(click here for larger version)

The good folks over at Attract Mode have asked me to contribute a piece to their upcoming show “Comics Vs. Games 2” at the Toronto Comics Arts Festival (gallery opens on May 9th). The invitation email stated that “unlike the VERSUS show, you can pretty much do anything you’d like, so long as it has something to do with video games." I decided to go with a series of games reimagined as more traditional arcade/fair amusements.

In some cases, I just threw a few extra characters in with the humans as sort of a nod to the Toon Town/Real World crossover in "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?" I thought I was making things "easier” on myself by going with a Where’s Waldo-style perspective, but it ended up being a lot more work than I anticipated. Still, as stated in my previous post, working in a more cartoony style with this many colors was actually really fun. The Mantis Pirate in the burning Zoltan cruiser from FTL is tied with the Ridiculous Fishing claw machine for my personal favorite.

If you’re going to be in Toronto on the 9th, here are Event details for the opening reception.

Lastly, I’ve also put together this handy guide to ID each of the games and did my best to link you to their developer(s).

(larger version here)

01 - Chipzel (nod to the excellent soundtrack of #10)

02 - Limbo (Playdead)

03 Spelunky (Derek Yu)

04 - Papo & Yo (Minority)

05 - Dustforce (Hitbox)

06 - Mark of the Ninja (Klei Entertainment)

07 - Nidhogg (Messhof)

08 - Fez (Polytron)

09 - Antichamber (Alexander Bruce)

10 - Superhexagon (Terry Cavanagh)

11 - VVVVVV (Terry Cavanagh)



12 - Johann Sebastian Joust (Douglas WIlson)

13 - Vib Ribbon (NanaOn-Sha)

14 - Legend of Grimrock (Almost Human)

15 - Enviro-bear (Justin Smith)

16 - Dwarf Fortress (Tarn Adams)

17 - Octodad (students at DePaul University, see Young Horses Inc.)

18 - Ridiculous Fishing (Vlambeer)

19 - Incredible Crisis (Polygon Magic)

20 - Spy Party (Chris Hecker)

21 - Minecraft (Mojang)

22 - Hotline Miami (Dennaton Games)

23 - QWOP (Bennett Foddy)

24 - Braid (Jonathan Blow)

25 - Super Meat Boy (Team Meat)

26 - Microsurgeon (Imagic)

27 - Faster Than Light (Subset Games)

28 - Space Team (Henry Smith)

29 - Machinarium (Amanita Design)

30 - Hawken (Adhesive Games)

31 - Journey & Flower (That Game Company)