Documents of the old designs Skullgirls (including demo)

[Shamash-Nui]

*I AM NOT THE ORIGINAL OWNER, I saved this post (word.doc) of the old skullheart forum and now I recover for the new forum:

...v

For those that did not know, Alex Ahad graduated from UCLA. He has mentioned several times in interviews that Skullgirls' conception began while still at school. Following that lead, I was curious if any remnants from that bygone era remained. Turns out, like the ruins of a long-forgotten civilization, they do for those who look.

Following the path of his old UCLA website, and mostly through luck, I have found an interesting repository.

This is perhaps where I should add my disclaimer. I am not the first to find these files, and a quick google shows links to these files were posted on shoryuken and the like way back as early as 2011. They were ignored for the most part, both by Mike_Z and others. Also, these files are (obviously) completely publicly available. In fact, I am sure some on these forums already knows about what I am going to show. That being said, if any Alex Ahad or any member of the Skullgirls team feels this is private, I will delete the links and apologize profusely (please don't hurt me).

Without further ado, and for those were not in the know,

Behold: http://users.design.ucla.edu/~ahad/199/


It seems to be files from an UCLA design course where Alex Ahad fleshed out ideas for Skullgirls. I have only briefly glaced at the documents, but some interesting things show up.

Original character Bios:

http://users.design.ucla.edu/~ahad/199/sg_chara_desc.txt

Notice that there are eight characters. Also notice however, that they are not the 8 that came with the game. Noticeably missing is Valentine and Double, although Valentine is mentioned in Painwheel's Bios. Perhaps they are missing because they are villains (or anti-heroes). In any case, in their steed, Umbrella and Squigly appears. This explains why there were originally in line to be the first DLCs, they were supposed to be main characters! Also interesting is references to the Chess kingdom, which I have never heard mentioned thereafter, and "magic".

Demo Script:

http://users.design.ucla.edu/~ahad/199/demo_script_idea.txt

I do not have much to say about this, other than that it is interesting to read.

Attacks and animation for Peacock and Fillia:

http://users.design.ucla.edu/~ahad/199/Characters/Peacock/

http://users.design.ucla.edu/~ahad/199/Characters/Filia/

Ohhh, shiny art.

Both had "super mode" concepts. Clearly, this was meant to be a part of the game, but removed in future development. I, however, kind of want peacock super mode back.

Perhaps it is just me, but in those pictures, Peacock seems older. Was it changed in further design? Andy Anvil, by the way, is shown with a tommy gun.

Fillia seems to be similar, but her using a sword seems off now. And no offense to young Alex, but ringlet spire is significantly better than Samson coughing up a cat-like hairball as a hadouken.

Demo (!!!):

http://users.design.ucla.edu/~ahad/199/Demo/

I have not downloaded them. I do not know what they contain. A burning curiosity is pushing me in directions I may not want to go.

Old Pixel Art:

http://users.design.ucla.edu/~ahad/199/Pixel/


Huh. Interesting.

Portraits:

http://users.design.ucla.edu/~ahad/199/portraits/

They are similar to the current portraits, but easily notices the refinement and development Alex Ahad's current work has compares to the past.

Various other art and files:

Explore them yourself!

That is about it for me rambling and admiring Alex Ahad's art and creativity. I hope this information is interesting to some other curious fans.

(For even older information, check out the SG's old live journal, which I have linked in this thread: http://skullheart.com/forums/index.php? ... urnal.510/)

 

[Mike_Z]

in their steed

"in their stead". ("Instead" is a combination of these words.)

a quick google shows links to these files were posted on shoryuken and the like way back as early as 2011. They were ignored for the most part, both by Mike_Z and others.

That's what you think. :^)

And 2011 isn't early for SG stuff, considering the files themselves were up in 2005-2006...

::vanish::

 

[Flotilla]

http://o-8.livejournal.com/2003/04/30/

This is the very first (explicit) reference to anything that would eventually become a Skullgirls character that Alex Ahad has posted anywhere online. Dated April 30th, 2003; over a decade ago. Sadly, the pictures are no longer hosted.

Spoiler: Videos here!

Here is gameplay of the Ryan Tharp (former programmer)-era version of Skullgirls, from the demo you posted.

Here is gameplay of the Zinac (other former programmer)-era version of Skullgirls. APPARENTLY this may have been posted on Skullgirls' old forums around 2008 or so, but is now likely lost forever.

Here's a trailer of Skullgirls circa 2008 (Zinac-era). Note the very nice music by Kenny Wood!

 

[chickenwithtie]

http://skullgirls.com/forums/index.php?threads/pub-tenkuu-net-recovery-archive.4649/

 

[Shamash-Nui]

"in their stead". ("Instead" is a combination of these words.)


That's what you think. :^)

And 2011 isn't early for SG stuff, considering the files themselves were up in 2005-2006...

::vanish::

I repeat, I am not the original owner of this post, It was created by @thecrecarc, I only copy-paste for the information so...

 

[Vadsamoht]

@Mike_Z (tagging you because I'm not sure if you'll check in here again) Slightly off topic, but as a developer does preserving the history of the games you make particularly concern you?

I'm sure much of the art that has been created for various revisions of the game get kept by the artists, but do you archive earlier versions of game versions or are you ok with the idea of them disappearing in time?

 

[Mike_Z]

@Mike_Z (tagging you because I'm not sure if you'll check in here again) Slightly off topic, but as a developer does preserving the history of the games you make particularly concern you?
I'm sure much of the art that has been created for various revisions of the game get kept by the artists, but do you archive earlier versions of game versions or are you ok with the idea of them disappearing in time?

Eh, I'm okay with SG v1.0 disappearing into the mosts of time. We keep our submissions but I have no real reason to want to see it again.
Is that what you were asking?

 

[Vadsamoht]

More or less, yeah.

 

[Undeadtoon]

Interesting.....Fortune's life gem was with her the whole time? And I really wanted that car battle image to show up....

 

[SkullMan]

I never realized that Parasoul was trying to increase her magic potential and there was something called "The Black Tree."

 

[LordTerminal]

We need to use that Kenny Wood music in the game at some point. Even if by some miracle a Skullgirls TV Show/OVA/web series/whatever gets greenlit, I could totally picture that song as background music or an opening of some kind.

::sigh:: I really wish this IP got more love so it can grow. Alex made so much stuff for this universe that I hate to see it wasted.

 

[KaboomKid]

I'm always hopeful for the future Skullgirls, but I enjoy looking at the old material sometimes just to remind myself how cool it is that the current game even exists at all.

I mean, for what felt like eons, Skullgirls was nothing more than just this cool looking idea. I followed Ahad's LJ and DA for a long time without ever really expecting much to come of it. I figured, at best, he'd get it as far as that first rough demo, and then the project would inevitably fizzle-out just like Bid for Power, Neophyte, Dream Saga, and so many other promising game projects that I'd followed for years before. Independent game development in general just seemed like a dead-end for a long time. You could barely expect anyone to finish an RPG with unique tilesets, let alone a fighting game with a finished roster of unique characters.

Some of you guys might not appreciate the scope, but Skullgirls really stands alone in an OCEAN of dead video game projects with similar beginnings. The game's a literal dream come true, and Alex and Mike's achievements might as well go down as the stuff of legends!