Age is just a number...

March 8, 2023 1:31 PM

Finally, A Persona-Type RPG Where You Play As The Golden Girls [Kotaku] In what can only be described as the best example of not letting your memes be dreams, someone is making a free Persona-styled RPG based on The Golden Girls, and it’s set to come out later this year. The Golden Girls Take Manhattan DX, developed by Joey Pagano and Chris Lindgren, is a “fast-paced” turn-based JRPG where you take control of Rose, Dorothy, Sophia, and Blanche as they run down the streets of Miami, battle off hordes of clowns, and Dark Souls-roll through dungeons. Don’t believe me? You can check out the trailer and see it for yourself.
posted by Fizz (32 comments total)

I am brimming with excitement and also dread. I can hear the rooms of lawyers slouching towards their courts.
posted by crossswords at 1:38 PM on March 8, 2023 [5 favorites]

I assume you can run your own Golden Palace?
posted by credulous at 1:52 PM on March 8, 2023 [2 favorites]

I was super disappointed to discover this is not a TTRPG but a JRPG computer game.
posted by MrBobaFett at 2:08 PM on March 8, 2023 [6 favorites]

I love this concept. But unironically, play it seriously with actors and writing as good as Golden Girls. Hard to tell from the trailer how silly this is but it clearly is made with love for the source material.

It's a long time coming too; here's discussion from December 2017 of the project.
posted by Nelson at 2:10 PM on March 8, 2023 [2 favorites]

I would totally be down for a BioWare thing where all four of the women tool around with you as a team and dish endless sass and snark while beating down clowns, drunks and arrogant exes.
posted by seanmpuckett at 2:12 PM on March 8, 2023

Thank you for being a friend (who posts about JRPG games based on the Golden Girls).
posted by The River Ivel at 2:16 PM on March 8, 2023 [9 favorites]

Is there any explanation for how it’s set in Miami but called Golden Girls Take Manhattan?
posted by Jon_Evil at 2:33 PM on March 8, 2023 [4 favorites]

Hard to tell from the trailer how silly this is but it clearly is made with love for the source material.

One of the clowns says "for the love of god please reconsider this" and you can pick "no" or "yea."

When you pick "no," Blanche just says "suffer"

I can't decide if that's silly or perfectly in (what I remember of her) character.
posted by chrominance at 2:39 PM on March 8, 2023 [3 favorites]

Is there any explanation for how it’s set in Miami but called Golden Girls Take Manhattan?

Maybe they Took Manhattan to Miami?
posted by Greg_Ace at 2:51 PM on March 8, 2023 [3 favorites]

To differ from the endless spinoffs…

Golden Girls Salt Lake Take Manhattan
Golden Girls Atlanta Take Manhattan
Golden Girls Hollywood Take Manhattan

It never stops.
All very different shows
posted by Windopaene at 2:58 PM on March 8, 2023

I can hear the rooms of lawyers

"But Dorothy, when the young man said he had a restraining order for me, I thought it was an invitation!"
posted by mittens at 3:03 PM on March 8, 2023 [9 favorites]

I can hear the rooms of lawyers slouching towards their courts.

It appears to be free. I think the lawyers may remain hungry.
posted by solarion at 3:22 PM on March 8, 2023 [2 favorites]

Is there any explanation for how it’s set in Miami but called Golden Girls Take Manhattan

Maybe Manhattan is the name of the clown?
posted by rpophessagr at 3:31 PM on March 8, 2023

Golden Girls is Disney IP, right?
posted by JoeZydeco at 3:38 PM on March 8, 2023

I hope this is successful enough that someone makes a Designing Women roleplaying game, so that I can make people cry as Julia Sugarbaker.

Dorothy Zbornak ain't a bad start though.
posted by the primroses were over at 3:49 PM on March 8, 2023 [2 favorites]

Golden Girls is Disney IP, right?

Tower of Terror Golden Palace overlay when?
posted by uncleozzy at 3:59 PM on March 8, 2023 [1 favorite]

I was super disappointed to discover this is not a TTRPG but a JRPG computer game.

Brindlewood Bay kind of works for that if you don't mind a dash of murder thrown in.
posted by juv3nal at 3:59 PM on March 8, 2023 [8 favorites]

Thank you juv3nal, I just might have to buy that and add it to my ever growing collection of TTRPG source books, some of which I even get to play sometimes and not just read the books. :)
posted by MrBobaFett at 5:28 PM on March 8, 2023 [1 favorite]

I hope the actors get residuals for this.
posted by Ideefixe at 5:36 PM on March 8, 2023

Posting this to MetaFilter? Thank you for being a friend!
posted by fifteen schnitzengruben is my limit at 5:46 PM on March 8, 2023 [2 favorites]

SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY
posted by Saxon Kane at 6:44 PM on March 8, 2023 [1 favorite]

Is this game owned by Meta?

The developer seems to be working there.
posted by yellowcandy at 7:52 PM on March 8, 2023

Mike Mearls, D&D franchise creative director, on the Golden Girls:

During the development of AD&D 2e in the 1980s, the Golden Girls served as the template for the ideal adventuring party.

posted by Mitheral at 8:37 PM on March 8, 2023 [7 favorites]

I hope the actors get residuals for this.

All of the four stars are deceased.
posted by Mitheral at 8:40 PM on March 8, 2023

I don't even care how well-executed the game itself is, because that JRPG-techo-remix of the theme song fucking slaps.
posted by Mayor West at 5:15 AM on March 9, 2023 [1 favorite]

First the Golden Girls Take Manhattan.

One can only hope the sequel has them teaming up with Leonard Cohen and taking Berlin.
posted by i used to be someone else at 7:59 AM on March 9, 2023 [2 favorites]

So why are they fighting clowns? Shouldn't they be fighting old boyfriends, or maybe the people of St Olaf? Seems like they went the lazy route on this one.
posted by The_Vegetables at 8:06 AM on March 9, 2023

So why are they fighting clowns? Shouldn't they be fighting old boyfriends, or maybe the people of St Olaf?

Because its canon.
posted by Fizz at 8:21 AM on March 9, 2023

Also, Shin Megami Tensei and Persona are both massive influences in JRPGs.
posted by Fizz at 8:22 AM on March 9, 2023

Because its canon.

I mean, the synopsis says that a kid actually pies the clown (after Dorothy refuses) so is her weapon in the game a small child? I don't think you can say that because they visited a Chucky Cheese in an episode they hate clowns.
posted by The_Vegetables at 8:56 AM on March 9, 2023

My head canon then. 🤪
posted by Fizz at 2:01 PM on March 9, 2023 [1 favorite]

I hope the actors get residuals for this.

It's a free fanwork, not something made by a large corporation.
posted by creatrixtiara at 3:57 PM on March 9, 2023