Ubisoft | Universal | Oni Press
The side-scrolled beat-em-up tie-in to 2010’s Scott Pilgrim vs The World film was well-received on release as a fun throwback to 80s arcade-style gaming. It fit with the vibe of the comic and movie it was based on, bringing an old-school, nerdy sensibility to a punk-rock topic.
However, due to the complex rights agreement between Universal and Ubisoft, the game was delisted from online platforms in December of 2014, four years after its initial release.
The delisting made it so the game was actually unavailable for purchase through any legal means. As a download-only game, it had no physical copies produced and was thus something of a “lost” piece of media for over six years. Now Ubisoft has confirmed the game has been cleared for a re-release on modern consoles.
And, true to form, Limited Run Games announced they’re issuing a physical version of the game!
Everything about the Scott Pilgrim series has also oozed style, and the video game adaptation was no different. A fun romp through the world of the comics, the side-scroller allowed players to take the role of any of the main cast as they battle through waves of baddies.
Special moves, over-the-top finishers, and plentiful visual gags made the game a fan favorite from the jump.
Notably, the game’s soundtrack was composed by chiptune punk band Anamanaguchi, giving it a distinct musical style that set it apart from the usual download-only fare.
Since the game’s soundtrack had a standalone release, it remained one of the few remaining pieces of content from the title that could be legally accessed following its 2014 delisting.
The game’s delisting was an early example of the potential downsides of digital distribution. While the idea of streaming and downloading content instead of owning physical media is still somewhat new, the overarching fear for many people is that companies could simply pull down the official versions of content like games or movies that were only distributed via an online service.
This, in turn, could lead to some media being effectively lost to time. At least with physical media, someone somewhere has a copy of a movie or video game, even if the original publisher has stopped making it.
As such, many fans pointed to Scott Pilgrim’s delisting as an example of how such a content delivery method could backfire.
After all this time, the storied side-scroller is finally returning to modern consoles on January 14, 2021. It will be re-released for PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Microsoft Windows, and Stadia.
You know, just every modern platform.
If you’ve been fiending to play through this classic side-scroller again, or simply missed it the first time through, now is a great time to pick it back up and give it a shot.
For those looking to get a physical copy, Limited Run Games will be opening pre-orders for the Switch and PS4 copies on January 15, with an Xbox copy coming at a later date. People who want to avoid another delisting fiasco are sure to want a physical copy of the game to keep on their shelves!
