Well, I must say, there were some unexpected turns. For example, I thought Marie Croke was going to win because she was the odd one out, but ended up getting second. I guess that particular Mary E. Lowd story struck a chord with some people. Maybe next year.
Of course, there is also the surprise that Beastars actually lost to Helluva Boss this time. At first, I started to wonder if people did not like the second season as much as the first, but if the fact that there are less voters is any indication, it’s clear that the Helluva Boss fanbase is more persistent than Beastars.
It is also interesting to see how the votes technically had My Little Pony: A New Generation as somewhat of the lead, but then factoring the other types of votes causes Raya and Luca to ending getting spots over it. I must say, I thought Raya was a little less likely, because I’ve seen quite a few detractors of that movie for one reason or another (Saying the message wasn’t told well or that Sisu was annoying), but maybe those are more of a vocal minority than I thought.
And of course, I cannot forget the unsurprising yet still disappointing win of that Carry On slideshow. And please don’t take this the wrong way. My problem was not that any of her works were nominated or even that she campaigns the way she does. I just have a problem with such blatant use of the least amount of effort as possible to make some sort of video, even if there is an original song attached to it. I am not asking Kathy to go away, I’m just asking her to actually step up her game creatively and either get into animation or hire people to do the work for her. Because now, based on the comments here, she is definitely going to be scrutinized a bit more for what has recently transpired, whether she deserves it or not.
So, anyways, now that the awards have come and gone, I want to try and create a list that could highlight some potential candidates for nominees and explore the possible outcome for the 2022/2023 Ursa Major Awards. Obviously, I can’t follow everything, so I went with Movies, Shorts, Series and Games. I may have missed a few, but I have at least covered the big ones. So why don’t we jump right on in.
Movies
Hotel Transylvania: Transformania
First three didn’t get any noms, why would this one?
The Ice Age Adventures of Buck Wild
No, just no. Even compared to the previous movies, NO!
The House
It’s a well done arthouse movie with furry elements in two of the stories, but these are rarely nominated here, I’m sorry to say.
Chickenhare and the Hamster of Darkness
Well this one caught me off guard. It does look okay enough, if a bit generic. But I think this one can more than easily get lost in the crowd.
Turning Red
Our first real contender. This movie is certainly being talked about both for the right reasons and the wrong reasons. But I think the questions relevant here are “Will it be nominated?” and “Will it win?” On the former, oh most definitely. Pixar movies have to be either extremely lacking in any sort of even marginally sufficient furry related content, or just nearly unanimously disliked (Cars franchise, anyone?)* in order to not be nominated. Latter, however, might be a bit harder to say. From my point of view, the Pixar movies have only really won if there was really nothing better to win. How else do you explain Brave winning, even when some people have listed it as one of the lesser Pixar films? Not saying it doesn’t have a strong chance, it does tackle a subject that not many people explore, let alone in animation, but there is some competition to consider here.
*Yes, I know the first one got a nom, but hindsight hasn’t really been kind to the franchise since then.
Odd Taxi: In the Woods
Hey, the show did get an Ursa nom. But a nom for this is probably not going to happen due to overcrowding.
Sonic the Hedgehog 2
Well, this could still be competition. Even though the results seem to be on par with the first movie in terms of reviews, maybe slightly higher in some ratings, there still appears to be a lot of excitement and love from the general public. The addition of Tails and Knuckles does help out in the furry factor (amongst others that I probably shouldn’t mention). I just wonder if it actually has a chance. The first got pretty close, but Wolfwalkers got in over it, even though it was on a streaming service I didn’t think that many people had (unless they pirated it). However, the nomination boost might have been the result of two factors. 1: The design change won over many people. 2: At the time, there weren’t too many movies to choose from that a lot of people saw. But yeah, I think a nom is still possible, but a win is probably not as likely as some would have hoped. I did watch it, and yes I enjoyed it, but I would not say it is one of the best. Maybe if Sonic Frontiers is really good, it can boost people into getting it more votes, but that is a big “if.” Even then, it’ll still have to contend with-
The Bad Guys
Now this film, I think it’s a real contender. Dreamworks alone has actually been a big winner in the Ursa Major Awards for some time, but has kind of slumped away the past few years. This film might be the company’s comeback. I say this because I remember when the film trended on Twitter, it was trending under the name “Zootopia,” but it wasn’t just for comparison. Some people came out of the woodwork to say that they felt Zootopia was awful and didn’t deserve the praise it got back then, especially taking issue with the fact that the two main leads-
(SPOILERS) -end up becoming cops at the end. (END SPOILERS)
Not to mention that the abortion comic, though fanmade, really turned some people off from Zootopia. Also, many people who have seen the Bad Guys movie are legitimately enjoying it. So I think this Bad Guys project not only will be nominated, I think it has a very good chance of being the winner.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
This one will be a bit tougher. It has been shown that not all superhero movies with anthropomorphic characters make into the view of the furry public. Look at The Suicide Squad. In the case of this movie, a Minotaur character appears to be a character in the movie, but seems to not be major enough, since I don’t hear people talking about him. Marvel does seem to still be in people’s good graces, however, so it may have a chance at being nominated. But it’s still a slim one.
Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers
This is probably the one movie that has people excited, confused, and scared all at the same time. It does seem to have a lot of elements I and some others would have liked to have seen in a movie like this. However, does this really fit “Chip ‘n Dale,” let alone “Rescue Rangers?” Well, it does seem to have good reviews right now, but still, I think soe furries will skip this.
Lightyear
This one could be a bit tricky. Nothing about it seems really furry, except for Sox the robot cat. But that’s the thing, it’s still a robot, and that can be a bit tricky. I think most of us would never really think, say, Terminator or I Robot would deserve a furry award, correct? Cars and Cuphead at least still have those ideas of anthropomorphizing something that you would not expect to ever be “alive.” An “anthro” robot, by itself, is not really that foreign of a concept. But an anthro robot that is less human looking, that might be different. I do remember WALL-E getting a Ursa nomination, even though it seems to be as far away from “anthro animals” as possible. But at least the robots don’t look very human-like, unlike, say, Baymax from Big Hero 6. Or maybe Hal the cockroach was what got WALL-E it’s nomination, despite neither not really being that anthro nor being in the movie for that long. Who knows? Then again, despite characters like Rex, Hamm, Slinky, Bullseye, Wheezy, Trixie, Buttercup, Mr. Pricklepants, Lotso, Ducky and Bunny, some questioned if the Toy Story films deserved noms. So I can see some scrutiny in that case.. Also worth noting, the first beta version of the Ursa Majors had Transformers Beast Wars as a nominee, so maybe the idea of robot animals is not that major of an obstacle to get this movie nominated. It all depends on, besides reviews of course, how the other movies fare with furries.
Minions: The Rise of Gru
I think Despicable Me 2 was another baffling choice that got a nom. I know it wasn’t the furriest year that year, but that one in particular really stuck out like a sore thumb. Was it the Minions? Was it the Minions turning purple? Was it El Macho turning into that hairy monster? Well, speaking of turning into things, the recent trailer revealed that both the Minions and the main villains (or I should say antagonists, since the protagonists are also supposed to be “villains”) transform into animals based on the Chinese zodiac. However, I think Minions have become the new Cars franchise, if you know what I mean, so unless it really is slim pickens, I honestly don’t see furries willingly giving this a nom.
