Capcom is making a smurfing iPhone game to tie in with the Smurfs movie slated for next summer.
Smurfs’ Village is a free game in which you’ll be asked to rebuild the eponymous settlement after it has been sacked by the villain Gargamel. Starting with just one mushroom hut, red-hat wearing Papa Smurf will guide you in your quest to build “specialized houses, elaborate gardens with colorful crops, bridges to span running rivers,” and “trodden paths.” Smurfette will be in the game, but I doubt we will get any explanation as to why she’s the only female Smurf available. While the app is free, lazy players can buy Smurfberries to speed up tasks, much like FarmVille, but there will also be cutesy minigames that will earn the player bonuses. Smurfs’ Village will be out in November 2010, and Capcom plans to provide continuous updates. You can, of course, link the game with your Facebook account to share your Smurfiness with your friends.
“Smurfs’ Village brings the fun and cooperative nature of social games to the charming world of the Smurfs for the first time,” said Midori Yuasa from Capcom. “Every element in the village is full of detail, and players can take these building blocks, tap into their own creativity, and make something completely unique and wonderful to share with others.”
I have fond memories of waking up early on Saturday mornings, way before my parents or older siblings even began to stir, to sit in front of the tube with my big bowl of Honey Nut Cheerios and watch cartoons. These animated gems were my first introduction to the worlds of fantasy that I would come to love. I watched The Snorks, Adventures of the Gummi Bears and even The Real Ghostbusters religiously; it was a weekly ritual. And while I definitely watched the Smurfs cartoon and enjoyed them, as I grew older my tastes ran more towards more “adult” fare like Transformers. Then Michael Bay came and shattered my love of Optimus Prime and company and it looks like this Smurfs game will do the same.
I have one question regarding this game and the 3D live-action movie that it promotes: Why? Why must they constantly mess with my childhood? Isn’t there value in leaving well enough alone?
Ok, glad I got that off my chest. Whew.
