Homestar Ruiner

From Homestar Runner Wiki

Revision as of 00:13, 13 August 2008

This article needs cleanup and revision for the reasons listed on the talk page. Please remove this notice once this has been done.

A victory pwahty

Homestar Ruiner is the first episode of Strong Bad's Cool Game For Attractive People and was released August 11, 2008. It has been rated T by the ESRB for Crude Humor, Mild Cartoon Violence, and Mild Suggestive Themes. Story written by Mike Stemmle and The Brothers Chaps.

While Strong Bad is going about his usual routine — checking emails, etc. — Homestar Runner tells him about the Tri-annual Race to the End of the Race. Once Strong Bad hears of Homestar's intention to win this contest, he schemes to snatch victory from Homestar's invisible grasp.

Transcript of At the Track

{Strong Bad and Homestar Runner are standing on a racetrack near a pool.}

STRONG BAD: All right, Homestar. I'm not sure why this never occured to me before, but some French guy told me to beat you up, and I tend to think he's right. Put up your dukes!

HOMESTAR RUNNER: Oh, hello, Strong Bad! Are you here to watch the race?

STRONG BAD: A race? You mean like a race-race? Race-race-race?

HOMESTAR RUNNER: You haven't heard about the Free Country USA Triannual Race to the End of the Race?! It's only the coolest and most important sporting event in the history of sporting events I'm about to compete in ever!

STRONG BAD: A race, eh? You know, beating you in a race would be almost as much fun as beating you senseless!

HOMESTAR RUNNER: I'd like to see you try, Strong Bad! I've been trainin' my twees off for weeks now. Besides, Marzipan has promised me a big victory party after I win!

STRONG BAD: Did someone say "Pwahty"?

HOMESTAR RUNNER: Oh hecks yeah! Marzipan's putting together a huge party, with floats, and cake jugglers, and balloon manimals, and—

STRONG BAD: And why was I, Lord High Awesome Party, occasionally known as Strong Bad, not invited?!

HOMESTAR RUNNER: {whisperingly} Whisperingly, I don't think Marzipan likes you very much.

STRONG BAD: All this race talk has intrigued me. I believe I will postpone your pummeling for now.

HOMESTAR RUNNER: Pummeling?

{A cell phone ring is heard. Homestar produces a cell phone.}

HOMESTAR RUNNER: Hold on. I gotta take this. {takes the call and holds the phone to his face} Yes, Marzipan? Yes? Yes. Yes. Yes? Noooo! Yes! Yes! {closeup on Strong Bad, who looks toward the camera and shakes his head} I miss you too, puddin' sack. See you after the race! Bye!

STRONG BAD: Girlfriend troubles?

HOMESTAR RUNNER: Not me, bro. Marzipan just wanted my opinion on the decorations. And the cake jugglers. And the {suddenly growing annoyed} plight of the low-lands toad weasel. And the bgh bzjt breh!

{He kicks the phone away in anger. It lands near Coach Z, who can be seen with video equipment. Cut back to Homestar.}

HOMESTAR RUNNER: {annoyed} Pardon me. I'm off to the locker room to reacquire my game face.

{He walks away and the screen fades to a splash screen for Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People.}

Transcript of Around the Field

{Strong Bad leaves Bubs' Concession Stand}

BUBS: Come back soon!

{Strong Bad lifts a cardboard box and picks a piece of paper out from under it}

STRONG BAD: {singing} Box-peering guy! {spoken} Hey!

{Strong Bad faces the camera, and the manual for Snake Boxer 5 overlaps him}

STRONG BAD: It's the cover to my long-lost Snake Boxer V manual!

{The cover fades away}

STRONG BAD: If I can find the rest of this thing, I'll have the cheat code that unlocks Snake Boxer V's Super-Secret Forbidden mode!

{Strong Bad runs up to The Brick Wall}

STRONG BAD: Hi, pointless wall! {high pitched, covering mouth} Hi, Strong Bad!

{Strong Bad runs up to a hedge with some sticks pointing outwards from it}

STRONG BAD: Geez, that hedge looks like it's been beat around the face with an ugly stick.

{Strong Bad turns behind him and faces The Stick}

STRONG BAD: Not you, The Stick. You're beautiful, man.

{Strong Bad runs up to The Stick}

STRONG BAD: It's The Stick.

{fanfare plays from offscreen}

STRONG BAD: And, that's about all there is.

{The splash screen for Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People appears}

Fun Facts

Trivia

• A few days after the "Track" trailer was released, it was edited with the following known changes:
  • The blocking in many scenes was slightly different.
  • Strong Bad's original first line was "All right, Homestar, the time for our ultimate throwdown of total death-tiny has arrived! Put 'em up!"
  • At three points in the dialogue, (before "A race?", before "Did someone say pwahty?", and before "All this race talk...") a choice box appeared above Strong Bad's head. A cursor chose which topic Strong Bad would discuss the first two times, but just closed the box the third time.
  • A very slight difference in Homestar's expression is added after Strong Bad decides to "postpone" Homestar's pummeling. When Homestar responds by asking "Pummeling?", Homestar's eyes squint in an angry way. This does not occur in the first version.
  • The scoreboard had the initials CZ and PP on it. It now reads "OFFICIAL RACE TIMES".
  • Various graphical glitches have been removed.

