Spoilers Below

Machinima cartoons can take one of many angles in regard to their lampooning of classic and current video games. Sometimes they make fun of the graphics or some other quality issue within the games. Sometimes they mock the characters or plotlines. Other times they simply use the platform and characters to have normal conversations about life and its little quirks and/or make references to pop culture. Like Seinfeld presented in a weird, video game, YouTube clip format. So nothing like Seinfeld, I guess. One of the most entertaining and amusing themes to see, however, is the depiction of how video game characters and plot lines would play out in the real world. As in, how would the characters really react and what they would say in response to the insanity occurring around them? Or how would their antics truly appear to others? This is what the very first episode of Scribblenauts General explores.

For those of you not acquainted with the Nintendo game the show is based on, it essentially features a series of puzzles that the player needs to accomplish with the aid of their ability to summon one of a seemingly-endless cache of objects simply by writing its name. You can see how this might go over if it were for realsies.

In this less than two-minute clip, a man nervously notes that the sun has a mustache (that looks eerily similar to one worn by this writer) and realizes that his strange neighbor Maxwell must be about. He quickly shoos his wife into the house.

Maxwell approaches and cruelly taunts his neighbor by making his seemingly-playful jabs come to life. Anything he says and writes on his pad happens, and usually it is quite inconvenient to – and at the expense of – the neighbor. As the family man earnestly attempts to reason with Maxwell man-to-man, the innocent apparitions become increasingly extreme, and eventually dangerous. I won’t give away the details, but it quickly becomes clear that Maxwell is a sick and sinister individual. Everyone is changed after his visit, so to speak.

Hey, it was only one minute and 47 seconds long, but I laughed more than I have for countless shows with longer formats. Even compared to the horrible long-form dribble they put out (and eventually cancel) on TV, like The Cleveland Show (sorry, Seth MacFarlane.) I think it goes without saying (but here we go anyway) that I am definitely looking forward to next week’s Scribblenauts. No idea where the show will go, but if it’s half as funny as the first one, I’m game.

(9/10)

Follow me on twitter @Gonzo_Green.

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H06Venhjr2A&feature=share&list=PLA8263D9CADB28603