Nintendo

From Homestar Runner Wiki

Revision as of 15:11, 20 January 2010

"The Adventures of Lolo? You better have saved the receipt!"

Nintendo is one of the biggest video game companies today, known for its influence and impact on the video game industry. The Brothers Chaps have praised Nintendo in many interviews and have made many Nintendo references in the Homestar Runner body of work.

The probable reason for the prevalence of Nintendo allusions throughout Matt and Mike's work is the central part the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) played in their upbringing^[1]. Along with cartoons and breakfast cereal, the NES was an important part of their Saturday mornings as children. As one of their motivations in creating Homestar Runner has been to recreate this lost cultural experience^[2], it is not surprising that they have infused their work liberally with references to Nintendo.

Appearances by system

Game and Watch

• Pigs on Head LCD Version — This game is specifically designed after the generic look of the Game & Watch series of LCD games produced by Nintendo from 1980 to 1991.

Nintendo Entertainment System (NES)

• Email japanese cartoon — In an Easter egg, you can click on one of Homestar Runner's tapes labeled NES endings to view the endings from various NES games.
• Email mascot — An NES is among the old electronics that The Cheat pummels with a golf club.
• Under Construction — The credits include references to Nintendo employees Hiroshi Yamauchi, Shigeru Miyamoto, and Takashi Tezuka.
• Email Videro Games — The controller Strong Sad is holding in the instruction manual is very similar to an NES controller.
• Stinkoman 20X6 — The game contains a couple of NES references.
• Email bedtime story — The Cheat and Moses Malone are shown holding NES controllers as they play The Adventures of Lolo and The Adventures of Bayou Billy in "The Ch8t's Cheatventures in Moses MaloneLand".
• Email highschool — Baby Strong Bad is holding an NES controller. and says he's pretending he's playing better video games.

Game Boy (GB)

The Game Boy in a blender

• Thy Dungeonman II — When you try to give away something you do not have, the game states: "Just like ye to giveth away something thou doesn't have. And ye STILL has my Game Boy."
• Email 2 emails — Homestar claims to have built a time machine out of Strong Bad's blender and Game Boy.
• Teen Girl Squad Issue 10 — Tompkins plays the original 1989 Game Boy. The koopa shell and the mention of Bowser possibly indicate he is playing Super Mario Land, although Bowser never appeared in the Super Mario Land series.
• Email alternate universe — The Cheat purchases an alternate universe portal made from a Game Boy in a blender.
• Teen Girl Squad Issue 13 — Tompkins is again seen playing his Game Boy, this time with a virtual pet.
• Email from work — Strong Bad says he hasn't taken his "sit in the men's room and play Tetris for an hour break" yet.

Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES)

• Super NES — The title is the name of the system.
• Sample of Style Too: Some Outtakes — The Brothers Chaps can be seen playing an SNES.
• Let us give TANKS! — In an Easter egg, the "next generation Gamepad" seen with Reynold's brother's action figure resembles that of an SNES.
• RhinoFeeder game — This game is apparently playable on the Super FunMachine, a parody of the SNES.
• SBCG4AP Advertisement — Strong Bad states the game was made with the Super FX chip, which refers to the Super FX enhancement chip installed in some SNES games, such as Star Fox, allowing the system to render Polygons.

Virtual Boy (VB)

• StrongBadZone game and Vector Strong Bad — The 3D vector graphics mimic those of the ill-fated Virtual Boy.

Nintendo 64 (N64)

Thy Dungeonman 3

• Thy Dungeonman 3 — One of the possible presents that the hag might have gotten is a Nintendo 64 Controller (called an N64 Paddle in this game).
• SBCG4AP Advertisement — Strong Bad states the game was made with "that red thing you stuck in the N64", referring to the Expansion Pak.

Nintendo DS (NDS)

Homebrew Poptire DS

• Weekly Fanstuff, May 24, 2007 — The entry was a Nintendo DS port of Population: Tire.

Nintendo Wii

• Viidelectrix — This section of Videlectrix's website, named after the Wii, includes versions of classic games available for play through the Wii's internet channel.
• Weekly Fanstuff, February 22, 2007 — The entry depicted Mii versions of the Teen Girl Squad characters.
• Weekly Fanstuff, September 4, 2008 — The entry depicted cover art for a Wii Guitar Hero game starring Limozeen on the cover and The Cheatar as the controller.
• Limozeen Live! — There is a Wii in the background.
• Strong Bad Gameways — The entire short is a parody of the Wii's ubiquitous safety warnings, done in the style of an airline safety film.
• Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People — WiiWare game series developed by Telltale Games and Videlectrix. The corresponding advertisement and gameplay trailer both feature the Wii.
• Workin' on the Game — In preparation for the SBCG4AP game, one of the Videlectrix Guys attempts to use a Wii remote on an old-fashioned computer.
• Several Homestar videos have played on the Nintendo Channel.
• Baddest of the Bands — The King of Town eats a Wii remote.

Miscellaneous

The Brothers Chaps' personal gaming lounge?

• 2003 Pulse interview — Matt says, in Bubs's voice, "There was this one time when I hooked up my lawnmower to my Nintendo. And after that, I got the high score every time!"
• Email lackey — In a DVD Easter egg, Strong Bad says that he is "already playing Nintendo in the other room" by the time that Strong Sad finishes reading the Strong Lib.
• Bug In Mouth Disease — When Strong Bad removes his head from the TV, a room with an NES 2, an SNES, a black GameCube, and some Nintendo 64 game cartridges are visible.
• Hallrunner game — When talking to mother, she calls Nintendo "intendro".

Sources

1. ^  The Boston Globe Interview - 9 Aug 2003
2. ^  All Things Considered Interview - 8 May 2005

See Also

• Video Games (allusions)
• Atari 2600
• Donkey Kong
• Mario
• Mario Paint Character Variations
• Pikachu
• Retro Gaming Character Variations
• Sega Tapes
• Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People
• The Legend of Zelda
• Sega
• Namco
• Floppy Disk Container