Thor: Love and Thunder
So, this is not only a new Thor movie, but it is also supposed to be a followup to-
(SPOILERS) -Thor apparently joining the Guardians of the Galaxy. (END SPOILERS)
While Rocket Raccoon has been the major reason why the Guardians movies got their wins and the last two Avengers movies their nominations, I think this time it won’t be so easy. That is because while Avengers is supposed to equally highlight the heroes from the Marvel Cinematic Universe leading up to that point, this is supposed to be a “Thor” movie, as in “Thor featuring some appearances of The Guardians of the Galaxy.” I doubt they’re getting that much screen time. The trailer proves that with how small their scenes were. Also of note is that the major “furry” character, Rocket, did not even get a line. Besides, another project involving the Guardians might divert attention from this film. We’ll get to that later.
The Sea Beast
Looks somewhat interesting, and has the co-director of the Ursa winning Bolt, as well as Big Hero 6 and Moana. The Sea Beasts don’t look very anthro, though, so I wouldn’t put too much stock in it.
Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank
This movie has been in development hell for years now. In fact, you might remember it originally being titled Blazing Samurai, a take off on Blazing Saddles. It’s from one of the directors of the 1994 Lion King, as well as the Stuart Little movies and the Mt. Peabody & Sherman movie. I will say though that at this point, I either expect it to be another Rock Dog or another Artic Dogs. The former because it was rather bland, some people didn’t mind it and it was the most furry movie 2017 anyways. The latter because it was definitely the most furry theatrically released movie of 2019… but it was undeniably bad. So yeah, let's see what happens with this picture.
DC League of Super-Pets
Depending how it’ll go, this could get a nom. However, some people are not exactly excited about the jokes nor designs of this movie. Also the makers of the movie have been hit and miss with previous projects. It would be disappointing to see this fail. Especially considering the Krypto TV show that came out more than a decade ago does have a cult following.
Luck
Now I’ll admit, a story exploring “Luck” is an interesting idea, and the concept art does have some promise. This does come from a new animation studio, Skydance, which is having another movie being made this year too. Some of the creative team have some spots on their records, but the product could still give us the best in them. I think the thing that could potentially hold this film back from getting a nom is the producer, John Lassater. He might be good in business and some creative works, but as a person, people might be iffy on that to say the least, and may not want to give him much attention. It is possible that point will be ignored if the movie is good enough. It’s another case of “wait and see,” but that one factor can still be off putting to some people.
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
It’s been over a decade since that last film. Within that time, the franchise this version of Puss in Boots originated from, Shrek, has become somewhat of a laughing stock. Also, since Dreamworks is under Illumination’s Chris Meladandri now, this could be seen as “testing the waters” to find out if more Shrek is necessary, considering he has admitted to having plans for reviving the franchise. However, I do remember believing that people were done with anything relating to Shrek when the first Puss in Boots came out, but not only did it get an Ursa nom, it came in second behind Kung-Fu Panda 2. The trailer for this new film did get some positive reactions too, so maybe this is just another sign that Dreamworks is making a comeback.
Spellbound
The other Skydance animated movie that could come out this year. From the director of the Oscar and Ursa winning Shrek and the Oscar and Ursa nominated Shark Tale. In other words, it could go either way. Might not even really be worthy, because we don’t know if there is anything even remotely anthro in this one. Creatures, yes, but not sure about “anthro.” And while he is not as involved with this one as he is with Luck, the fact that John Lassater might still benefit from this could still be off putting to some people. But that latter point might not even cross some furries minds. We’ll find out later.
Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile
This is an odd one. It might be a surprise hit, but it could also fall into the territory of the live-action Chipmunks and Smurfs. Also, the people behind the film might not be the best creatively at this point. They had Blades of Glory as kind of a hit, but their films have not been as successful or fondly remembered since then.
Strange World
From one of the directors of Raya and the Last Dragon, who also did the last animated Winnie the Pooh movie, Big Hero 6, and some of Moana. Have no idea if this will be considered even on the level of anthroness of, say, Toothless from How to Train Your Dragon or Sven from Frozen. All I know is that “strange” creatures will be this “Strange World.” There is one major problem, though. Disney is in major hot water right now with that Florida bill. So even if there is something furry anthro here, the furries may still not want to directly or indirectly support Disney. Matter of fact, the same could be said for other films from companies under Disney, but at least Pixar was given some praise for what they revealed about what they had to cut out of their films while they make films under Disney, so some slack may be given in that regard.
Avatar 2: The Way of Water
Oh look, it’s the long awaited and anticipated sequel to Crossaffliction’s most favorite movie to ever exist of all time ever. I’m sure he is singing and dancing with joy at this very moment. ;)
Seriously speaking, I am wondering how this would go down. Due to a Chinese theater showing not too long ago, Avatar regained its “highest grossing movie of all-time” position, and now we’re getting this sequel that seemed to take almost as long as the original to make. However, in that time, reception of Avatar has kind of fizzled as of late, and even if you still like it, you may have the thought of “is this really something you can make a franchise out of?” I do have a feeling that this film will not be as big of a hit as the first movie, and even though there is a precedent to have the follow-up of an Ursa winner be nominated also, it does not always come to fruition. Epic Mickey won the 2010 Game Ursa, but then the sequels didn’t even get nominated. Unless the number of good anthro movies ends up being low, that same fate might happen to this movie as well. But, and this is a big “but,” if the wow factor on IMAX is enough, it could maybe, possibly, still get a nom.
Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special
So a special involving Guardians of the Galaxy and some sort of holiday. Obviously, this is going to be a take off of the infamous “Star Wars Holiday Special.” Not sure how long it's going to be, could be long enough that it has to go in Movies, or just not long enough that it would be better to put it in Shorts. There is also the issue I brought up last time that maybe some people are a bit put off by James Gunn now. But if that’s not the case, they may still not vote for it because they want to wait for the REAL Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 3.
The Amazing Maurice
An adaptation of a Discworld story. Might turn out fine, might not, but either way, there’s too much that it might not stand out. Then again, the original book did gain an Ursa nomination all the way back in 2001/2002, so it has that going for it.
Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio
Remember the thing I said about Furries possibly not liking films that are “too realistic?” Well, the fact that The Shape of Water is a Oscar Best Picture winner yet did not even get nominated for an Ursa is another reason why I believe this to be the case. I’m sure there are some furries who would like to legitimately give Guillermo Del Toro an Ursa nom or even win. So his long in development version of Pinocchio, with its cricket, fox and cat, might be the excuse to do just that.
Wendell & Wild
Might not be furry/anthro enough, but Henry Selick is a creative enough director that some may look past that. I still have to say “probably won’t be nominated.”
My Father's Dragon
Cartoon Saloon’s newest production after their Ursa winning Wolfwalkers. I have looked up the story the soon to be film is based on, and it already has an anime adaptation. The dragon is definitely a talking dragon, and there are other talking animals too, so if the film gets to be released this year, you bet it’s getting a nom.
