Videro Games

For the email describing various types of video games, see video games.

strongbad_email.exe Bonus Email #3

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"You gonna eat that last congraturation?"

Wilbur asks Strong Bad's opinion on the effects of video games on children. This email takes place in the Compy 386 era.

Cast (in order of appearance): Strong Bad, Wilbur, Wilbur's Associate, Homestar Runner (Easter egg), The Cheat (Easter egg), Strong Mad (Easter egg), Strong Sad (Easter egg), Pom Pom (Easter egg), Marzipan (Easter egg), Coach Z (Easter egg), Bubs (Easter egg), The King of Town (Easter egg), The Poopsmith (Easter egg), Homsar (Easter egg)

Places: Computer Room, The Video Game Make Place, The Stick (Easter egg)

Computer: Compy 386

Running Time: 1:37

DVD Exclusive: strongbad_email.exe Disc One

Transcript

STRONG BAD: {singing} There comes a time, when we read a certain email. {reads email}

Dear Strong Bad,
What is your opinion of the effects
of in video games on children? Are
video games harmful to the
development of the human brain?

sincerely,
Wilbur, Seattle, WA

{Strong Bad sings "WA" as a high note (pronounced "wa")}

STRONG BAD: Ohh, Wilbur. Sounds like a little video game programming version of The Cheat.

{A balding creature with a human head, long hair, glasses, a beard, and a The Cheat body appears on the screen momentarily.}

STRONG BAD: {typing} No way, Wilbur. Video games actually teach you all kindsa new stuff. Think of all the words we've learned from video games. {clears screen} There's "strafe." Who ever used strafe before they started putting it in video games? They used to just say, "walk sideways and shoot." Then there's "toggle." Y'know, you gotta toggle between the missiles and the lasers. {clears screen} And who could forget "melee." Which I can only assume means, "a buncha peoples fighting, like, all at the same time." Plus, most video games provide a veritable what-not-to-do of spelling and grammar. {stops typing} Just give a kid a video game instruction booklet.

{The cover of the instruction manual for "Strong Sad's Strafing/Toggling Challenge!!" appears on the screen.}

STRONG BAD: {continuing} and play "Find the complete sentence." That's plenty educational!

{The manual turns to Page One, which reads as follows:}

Play for best!!
- top score wins choice
- d+pad UP for combo
- remember alert!
Always to stop scoring. Challenge again!

{The manual disappears, and Strong Bad resumes responding.}

STRONG BAD: {typing} And who doesn't remember staying up all night to beat an end boss only to be rewarded with a hearty {typed in big, bold, golden letters} CONGRATURATION! {resumes typing normally} They didn't even bother giving you multiple ones. Just a single congraturation they had lying around {pausing each time, as if struggling to think of a term} the video game make place.

{Cut to an office setting. A balding creature with short hair, glasses, and a mustache and a The Cheat body is standing by a computer, while Wilbur is standing near a box of "congraturations!", which look like muffins. A Brøderbund Software and Jumpman poster are in the background. Text in the corner reads, "AT THE VIDEO GAME MAKE PLACE..."}

BALD GUY: Hey man, you gonna eat that last Congraturation?

WILBUR: Naw, man. We're puttin' it in the game if you beat the end boss.

{Cut back to Strong Bad at the Compy 386}

STRONG BAD: {angrily} Freakin' stupid cheap waste of my time! They're being jerks!

{The Paper comes down.}

Easter Eggs

Melee: A buncha peoples fighting

• If the Angle button is used to change the angle, then when Strong Bad talks about the word "melee", a computer screen filled with sprites of all the main characters "attacking" each other at The Stick is seen.

Fun Facts

Explanations

• The title of this email and the misuse of English throughout is a reference to the poor Japanese/English translations, or Engrish, often found in old video games.
  • It should also be noted that the title video games had already been used for another Strong Bad Email and therefore a slight variation had to be given to this one.

Remarks

• The computer in the Video Game Make Place is a Compy 386.

Goofs

• The title screen is for the Tandy 400, but the email is done with the Compy 386.
• The sound of Strong Bad typing continues for several keystrokes after "strongbad_email.exe" has completely appeared on the screen.

Inside References

top score wins choice

• The title of this email is a mention of Videro.
• "Challenge again!" in the manual is a reference to the "Challenge Again!" button that appears when dying in TROGDOR!.
• The Homestar sprite that appears in the Videro Melee is very similar to the Armless Invaders Homestar from the Message Bored games.

Real-World References

• Strong Bad's intro song is based on USA for Africa's "We Are the World".
• Strong Bad says "Ohh, Wilbur" like the titular horse in the '60s TV series Mister Ed.
• The comment about toggling between missiles and lasers brings to mind the gameplay in the 2D Metroid games, in which the player has to toggle between beams, missiles, and bombs in order to defeat various enemies and open doors.
• The style of the "melee" game's graphics resemble those of the games made for the Sinclair ZX Spectrum.
• The controller Strong Sad is holding in the instruction manual is very similar to the original NES controller.
  • The maroon coloring resembles the controllers for the Famicom (the Japanese counterpart to the NES).
• "Congraturation" is from the end screen of the NES version of Ghosts 'n Goblins, generally regarded as one of the most difficult video games of all time. The ending of Thy Dungeonman makes reference to this as well.
  • "Challenge again!" from the manual is also a reference to the ending of Ghosts 'n Goblins.
• Brøderbund Software is a now-defunct game development house, best known for Lode Runner, Reader Rabbit, and the Carmen Sandiego series. The company itself is still around, but has all but ceased production of games.
• Jumpman is a classic computer game from Epyx. The poster pictured in the background is the box art from one of its many versions.

Related Links

• strongbad_email.exe