(Or: I’ve always wanted to make a Care Bears anti-pollution game. How’s that for positivity?)
I’ve wanted to make a Care Bears game since I first played the classic DuckTales and Chip ‘N Dale: Rescue Rangers for NES, and I tossed the idea out on a lark a few years back and some guys didn’t dismiss it. One evening I sat down and thought up the main multiplayer mode. First, note that the game was intended as a 3d platformer in the vein of Psychonauts/Mario64, but, well, with Care Bears.
And yes, of course there’s also a single player platformer element which would be the main focus on the game, but I’ve not taken the time to plot out how why the Smog Hogs’ (yes, my idea,) floating Pollution Plaza crashes into Care-A-Lot, and how the game will properly allow players to visit past notable locations from Care Bears lore (in a Psychonauts style of retreading earlier worlds to make for new content found when using alternate Care Bears with slightly different abilities.) But this post is about the multiplayer mode!
The multiplayer game gives each player a Care Meter that starts off at either 100, or -100, depending on which team they’re on (Care Bears or Smog Hogs.) Each player has the ability to shoot his Care Bear Stare out of his tummy symbol, and a secondary ability dependent upon what their tummy symbol is. (The secondary ability should typically involve a recharge time, and often is in the form of their tummy symbols, from rainbows or storm clouds that players can walk/fly on, to power-ups (four leaf clovers or trophies) that give players short-lasting extra abilities.) Half of the players will start on the team of the Smog Hogs, which have a Care Meter value of -100, completely uncaring. The Smog Hogs still have the same abilities as typical Care Bears, but there’s one difference.
Despite their team, when a player is hit with a Care Bear Stare, their Care Meter raises (to the max of 100.) But when an Uncaring Bear hits a player with an Uncaring Stare (Glum Glare?) their Care Meter decreases (to the minimum of -100.) When the 0 threshold is crossed, the player changes from their current team to the other. It’s essentially a giant game of ‘tag’, but with Care Bear Stares instead of bullets.
And yes, I’m serious. I think this game would rock. Y’know why? Who wouldn’t love to drive this bad boy around in battle?!