Shorts
The Rhino and the Redbill
Sonious mentioned that this was his pick last year, but it didn’t fully get released until this year. I can see why. The animation is not the greatest, but still pretty dang good for an independent production, and the story was pretty nicely done.so I can see this getting a nom.
Lackadaisy
This one is on a lot of people’s radars, I’m sure. It has a successful Kickstarter, it is from an online comic that is an Ursa Major winner. There would have to be something that really stands out for it to lose. Then again, it might not even get nominated, considering that it was planned to be released last year, but clearly more work needs to be done.
True Tail
This is something I’ve seen on and off again for a while. This was from the guy who made that Double Rainboom short, which, while ambitious and impressive in some ways, tended to fall short with most people. However, there are people who are still excited for this idea to finally come to fruition, and the Kickstarter campaign that made its money back made it seem like it could happen. However, the planned release date was in 2020, but considering what happened, it’s understandable why it didn’t make the date. But very little has been updated since then, and each time they seem to get closer to something happening that will get it closer to release, they backtrack. That certainly left a bad taste in some people’s mouths, but then some news came out that three of their top tier backers in Kickstarter were just trolling them, and ended up not giving the money after the legal battle. That is admittedly a crummy situation these people had to go through. If True Tail does somehow get released, let's pray for something worthwhile.
Bidoof’s Big Stand
It’s a cute short. But I think people are going to mainly use this category for independent works unless something truly eye-catching pops up.
Bug Therapy
I learned about this last year, and I was interested since there aren’t many pieces of furry media that are fully about bugs. I don’t believe one like that has even been nominated for an Ursa, correct me if I’m wrong. Maybe it will get a public release soon, but I’m not going to lose sleep if it doesn’t.
Mystery Skulls Finale
The Ursas finally got one of these nominated two years ago, and considering the steady “every other year” rate they have been coming out, this one should be getting released sometime this year. Whether it will be nominated or not depends on how they utilize the dog/kitsune character.
K Garrison
At this rate, it’s inevitable, so might as well be somewhat fair and acknowledge the possibility.
Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special
See Movie section. Otherwise I’d be repeating myself.
Emaho
I literally just found out about this not too long ago. I don’t think it has a chance. Not saying it’s bad, it just looks a little like it’s from a bygone era.
Out O’ the Inkwell
Not to be confused with the Fleischer short of a similar name. This one is about a cartoonist whose creation comes to life and wacky hijinks ensue. Could be a nominee if certain things don’t come out. Seems cute enough.
This short clip, posted by “Finale,” is the true final production by people from the original Blue Sky team. Not something commissioned to do, but something these people decided to do on their own time and their own dime. Lets just say, they gave closure to Scrat. Don’t know if that can be squeezed in somehow.
Series
Chikn Nuggit
It’s guaranteed a new nom due to the introduction of a new and rather intriguing character, which seems like nice timing with the release of The Bad Guys. Winning. Though,that may not be in the cards.
Helluva Boss
The final episode is in production, as well as Season 2, so unless Hazbin Hotel is pulling production away and HB doesn’t have its episodes released this year, I am thinking it will be the winner.
Amphibia
This show has been Ursa nominated before, but most shows tend to be one season wonders. The fact that it is ending soon may give it a boost.
Hazbin Hotel
Speaking of Hazbin, if it does start getting released this year by surprise, I could see some furry bait characters allowing it to get a nom.
Learning with Pibby: Apocalypse
Speaking of released this year by surprise, pretty much the same applies with this.
Cuphead Show
There were people who took issue with the game being nominated, so I suspect this show will not get a nom.
Ice Age: Scrat Tales
Well, this is receiving a positive reaction from the trailer alone and is officially the final Blue Sky production (not counting any unfinished or productions the members made after the closing). I could see people voting for this as an “f.u.” to Disney for shutting the company down.
Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight
The movies may be popular, one even winning an Ursa, but the two TV series that have been created haven’t really made much of an impact. However, what sticks out about this newest one is that unlike the previous TV shows, Jack Black is reprising his role of Po. Whether that’ll be enough attention remains to be seen, but it is a bit of a surprise.
My Little Pony: A New Generation spin-offs
The My Little Pony brand still seems to have some spark in itself if the nomination of the movie is anything to go by. But will the spin-offs Tell Your Tale, Make Your Mark, and Winter Wishday be able to maintain that spark? Sometimes the spin-offs don’t get the attention that the movie it spun-off from does. But the ponies could be one of those exceptions. We’ll just have to wait.
Daniel Spellbound
Not sure if the anthropomorphism in this show will be enough.
Sharkdog
Wait, from Eek the Cat!? Obviously not. Probably will be lost in the crowd.
Battle Kitty
I get the feeling this one won’t be remembered well
Samurai Rabbit: The Usagi Chronicles
Remember when Usagi Yojimbo won in the Comics category over and over? Wonder if people will want to do the same in Series form. Unfortunately, however, this is more of a sequel rather than a true adaptation of the original comics, so maybe furries will skip out on this.
Dead End: Paranormal Park
I remember watching the pilot on Cartoon Hangover long ago. The reaction at the time seemed to be positive, but mostly “just okay”. Although maybe I’m projecting, because I thought the pilot was not the best, but not horrible. Then again, I thought the original Adventure Time pilot wasn’t anything too special, and it clearly turned out to have a pretty nice series, at least for the first few seasons in some people’s eyes. Maybe this’ll turn out great, though it may get lost due to other competition.
Sonic Prime
Hey, another Sonic show. If hype with Sonic is still strong, maybe it’ll have a chance. But Sonic shows haven’t always piqued the furries' interests, so I cannot say for sure. I will say the guy they got to voice Sonic is actually pretty good.
Zootopia+
Well, given Zootopia’s impressive results when it was nominated in the Movie category. Maybe Zootopia+ will do the same. Though like I mentioned earlier, there are some people who had some issues with the property for various reasons now, and again, Disney as a whole is also under some rather intense controversy. So maybe a nomination won’t be a sure fire lock as some would have expected. Not to mention sometimes extensions of something popular don’t always hold the same excitement that the original creation does.
Games
Pokémon Legends: Arceus
Some people may disagree, but I feel the way the gameplay is implemented, it kind of loss the “furry” aspect, focusing more on controlling the humans instead. Also something else got announced for this year. So I think the nomination chances are a bit slim for this.
Fixfox
Some interesting concepts and game play. It could get lost in the crowd, though.
Grapple Dog
I have heard this name pop up a few times, and it does look neat. I am just not sure it will get enough attention to warrant a nom. It currently doesn’t even have a Wiki page. Though clearly that does not always ruin a game’s chances. Look at Major/Minor. Though in that case, the maker of that game has a large following. I will be pleasantly surprised if it does make it, however.
Chocobo GP
It already has some controversy behind it for a few reasons, so I doubt it will even get recommended.
Tunic
From what I have read, this game has been in development for nearly 7 years, maybe longer, thanks mainly to one man, Andrew Shouldice. He managed to get it published by the same people who published the Ursa winning Night in the Woods. While there is quite a bit of furry content in video games this year, this one may rise above the crowd just a little bit. Plus his impressive accomplish alone should be acknowledged
Kirby and the Forgotten Land
Kirby himself may not be considered “furry enough.” The bosses, on the other hand, could help if people really want it. Still, I am going to lean towards “unlikely.”
