This fight is by Baron Karza. Check his stuff out here!

Steamworld Heist vs Code Name S.T.E.A.M

 

I guess a more accurate name would be agents of S.T.E.A.M vs the Steam bots but everyone is a steam bot in Steamworld so that’s why I’m somewhat hesitant calling it that. Anyway I think it’s appropriate that I end this list of match-ups with something big, a team match-up

 

Connections

Both are teams powered by steam

Both come from strategy Rpg games with shooting mechanics 

Both take inspiration from the U.S with Steamworld in general being based on the wild west(You thought there weren’t gonna be any more cowboys did ya) and just listen to the code name steam sing-a-long, it makes you bleed red, white and blue.

 

Animation

 

The fight should focus on strategy and how the character’s carefully maneuver throughout the battlefield placing themselves in areas of advantage. This match-up is basically a steam powered game of chess.

 

Set-up

 

Throughout a good chunk of steamworld heist, the steam bots have raided scrapper ships to collect water. So why not start with the steam bots boarding S.T.E.A.M’s ship the liberty to pillage it and get water.

 

Actual Animation

 

Since the fight takes place in the liberty, we can take advantage of that. Have both teams race towards the canons or fight over control of S.T.E.A.M tanks. Imagine a duel between tanks. Team S.T.E.A.M’s tank gets destroyed then Tom Sawyer (did I mention code name steam having characters from American literature? Prolly should have said that sooner) sets up a bunch of mines to destroy the Steam bots tank. Have Ivanski put himself out in the open and use his enrage/invulnerability move to lure out S.T.E.A.M agents and tank whatever they throw at him. Dorothy uses her magic shoes to get to another location to prevent the steam bots from occupying an area of advantage. The fox using the jump booster so she can get a better position for sniping. Piper carefully aims her gun to perform trick shots. Sea brass and Lion getting into a close quarters conflict.  

 

Banter

 

Now despite code name steam’s cast being pretty flat, banter could be pretty good if done right. Have both teams, discussing strategies mid battle and you can have some really emotional moments with both team’s leaders reacting to the deaths of their teammates. I would really love to see Henry Fleming’s reaction to John Henry’s death and Piper reacting to Sea Brass getting scrapped, which could lead to an epic showdown between the two. There could also be moments of humor, if you played steamworld heist then you know of the humorous dialog Piper has with other members of the gang and Henry and John have a funny relationship.

 

Music 

 

So during a fight, I think music should function like how the music in Code name steam, by that I mean the music changes depending on which team is making their move. So when the scene focuses more on S.T.E.A.M, it sounds like something from code name steam and when the scene focuses on the steam bots, it sounds more like something from Steamworld Heist.  The music would sound somewhat mechanical, resembling gears turning and an engine functioning.

As to what specific songs the track should take notes from?  Deadly Dance II – Code Name: S.T.E.A.M.

Just listen to it, its fucking beautiful. 

 

Track name: Full Steam ahead.

 

Who Would Win

 

I am a firm believer that the agents of S.T.E.A.M would come out victorious in this battle. They have a larger team consisting of 12 members, not counting the unlockable character, while the steam bots only 9, 10 counting dlc. Plus S.T.E.A.M’s soldiers were hand picked to make up the ultimate strike team against the alien menace, while the steam bots consisted of a bunch of rando’s that decided to become mercs one day. There are also a bunch of other advantages that S.T.E.A.M has over the bots. First they have methods of healing, their weaponry is far more versatile, allowing them to set up traps throughout the battlefield, they have been in longer missions so they are more mentally prepared for long and drawn out battles. In terms of stats S.T.E.A.M once again has the advantage. Their weapons are able to destroy metal barrels with ease while the bots struggle a lot more, S.T.E.A.M’s agents are also more durable being able to casually survive explosions that send them flying and withstand giant chunks of ice falling directly on top of them. So in the battle, mann beats machine (even though S.T.E.A.M has robot in their group)

 

Otto’s Comments

 

So there are two video games. In one of them, you play as steam powered robots salvaging the remains of an Earth blasted apart into a floating collection of island while fending off an empire of diesel powered robots and in the other you play as steam powered public domain characters fighting aliens in the late 19th century?

 

Man, I need to play more video games…especially STEAM. I love the art style, it reminds me of Freedom Force, and I loved Freedom Force. They do lose a couple of points from me for how they treated the Oz characters. Nick Chopper a samurai? Okay, I can kind of roll with it. But no Ozma? No Sawhorse? Come on, now. And why is Scarecrow fused with Jack Pumpkinhead? But hey, as an Oz fan, I’m always starved for content, so I’ll take it. At least they got the color of Dorothy’s shoes right, people usually botch that one.

 

I’m not very familiar with either team, but Karza’s logic seems sound to me. STEAM has healers, and that’s critical. So I’ll back them.

 

As for music…it’s probably not in keeping with either setting, but why not lean into the industrial/steam theme of the fight and put on something like Tony “Planet P Project” Carey’s Steeltown?

 

Hey, I’ll take any chance to shill Planet P Project. Pop quiz–what was the best prog rock concept album? If you answered The Wall, then ain’t that cute, but you’re wrong. The answer is Pink World, full stop.

 

To close out here, let me share an observation–this matchup is a prime example of why the “all fights end in death” rule is stupid and holds back Death Battle fights from being what they should. Both series are high-energy, low-seriousness affairs. But you know that if Death Battle actually made this into a fight it would end with Henry and Piper trying to kill each other over the dead bodies of their comrades with the final survivor probably screaming to the heavens. That would take the fun out of the matchup. It would be like a heart attack at a rock concert mid-song.