Remarks

• "At The Track" takes place near the beginning of the game, while "Around The Field" is an example of game play during some of the side quests.
• This is one of the few times a character mentions Free Country, USA. The last time this occurred was when Strong Bad said it in flashback.
• The animation accompanying Strong Bad by The Stick was first seen in Strong Bad Gameways.
• An attempt to use the microwave in-game will result in a note that the door is stuck shut. However, at a certain point in the game, Homestar will open it without any problem--even while Strong Bad is in the middle of saying it's stuck shut.
• Throughout the game, The Paper accompanies as part of the in-game menu rather than New Paper.

Goofs

• At the non-garden party, the rollover for Marzipan and Homestar is spelled "MARZIPAN & HOMSETAR".
• After Strong Bad plays Snake Boxer 5 in the Wii version, he gets teleported to the Computer Room then back his room.
• In the PC version, occasionally Marzipan and Strong Bad's eyes are not visible upon entering an area.
• In the PC version, in Strong Bad's photo booth there is a clickable area above the camera. Clicking here turns the cursor into the Max shirt from the Telltale store (also occasionally chosen at random as Young Sam's costume in Sam and Max Episode 202: Moai Better Blues and Episode 204: Chariots of the Dogs). However, when put on Strong Bad, the shirt is yellow and has a picture of a dog on it.
• If the subtitles are turned off, they will be erroneously enabled when Strong Bad checks his email. They will remain enabled afterwards until Strong Bad leaves his house, although the Settings screen will show them as Off. Toggling them on and off again under the Settings will rectify the problem.
• While wearing the tech shirt near Strong Bad's house, in extended play, a giant blue wall will shoot out from the shirt.

Glitches

• On the Wii version, if widescreen mode is turned on, talking to Coach Z in extended play results in the game crashing, requiring a hard reset.

Inside References

• Homestar previously called his butt a "twees" in lady fan.
• Strong Bad's pronunciation of "party" matches his pronunciation in nightlife.
• Homestar mentions cake jugglers.
• Marzipan has previously written a song stating that she really doesn't like Strong Bad at all.
• Strong Bad mentions a French guy.
• This is another appearance of a cardboard box.
• The music playing when Strong Bad leaves Bubs' Concession Stand and after Strong Bad approaches The Stick is the same one from hygiene.
• The music that plays at Marzipan's house comes from The Luau.
• An ad for the Ab-Abber 2000 plays on the TV in the basement.
• When hiding behind the King of Town's statue in the hall of records, Strong Bad lists the features of "Stealth Strong Bad", an imaginary action figure made by Cheap as Free Toys.
• References to Strong Bad's style are made throughout the game.
• The music on the e-mail menu comes from the game show scenes in animal.
• Strong Bad can wear Homestar Runner's "Pants".

Real-World References

• "Balloon Manimals" might reference the short-lived NBC drama Manimal.
• When Homestar is on the phone with Marzipan, the way he says, "Yes? Yes. Yes. Yes? Noo! Yes. Yes?" is a reference to episode 4 of Sam & Max Season One, where Sam answers a phone with the Commissioner and says that in the same way.
  • Additionally, the music which plays when Strong Bad acquires bonus items and trophies is Item Get from episode 5 of the same season.
• Strong Bad's original first line is a reference to the Lemon Demon song The Ultimate Showdown of Ultimate Destiny, which became popular on the internet after it was made into a Flash cartoon music video.
  • In the final game, the prize for the Race to the End of the Race is the Silver Trophy of Ultimate Destiny.
• When investigating the stands near the track Strong Bad mentions the stands being emptier than a Stryper concert. Stryper was a Christian metal band from the '80s.
• When Strong Bad attempts to pick up the hurdle after the first run of the Race to the End of the Race, he claims that it must be made of some very heavy metal, and lists several materials he thinks it could be made of, including "black sabbath". Black Sabbath was a heavy metal band which had great influence on the genre.
• After trimming the hedge near Bub's Concession Stand, having Strong Bad look at it leads him to call it "the flying V". This is an actual guitar made by Gibson Guitar Corp. The hedge's shape is also accurate to the Gibson Flying V.
• Throughout most of the game, Strong Bad's fridge contains only a single jar of mayonnaise. In Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis, another point-and-click adventure game, Indiana Jones had only a single jar of mayonnaise in his fridge.
• Bubs will tell Strong Bad to "stay gold" after ending conversation. This is a reference to the book "The Outsiders" when the main character, Ponyboy, is told to "stay gold" from his friend.
• Strong Bad's Deleted line "Survey Says...DELETED!" is a reference to the popular game show Family Feud.

See Also

• Homestar Ruiner Teen Girl Squad

External Links

• Official episode webpage
• Watch the gameplay video for "Homestar Ruiner"
  • FLV video file for "Homestar Ruiner"
• Watch the second gameplay video for "Homestar Ruiner"
• YouTube mirror of the older version of the first gameplay video for "Homestar Ruiner"
• Read May 14, 2008 press release about "Homestar Ruiner"
• Read a bare-bones walkthrough of "Homestar Ruiner"
• forum thread re: "Homestar Ruiner" trailer