Lookouts
Art looks interesting, but might not be enough.
Moss: Book 2
Original didn’t make it, most likely this won’t either.
Pocky & Rocky Reshrined
Boy, it’s nice to see a niche video game get revived, isn’t it? I could see this getting some attention, but it may just as well not. I haven’t seen any super big fans of this series, but maybe I’m just not looking in the right places. Speaking of niche series, however-
Kao the Kangaroo
Wow, yet another property being revived. It’s a nice looking redesign, and people look excited. I’m just not sure if it will make it on the nominees. I will admit that more people have the trailers for Kao than they have for Klonoa, but then again, it doesn’t seem like the fanbase for that is as dedicated as Klonoa’s is.
Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series
Now I’m sure some of you are aware of this series, but is it enough? Klonoa has had almost this curse where the games have been praised as great games, if not downright masterpieces, yet they end up getting poorly marketed and do jack all profit-wise. While the Direct did give Klonoa some new found exposure, some people didn’t even bother highlighting it, and a few people even went as far as to say “this a Sonic rip-off” or “this a Kirby rip-off.” The latter doesn’t anger me as much as the former, even though the gameplay is still different from both, but there was still this air of disinterest with some people. That is not to discount the people who were legitimately surprised, excited, and/or interested, and there were quite a few. I still hope it is enough, though. Even still, will it even get an Ursa nom? It would be nice for it to win, albeit a bit unfair for some of the legitimately new games. But if you look back, the only time any of the games for Klonoa even got RECOMMENDED was the second GBA game. I don’t know if it got any votes even, but that was one of those years where there were only 4 nominees due to too many ties. It feels very disheartening that even furries are not as familiar with Klonoa. I would like for that to change this year, and it may sound silly, but an Ursa nom could help with that. Only issue is that the Ursas seem particularly American, and in America, it appears that this remaster is only getting a digital release, which may hurt some sales, and make some voters not buy the game. I feel Klonoa deserves better than that.
Freedom Planet 2
Ah, this game is finally getting a sequel. I am curious though, there were just as many people unimpressed as there were those who loved it, and I remember the first game being last place in the 2014 Ursa Majors. Then again, that was the year the Furry Force incident happened, and maybe furries did get it nominated, but there were a lot of “non-furries” that participated in the final vote, lets put it that way. Still, is the game popular enough that the sequel will make it this time, as things seem to be a bit crowded this year? It’ll all depend on what actually gets released and what gets good ratings. Either way, don’t expect it to win.
Kingdoms of the Dump
Just happened to come across the game while looking for potential contenders, but that is the thing, I had to look for it. No one has mentioned it before. Could be fun, has some furry party members. But it may get lost in the crowd.
Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora
A new game just as the new movie is getting released. I have doubts it will get a nom. Just mentioning it just in case.
Beyond The Edge Of Owlsguard
I found out about this from someone on a stream. It does look interesting, and reminds me of those King’s Quest games. However, I don’t know if it’ll be released this year. If it does, it still has a lot of competition.
BROK the InvestiGator
Another one I just happened to find while looking for potential contenders. It could be a good game, but again, may get lost in the crowd.
Cult of the Lamb
Saw it in one of those Indie showcases, but it could be another case of “too much released in one year.”
Digimon Survive
I dunno, Digimon hasn’t had much luck in the Games category, even though it made some good ones. There has just always been something more popular. But hey, I’d be pleasantly surprised if this does break the mold.
Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope
Well, like I said, Mario hasn’t had a presence in the Game portion of the Ursa Majors, and Rabbids didn’t help last time. This probably won’t either.
MultiVersus
Most likely not. People who vote in the Ursa Majors tend to prefer more “fully anthro” games anyways.
Panzer Dragoon II Zwei
Might get some interest, but I doubt it’ll get a nom.
Pokémon Scarlet and Violet
Boy, this franchise went from being completely ignored, to being a three time Ursa winner (four time if you count the Detective Pikachu movie), and it did slow down in more recent years. Maybe the surprise announcement will be a comeback, and by comeback, I mean win. Though still, that’s possibly just wishful thinking.
Sonic Frontiers
Speaking of franchises that have been ignored for a while, Sonic has an interesting case where the games were not nominated until 2007, and they were few and far between. Even still, when they did get nominated, according to recent pollings, they were getting fourth place. The highest voted Sonic related thing was the movie. Will this finally get Sonic an Ursa win? Well, it depends on if it is even worthy of a nomination. There was a reason this was ignored for a time, and that was because the Sonic games have debatably been rather… crummy. Some more obvious than others, of course. And people are already having problems with this game. Very little gameplay footage exists, and what does seem to be available seems to indicate that Sonic Team have still not learned their lessons. Sonic Forces tried to import engines from one game to the next, but it didn’t work, causing that rushed subpar at best finished product we got. People are saying they are now just importing assets from Forces to Frontiers, which further indicates that they’re making the same mistake. Also, people have complained about the stories of some previous games in the past. And yes, Ian Flynn is apparently the writer for this one, and he has been mostly well liked, but if the gameplay is garbage, it ain’t going to matter. We can only hope that this will be one of the Sonic games that actually proves to be a worthy game to play. I’m just not holding my breath.
Splatoon 3
Well, the games are good, but people would argue if it really is “furry” or not. Also the first two games received no nominations, so this one probably won’t either.
Stray
This is a rather interesting looking game where you’re playing a cat, exploring this weird world and solving puzzles. Honestly, I think this has a good chance at a nomination, maybe even a win, if it gets released this year. But a date has not been secured, last I checked.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge
A game based on those awesome Konami games? Sign me up! The arcade game was one of the best licensed games ever to be created. Only question is that will there be enough space for this to get a nomination?
Trifox
A fox shooting down foes. Could be fun. But again, could be too crowded, and there is no Wiki page.
Miscellany
Cat Burglar
Putting this here because I’m not sure how to place it. Is it more “Movie,” more “Game,” or more “Short?” Either way, may have some interesting moments, but probably won’t get much anywhere.
And that’s pretty much the list. Keep in mind that these can all be subject to change, depending on how the products are received and if they get delayed for one reason or another. If I missed anything you think is important, or you agree and/or disagree with something I said, let me know.
If you want to know what my top five predictions are (I know it could go to six or seven, but that’d be wishful thinking), they are:
Movies:
Avatar: The Way of Water (Or Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, or
Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio)
The Bad Guys
My Father’s Dragon
Sonic the Hedgehog 2
Turning Red
Shorts:
Bug Therapy
Lackadaisy
Tales From Scorchwater Valley - The Rhino and the Redbill
True Tail: School of Heroes
Whatever K. Garrison puts together this time
Series:
Chikn Nuggit
Helluva Boss
Kung-Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight
Toss-up between Ice Age: Scrat Tales and My Little Pony: Make Your Mark
Zootopia+
Games:
Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series (Or Grapple Dog)
Pokémon Scarlet and Violet
Sonic Frontiers (Or Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge)
Stray
Tunic
Well, I must say, there were some unexpected turns. For example, I thought Marie Croke was going to win because she was the odd one out, but ended up getting second. I guess that particular Mary E. Lowd story struck a chord with some people. Maybe next year.
