The only thing surprising about the boom in platform fighters is that it didn’t happen sooner. It took untilSuper Smash Bros Ultimatefor big cartoon companies to get in on the action. The most popular successor to Nintendo’s brawler thus far isMultiVersus, a free-to-play game by Player First Games for Warner Bros Interactive Entertainment.
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It’s essentiallySmashwith characters owned by the WB.Looney Tuneslike Bugs Bunny and Taz can fightDCsuperheroes like Batman and Harley Quinn. Finn fromAdventure Timecan trade blows with Garnet fromSteven Universe. However, it also has the strongest, most fearsome character in fiction. The earth trembles whenever he takes a step, though not as much as he does when he sees a ghost. Zoinks! It’s Shaggy, and he’s brought his memes toMultiversuswith him!
The memes about Shaggy being some supreme force in a skinny hippy’s body predateMultiVersus. It’s said they go back to a bootleg Shaggy toy that gave him white hair. It would’ve stopped there ifDragonball Superwasn’t popular at the time these knock-off toys weren’t going around.
The climax of the show had Goku revealing a new white-haired formcalled ‘Ultra Instinct’. So, one thing led to another, and Ultra Instinct Shaggy was born. He’s produced a variety of memes, which have spread beyond the internet to print media, animated films, and now video games.
It’s said that, without the Shaggy memes,MultiVersuswouldn’t have been created. It’s perhaps an exaggeration, but they did play a part in getting him into the game. Shaggy is his usual self from the Scooby Doo series, except he can also power upSuper Saiyan style, complete with glowing eyes. He also has an Ultra Instinct-esque form to tap into as well. Still, while it’s perhaps an exaggeration to sayMultiVersuswas created by a ‘shitpost’, it did play a part in getting Shaggy into the game.
According to Daniel Kraft of Player First Games, the development team “really wanted to embrace the culture that’s grown around (Shaggy)”, and that they did provide material “for an exciting moveset and kit for a character in the game”. Perhaps without the memes, Shaggy would be cringing from the sidelines instead of stepping up to the plate.
So,MultiVersushas Shaggy. So what?Super Smash Broshas every classic character from Nintendo, and some famous faces from other companies like Capcom, Sega, and Square-Enix.Nickelodeon All-Star Brawlhas Spongebob Squarepants, who also hasdecades worth of internet memes. What can the guy fromScooby Doodo against that? Anything he likes!
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He’s the strong figure in the multiverse after all. His fearful expressions aren’t because he’s scared of his foes, he’s scared of what he’ll do to them. But once he unleashes his full power, there will be nothing left of Mario or Spongebob. To add insult to injury, he and Scooby will drive the Krusty Krab to bankruptcy by eating all the Krabby Patties afterwards.
Dragonball Zmight be the most famous example of someone changing color to shift into a more powerful form, but it wasn’t the first series to do that. A certain wizard from a certain fantasy franchise also managed to escape the brink of death by attaining a strong, white form. Don’t read too much into that.
MultiVersusfeatures Gandalf the Grey fromLord of the Rings, who famously became Gandalf the White after his near-death experience. It gave him the power to aid Rohan and Gondor against the forces of Mordor, but could it save him against one hippy? He neededplanning, multiple armies, and some hobbitsto bring down Sauron. What can he do against the might of Norville ‘Shaggy’ Rogers? The only way to find out is to downloadMultiVersusand give its roster a go.
As said, this whole gag about Shaggy being secretly a Jiren-level threat came fromDragonball Super. Goku’s gone through nearlyall the colors of the spectrumto represent one power level or another across his journeys. He’s required one form or another to beat one threat or another. He had to go yellow to take down Freeza, red to fight Beerus, then Blue to go toe-to-toe with Goku Black. So, what color is he going to need to take on theMultiVersusroster?
Comic fans have been arguing who would win in a fight between Superman and Goku for decades. Essays, fanart, and videos have been made to illustrate one point or another. Yet it turns out the Last Son of Krypton is just the warm-up act to the true tower of power inMultiVersus. Whatever form Goku uses, it might not be enough to take down Shaggy. His insatiable hunger alone could leave the Saiyan floundering under the table. If Goku did make his way intoMultiVersusas a guest character, he might need some help.
MultiVersusis available now on Playstation 4, Playstation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.
