Gameboy #1 - Atop the Fourth Wall

Welcome to Atop the Fourth Wall, where bad comics burn. In this episode, Linkara looks at a comic about Gameboys!
atopthefourthwall.com
Originally uploaded June 20th, 2011.
ORIGINAL INFO: Now you're playing with... nothing, because this isn't a video game console.
RUMINATIONS: While it’s often that the episodes that I choose to do storyline stuff in tend to be random, I always knew the Gameboy episode would have a bit like we see here. It was one of the few bits of subtlety that I actually injected into the storyline to hint at the Entity’s identity. The chiptunes version of the theme was done by Skitch, who often produces a lot of music for Channel Awesome. He also produced the background instrumentals for the “If You Should Want the Moon” singing at the end of the Anita Blake review.
The book, later referred to as “The Absent Grimoire,” I’ve always figured to have more than one writer behind it. It’s never explored in the show itself, but I always just believed that it was passed on from person to person, each one adding new bits to it. You can chalk up the idea of the book filling itself in as either part of the Entity’s game or just the nature of interdimensional magical books that are mysterious and stuff.
One bit of storyline that I had originally planned but never actually did it was to add two minutes of static at the end of a video. No hidden messages, nothing concealed within the static, just two straight minutes of meaningless static and then cut to Linkara fiddling with the camera, confused about what just happened. While it might have been creepy, going for so long with it would probably have annoyed the audience in addition to just not going anywhere other than adding random mystery. As such, I instead went with the hidden messages in the credits that would appear later.
The “I know something else is coming” bit is a reference to the final Silent Hill reviews, but that’s to be explored later.

[@TheAwakeOrangutang]

Having played Super Mario Land, I can confirm that seeing a third door would raise some eyebrows. At the end of every level, there's a high door and a low door. The higher one takes a little more effort to get to and usually can only be attempted once, but you'll get lives or powerups out of it if you make it. If a third door suddenly appeared, you'd probably take it to just to see why it breaks from pattern. I apologize if someone else already answered this (it's only been five years), but I didn't a brief search of the comments didn't net anyone saying something about it, so I figured I would go ahead and post it.

[@GasmaskAvenger]

I like to think Herman is actually The Fixer and this was his origin story.

[@autobotstarscream765]

The Fixer? From Holy Terror? The character that Frank Miller thought was too insane even for Crazy Steve?

[@SorowFame]

GasmaskAvenger that makes too much sense

[@kameronhall4448]

@@smashmaster521 Can I see it?

[@kameronhall4448]

@@smashmaster521 Steamed hams reference nvm

[@Cdr2002]

@@autobotstarscream765 funny that he claims to think that even tho he wrote and created him

[@connorveenstra]

Weirdly enough, I'm watching these for the story Linkara is telling.

[@davidspring4003]

not weird at all.

[@TheOldKing1998]

Same here.

[@BlackKnightOfTheWind]

I would just like to say that Linkara really knows how to right horror, which is saying something because very few things scare me and The Entity is one of those few.

[@Trevin_Taylor]

The News Show write*

[@gregoryalayon1193]

This comic brought up a plot point that would later be usedin wreck it ralph, how if game charecter dies outside their game they don't regenerate, also kinda how the video game world interacts with the human world

[@spiderboy43]

If someone ever makes an AT4W game with RPG Maker, the 8-bit theme needs to be used! Or even a 16-bit theme if it's ever made!

[@suroguner]

answer to the question at 13:10 At the end of every normal stage in super Mario Land, there are 2 doors. a top door for a bonus game, and an easier to reach bottom door that just takes you to the next level.

[@davidspring4003]

we need more 8- or 16-bit Linkara.

[@PosthumanHeresy]

How is there not a video game yet?

[@davidspring4003]

PosthumanHeresy probably because the boss fights would be too awesome for our brains to handle.

[@Robbinson98]

David Spring the bosses would probably be like Mechakara and Lord Vyce,

[@davidspring4003]

Marvel .Man and the Entity and King of Worms.

[@Wren_the_Bird_King]

Beneath the sea beside the flame Off the coast where the lost beast came To bring the world misery and shame A piece of the world is missing The path you should have never crossed The Beast exacts a heavy cost The number of the Beast is lost You will know it by its hissing The bones from hell you cannot tame Devour your life and all your fame That is the price to play its game And all while you're reminiscing

[@TheSefirosu200x]

That was random. What does that have to do with anything? Was it from a Gameboy game? If so, that developer had a good poet writing that.

[@TheAwakeOrangutang]

That's the poem written in the Absent Grimoire, the book he's holding at the end.

