The recent Nintendo Direct revealed several upcoming games for the Nintendo Switch, many of which have a penchant for the niche and creative. One such title is the formerly Steam-exclusive Mythforce, a roguelike (or rather, "roguelite") game from developer Beamdog. Beyond its combination of a first-person perspective, it's also unique for the very obvious works that influenced it.
Mythforce is clearly inspired by classic Saturday-morning cartoons of the 1980s, a fact that can be seen in every facet of its production. From the setting and tone to a whole host of corniness surrounding its characters, the new Switch game is taking nostalgia and turning it into a playable adventure. Mythforce feels like a trip back to the TV or toy aisles of decades past.
Mythforce's Biggest Inspiration Is the He-Man Franchise
There's no bigger influence on Mythforce than the He-Man and the Masters of the Universe franchise. Though it might be seen as cheesy nowadays, that property epitomized dark fantasy and sword and sorcery during its heyday. The same went for its literal sister series She-Ra, which resembled Barbie by way of Frank Frazetta or Heavy Metal Magazine. Mythforce pays homage to the classic series through its tagline alone, with the game's slogan being "By the power of Mythforce." This is an homage to "By the power of Grayskull, I have the power!," the phrase that Prince Adam would use to transform into the mighty He-Man. Of course, this sense of homage isn't restricted to the old-school version of the Mattel hero.
The art style and animation actually heavily resemble the designs and art seen in the most recent entries in the franchise, namely the Netflix reboot of She-Ra. For instance, Victoria the Knight doesn't look too far removed from She-Ra's more modern design. Likewise, one of the villains, a grey-skinned almost vampiric looking fiend, heavily resembles Keldor (the villain who would become He-Man's dastardly foe Skeletor) in the 2003 He-Man and the Masters of the Universe cartoon. The same goes for a horned, orange-furred antagonist who's a dead ringer for Skeletor's henchman Beast Man. When added with the colorful transition sequences and '80s-style synth music, the game's entire aesthetic and tone feels like Hanna-Barbera for a new generation.
Mythforce Recalls the Best Classic '80s Fantasy Cartoons
With its fittingly mythic tone and dungeon setting, it's no surprise that Beamdog also feels incredibly close to another 1980s cartoon: Dungeons & Dragons. Though it's mostly known as a tabletop role-playing game, the property also received a fairly well-remembered cartoon from back in the proverbial day. Of course, it featured the source material's many functions and character classes, including mages, wizards and fiendish rogues. Those same archetypes are clearly on display in Mythforce, with some of the names (Maggie the Mage) clearly riffing on how cliché some of these tropes are. In fact, the more "everyday" names could even be seen as a further homage to the Dungeons & Dragons cartoon, which featured "real-world" players such as Hank and Diana being transported into the world of the game.
Of course, there are several other fantasy cartoons from the '80s that Mythforce bears a strong resemblance to. These include the likes of Thundercats or even Thundarr the Barbarian, the latter of which is largely seen as a huge influence on the He-Man franchise. Sadly, most of those properties never received a video game adaptation due the medium still finding its feet in the '80s, though they all would have been perfect for RPGs and roguelike titles. Thus, Mythforce is the perfect vehicle to tap into this still-lingering '80s nostalgia, even featuring all manner of cheese and camp to make the experience all the more accurate.
Mythforce releases for the Nintendo Switch later in 2023.