Look, we live in a gaming age and space where all sorts of things happen because of the success of a single hardware or software entity. For example, do you remember when the Nintendo Wii came out, and it was the biggest thing ever because of the motion controls? Do you remember what happened after that success? Yeah, both Sony and Microsoft tried to make their own versions of motion controls to “cash in on things,” and it backfired on them heavily. In the case of successful video games like Black Myth Wukong, they face the “wrath” of smaller developers who try to rip them off so they can make a quick buck.
We’re not joking about this, either. In past times, you’d sometimes see a relevant developer or publisher create a decent “clone” of a hit AAA title to siphon off some of the fans. Yet, in more recent times, we see straight-up knockoff bargain bin clones that don’t even try to hide what they’re copying. In the case of Black Myth Wukong, there’s a game on the Nintendo eShop right now called Wukong Sun: Black Legend that’ll release on the 26th. Yeah, that’s not subtle at all. The description doesn’t inspire confidence in anything either:
“Embark on an epic Journey to the West in Wukong Sun: Black Legend. Step into the role of the immortal Wukong, the legendary Monkey King, as he battles through a chaotic world teeming with powerful monsters and untold dangers. Explore a story inspired by Chinese mythology, filled with action-packed battles, stunning environments, and legendary foes.”
As others have correctly noted, this isn’t just shameless; it’s exploitive in various ways. For example, unlike the “Game of the Year” nominee, this title is 2D and not an expansive 3D adventure rendered on Unreal Engine 5.
Plus, others point out that this game likely was produced so quickly because it’s not a completely new title but a literal reskin of something that came out before. To be fair, this kind of thing has happened in past generations, including with a certain infamous Mario title, but that was done for certain difficulty reasons, not to rip off another property. This title is absolutely being made to try and trick those who loved the title by Game Science into playing this one to have a “similar experience,” even though we highly doubt it’ll be anything memorable.
Just as sad is that there have been many such “clones” of other titles on the Nintendo eShop recently. So, be careful what you buy.
