Cartoon Network Mass Effect

Cartoon Network Mass Effect is a science-fantasy action role-playing video game developed by BioWare, produced by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and published by Electronic Arts for PlayStation 3, Wii U, Xbox 360, PC, Macintosh and mobile devices. It's the first game in the Cartoon Network Mass Effect franchise, as a result of a collaboration between BioWare and Cartoon Network, less unlike Disney and Square Enix's Kingdom Hearts which combines characters and settings from the Disney animation and Final Fantasy franchise. The story was written by Ken Pontac, Warren Graff and Adam Beechen. The game combines characters and settings from Cartoon Network's original animated material with those from BioWare's Mass Effect saga.

It focuses on Commander Sheppard who joins the Powerpuff Girls, Dexter, Samurai Jack, Ben Tennyson, and Finn and Jake who help him on his quest.

The game was developed using Unreal Engine 3 and reutilized Cartoon Network characters' regular voice actors. It was praised for the unexpectedly harmonious, often hilarious, mix of BioWare and Cartoon Network elements.

Gameplay
As players progress through the game, they can receive some Cartoon Network characters; they are Supercow (from Cow and Chicken), Scooby-Doo (the only Hanna-Barbera character to appear in this game), Bloo (from Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends), Megas XLR, Fred Fredburger (from The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy) and the Kids Next Door, each with their own unique abilities.

Setting
Some levels are based on Cartoon Network continuity, primarily from their original programming (formerly known as Cartoon Cartoons). Others returned from previous Mass Effect installments.

The graphics and characters of each level were created to match the artwork style of its respective Cartoon Network show.

Characters
The collaboration between Cartoon Network and BioWare resulted in a familiar mix of well-known Cartoon Network and BioWare characters.

As a game meant to explore the fictional universes of numerous Cartoon Network shows, several CN characters are feature in a huge variety of capacities. Many of them are given major roles in the story, while others make cameo appearances, most notably Droopy Dog (a Tex Avery character prominent on well-known MGM cartoons) in a similar fashion to his cameo appearances on Roger Rabbit media. Available summoned characters include the aforementioned Scooby-Doo, Bloo, Supercow, Megas XLR, Fred Fredburger and the KND.

BioWare also incorporated several Mass Effect characters in the game. Miranda Lawson makes a major appearance in the Samurai Jack-themed level.

Development
The initial idea for the game began with a discussion about Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus. BioWare wanted to make a "toon-shaded" video game like Sly Cooper and pitched a Mass Effect crossover game with The Powerpuff Girls to Cartoon Network Enterprises. The production team consisted of over one hundred members from both BioWare and Cartoon Network. The game originally featured a more simple story to appeal Cartoon Network's target age range. After Electronic Arts warned that the game would be the worst game to be ever made if it did not aim for the same level as the Mass Effect series, they started focused more on story development. Cartoon Network gave BioWare all the freedom they wanted on developing the game, as long as they respected the heart, soul and essence of the CN original shows.

The game was produced by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and published by Electronic Arts. BioWare used Autodesk software to develop the game. The concept artwork for the Cartoon Network characters and levels was entirely done by the original artists from their respective shows at Cartoon Network Studios in Burbank, California.

The characters were chosen for their popularity and for parallels between them from both universes. Space Ghost was originally going to appear in the game as a DLC, but it was vetoed by representatives from Hanna-Barbera/Warner Bros. Animation.

Release
For the release of a collector's edition, a new cover was created by Joe Bennett and Christopher Cook. Also included in the collector's edition is a comic book prequel which was illustrated by Ben Bates.