Warner Bros. and Microsoft revealed a tie-in video game for the upcoming Space Jam: A New Legacy, the long-awaited sequel to the 1996 film about Looney Tunes characters playing hoops, back in December as part of a marketing drive for the film.
Not only that, but they were taking fan opinions and pitches for what kind of game they should make. With the film set to hit theaters next month, the duo is eager to show off what the game is all about.
Microsoft and Warner Bros. chose a retro-inspired 2D beat ’em up game dubbed Space Jam: A New Legacy – The Game, which was intended to be purposefully evocative of 90s arcade games. Digital Eclipse is the studio behind the game, which has previously worked on the Mega Man Legacy Collection (a collection of the first six Mega Man games) and remasters of old Disney games.
The corporations do give credit to the game’s supporters, like Narayan from India, who won the junior tournament, and Ricky from the United States, who took first place in the adult category. The latter was the one who recommended a conventional beat ’em up game, which has been combined with Narayan’s game principles.
Players will control LeBron James, Bugs Bunny, and Lola Bunny as they try to escape the Warner Bros. server while facing an army of foes dispatched by the game’s main villain, Al G. Rhythm (played in the movie by Don Cheadle). From July 1st to July 15th, it will be accessible as an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate exclusive before becoming a free-to-play title for everyone. Some aspects remain unknown, such as whether the game will support co-op multiplayer (despite the clip implying that it will) and what the free-to-play components will entail.
In addition, three new Space Jam 2 Xbox wireless controllers will be released on July 8th, with a retail price of $69.99. The first is based on the Tune Squad (a.k.a. the Looney Tunes) and has carrot orange hues as well as a piece of the Looney Tunes emblem. The second is based on the hostile Goon Squad and features a purple and black color scheme, while the third is based on the Serververse, Al G’s virtual realm.
LeBron James reprises his role as himself in Space Jam 2, in which he and his kid are stuck in the Serververse. To save his son, he must assemble a basketball team composed of members of the Looney Tunes cast and defeat Al G.’s top team of players.
