Foodfight! (lost build of cancelled video game based on CGI animated film; 2006-2007)

The game's title screen.

Status: Partially Found

Foodfight! was a movie from Threshold Animation Studios released in 2012, considered by many to be one the worst animated films of all time. As part of its planned marketing blitz, a tie-in game was in development for the PlayStation 2, GameCube and Game Boy Advance, later the Wii and Nintendo DS. It was being developed by Cat Daddy Games, set to be published by Global Star Software, and originally intended to be released sometime in 2006. However, this later shifted to 2007, before the game was ultimately cancelled sometime in 2008.^[1]

On June 28, 2024, LMW user Ziggy Cashmere uploaded files from the game to the Internet Archive after speaking to Cat Daddy's co-founder, Harley Howe. While these files don't include a build of the game itself, they do provide various assets including sound effects, music, references, models, cutscenes, design documents, screenshots and gameplay footage.^[2]

Gameplay

According to the game's design documents (found in the files released in 2024 under "AUDIO> Final Drop> FF> Docs"), the game would've featured both Dex Dogtective and Daredevil Dan as playable characters, with 26 stages split between platforming and flying levels (although other files suggest the number of stages may have been cut down to 15 later in development). Most of the film's cast were said to be reprising their respective characters, with Hilary Duff even having recorded some additional dialogue for her character Sunshine Goodness. The proposed Game Boy Advance version - if it ever existed - is completely lost, and very little is known about the planned DS version.

Development & Availability

An earlier version of the game was in development by Midway Games West, Inc. in 2001, using Dex's original human design. However, the game seems to have been passed on fairly early given that there is no evidence of this version existing other than concept art.^[3] Developer Ed Logg, who was at Midway during the same time frame, also confirmed that he has no memory of a game ever being made.

A playable demo of Cat Daddy's version of the game was shown off at E3 2006 as part of producer Take-Two's annual lineup. A brief shot of this booth - what was previously the only known footage of Foodfight! The Game - was uploaded to PlanetQuake4.net around the same time, then mirrored to YouTube by Roger LaMarca on May 18, 2006.^[4]

Despite its high-profile showcase, no press release or formal announcement was issued for the game on either Take-Two or Global Star's sites.^[5] Faced with the film's descent into development hell, the tie-in game seemed to have been quietly cancelled. Publisher Global Star would eventually fold into 2K Games following the creation of the 2K Play label on September 10, 2007, shortly after the game's targeted release window.^[6]