Of course, there is also the surprise that Beastars actually lost to Helluva Boss this time. At first, I started to wonder if people did not like the second season as much as the first, but if the fact that there are less voters is any indication, it’s clear that the Helluva Boss fanbase is more persistent than Beastars.
It is also interesting to see how the votes technically had My Little Pony: A New Generation as somewhat of the lead, but then factoring the other types of votes causes Raya and Luca to ending getting spots over it. I must say, I thought Raya was a little less likely, because I’ve seen quite a few detractors of that movie for one reason or another (Saying the message wasn’t told well or that Sisu was annoying), but maybe those are more of a vocal minority than I thought.
And of course, I cannot forget the unsurprising yet still disappointing win of that Carry On slideshow. And please don’t take this the wrong way. My problem was not that any of her works were nominated or even that she campaigns the way she does. I just have a problem with such blatant use of the least amount of effort as possible to make some sort of video, even if there is an original song attached to it. I am not asking Kathy to go away, I’m just asking her to actually step up her game creatively and either get into animation or hire people to do the work for her. Because now, based on the comments here, she is definitely going to be scrutinized a bit more for what has recently transpired, whether she deserves it or not.
So, anyways, now that the awards have come and gone, I want to try and create a list that could highlight some potential candidates for nominees and explore the possible outcome for the 2022/2023 Ursa Major Awards. Obviously, I can’t follow everything, so I went with Movies, Shorts, Series and Games. I may have missed a few, but I have at least covered the big ones. So why don’t we jump right on in.
Movies
Hotel Transylvania: Transformania
First three didn’t get any noms, why would this one?
The Ice Age Adventures of Buck Wild
No, just no. Even compared to the previous movies, NO!
The House
It’s a well done arthouse movie with furry elements in two of the stories, but these are rarely nominated here, I’m sorry to say.
Chickenhare and the Hamster of Darkness
Well this one caught me off guard. It does look okay enough, if a bit generic. But I think this one can more than easily get lost in the crowd.
Turning Red
Our first real contender. This movie is certainly being talked about both for the right reasons and the wrong reasons. But I think the questions relevant here are “Will it be nominated?” and “Will it win?” On the former, oh most definitely. Pixar movies have to be either extremely lacking in any sort of even marginally sufficient furry related content, or just nearly unanimously disliked (Cars franchise, anyone?)* in order to not be nominated. Latter, however, might be a bit harder to say. From my point of view, the Pixar movies have only really won if there was really nothing better to win. How else do you explain Brave winning, even when some people have listed it as one of the lesser Pixar films? Not saying it doesn’t have a strong chance, it does tackle a subject that not many people explore, let alone in animation, but there is some competition to consider here.
*Yes, I know the first one got a nom, but hindsight hasn’t really been kind to the franchise since then.
Odd Taxi: In the Woods
Hey, the show did get an Ursa nom. But a nom for this is probably not going to happen due to overcrowding.
Sonic the Hedgehog 2
Well, this could still be competition. Even though the results seem to be on par with the first movie in terms of reviews, maybe slightly higher in some ratings, there still appears to be a lot of excitement and love from the general public. The addition of Tails and Knuckles does help out in the furry factor (amongst others that I probably shouldn’t mention). I just wonder if it actually has a chance. The first got pretty close, but Wolfwalkers got in over it, even though it was on a streaming service I didn’t think that many people had (unless they pirated it). However, the nomination boost might have been the result of two factors. 1: The design change won over many people. 2: At the time, there weren’t too many movies to choose from that a lot of people saw. But yeah, I think a nom is still possible, but a win is probably not as likely as some would have hoped. I did watch it, and yes I enjoyed it, but I would not say it is one of the best. Maybe if Sonic Frontiers is really good, it can boost people into getting it more votes, but that is a big “if.” Even then, it’ll still have to contend with-
The Bad Guys
Now this film, I think it’s a real contender. Dreamworks alone has actually been a big winner in the Ursa Major Awards for some time, but has kind of slumped away the past few years. This film might be the company’s comeback. I say this because I remember when the film trended on Twitter, it was trending under the name “Zootopia,” but it wasn’t just for comparison. Some people came out of the woodwork to say that they felt Zootopia was awful and didn’t deserve the praise it got back then, especially taking issue with the fact that the two main leads-
(SPOILERS) -end up becoming cops at the end. (END SPOILERS)
Not to mention that the abortion comic, though fanmade, really turned some people off from Zootopia. Also, many people who have seen the Bad Guys movie are legitimately enjoying it. So I think this Bad Guys project not only will be nominated, I think it has a very good chance of being the winner.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
This one will be a bit tougher. It has been shown that not all superhero movies with anthropomorphic characters make into the view of the furry public. Look at The Suicide Squad. In the case of this movie, a Minotaur character appears to be a character in the movie, but seems to not be major enough, since I don’t hear people talking about him. Marvel does seem to still be in people’s good graces, however, so it may have a chance at being nominated. But it’s still a slim one.
Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers
This is probably the one movie that has people excited, confused, and scared all at the same time. It does seem to have a lot of elements I and some others would have liked to have seen in a movie like this. However, does this really fit “Chip ‘n Dale,” let alone “Rescue Rangers?” Well, it does seem to have good reviews right now, but still, I think soe furries will skip this.
Lightyear
This one could be a bit tricky. Nothing about it seems really furry, except for Sox the robot cat. But that’s the thing, it’s still a robot, and that can be a bit tricky. I think most of us would never really think, say, Terminator or I Robot would deserve a furry award, correct? Cars and Cuphead at least still have those ideas of anthropomorphizing something that you would not expect to ever be “alive.” An “anthro” robot, by itself, is not really that foreign of a concept. But an anthro robot that is less human looking, that might be different. I do remember WALL-E getting a Ursa nomination, even though it seems to be as far away from “anthro animals” as possible. But at least the robots don’t look very human-like, unlike, say, Baymax from Big Hero 6. Or maybe Hal the cockroach was what got WALL-E it’s nomination, despite neither not really being that anthro nor being in the movie for that long. Who knows? Then again, despite characters like Rex, Hamm, Slinky, Bullseye, Wheezy, Trixie, Buttercup, Mr. Pricklepants, Lotso, Ducky and Bunny, some questioned if the Toy Story films deserved noms. So I can see some scrutiny in that case.. Also worth noting, the first beta version of the Ursa Majors had Transformers Beast Wars as a nominee, so maybe the idea of robot animals is not that major of an obstacle to get this movie nominated. It all depends on, besides reviews of course, how the other movies fare with furries.
Minions: The Rise of Gru
I think Despicable Me 2 was another baffling choice that got a nom. I know it wasn’t the furriest year that year, but that one in particular really stuck out like a sore thumb. Was it the Minions? Was it the Minions turning purple? Was it El Macho turning into that hairy monster? Well, speaking of turning into things, the recent trailer revealed that both the Minions and the main villains (or I should say antagonists, since the protagonists are also supposed to be “villains”) transform into animals based on the Chinese zodiac. However, I think Minions have become the new Cars franchise, if you know what I mean, so unless it really is slim pickens, I honestly don’t see furries willingly giving this a nom.
Thor: Love and Thunder
So, this is not only a new Thor movie, but it is also supposed to be a followup to-
(SPOILERS) -Thor apparently joining the Guardians of the Galaxy. (END SPOILERS)
While Rocket Raccoon has been the major reason why the Guardians movies got their wins and the last two Avengers movies their nominations, I think this time it won’t be so easy. That is because while Avengers is supposed to equally highlight the heroes from the Marvel Cinematic Universe leading up to that point, this is supposed to be a “Thor” movie, as in “Thor featuring some appearances of The Guardians of the Galaxy.” I doubt they’re getting that much screen time. The trailer proves that with how small their scenes were. Also of note is that the major “furry” character, Rocket, did not even get a line. Besides, another project involving the Guardians might divert attention from this film. We’ll get to that later.
The Sea Beast
Looks somewhat interesting, and has the co-director of the Ursa winning Bolt, as well as Big Hero 6 and Moana. The Sea Beasts don’t look very anthro, though, so I wouldn’t put too much stock in it.
Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank
This movie has been in development hell for years now. In fact, you might remember it originally being titled Blazing Samurai, a take off on Blazing Saddles. It’s from one of the directors of the 1994 Lion King, as well as the Stuart Little movies and the Mt. Peabody & Sherman movie. I will say though that at this point, I either expect it to be another Rock Dog or another Artic Dogs. The former because it was rather bland, some people didn’t mind it and it was the most furry movie 2017 anyways. The latter because it was definitely the most furry theatrically released movie of 2019… but it was undeniably bad. So yeah, let's see what happens with this picture.
DC League of Super-Pets
Depending how it’ll go, this could get a nom. However, some people are not exactly excited about the jokes nor designs of this movie. Also the makers of the movie have been hit and miss with previous projects. It would be disappointing to see this fail. Especially considering the Krypto TV show that came out more than a decade ago does have a cult following.
Luck
Now I’ll admit, a story exploring “Luck” is an interesting idea, and the concept art does have some promise. This does come from a new animation studio, Skydance, which is having another movie being made this year too. Some of the creative team have some spots on their records, but the product could still give us the best in them. I think the thing that could potentially hold this film back from getting a nom is the producer, John Lassater. He might be good in business and some creative works, but as a person, people might be iffy on that to say the least, and may not want to give him much attention. It is possible that point will be ignored if the movie is good enough. It’s another case of “wait and see,” but that one factor can still be off putting to some people.
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
It’s been over a decade since that last film. Within that time, the franchise this version of Puss in Boots originated from, Shrek, has become somewhat of a laughing stock. Also, since Dreamworks is under Illumination’s Chris Meladandri now, this could be seen as “testing the waters” to find out if more Shrek is necessary, considering he has admitted to having plans for reviving the franchise. However, I do remember believing that people were done with anything relating to Shrek when the first Puss in Boots came out, but not only did it get an Ursa nom, it came in second behind Kung-Fu Panda 2. The trailer for this new film did get some positive reactions too, so maybe this is just another sign that Dreamworks is making a comeback.
Spellbound
The other Skydance animated movie that could come out this year. From the director of the Oscar and Ursa winning Shrek and the Oscar and Ursa nominated Shark Tale. In other words, it could go either way. Might not even really be worthy, because we don’t know if there is anything even remotely anthro in this one. Creatures, yes, but not sure about “anthro.” And while he is not as involved with this one as he is with Luck, the fact that John Lassater might still benefit from this could still be off putting to some people. But that latter point might not even cross some furries minds. We’ll find out later.
Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile
This is an odd one. It might be a surprise hit, but it could also fall into the territory of the live-action Chipmunks and Smurfs. Also, the people behind the film might not be the best creatively at this point. They had Blades of Glory as kind of a hit, but their films have not been as successful or fondly remembered since then.
Strange World
From one of the directors of Raya and the Last Dragon, who also did the last animated Winnie the Pooh movie, Big Hero 6, and some of Moana. Have no idea if this will be considered even on the level of anthroness of, say, Toothless from How to Train Your Dragon or Sven from Frozen. All I know is that “strange” creatures will be this “Strange World.” There is one major problem, though. Disney is in major hot water right now with that Florida bill. So even if there is something furry anthro here, the furries may still not want to directly or indirectly support Disney. Matter of fact, the same could be said for other films from companies under Disney, but at least Pixar was given some praise for what they revealed about what they had to cut out of their films while they make films under Disney, so some slack may be given in that regard.
Avatar 2: The Way of Water
Oh look, it’s the long awaited and anticipated sequel to Crossaffliction’s most favorite movie to ever exist of all time ever. I’m sure he is singing and dancing with joy at this very moment. ;)
Seriously speaking, I am wondering how this would go down. Due to a Chinese theater showing not too long ago, Avatar regained its “highest grossing movie of all-time” position, and now we’re getting this sequel that seemed to take almost as long as the original to make. However, in that time, reception of Avatar has kind of fizzled as of late, and even if you still like it, you may have the thought of “is this really something you can make a franchise out of?” I do have a feeling that this film will not be as big of a hit as the first movie, and even though there is a precedent to have the follow-up of an Ursa winner be nominated also, it does not always come to fruition. Epic Mickey won the 2010 Game Ursa, but then the sequels didn’t even get nominated. Unless the number of good anthro movies ends up being low, that same fate might happen to this movie as well. But, and this is a big “but,” if the wow factor on IMAX is enough, it could maybe, possibly, still get a nom.
Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special
So a special involving Guardians of the Galaxy and some sort of holiday. Obviously, this is going to be a take off of the infamous “Star Wars Holiday Special.” Not sure how long it's going to be, could be long enough that it has to go in Movies, or just not long enough that it would be better to put it in Shorts. There is also the issue I brought up last time that maybe some people are a bit put off by James Gunn now. But if that’s not the case, they may still not vote for it because they want to wait for the REAL Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 3.
The Amazing Maurice
An adaptation of a Discworld story. Might turn out fine, might not, but either way, there’s too much that it might not stand out. Then again, the original book did gain an Ursa nomination all the way back in 2001/2002, so it has that going for it.
Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio
Remember the thing I said about Furries possibly not liking films that are “too realistic?” Well, the fact that The Shape of Water is a Oscar Best Picture winner yet did not even get nominated for an Ursa is another reason why I believe this to be the case. I’m sure there are some furries who would like to legitimately give Guillermo Del Toro an Ursa nom or even win. So his long in development version of Pinocchio, with its cricket, fox and cat, might be the excuse to do just that.
Wendell & Wild
Might not be furry/anthro enough, but Henry Selick is a creative enough director that some may look past that. I still have to say “probably won’t be nominated.”
My Father's Dragon
Cartoon Saloon’s newest production after their Ursa winning Wolfwalkers. I have looked up the story the soon to be film is based on, and it already has an anime adaptation. The dragon is definitely a talking dragon, and there are other talking animals too, so if the film gets to be released this year, you bet it’s getting a nom.
