Fans of the classic platformer Fireboy and Watergirl will recognize Pixar's Elemental characters from Francis Beach's blog

On Monday, Pixar revealed the title and release date of their next project, Elemental. The film, which is slated to be released in June 2023, is set in a universe where the four traditional elements (fire, water, land, and air) are people that dwell there. For a company that has constructed humanoid bodies for emotions and souls, the film fits perfectly in. However, the news, as well as the concept art that accompanied it, reminded fans of some of their favorite elemental duos in cinema and game history.

You are not alone if you believe these characters appear familiar. Fans have pointed out parallels to the six-game Fireboy and Watergirl series produced by Oslo Albet. The first cooperative puzzle platformer was released in 2009, and playing the original Flash game (which can be found on Coolmath Games) feels like stepping back in time. At the time of writing, it was also one of Coolmath's top 10 games.

Fireboy and Watergirl 1: Forest Temple has that early internet, Flash game chemistry. Each level has a sequence of elemental puzzles that get progressively difficult. Fireboy can only go through or activate red-colored things, while Watergirl can do the reverse. With the addition of levers, shifting platforms, and a few additional gimmicks, the game becomes extremely difficult. (This is particularly true if, like me, you can't find a companion to play with and operate both the arrow keys and the W.A.D. keys with each hand, like a bad version of piano playing.) But I digress.

Of course, elemental characters aren't a new concept. The characters in Avatar: The Last Airbender bend the elements. However, there are characters in cinema and television history who are literal embodiments of those aspects – even if some of them have other characteristics. I'm talking to the 2005 film The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl, a cinematic masterpiece starring Taylor Lautner.

As much as Elemental has us anticipating its 2023 arrival, it's also given us a fairly good reason to revisit some of the 2000s cultural landmarks.