Scott Pilgrim EX isn't just a retro-styled throwback powered by the nostalgia fueled series from Bryan Lee O'Malley, its roots go back to the modern day beat 'em up revival trend itself. The likes of Streets of Rage 4, Marvel Cosmic Invasion, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge have become genre all-timers – and they all owe a debt to 2010's Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game. The scrappy Ubisoft brawler based on the cult-classic film based on the beloved comic influenced many a teenager in ways they still cringe about in the shower 15 years later, modernizing the River City Ransom style with a helping of gorgeous pixel art and an incredible Anamanaguchi-scored chiptune soundtrack.
But Scott Pilgrim Fever all went away for a while. The comic ended earlier that year, the movie was a one-off, and the game eventually disappeared from online stores. But with the Scott Pilgrim Takes Off anime series on Netflix bringing it back with a subversive new take in 2023, a follow-up to a beloved brawler seems like a slam dunk. Scott Pilgrim EX is that game, announced earlier this year and telling an entirely original story with an all-new cast of fighters (barring Scott and Ramona, obviously). And it's developed by Tribute Games, who not only created the aforementioned amazing TMNT game but was formed by developers of the original Scott Pilgrim game.
