• Home
  • News
  • Read
  • Watch
    • 2 Guys 1 Pad
    • Button Bashers
    • TV Reactions
    • Trailer Reactions
    • Film Reactions
    • Stream Highlights
    • Versus
    • Random
  • Listen
  • Topics
    • Sports
    • Games
    • Adventure
    • Film
    • Television
  • Merch
  • About Us
    • Careers
  • Follow us
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Youtube
    • Instagram
    • Discord
    • Twitch
All Maverick
All Maverick
  • Home
  • News
  • Read
  • Watch
    • 2 Guys 1 Pad
    • Button Bashers
    • TV Reactions
    • Trailer Reactions
    • Film Reactions
    • Stream Highlights
    • Versus
    • Random
  • Listen
  • Topics
    • Sports
    • Games
    • Adventure
    • Film
    • Television
  • Merch
  • About Us
    • Careers
  • Follow us
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Youtube
    • Instagram
    • Discord
    • Twitch
Home
Gaming

Ultra Instinct Shaggy is Finally Canon in Multiversus…and I’m worried

I can’t tell which darkest timeline this is anymore

For the better part of a decade, the meme that is simply known as “Ultra Instinct Shaggy” has dominated almost every corner of the internet. Kickstarted by a clip from a Scooby-Doo film where Shaggy uncharacteristically beats up a biker gang that was edited to the tune of a Dragon Ball Super song, the idea of Shaggy being an immortal ultra-powerful deity only gained more traction with each passing day.

Before long, you couldn’t go anywhere on the web without seeing some form of reference to Shaggy being powerful enough to shatter reality itself. The meme went so far that NetherRealm studios even had to acknowledge fan petitions to get Shaggy added to Mortal Kombat.

Meme or not, Warner Bros was quick to capitalise on it for monetary gain

Yet, we now find ourselves with a playable version of this internet creation in the latest Smash clone offering of Warner Brothers’ Multiverse, and it has me….perplexed, to say the least.

For those unaware, Multiverse is the latest in a very long line of pseudo clones of the iconic Nintendo fighting game Super Smash Bros. From Playstation All-Stars: Battle Royale to the more recent Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl, any company with an impressive roster of recognisable characters has had a crack at making a party fighting game.

Naturally, none has ever come close to topping Masahiro Sakurai’s original creation. But while none of these cheap imitations are by any means better than Smash, it is nevertheless an endlessly enjoyable novelty to see different sets of pop culture characters punching the living daylights out of each other.

These games at their core speak to the inner child within all of us, still arguing “Who Would Win in a Fight” with our friends at school. For the longest time, debates about Sonic vs Mario, Batman vs Superman, or Spongebob vs Nigel Thornberry (okay maybe that last one was just me) were just the things of fantasy.

Yet here we are in the year 2021, where all of those match-ups and more are now not only real but endlessly replayable and customisable. Since the dawn of the internet, versus matchup arguments have only soared in frequency, no doubt due to the fact that these matchups now have a genuine chance of happening.

We’ve now reached a point where these types of games have transcended being just famous characters having a tiff, to now being characters that encapsulate the fandoms surrounding them.

The line between fan-art and reality gets blurrier and blurrier with each passing year

While technically not the first time Ultra Instinct Shaggy has been canonised in official media, seeing him here in a fully playable game certainly takes the impact of internet meme culture to a whole new level. While not officially called “Ultra Instinct Shaggy” in the game, the reference to him is more blatantly obvious than Monopoly‘s namesake.

From his confident strong demeanor to the fact that he literally glows with firey yellow energy like Goku; there’s clearly nothing here that even remotely resembles the cowardly junkie we know and love from the show. He is original flavour Shaggy in all but name because this incarnation is merely the representation of almost a decade’s worth of memes.

I sure did love that episode of Scooby-Doo when Shaggy threw a Kamehameha at the Creeper

The reason why this is perplexing is mostly due to the very official and monetised nature of it. Ultra Instinct Shaggy is funny no doubt, but it’s funny because there’s always been an air of self-awareness about it. Obviously, we know that Shaggy being a devastatingly powerful god isn’t true, but it’s funny to act like he is because well…it’s Shaggy. The juxtaposition of a beloved cowardly gentle cartoon character being an ultra-violent destructive god is by pure mathematical reasoning just…funny!

But it was funny because of the ironic community-based creation of it; the sense that the jokes were ‘ours’, the peoples, with the free will to ascribe our own meanings and content from existing ideas. But seeing what was essentially a silly internet creation now be canonised in a game where it claims to be the original source material is frankly jarring.

Anyone who knows the meme will instantly recognise the Multiverse fighter as Ultra Instinct Shaggy, but the game insists that you are indeed playing the real Shaggy Rogers from 1969, despite the fact that nothing about his personality or moves reflects the original characters’ cowardly traits.

