TBF, Mags, you have been doing a lot of the heavylifting for the quest, so this will be in good hands.
To be clear to everyone, this is just me burning out on imagination of the quest, since my muse has been hitting me over the head a lot with so many different ideas that I just can't find myself too interested in this.
I'll still hang out here, though, since this still does have a sepcial place in my heart.
I'd like to thank you all for making this a wonderful experience while it lasted.
I'd also like to thank @Magoose, @Fluffy_serpent, and @Martin Noctis for doing so much to help prepare and write this quest. I couldn't have done it without you all.
Does the South Korean coup have any parallels to near future quest events? Though I already covered South Korea's turn to democracy here.
Also, with the success of the NES and Genesis, anyone else looking to enter the video game market? I think Commodore even with the crash should still be a profitable and competitive company and the Commodore 64 and Amiga can fill in for computer games. Considering Atari is dead, it would be funny if we had "Commodore Democrats" and "Sega Republicans".
Has it been officially confirmed to be a coup attempt yet? I was under the impression that it was still just the president declaring marshal law out of nowhere.
Has it been officially confirmed to be a coup attempt yet? I was under the impression that it was still just the president declaring marshal law out of nowhere.
The situation is still in-flux, but basically the ruling President with no plan or buildup declared Martial Law, suspended the National Assembly and Freedom of the Press, and called the Opposition Party subversive Communist agents. It's unknown why he jumped the gun, but from all appearances he wanted to do something similar to the Fifth Korean Republic. Yet the National Assembly, including his own party unanimously told the military that Martial Law is over and the President must step down while almost all military members refused to participate, and those that did didn't even have loaded weapons.
Probably best to read the news forums for further discussion but yeah, it's so insanely incompetent and wild that it makes the more wilder global developments in-quest look plausible.
Probably best to read the news forums for further discussion but yeah, it's so insanely incompetent and wild that it makes the more wilder global developments in-quest look plausible.
Probably best to read the news forums for further discussion but yeah, it's so insanely incompetent and wild that it makes the more wilder global developments in-quest look plausible.
Wait, what happened in reality? I try not to follow the news.
Anyway, I find it a bit funny that in this timeline Scarface comes out nearly a year after OTL. Many of our projects thus far came several years prior to OTL release.
"Hello and welcome to EPCOT Magazine, our daily adventure into the world of great ideas!" Presented the familiar and friendly face of Michael Young.
Michael Young had only been performing for three months as host, but already he seemed to have become quite popular with Disney families. Referred to as a "Disney Cronkite" by the media, Michael helped the Disney Channel to be an engaging and reliable source of news about the changing world, creating a vision of wonder and optimism for tomorrow, just as Walt intended.
"Today we are right in front of the Japan Pavilion where we shall be joined by some friends of ours across the Pacific to check out the latest video game console, the Nintendo Entertainment System. Joining me today is my excellent co-host, Academy nominated actor Jeff Bridges, who has plenty of experience with video games as the star of the hit movie Tron." Michael greets, gesturing to Jeff besides him.
"How you doing Mouseketeers?" Jeff said with a smile and wave, "As Kevin Flynn I journeyed into a computer, but I have to admit that I haven't had too much experience with either computers or video games in real life, so today's going to be a learning experience for you and me."
"Let's see what else we have to learn on today's broadcast."
"Yesterday the split atom was used to end wars, tomorrow they shall take us to new Frontiers. Johnny Capaldi travels to Houston where he is taken on a tour of NASA's NERVA rocket research, the new backbone of the Artemis program."
"Want to read a novel but simply don't have the time to sit down with a good book? Audibrary over in New Jersey has proposed a novel solution with so-called audio books, recorded readings of books over casette tapes with Audibrary going above and beyond to bring you the most immersive experience."
"Amber Partridge takes a trip to Marvel comics to get an insight on manga, and how imported Japanese authors and homegrown American artists are providing their own spin on this medium."
"Simon Bennett shares with you the essential tips for camping and how to rough it in the great outdoors."
"Join Jeff Bridges and I as we take a tour of the new Nintendo exhibit at Communicore where we step into the world of video games and see how Disney has already made its first games. All on today's EPCOT Magazine." The episode shifts to Michael and Jeff walking down EPCOT in front of the Communicore
"Tell me Jeff, when it comes to video games, what's the first thing that pops to mind?" Michael asks the celebrity guest.
"Well, the first thing is the arcades with all the neat cabinets like Pac-Man and Galaga. A lot of the home computers coming out like the Apple II and Commodore 64 also have neat programs for you to play and learn." Jeff said.
"Would you believe me if I said that the future of video games wasn't in tight and packed arcades or on big bulky computers, but in sleek, compact computers for the family?" Michael said.
"Like Pong?" Jeff said in performed excitement.
"Sort of, but the ones we'll be looking at got a lot more color and action, bringing the power of the Arcade to your home. Today we'll be heading into the CommuniCore to join our good friends at Nintendo to look at their latest innovation. But first, some context." Michael begins.
"Nintendo is one of Japan's oldest companies, dating back all the way to 1889 when it was founded by Fusajiro Yamauchi. The company was made to create and sell playing cards, and nearly 25 years ago the company entered into partnership with Walt Disney, creating and distributing Disney trading cards with all of our iconic and beloved characters, becoming a hit for young children in Japan."
"While Nintendo dominated Japan's card industry, they had a strong drive to expand and bring more fun to Japanese families and people of all ages. This lead Nintendo to diversify in the 60s and become a toy giant, creating many beloved toylines and tabeltop games, becoming a household name in Japan in the same vein as Mattel and Hasbro for us in the states. In recent years, they have begun exporting many products to the states that you might be familiar with." Jeff informed, the program showing a montage of Nintendo's history and products.
"But what you might be most familiar with for Nintendo is their venture into Arcades. In 1979, Nintendo took the world by storm with their smash hit Donkey Kong, quickly rising in the charts and only falling behind Pac-man and Galaga in sales." Michael said, with accompanying footage of the classic.
"Since then Nintendo has made over two dozen Arcade machines and a week ago they released their latest creation to Japan and North America, the Famicon, or Nintendo Entertainment System, NES for us Americans." Jeff added.
The two then headed into the Centorium, a wide and expansive gift shop of sorts which displayed many of the technologies on hand at EPCOT for sale, with a corner set up as an exhibit for Nintendo.
"To give us an introduction to the NES is one of Nintendo's leading video game programmers, the creator of Donkey Kong, Mr. Shigeru Miyamato." Michael introduces, he and Jeff greeting Miyamoto with an accompanied translator.
"Thank you very much for having me today!" Miyamoto said with a wide smile and deep bow, which was then quickly translated by his aid.
"Have you been enjoying your time in Disney so far Mr. Miyamoto?" Michael asked.
"It's very fun. Even better than Tokyo Disney and the Japan Pavilions was very beautiful and respectful." Miyamoto said politely.
"Miyamoto-san, what exactly is the NES?" Jeff asked.
"The NES is a family computer where users of all ages can play Arcade quality games from their home television with an affordable price. It is part of our mission to spread fun and joy to everyone from childhood to old age. At first it was just for Japan, and now we share this Nintendo magic with America. Once you have a Famicon, you simply plug it into a television set with the correct cables, and press the on button." Miyamoto said, with him then showing the startup process.
"So where are the games?" Michael asked.
"Each one of our games is built into a cartridge, which has the storage and memory of the applications and programs of each game. The cartridge is pushed into the Famicon here, and the Famicon reads and processes the data to display on the screen." Miyamoto demonstrates, with Super Mario Bros. then starting up.
"Well at least I won't need a bucket of quarters on hand to play as much as I want." Michael commented.
"And it's a lot simpler to play with a controller than getting sucked in." Jeff joked, making all laugh.
"With the controller I press the buttons to control the player character, in this case Mario, and it sends signals to the Famicon to display the input commands. Mario can move left or right, and he can jump like this." Miyamoto demonstrated.
"So what is the purpose of video games, what is the end goal for each game?" Michael asked, as Miyamoto played the first level of Mario, with a small audience of onlookers wowed at the display.
"Traditionally, Arcade games have been all about securing a score as high as possible. With the Famicon, we have tried to tell a story in most of our games, an adventure that players can participate in. For Super Mario, Mario is on a mission to rescue the lovely Princess Toadstool who has been kidnapped by Bowser, a fierce and evil dragon turtle. He goes on a quest through the Mushroom Kingdom and has to defeat Bowser and his minions." Miyamoto explained, with him clearing the level with ease. "We also have sports games where we replicate sports like tennis or soccer and people can play with one another in their home."
"This looks pretty cool. Mind if I give it a try? I'm something of a video game veteran if I do say so myself." Jeff jokes.
Miyamoto hands the controller to Jeff who plays on the second level. "Do you have any advice for how to play?" Jeff asks.
"In testing our players lean to two ways. Some take it slow and easy, defeating the opponents one at a time and exploring the levels. The others like to rush and go fast, constantly jumping and using momentum to carry through the stage." Miyamoto explained.
"I think I'll do that. I saw that the time helped to increase score so I gotta-" Jeff said, only to speed to fast and land on a piranha plant with Mario dying to a shared laugh.
The video then cut to another game, "Now, we've heard that Nintendo partnered with Disney to make some video games?" Michael asked.
"Yes. We have created three video games with Nintendo. DuckTales, Duck Dodgers, and Mickey Mousecapade. For time I shall show you Mickey Mousecapade." Miyamoto said, then offering a controller to Michael and Jeff. "This game sees Mickey and Minnie go on an adventure where they must travel multiple Disney worlds to save Alice from Alice in Wonderland from Snow White's Evil Queen."
"You'd think she learn not to mess with Mickey after he and the Looney Tunes sent her and the other villains out flying." Jeff joked, referencing the Looney Tunes go to Disney World.
"In this game, two players can play at the same time with Mickey and Minnie, and they can help each other fight the Evil Queen's Minions. They have some funny attacks, but you can discover several items in the stages to help you on your journey."
Footage then showed gameplay of Mickey Mouscepade, with Michael and Jeff getting the hang of it and clearing the level.
"Wow, it's like I'm in a Disney movie." Michael commented.
The footage then cut to them facing Miyamoto again. "Right now Nintendo is offering the NES for sale for the great price of $199.99, and such a purchase comes with any two Nintendo video games you want as included. It's available at select retailers across the nation, and Disney fans can purchase the NES for a limited window at the Centorium here at EPCOT." Michael advertised, part of the agreement with Nintendo.
"It super good deal!" Miyamoto said in accented English with an infectious smile and two thumbs up. He had a somewhat basic grasp of conversational English and just wanted to say something fun for the company. Little did he know was that this would later become one of Nintendo's most famous memes decades down the line.
"Miyamoto-san, I have to ask after the Video Game Crash with Atari near a year and a half ago, many of our viewers at home are cautious and weary about video games in general. What would you say to address these concerns?" Jeff asked.
Miyamoto took a slight bow, "To our American viewers, I must apologize that the actions that dishonorable actors in our industry caused to taint the medium." Miyamoto stated. While Nintendo was in no way responsible, they felt a strong obligation to save, if not redeem the industry from Atari's folly.
"We at Nintendo sympathize with your pain and betrayal, and we swear that we will always be a company for the consumer and family first. Our games are not cheap gimmicks for Yen and Dollars, they are art meant to provide entertainment, create beautiful memories, and deliver fun for years and years to come. That is the Nintendo promise." Miyamoto delivered.
"And just where do you see video games in the future, like in the 21st century?" Michael asked.
"I think like the car that video games will get better as time marches on, each new creation better than the last. One day I believe Nintendo will create games similar to movies in looks and storytelling. Most importantly, video games will provide a unique experience like no other as you control the story, and we shall create the best adventures." Miyamoto earnestly said.
-Excerpt from EPCOT Magazine Weekend Special, July 23rd, 1983
"Hello?" Bruce asked on the other end of the line.
"Hey Bruce, it's Cat." Catherine Powell greeted. She was in the middle of writing her next novel but had gotten the urge to talk to her brother.
"Cat? I didn't know Ginger could talk." Bruce joked.
"Ha-ha." Cat said dryly with rolled eyes. Bruce had made all sorts of jokes about her nickname when they were little and stopped when he was around eight, only to then resume them in full force when he adopted Ginger.
"How's Batman doing? Carrie said it's going about as well as last time." Cat inquired.
"Well, that's a good thing. Columbia still has the Gotham set from last time so it was pretty easy to get into everything, just been getting all the new actors into the feel of Batman and getting the choreography down right."
"That's good to here. Although it's depressing that you won't do some work for your sister's company but you'll gladly switch colors for your comic rivals." Cat joked. She didn't mind too much, but it would be nice to work with Bruce.
"Hey if Disney had bought Batman then I'd be all for it. Besides, everytime I go to Disneyland I'm paying part of your paycheck." Bruce jested back.
"Yeah, like one cent." Cat said, shaking her head mirthfully. "By the way, I went to see Flash Gordon with William and Sarah last Friday. It was a pretty good movie. I can see where Star Wars got some of its inspiration from."
"Glad to hear, yeah George was super stoked that everything came together so well. He grew up on Flash Gordon and wanted to make it himself, but he never got the rights so we ended up with Star Wars. What a world that would have been?"
"I suspect you're super disappointed to not have starred in that and have Carrie wear a skimpy space bikini." Cat joked, Bruce's silence being all the answer she needed.
"How is the House of Mouse reacting?" Bruce asked, changing the subject.
"There were dozens of Sci-Fi scripts coming in before and there's likely to be hundreds in the coming days. With Flash Gordon and Conan, Pulp is back in style so lots of people in the Disney circle are hoping to do their own spin, either through an adaptation or original work."
"That'd be pretty neat. Hope they do more Duck Dodgers shorts for the movies or a Looney Tunes show. Was one of Daffy's best shorts and they never really followed."
With Bruce's words, a light bulb lit in Cat's brain and she leaned back in her chair, sported a wicked cheshire grin, "Or maybe what Daffy needs is a Duck Dodgers movie?" She teased.