Shorts
The Rhino and the Redbill
Sonious mentioned that this was his pick last year, but it didn’t fully get released until this year. I can see why. The animation is not the greatest, but still pretty dang good for an independent production, and the story was pretty nicely done.so I can see this getting a nom.
Lackadaisy
This one is on a lot of people’s radars, I’m sure. It has a successful Kickstarter, it is from an online comic that is an Ursa Major winner. There would have to be something that really stands out for it to lose. Then again, it might not even get nominated, considering that it was planned to be released last year, but clearly more work needs to be done.
True Tail
This is something I’ve seen on and off again for a while. This was from the guy who made that Double Rainboom short, which, while ambitious and impressive in some ways, tended to fall short with most people. However, there are people who are still excited for this idea to finally come to fruition, and the Kickstarter campaign that made its money back made it seem like it could happen. However, the planned release date was in 2020, but considering what happened, it’s understandable why it didn’t make the date. But very little has been updated since then, and each time they seem to get closer to something happening that will get it closer to release, they backtrack. That certainly left a bad taste in some people’s mouths, but then some news came out that three of their top tier backers in Kickstarter were just trolling them, and ended up not giving the money after the legal battle. That is admittedly a crummy situation these people had to go through. If True Tail does somehow get released, let's pray for something worthwhile.
Bidoof’s Big Stand
It’s a cute short. But I think people are going to mainly use this category for independent works unless something truly eye-catching pops up.
Bug Therapy
I learned about this last year, and I was interested since there aren’t many pieces of furry media that are fully about bugs. I don’t believe one like that has even been nominated for an Ursa, correct me if I’m wrong. Maybe it will get a public release soon, but I’m not going to lose sleep if it doesn’t.
Mystery Skulls Finale
The Ursas finally got one of these nominated two years ago, and considering the steady “every other year” rate they have been coming out, this one should be getting released sometime this year. Whether it will be nominated or not depends on how they utilize the dog/kitsune character.
K Garrison
At this rate, it’s inevitable, so might as well be somewhat fair and acknowledge the possibility.
Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special
See Movie section. Otherwise I’d be repeating myself.
Emaho
I literally just found out about this not too long ago. I don’t think it has a chance. Not saying it’s bad, it just looks a little like it’s from a bygone era.
Out O’ the Inkwell
Not to be confused with the Fleischer short of a similar name. This one is about a cartoonist whose creation comes to life and wacky hijinks ensue. Could be a nominee if certain things don’t come out. Seems cute enough.
The End ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uuua5lVrdP0 )
This short clip, posted by “Finale,” is the true final production by people from the original Blue Sky team. Not something commissioned to do, but something these people decided to do on their own time and their own dime. Lets just say, they gave closure to Scrat. Don’t know if that can be squeezed in somehow.
Series
Chikn Nuggit
It’s guaranteed a new nom due to the introduction of a new and rather intriguing character, which seems like nice timing with the release of The Bad Guys. Winning. Though,that may not be in the cards.
Helluva Boss
The final episode is in production, as well as Season 2, so unless Hazbin Hotel is pulling production away and HB doesn’t have its episodes released this year, I am thinking it will be the winner.
Amphibia
This show has been Ursa nominated before, but most shows tend to be one season wonders. The fact that it is ending soon may give it a boost.
Hazbin Hotel
Speaking of Hazbin, if it does start getting released this year by surprise, I could see some furry bait characters allowing it to get a nom.
Learning with Pibby: Apocalypse
Speaking of released this year by surprise, pretty much the same applies with this.
Cuphead Show
There were people who took issue with the game being nominated, so I suspect this show will not get a nom.
Ice Age: Scrat Tales
Well, this is receiving a positive reaction from the trailer alone and is officially the final Blue Sky production (not counting any unfinished or productions the members made after the closing). I could see people voting for this as an “f.u.” to Disney for shutting the company down.
Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight
The movies may be popular, one even winning an Ursa, but the two TV series that have been created haven’t really made much of an impact. However, what sticks out about this newest one is that unlike the previous TV shows, Jack Black is reprising his role of Po. Whether that’ll be enough attention remains to be seen, but it is a bit of a surprise.
My Little Pony: A New Generation spin-offs
The My Little Pony brand still seems to have some spark in itself if the nomination of the movie is anything to go by. But will the spin-offs Tell Your Tale, Make Your Mark, and Winter Wishday be able to maintain that spark? Sometimes the spin-offs don’t get the attention that the movie it spun-off from does. But the ponies could be one of those exceptions. We’ll just have to wait.
Daniel Spellbound
Not sure if the anthropomorphism in this show will be enough.
Sharkdog
Wait, from Eek the Cat!? Obviously not. Probably will be lost in the crowd.
Battle Kitty
I get the feeling this one won’t be remembered well
Samurai Rabbit: The Usagi Chronicles
Remember when Usagi Yojimbo won in the Comics category over and over? Wonder if people will want to do the same in Series form. Unfortunately, however, this is more of a sequel rather than a true adaptation of the original comics, so maybe furries will skip out on this.
Dead End: Paranormal Park
I remember watching the pilot on Cartoon Hangover long ago. The reaction at the time seemed to be positive, but mostly “just okay”. Although maybe I’m projecting, because I thought the pilot was not the best, but not horrible. Then again, I thought the original Adventure Time pilot wasn’t anything too special, and it clearly turned out to have a pretty nice series, at least for the first few seasons in some people’s eyes. Maybe this’ll turn out great, though it may get lost due to other competition.
Sonic Prime
Hey, another Sonic show. If hype with Sonic is still strong, maybe it’ll have a chance. But Sonic shows haven’t always piqued the furries' interests, so I cannot say for sure. I will say the guy they got to voice Sonic is actually pretty good.
Zootopia+
Well, given Zootopia’s impressive results when it was nominated in the Movie category. Maybe Zootopia+ will do the same. Though like I mentioned earlier, there are some people who had some issues with the property for various reasons now, and again, Disney as a whole is also under some rather intense controversy. So maybe a nomination won’t be a sure fire lock as some would have expected. Not to mention sometimes extensions of something popular don’t always hold the same excitement that the original creation does.
Games
Pokémon Legends: Arceus
Some people may disagree, but I feel the way the gameplay is implemented, it kind of loss the “furry” aspect, focusing more on controlling the humans instead. Also something else got announced for this year. So I think the nomination chances are a bit slim for this.
Fixfox
Some interesting concepts and game play. It could get lost in the crowd, though.
Grapple Dog
I have heard this name pop up a few times, and it does look neat. I am just not sure it will get enough attention to warrant a nom. It currently doesn’t even have a Wiki page. Though clearly that does not always ruin a game’s chances. Look at Major/Minor. Though in that case, the maker of that game has a large following. I will be pleasantly surprised if it does make it, however.
Chocobo GP
It already has some controversy behind it for a few reasons, so I doubt it will even get recommended.
Tunic
From what I have read, this game has been in development for nearly 7 years, maybe longer, thanks mainly to one man, Andrew Shouldice. He managed to get it published by the same people who published the Ursa winning Night in the Woods. While there is quite a bit of furry content in video games this year, this one may rise above the crowd just a little bit. Plus his impressive accomplish alone should be acknowledged
Kirby and the Forgotten Land
Kirby himself may not be considered “furry enough.” The bosses, on the other hand, could help if people really want it. Still, I am going to lean towards “unlikely.”
