Cartoon Network To Launch Its First Original Mobile Game, Get The Details

The folks over at Cartoon Network Studios have put together a brand new mobile game but, surprisingly enough, it isn’t based on any of the studios existing hit properties. Instead, it’s a wholly original game called OK K.O.! Lakewood Plaza Turbo, and it arrives today on mobile.

Launching today for iOS and Android, OK K.O.! is all about a radical hero named K.O., who must battle their way through a world gone mad in order to take out the evil Lord Boxman.

In the game, you’ll learn new special abilities, some spiffy new fighting moves and utilize helpful items in order to destroy sinister robots and save your beloved Lakewood Plaza. Given that setup and all of the robotic bosses you’ll be facing, as well as the fact that the game is set in the year 201X, it’s clear that one of OK K.O.!’s biggest inspirations is none other than the beloved Mega Man series. The gameplay, however, is more akin to what you might expect out of old school beat-em-ups like Gauntlet, River City Ransom or, more recently, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World.

In case the game’s animation style seems familiar, it’s because OK K.O.!’s designs come from none other than Ian Jones-Quartey, who is also responsible for a little show known as Steven Universe, as well as Adventure Time and The Venture Bros..

Since all of those properties already have their own games, it’s nice to see that Jones-Quartey is being given a chance to do something original with Cartoon Network’s latest game. And if the game takes off, maybe we’ll get a show out of it, yeah? That’s the opposite of how things normally work, but we’d be all for it.

According to a report from Venturebeat, Jones-Quartey co-produced OK K.O.! with Toby Jones of Regular Show, and the game will be available free of charge. We’re not sure how Cartoon Network plans to make a few bucks on a free game but, based on the trailer and everything else we’ve seen related to the game, it certainly appears to be a fully fleshed-out romp. Honestly, this looks more like something we’re used to seeing on consoles, so here’s hoping Cartoon Network’s gamble pays off and this helps lead the way to more mobile games that don’t involve matching gems or collecting and battling monsters.

It typically takes a bit of work for a mobile game to perk up my ears, but OK K.O.! has pulled off that feat with ease.