Not even Superman can bring himself to damage Shaggy’s dapper look

It’s at this point where I imagine many of you are asking why is this conversation even worth having? At the end of the day, it’s all in aid of a silly party game where you can beat up Arya Stark as Tom & Jerry, what more is there to say? And while that is true, I just find it interesting nevertheless that we have reached a point in culture where the internet’s ridiculous interpretations of classic characters can actually replace the originals in official media.

You have to admit that it’s certainly an interesting insight into just how much the public can influence the products they consume. There’s no denying that the developers of this game were aware of Ultra Instinct Shaggy when designing him for the game, but when do casual nods to fan-generated content become literal overwrites of the characters they’re using?

Don’t get me wrong, seeing Shaggy beat up Superman is funny, but seeing it done ‘officially’ has somehow spoiled the magic

Personally, it makes me dread what a Dreamworks fighter would look like, especially given how Shrek has now been transformed into a completely different entity in the eyes of internet users. So one does need to ponder the legitimacy of our childhood matchups being fully realised. Are we truly seeing a matchup of Shaggy versus Jake the Dog, or are we seeing mere shallow shells of the characters that represent memes more than themselves?

Again, this conversation is ultimately fruitless. The game will come out as intended, and people will assuredly enjoy the nonsensical hijinks that it provides. The legitimacy of its portrayal of Shaggy is hardly anything that’s going to keep many people up at night, but I believe it’s worth noting nonetheless; if anything just to point out a possible trend that may influence a great deal of media that’s yet to come.

Beyond its predictable yet also unexpected portrayal of Shaggy, Multiversus also brings to the mix characters such as Steven Universe, Harley Quinn, Finn the Human and a….Reindog….thing?……yay? With Warner Brothers behind the wheel, expect this to essentially be a better version of Space Jam 2 where the references are actually more than just 5 seconds cameos. I just hope this means we’re getting Godzilla, Neo, Dick Dastardly, Austin Powers, and Casablanca‘s Rick Blaine in the game.

Who wants to bet that Fred Flinstone and Pennywise will be getting in?

In an attempt to stand out from the plethora of other franchise fighters, Multiversus is focusing on co-operative battling, where characters’ moves aid both their teammates just as much as they deliver the pain to their opponents.

It’s an interesting focus for sure that will help it stand out much more than its predecessors, and it already blows Nickelodeon’s brawler out of the water because it actually had the decency to include voice acting!

So far nothing about it looks to have anywhere near the polish and care that Smash Bros has, but to be honest, were we ever expecting that? At the end of the day, it’s an excuse to have a similar gameplay format that allows us to effectively enjoy the same experience but with a whole host of new iconic characters….even if some of them have more ultra instincts than others…

I fear we are nearing the point now where the novelty of these types of games are beginning to wear thin

Multiversus is planned for release next year and will be free to play with cross-play support across Playstation 4, Playstation 5, Windows PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.

What do you make of this new franchise clobberer? Do you find it odd to see meme-born characters now presented as official property? Let us know in the comments!

Related

  • Tags
  • 2 vs 2
  • adventure time
  • arya stark
  • austin powers
  • batman
  • bugs bunny
  • casablanca
  • cross-play
  • crossplay
  • dick dastardly
  • fighter
  • fighting game
  • finn
  • finn the human
  • franchise fighter
  • game of thrones
  • garnet
  • godzilla
  • harley quinn
  • jake
  • jake the dog
  • jerry
  • masahiro sakurai
  • matchups
  • matrix
  • mortal kombat
  • multiversus
  • neo
  • netherrealm
  • netherrealm studios
  • party game
  • playstation 4
  • playstation 5
  • ps4
  • ps5
  • reindog
  • sakurai
  • scooby
  • scooby doo
  • scooby-doo
  • scorpion
  • shaggy
  • smash
  • smash bros
  • steven universe
  • super smash bros
  • superman
  • tom
  • tom and jerry
  • warner bros
  • who would win in a fight
  • windows pc
  • wonder woman
  • xbox one
  • xbox series x

Social Sharing

Facebook Twitter Google+ LinkedIn Pinterest WhatsApp
Next article Amiga Classic 'Rick Dangerous' Getting a 32 Colour Enhancement
Previous article All We Know About Andor The Series

Eliott

Related Posts

🚨 OFFICIAL SWEET CABIN PARTNERSHIP ANNOUNCEMENT 🚨

🚨 OFFICIAL SWEET CABIN PARTNERSHIP ANNOUNCEMENT 🚨

FIGHTING MYSELF?!?! | Tunic #5

FIGHTING MYSELF?!?! | Tunic #5

EVIL TABLES? 🪑 | Tunic #4

EVIL TABLES? 🪑 | Tunic #4

1 Comment

  1. Multiversus' newest trailer looks ridiculous. I love it. - All Maverick
    May 17, 2022 at 12:03 pm Reply ↓

    […] I know what you’re thinking. If you’ve seen the leaks you know this is going to be a absolutely ridiculous game if it’s pulled off right, a game where Ultra Instinct Shaggy (Yeah that’s right) can […]

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  • Privacy Policy
  • Shipping
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Back to top
© All Maverick Ltd 2020. All rights reserved.
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT