti-Skull Girl weapons have such issues. Can't they just get stable volunteers? 'Hey, who wants superpowers?' would attract people.

Because... science! That's why! /o/

I don't know, maybe it'll be explained in-story. Maybe it's just for the horror factor? Mad science related plots always do sound a little contrived, but that's what makes em fun imo P:

Just to me, it sounds like Lab zero are the really crazy ones and made Painwheel out of a healthy and normal girl just because they could. Peacock it seems was more a product of pity, but then she was kinda already going crazy herself? I dunno, that's just how it strikes me.

 

[JdaS]

I've been looking forward to this. It's clearly a labor of love by someone who knows fighting games. Probably gonna solo Parasoul or duo her with Ms. Fortune. Getting it for the PS3 by the way.

Any claims of sexism are products of the media looking for problems where they clearly don't exist. I'm actually becoming quite pissed at all these bloggers and "journalists" fishing for page views by taking a game with cleavage on them and going "ZOMG SEXIST????"

It's an all girl fighting game that draws a lot of ideas from existing fighting games and anime stereotypes. No thugs calling them bitches, either.

 

[Kopikatsu]

Woo. Added a new video to the OP. The assist system looks magical. Too bad I'll be going solo.

Anywho, Celebella still looks like she does too much damage for her speed, and Ms. Fortune's attacks still make me cringe. Just imagine what it must feel like to use your muscles and tendons like that...yugh.

 

[Shinkicker444]

Ms. Fortune's attacks still make me cringe. Just imagine what it must feel like to use your muscles and tendons like that...yugh.

And the blood, can't forget the blood. She puts her head on backwards you know, I don't think the tendons and muscles have much say in things anymore.

Isn't she just moe?

Heh. Dunno if I'd call her moe. Pettable maybe (from a distance with a stick), but not moe. I keep getting reminded of Drawn Together when I see her (which would be hilarious admittedly if she was on that show).

Painwheel seems to be a good deal... darker... then Peacock anyway. Kinda like Alma Wade, all the horror without the psychic abilities.

taking a game with cleavage on them and going "ZOMG SEXIST????"

It's an all girl fighting game that draws a lot of ideas from existing fighting games and anime stereotypes. No thugs calling them bitches, either.

Hilariously, the violence is OK, but the clothing heck no! AMG, SKIN, I SEE SKIN! Someone throw a towel over them. Ahh my virtue is saved. Oh they're still fighting... meh. $20 on the catgirl.

 

[Kopikatsu]

Hilariously, the violence is OK, but the clothing heck no! AMG, SKIN, I SEE SKIN! Someone throw a towel over them. Ahh my virtue is saved. Oh they're still fighting... meh. $20 on the catgirl.

I actually thought of Drawn Together when I first saw Peacock, too. Is it because of Toot?

Anyway...Ms. Fortune's lack of clothing actually makes sense. It would be hard for her to take her limbs off if she were wearing clothes that covered her entire body. (Look at where her scars are- That's where she comes apart)

Now that I think about it, the Skull Girls cast are dressed pretty conservatively when compared to most women in fighting games.

Maybe it's just because I just came back from playing Vanguard Princess. The only characters that don't have panty shots don't wear underwear. Or all they wear are panties, so they can't really have panty 'shots'.

 

[Shinkicker444]

I actually thought of Drawn Together when I first saw Peacock, too. Is it because of Toot?

Yep. She was the first thing that popped in my head after I saw Peacock.

Yeah, I like Ms Fortune's character design. It's amusingly practical. Valentine's design however I think is fetishist. But I think that's the point, because she kind of remind's me of something else, wasn't there a 'sexy nurse' in the Rocky Horror Show similar design to her? The characters are obviously dark parodies of other things so yeah, probably just need to match them up with their source.

 

[Lunar Templar]

look pretty interesting, and I'd play it assuming i had the monies and a system

 

[LKArtillery]

Funny how Bloody Marie reminds people of Crona. I'm not sure on that one, but one of the first things I thought of when I saw Peacock was Asura. (Soul Eater ftw!) What with the eye motif and all.

 

[JdaS]

Hilariously, the violence is OK, but the clothing heck no! AMG, SKIN, I SEE SKIN! Someone throw a towel over them. Ahh my virtue is saved. Oh they're still fighting... meh. $20 on the catgirl.

I actually thought of Drawn Together when I first saw Peacock, too. Is it because of Toot?

Anyway...Ms. Fortune's lack of clothing actually makes sense. It would be hard for her to take her limbs off if she were wearing clothes that covered her entire body. (Look at where her scars are- That's where she comes apart)

Now that I think about it, the Skull Girls cast are dressed pretty conservatively when compared to most women in fighting games.

Maybe it's just because I just came back from playing Vanguard Princess. The only characters that don't have panty shots don't wear panties. Or all they wear are panties, so they can't really have panty 'shots'.