[@billlupin8345]

If ever It should meet your eyes, Witness, your power multiplies, But then, you find it's naught but lies, As you watch loved ones dismissing.

[@BreadHart]

Why you didn't use the 8-bit theme in the other "gameboy" reviews? :( P.S: This is one of my favorite episodes xD

[@kiko485]

Mario digivole toooo, SUPER MARIO!

[@autobotstarscream765]

kiko485 Super Mario, Digivolve to... Fire Mario!

[@shadowlinkbds]

Love the game boy styled opening theme.

[@SeekerLancer]

I had the second issue of this comic when I was a kid, which is pretty much the same exact story... IN SPACE!

[@lexibrown8299]

Aw, man, huge blast from the past... the paperback collection of these Game Boy comics were some of the first comics I ever read, and I realize how stupid it is but I just can't not love seeing it again here.

[@isenokami7810]

13:15 I know it wasn't around when this video went up, but you just described Undertale.

[@Gat720Dua]

As a response to 90's Kid at 9:48. Oh so Duke Nukem then.

[@182supermario]

You know, I had an idea for a Game Boy Classic Edition, and I think this Gameboy Classic Edition should have these features: -Have the same saving features as the NES Classic Edition -Have a backlit screen while still having the games in black-&-white with green coloring that the console is known for -Have the model be shaped after the Gameboy Pocket with all different kinds of colors (or get a special original model Gameboy version which costs more, but is a great collectors item) -Have wireless connectivity to other Gameboys for multiplayer & digital TVs to play the games on it with added color like it's a Super Gameboy -Have a rechargeable battery that can charge through a USB cable and these would be the games: 1. Tetris 2. Dr. Mario 3. Super Mario Land 4. Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins 5. Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3 6. Pokemon Red/Blue (you will get one of these randomly) 7. Mario's Picross 8. Operation C 9. Kid Icarus of Myths and Monsters 10. Final Fantasy Adventure 11. Megaman V 12. Wave Race 13. Alleyway 14. Balloon Kid 15. Donkey Kong 94' 16. Donkey Kong Land 17. Baseball 18. Golf 19. Tennis 20. Blades of Steel 21. International Superstar Soccer 22. F-1 Race 23. the Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening 24. Metroid II: the Return of Samus 25. Kid Dracula 26. Gargoyle's Quest 27. Castlevania II: Belmont's Revenge 28. Final Fantasy Legend II 29. Kirby's Dream Land 30. Kirby's Dream Land 2 31. Pinball: Revenge of the Gator 32. Street Fighter II 33. Double Dragon II 34. Ninja Gaiden Shadow 35. Harvest Moon GB 36. Mole Mania 37. Gradius: Interstellar Assault 38. Pacman 39. Kirby's Pinball Land 40. Kirby's Block Ball do you think that would be good?

[@masonasaro2118]

What, no game and watch gallery?

[@jackmonaghan8477]

I guess Herman is a prototype Gamergater. Also, Pionpi looks like Brainy Smurf cosplaying as the Celestial Toymaker.

[@AerosolBlade]

It's-a-me, Mariomon!

[@marcojacobs5443]

love the re-edited opening theme song :D Nice work :)

[@davidspring4003]

I just had a thought about the Absent Grimoire...what if the new entries showing up are written by the Entity's victims?

[@pgj1997]

13:05 The Muda Kingdom is the second world in Super Mario Land, a whole four levels in fact. Given that two of those levels had ended in the goal tower, which normally _does_ have two doors, it isn't the slightest bit of a stretch to say that a third door would've stuck out.

[@DogoHalibar]

Love the Gameboy sounds for the intro.

[@Cdr2002]

A third door that wasn’t previously there before sounds like the start of a creepypasta. Ok, to be fair, this comic is still better than most creepypastas

[@w1q2e3r4t5]

TY for uploading these to youtube ^^ The blip player works for me but it can be rather glitchy, so being able to rewatch these on here where it works perfectly fine is awesome.

[@puffnisse]

How long does it take from the blip video to be sent to KZbin?

[@w1q2e3r4t5]

puffnisse Well, these are re-runs, so they're a few years old. This one's from 2011, but we seem to be getting them quicker than linkara's putting out new videos, so we'll be getting these to slowly catch up with his current stuff. Might take a year or two before they're caught up though.

[@TrippyCommentaries]

Sick episode Linkara! Love your work!

[@arjunrawat3040]

The opening theme is rocking!!!

[@Mr_Bunk]

9:45 The timing couldn't be better! Oh dear lord, this is funny!