"Oh Lord, what have I done?"
Disney Movie Pitch: Duck Dodgers Written by: Catherine Powell Format: Animated Movie Genre: Science Fiction, Pulp Sub-Genre: Action, Comedy
Premise: Based on the titular short, Duck Dodgers is an epic science fiction pulp adventure movie featuring Daffy Duck as Duck Dodgers, a test pilot from the 20th century who was placed in cryostasis after developing an incurable diseases, with the cryopod to be one last mission. Waking up in the 2330s, Duck begins his new life by joining the United Systems (a pan-galactic state lead by a unified Earth) as a daring and hotshot pilot for its military and exploration arm the Starforce, thanks to a mixture of skill and incredible dumb luck along with Dodgers giving an air of super competence and mastery to mask his deficiencies.
The start of the film sees Porky Pig as the Eager Young Space Cadet be assigned to Duck Dodgers' ship as his second in command. The two comedically come into increasing conflict as Porky's boy scout perfectionism clashes with Daffy's daring and bold command. They also have fights with Commander Marvin over the obtaining of technology related to "Acmenium" Weaponry which each views the other as using in an arms race for a first strike. In truth, the arms race is being manipulated by the Martian Dr. Woe who is manipulating both sides to a total war. Thus Dodgers with Porky, Marvin and the Martian Queen Tyr'ahnee must unite to put a stop to Woe's plans before the galaxy is destroyed.
Cast
Captain Duck Dodgers: The protagonist, Duck Dodgers is a a living legend of the 24th 1/2 century who is said to have saved the galaxy numerous times and is a hero of the United Systems. However, in truth Dodgers is a heavily incompetent and bumbling person with an absurd degree of divine luck which manages to win him the day, but few notice as his high confidence and charisma mask these mistakes as genius acts. Dodgers is a man shown as having a brash, prideful and arrogant personality, but this is largely a cover with Dodgers suffering heavily from impostor syndrome, as in the past he was a joke of the test pilots and never taken seriously, thus he strives to be a hero in the future that he never was, fully aware of his incompetence. Despite his flaws, he does genuinely want to help others and be a hero, though he usually stumbles heavily in his attempts.
Cadet Porky Paige: A studious, eager and optimistic Space Cadet, Porky is the exact opposite of Duck Dodgers. He is very competent and super intelligent, but has major self-esteem issues and his mild-mannered personality and stutter make many overlook him. Porky is a naive, by the book and kind soul who joined Starforce to make the galaxy a better place. Porky idolizes Duck Dodgers and at first is very eager to serve under him, believing Dodgers to be everything he isn't and wanting to be like him. Over the film the two bond and complement each other's flaws and character.
Dr. IQ Hi: A leading scientist of the United Systems and placed as Dodger's direct superior. IQ was the one who revived Duck Dodgers and while they are frequently at each other's throats and bicker, they are good friends with IQ being one of the only people Dodgers confides in and is truthful of. IQ is also the mentor of Porky and believes he will help to better Dodgers.
Commander Marvin X-2: The Commander of the Martian Royal Guard, Marvin is Dodgers' sworn nemesis and frequently buts heads with him in various adventures where Earth and Mars are pit together. He has a rather posh attitude but can rather easily be prone to fits of anger, most especially by Dodgers. Marvin is one of the only people who recognizes Duck Dodgers true incompetence which fuels him to best Dodgers, most especially out of personal devotion to Queen Tyr-ahnee.
K-9: Marvin's trusty and loyal dog sidekick who does his best to complete his master's missions, is used as comedic relief.
Queen Tyr'ahnee: The ruling Queen of Mars, Tyr'ahnee while an ambitious and vain autocrat and often placed as a rival of Earth, is a very competent, kind and brave woman who is beloved by her people. A skilled and intelligent ruler, Tyr-ahnee often leads from the field and can fight her way out of trouble. Comedically, she has a hero worship and crush of Duck Dodgers and believes him to be the greatest and most dangerous hero in the Universe.
Dr. Woe: IQ's Martian Counterpart, Dr. Woe is a mad scientist with a massive ego and god complex, believing all other life forms beneath him. He tires under his work, heavily irritated at Tyr'ahnee for her reforms and abandonment of Martian Eugenics and often overlooking Woe. Woe schemes to have Earth and Mars go to war and destroy each other so he can rule over the ashes of the galaxy and create it in his image.
Admiral Steven Otto Brash: One of the leading military officers of the United System's Starforce. Brash is a war hawk who holds high xenophobia for Martians and believes Earth must use all means to destroy Mars before they eclipse the US. power. He parades Dodgers as a patriot and relies on him to fight the Martians. In actuality, Brash is being manipulated by Dr. Woe to ensure that Earth commits to war and its total destruction.
