Written by Well this will be a little disappointing news to some.
While HE-MANIA.COM did not receive a press release for the exciting “He-Man and the Masters of the Universe: Dragon Pearl of Destruction” video game developed by Bitmap Bureau and distributed by Limited Run Games….
…reportedly the news website TSA did and revealed some interesting information about the upcoming game coming April 28th.
Here is what TSA (The Sixth Access) reported (which Steam seems to confirm as well):
"Each character has their own fight style, and He-Man can even ride Battle Cat into battle to take on Skeletor’s minions.
"For She-Ra fans, worry not as she is an unlockable character that can be used in the campaign.
"He-Man and the Masters of the Universe: Dragon Pearl of Destruction will feature 12 stages to play through with two player local co-op supported.
"The game has been confirmed for PC, Switch, PS5, and Xbox Series XS."
"Source: Press Release"
In regards to She-Ra being an unlockable character, it looks like you will have to play through the entire campaign before you can unlock the Princess of Power to play as her.
In regards to “two player local co-op supported“, fans were hoping to be able to play online with friends and family via a four player (or two player at the very least) online cooperative play.
If this report is accurate and it only supports a local two player option, it will mean players have to be in the same room together to play together. Bummer.
Here is the synopsis that Limited Run Game posted with their video:
"As Eternia prepares for the Royal Festival of Light, Hover Bots attack the palace, revealing the dastardly plan: Skeletor and his allies kidnap King Randor and Queen Marlena and steal the Dragon Pearl! At Castle Grayskull, Skeletor drains the Sorceress’ power into the Pearl, shattering it across the kingdom and leaving her weak. Our heroes, He-Man, Teela, and Man-at-Arms, pursue him across Eternia in this authentic 16-bit tale of sword and sorcery, one 40 years in the making! "Massive boss battles, a major cast of familiar characters and locations, magic attacks, and POWER! Team up with a friend and take on Skeletor's evil army across Eternia in this ultimate arcade-style battle, one that Masters of the Universe always deserved! "You have the power on April 28, 2026!"
And here is Steam’s details, confirming the above info about two player local co-op play and She-Ra can only be played in future playthroughs:
I HAVE THE POWER!
Take control of He-Man, Man-At-Arms, and Teela in a fast-paced, magic-brawler that blends the crunch of arcade classics with the high-fantasy action of the animated series. Harness character-specific moves, devastating special abilities, and screen-clearing magic to decimate the forces of evil.
Key Features
Stunning Retro Revival: Experience Eternia like never before with massive, highly-detailed pixel-art sprites and lush environments that look exactly like the original 1980s cartoon come to life.
A Legendary Roster: Play as He-Man, Man-At-Arms, Teela and unlock She-Ra as a playable character in future playthroughs! Each hero features a unique playstyle, from He-Man’s raw power to Teela’s agile staff combat.
Ride into Battle: It wouldn't be Masters of the Universe without Battle Cat! Mount He-Man’s fearless feline companion to tear through Skeletor’s minions with tooth and claw.
12 Action-Packed Stages: Battle your way across the diverse landscapes of Eternia, from the Royal Palace and the Vine Jungle to the dark corridors of Snake Mountain.
Classic Co-op Action: Team up with a friend in 2-player local co-op to deliver double the justice. Perfect for those who grew up playing side-by-side at the arcade.
Deep-Cut Villains: Square off against iconic foes including Skeletor, Evil-Lyn, Beast Man, and Trap Jaw, along with deep-lore appearances like the dark sorceress Shokoti and the Shadow Beasts.
We’ll see you next time.
Lousy news bros. Here I thought is was gonna be 4 player like TMNT and instead it’s basically 1 unless my wife wants to play which she wont.
Hmmm… I have a hard time believing that this will be limited to two-player local co-op.
Everything, from Scott Pilgrim, Double Dragon, Streets of Rage 4, and TMNT Shredder’s Revenge, to the most recent Marvel Cosmic Invasion supports 4-Player local AND online play.
This would be a huge miss for the company if folks cannot get together to defend Eternia online… if it releases like that, I’d imagine that a patch / DLC will be released to rectify the situation soon after.
Believe it. Limited Run’s website says it too.
At last, a good pretext to invest in a PS5 (lol).
@onlyoneskeletor I bought an Xbox Series S last week basically just so I can get this
Upon rewatching the trailer, it never looks like there’s more than two characters on a screen at a time during combat. It’s a little disappointing, as I liked the idea of 4-player combat, but maybe it’s a balancing issue.
I’m not disappointed to hear about “local" though. I’ve always been a Couch Co-Op Kid (age 32 lol).
Sure hope it’s not TOO hard to unlock She-Ra, haha…
Having only 4 characters is rare nowadays too. This would be a perfect franchise to add additional Masters with DLC. Hopefully they will add 4-player co-op later as well. The gameplay quality looks really great, so I’m very hopeful about this game, and 12 levels is quite a bit. With the movie coming out, they should really go all out with this game.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge came out a few years ago and had 4-player local and online co-op. It was great.
Bummer. Looks like there’s less content compared to other games of its kind. That being said, I still like these types of games. I’ll give it a try.
Yeah, so far it seems pretty bare-bones… however, if the developers continue to support the game after release (similar to how DotEMU did with Shredder’s Revenge or ARC with Double Dragon ROTD) then I’d expect some type of DLC that included a rogue-like element, new playable characters, and (fingers crossed) online multiplayer…