[@stakefr0mjatefarmvods534]

+Ultradalek7 DUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUDE

[@Reishadowen]

I remember reading this exact comic book when I was a kid. I had fond memories of it, while I wished to get my hands on an actual gameboy one day. (I got one the year Pokemon came out. Lot of good memories.)

[@TheBritt2001]

I loved this comic as a kid!

[@io6741]

16:35 Yeah, that's a thing that happens. It doesn't say they're TWINS, just brothers.

[@truec]

Actually, it was labelled as the Game Boy Compact Video Game System. Because Nintendo loved the word System back then.

[@maxmcelhannan7477]

mario actually lived in brooklynn for a while

[@DogoHalibar]

5:27 Plus, the Phoenix Wright franchise is going strong too.

[@popc5245]

THE ATARI LYNX LOL!!!

[@Writer10389]

Love that 8-bit theme

[@Trevin_Taylor]

Writer10389 the game boy was not 8 bit.

[@Shades14]

Not to sound like one of those nitpicking douches you have to deal with on a daily basis but it is possible for siblings to have different hair colors. I and my closest sister have brown hair while my younger brother and oldest sister have blonde hair. Genetics are weird.

[@adamnieradzik7958]

It's not nitpicking if the mistake was so obvious.

[@TheDarkAngel969]

yeah genetics makes it feel like someone left the character customization on random

[@Trevin_Taylor]

How do you know your parents didn’t cheat on each other? It’s not like they’d tell you. That could also explain it.

[@twig8523]

Sorry to be one of those nitpicky douches by replying to a 6 year old nitpick 😄lol, but we're not talking about real-world genetics. In comics & cartoons families are distinguished by having similar characteristics, like hair color. It's a fiction shorthand.

[@isenokami7810]

Pit your entire team of Mewtwos against my Gen 5 team of high-leveled legendaries ready to face any type, and then tell me Mewtwo's overpowered.

[@oshronosaurus]

i know this is three and a half years late, but Brooklyn WAS Mario's accent at the time--that's what they went with in the Super Mario Bros. Super Show, at least alternatively, you could read his voice as being that of Lou Albano XDDDDD

[@therealstarMoses]

maaaan I just realized how long its been since I've been... Atop the Fourth Wall.

[@ethanedwards3357]

This comic may be bad, but it's bad in a good way. It's so bad, it's good!

[@MrGamernova]

Super Mario Land 1 & 2, Really underrated.

[@Trevin_Taylor]

MrGamernova they were not made by myamoto, a different guy worked on those. Only Mario games not made by the classic Mario team, that’s why they’re so different. Mario Land may be my favorite Mario game.

[@WraithTDK]

I loved these comics. Honestly, at the time I knew that it was objectively not very good, but holy crap, if you put Nintendo on pretty much *anything* I would have bought it at that age.

[@disneyfan85]

Mario IS from Brooklyn, I think. Maybe you could have had him speak in the voice used for Mario in the concurrent cartoon series, "The Super Mario Bros. Super Show".

[@jessaminehaak8253]

Wow, Linkara and I have basically the exact same experience with Gameboys XD

[@SpeedyEric1]

0:03 to 0:23- And the Nostalgia Critic later made fun of this same commercial.

[@theotherghostgirl337]

My first gameboy was a gameboy color that also happened to come with my first Pokémon game, Pokémon crystal

[@tannerprice2018]

The 8-bit AT4W theme makes me think, what if Linkara had his own game, like AVGN does?

[@marvelthinker3910]

Mario... is from Brooklyn as far as I know... I believe that was revealed in the old, really bad television/cartoon series (assuming that can be considered cannon).

[@kimifw58]

That may have been the original canon, or the one America's marketing insisted on, but it's since been changed to make him a resident of Mushroom Kingdom with an unexplained Italian accent that he shares with his brother and their evil twins. They have no connection to the real world.

[@Trevin_Taylor]

Kimi FW since when? I heard the bit about him not being a plumber anymore thru retcon, but I missed that he’s always been from the mushroom kingdom. I knew he became a resident of the kingdom, but always? When did that happen? Where are you getting this info?

[@MaverDick12]

My god a digimon reverence. :-) :-) :-) :-)

[@MaverDick12]

And invader zim reverence

[@kimifw58]

+soler star (stafru) reference*

[@bizijr]

DUDE Super Mario Land had superballs that you can throw at your enemies. PS: That is seriously what they're called!

[@Trevin_Taylor]

bizijr all fireballs in all mario games were called that back in the day. Yes, these behaved differently, but they were ALL called that. Everything had to be “super” back then.