It's not even the way they're dressed. Looks like people are making a big deal about Skullgirls somehow using sex to sell, when the characters themselves are oozing with personality and as the developer in that one interview said (in a point which was conveniently ignored) don't flaunt their sexuality around as opposed to say, Juri in SSFIV or I-No in Guilty Gear XX (both characters that I main in said games ironically).

How do you immaturely snicker at Dead or Alive and then take an honest attempt at an indie game that's bringing something new to the table in the field of fighting games and promptly start smearing it with claims of sexism? Makes me buttmad that's all.

That said I might actually solo Parasoul and duo Ms. Fortune and Valentine.

 

[NerfedFalcon]

One of the few games that makes me want a console, even though I usually suck at fighting games...What can I say? Looks like fanservice to the max, and everyone likes that...Besides, I also like supporting Japanese devs - God knows, they're getting drowned out of the market, for the most part, right now.

 

[LKArtillery]

One of the few games that makes me want a console, even though I usually suck at fighting games...What can I say? Looks like fanservice to the max, and everyone likes that...Besides, I also like supporting Japanese devs - God knows, they're getting drowned out of the market, for the most part, right now.

You do know this game is almost 100% American, right? Or are you just being facetious? XP

 

[Kopikatsu]

Funny how Bloody Marie reminds people of Crona. I'm not sure on that one, but one of the first things I thought of when I saw Peacock was Asura. (Soul Eater ftw!) What with the eye motif and all.

...Wat? Is it because of the far-too-many-eyes? That's like the only thing I see them having in common...

 

[NerfedFalcon]

One of the few games that makes me want a console, even though I usually suck at fighting games...What can I say? Looks like fanservice to the max, and everyone likes that...Besides, I also like supporting Japanese devs - God knows, they're getting drowned out of the market, for the most part, right now.

You do know this game is almost 100% American, right? Or are you just being facetious? XP

...Guy's allowed an honest mistake, right? It looked Japanese and I didn't see any markers on it saying otherwise, so what was I supposed to think?

 

[LKArtillery]

Funny how Bloody Marie reminds people of Crona. I'm not sure on that one, but one of the first things I thought of when I saw Peacock was Asura. (Soul Eater ftw!) What with the eye motif and all.

...Wat? Is it because of the far-too-many-eyes? That's like the only thing I see them having in common...

Yeah, that was the thing. Other than that, uh... they're both... crazy villains? It was pretty much just the eye thing though yeah XP

@leet_x1337: Yeah, that's why I tacked on that second sentence. Sorry if I sound harsh.
Honestly this game doesn't look all that anime to me though ^^;

 

[Kopikatsu]

Funny how Bloody Marie reminds people of Crona. I'm not sure on that one, but one of the first things I thought of when I saw Peacock was Asura. (Soul Eater ftw!) What with the eye motif and all.

...Wat? Is it because of the far-too-many-eyes? That's like the only thing I see them having in common...

Yeah, that was the thing. Other than that, uh... they're both... crazy villains? It was pretty much just the eye thing though yeah XP

@leet_x1337: Yeah, that's why I tacked on that second sentence.
honestly this game doesn't look all that anime to me though ^^;

But...Peacock isn't a villain. She's an anti-Skull Girl weapon. Technically, she's the second most heroic of the cast. (Painwheel is also an anti-Skull Girl weapon, but shes completely insane, even more so than Peacock; Filia is just some girl who kills people because a demonic parasite tells her to; Cerebella is a member of the Mafia; Ms. Fortune is a thief who wants revenge; and Valentine works for the Skull Girl. The only person more heroic is Parasoul, because she wants to destroy the Skull Heart so that there can be no more Skull Girls.)

You know, I just thought about that...and...yeah. A psychopathic serial killer is the second most 'good' character in this game. That's an...issue.

 

[LKArtillery]

But...Peacock isn't a villain. She's an anti-Skull Girl weapon. Technically, she's the second most heroic of the cast. (Painwheel is also an anti-Skull Girl weapon, but shes completely insane, even more so than Peacock; Filia is just some girl who kills people because a demonic parasite tells her to; Cerebella is a member of the Mafia; Ms. Fortune is a thief who wants revenge; and Valentine works for the Skull Girl. The only person more heroic is Parasoul, because she wants to destroy the Skull Heart so that there can be no more Skull Girls.)

You know, I just thought about that...and...yeah. A psychopathic serial killer is the second most 'good' character in this game. That's an...issue.

Yeah, what Peacock is is an enigma. Is she a hero? Is she a villain? Somehow it seems like she's... er... chaotic neutral evilgood? I don't even know what to make of her alignment. @- @

Painwheel, I don't know what to make of her either because er likes/dislikes on the main site seem really at odds with her otherwise being totally mental. I mean, she likes flowers, puppies, and long walks on the beach. What?

Appaaaaarently Filia is "the closest thing this game has to a protagonist", but even so... Yeah, I don't even know. The devs have been really good about not giving away any plot spoilers, which isn't bad, but until I get to play it all the way through I think I'll just be totally baffled.