Big Deez Productions debuts a special surprise at The Game Awards, as Shaquille O'Neal himself takes the stage to unveil the teaser trailer for the upcoming Shaq-Fu: A Legend Reborn.

Of all the celebrity inclusions announced for The Game Awards 2015, Shaq's presence was always the most conspicuous. Hype began to run rampant once it was revealed that Shaq was going to make a special announcement at the awards show, and members of what might be gaming's most niche fanbase weren't disappointed when it came time for the former NBA star to walk up to the stage, as he revealed a teaser trailer for the eagerly anticipated Shaq-Fu: A Legend Reborn.

The trailer, which is mostly animation detailing the game's back story with small clips of gameplay interspersed between the cartoon panels, has a distinctly comedic tone that certainly suits a game that bizarrely stars a NBA player with martial arts prowess trying to save the world. Although there isn't much in-game content to sift through, the action shown on screen indicates a game that is at least mechanically superior to its predecessor.

[HTML1]

Of course, improving on the original Shaq-Fu isn't exactly the hardest thing in the world. When news first broke that developers were honestly considering a sequel to Shaq-Fu, the gaming industry could scarcely believe it. While the sheer ridiculousness of the first instalment made it a memorable entry into video games history, the game itself met with an initially lukewarm reception that only soured over time.

Yet, as is often the case with the sometimes inexplicable events that occur within the video games business, nostalgia made for a powerful ally in Shaq's quest to get a new Shaq-Fu game released. Shaq and Big Deez Productions, which is led by Saber Interactive's President Matthew Karch, took to crowd-funding website Indiegogo in an effort to make their dream a reality. It looked bleak at times, but with only a few hours left on the timer, Shaq-Fu: A Legend Reborn reached its crowdfunding goal of $450,000 USD.

While the trailer offers a funny, interesting peek at what Shaq-Fu: A Legend Reborn might look like once its a finished product, its important for gamers to temper their expectations for a game that's suddenly getting a lot of media attention. After all, the original Shaq-Fu literally has a website dedicated to destroying all copies of the game, and nostalgia or love for Shaquille O'Neal aside, Big Deez Productions has its work cut out for it in crafting a game that is both entertaining and enjoyable to play.

Are you one of the people who helped crowdfund Shaq-Fu: A Legend Reborn? Do you think the sequel will be an improvement on its predecessor? Let us know in the comments.

Shaq-Fu: A Legend Reborn currently has no release date, but will eventually be available on PS4, PS3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Wii U, and PC.

Source: YouTube