Lookouts
Art looks interesting, but might not be enough.
Moss: Book 2
Original didn’t make it, most likely this won’t either.
Pocky & Rocky Reshrined
Boy, it’s nice to see a niche video game get revived, isn’t it? I could see this getting some attention, but it may just as well not. I haven’t seen any super big fans of this series, but maybe I’m just not looking in the right places. Speaking of niche series, however-
Kao the Kangaroo
Wow, yet another property being revived. It’s a nice looking redesign, and people look excited. I’m just not sure if it will make it on the nominees. I will admit that more people have the trailers for Kao than they have for Klonoa, but then again, it doesn’t seem like the fanbase for that is as dedicated as Klonoa’s is.
Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series
Now I’m sure some of you are aware of this series, but is it enough? Klonoa has had almost this curse where the games have been praised as great games, if not downright masterpieces, yet they end up getting poorly marketed and do jack all profit-wise. While the Direct did give Klonoa some new found exposure, some people didn’t even bother highlighting it, and a few people even went as far as to say “this a Sonic rip-off” or “this a Kirby rip-off.” The latter doesn’t anger me as much as the former, even though the gameplay is still different from both, but there was still this air of disinterest with some people. That is not to discount the people who were legitimately surprised, excited, and/or interested, and there were quite a few. I still hope it is enough, though. Even still, will it even get an Ursa nom? It would be nice for it to win, albeit a bit unfair for some of the legitimately new games. But if you look back, the only time any of the games for Klonoa even got RECOMMENDED was the second GBA game. I don’t know if it got any votes even, but that was one of those years where there were only 4 nominees due to too many ties. It feels very disheartening that even furries are not as familiar with Klonoa. I would like for that to change this year, and it may sound silly, but an Ursa nom could help with that. Only issue is that the Ursas seem particularly American, and in America, it appears that this remaster is only getting a digital release, which may hurt some sales, and make some voters not buy the game. I feel Klonoa deserves better than that.
Freedom Planet 2
Ah, this game is finally getting a sequel. I am curious though, there were just as many people unimpressed as there were those who loved it, and I remember the first game being last place in the 2014 Ursa Majors. Then again, that was the year the Furry Force incident happened, and maybe furries did get it nominated, but there were a lot of “non-furries” that participated in the final vote, lets put it that way. Still, is the game popular enough that the sequel will make it this time, as things seem to be a bit crowded this year? It’ll all depend on what actually gets released and what gets good ratings. Either way, don’t expect it to win.
Kingdoms of the Dump
Just happened to come across the game while looking for potential contenders, but that is the thing, I had to look for it. No one has mentioned it before. Could be fun, has some furry party members. But it may get lost in the crowd.
Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora
A new game just as the new movie is getting released. I have doubts it will get a nom. Just mentioning it just in case.
Beyond The Edge Of Owlsguard
I found out about this from someone on a stream. It does look interesting, and reminds me of those King’s Quest games. However, I don’t know if it’ll be released this year. If it does, it still has a lot of competition.
BROK the InvestiGator
Another one I just happened to find while looking for potential contenders. It could be a good game, but again, may get lost in the crowd.
Cult of the Lamb
Saw it in one of those Indie showcases, but it could be another case of “too much released in one year.”
Digimon Survive
I dunno, Digimon hasn’t had much luck in the Games category, even though it made some good ones. There has just always been something more popular. But hey, I’d be pleasantly surprised if this does break the mold.
Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope
Well, like I said, Mario hasn’t had a presence in the Game portion of the Ursa Majors, and Rabbids didn’t help last time. This probably won’t either.
MultiVersus
Most likely not. People who vote in the Ursa Majors tend to prefer more “fully anthro” games anyways.
Panzer Dragoon II Zwei
Might get some interest, but I doubt it’ll get a nom.
Pokémon Scarlet and Violet
Boy, this franchise went from being completely ignored, to being a three time Ursa winner (four time if you count the Detective Pikachu movie), and it did slow down in more recent years. Maybe the surprise announcement will be a comeback, and by comeback, I mean win. Though still, that’s possibly just wishful thinking.
Sonic Frontiers
Speaking of franchises that have been ignored for a while, Sonic has an interesting case where the games were not nominated until 2007, and they were few and far between. Even still, when they did get nominated, according to recent pollings, they were getting fourth place. The highest voted Sonic related thing was the movie. Will this finally get Sonic an Ursa win? Well, it depends on if it is even worthy of a nomination. There was a reason this was ignored for a time, and that was because the Sonic games have debatably been rather… crummy. Some more obvious than others, of course. And people are already having problems with this game. Very little gameplay footage exists, and what does seem to be available seems to indicate that Sonic Team have still not learned their lessons. Sonic Forces tried to import engines from one game to the next, but it didn’t work, causing that rushed subpar at best finished product we got. People are saying they are now just importing assets from Forces to Frontiers, which further indicates that they’re making the same mistake. Also, people have complained about the stories of some previous games in the past. And yes, Ian Flynn is apparently the writer for this one, and he has been mostly well liked, but if the gameplay is garbage, it ain’t going to matter. We can only hope that this will be one of the Sonic games that actually proves to be a worthy game to play. I’m just not holding my breath.
Splatoon 3
Well, the games are good, but people would argue if it really is “furry” or not. Also the first two games received no nominations, so this one probably won’t either.
Stray
This is a rather interesting looking game where you’re playing a cat, exploring this weird world and solving puzzles. Honestly, I think this has a good chance at a nomination, maybe even a win, if it gets released this year. But a date has not been secured, last I checked.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge
A game based on those awesome Konami games? Sign me up! The arcade game was one of the best licensed games ever to be created. Only question is that will there be enough space for this to get a nomination?
Trifox
A fox shooting down foes. Could be fun. But again, could be too crowded, and there is no Wiki page.
Miscellany
Cat Burglar
Putting this here because I’m not sure how to place it. Is it more “Movie,” more “Game,” or more “Short?” Either way, may have some interesting moments, but probably won’t get much anywhere.
And that’s pretty much the list. Keep in mind that these can all be subject to change, depending on how the products are received and if they get delayed for one reason or another. If I missed anything you think is important, or you agree and/or disagree with something I said, let me know.
If you want to know what my top five predictions are (I know it could go to six or seven, but that’d be wishful thinking), they are:
Movies:
Avatar: The Way of Water (Or Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, or
Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio)
The Bad Guys
My Father’s Dragon
Sonic the Hedgehog 2
Turning Red
Shorts:
Bug Therapy
Lackadaisy
Tales From Scorchwater Valley - The Rhino and the Redbill
True Tail: School of Heroes
Whatever K. Garrison puts together this time
Series:
Chikn Nuggit
Helluva Boss
Kung-Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight
Toss-up between Ice Age: Scrat Tales and My Little Pony: Make Your Mark
Zootopia+
Games:
Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series (Or Grapple Dog)
Pokémon Scarlet and Violet
Sonic Frontiers (Or Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge)
Stray
Tunic