[@cockroachcharlie5619]

NES manual for Super Mario Bros has them listed as fireballs. Super Mario Land are actually superballs especially in the way they bounce all over the damn place.

[@aquabreeze7612]

6:10 mostly I use my second GBA for tradevolving Pokémon and getting version exclusives from the version I’m not playing, but even there I don’t use the second one very often.

[@SICK2210]

Nice theme song

[@Vollification]

I had a Game Boy, it was the size of a brick and nowadays when I see young people with their smartphones I become "Grumpy old man". "You kids sure have it easy! Back in my day...."

[@Kuudere-Kun]

You should totally do the A Link to The Past comics.

[@shokteenik]

This is actually some interesting back story to Super Mario Land.

[@jeremyusreevu237]

I really like your characters. I think you should make a sitcom like show, similar to 80's Dan, with you and your characters.

[@potatobombkyle]

Pollo should do more karaoke, he has a real knack for it.

[@__-dr5vm]

Yo can I get an extended version of the 8 bit theme song.

[@stakefr0mjatefarmvods534]

Dat jammin' theme, tho

[@asimplethievingbat5978]

And by the way Linkara before going to the mushroom kingdom mario and luigi had a plumbing service in Brooklyn we call them Italian because of the accents they're two plumbers in Brooklyn with Italian heritage

[@dreamlandnightmare]

Lou Albano will always be Mario's "real" voice for me.

[@1rhpsfan]

Vypra:(Badly Acted) In my Vypari I'm invincible!

[@ninjagregshow9423]

Personally I like the wreck it ralph approach to video games being real

[@cooperross9495]

I don't the "Nintendo Comics System" things. By switching out the "Entertainment" with "Comics," it suggests that the entertainment provided by the "system" has somehow been replaced with "comics." Even though comics are themselves supposed to be entertaining. Why not call it "Nintendo Entertainment Comics?" (He asks on a video that's two years old about a review that's even older)

[@Trevin_Taylor]

Cooper Ross branding. They also had the “Nintendo Cereal System” and several other products with that name scheme.

[@babypower14]

great now i wnata hershey bar

[@okami-onome3912]

I played Pokemon Yellow on the Game Boy Classic and I enjoyed every moment of it

[@TheSefirosu200x]

So, since this episode is videogame related, which comic book company is the comic book equivalent of LJN for this show?

[@TheAwakeOrangutang]

Early Image comics, especially anything done where Rob Liefeld is involved. He's used several of their comics as review fodder, it's by no sheer coincidence his name appears in the theme song.

[@bernardomarkuskampffdemelo4323]

According to the cartoons and the 1993 movie Mario IS from Brooklyn

[@sirderpington7704]

The chiptune is fucking awesome

[@SorowFame]

5:34 Jaywalking, the most serious of crimes, equal too, if not more serious than mugging.

[@SteveCrafts2k]

Going off topic a bit. Gameboy line or the DS (Including 3DS) Line?

[@Viccatrix]

I had a gameboy when it first came out. Took it to school the day after I got it, and a kid stole it out of my desk when the teacher took me aside to talk to me about something. The teacher had everyone empty their desks, and when they found it in this kids desk the kid took it out and throw it on the floor breaking it. They game him a time out for like a half hour and that was all! That shit was expensive as fuck when it came out! You know the ass whooping I got when I went home gameboyless!

[@Trevin_Taylor]

Viccatrix so you beat the shit out of him, right?

[@sananaryon4061]

Damn, dat entity is creepy

[@dustinrausch5008]

4:10 I heard that, Curtis!

[@asimplethievingbat5978]

Ok in case you didn't know daisy is luigi's girlfriend and always has been mario saved her in super mario land because I assume luigi was too scared to go.

[@Navarro1030]

I dont understand why they are calling princess peach daisy. Can someone explain?

[@Cdr2002]

Daisy is another princess in the series

[@TheBoobTube]

Shouldn't these game boy characters be green and black instead of colorful when they enter the real world? Also, "Nintendo...It makes you avoid women!" lol!

[@vitormanuel9889]

13:27

[@TheDarkAngel969]

the octopi that appear on the cover look like the octorok's from the legend of zelda.

[@Trevin_Taylor]

TheFallenStar these shoot fireballs, not rocks

[@asimplethievingbat5978]

And I mean you Linkara

[@jessewilley531]

Not the BEEEEEES!

[@Tareltonlives]

10:11 is the only reason I watch this episode XD

[@Tareltonlives]

Actually, 9:50 too

[@eme2508]

(Traduisez ce commentaire, s'il vous plaît.) Mon avis: -"Pixel " avant l'heure. -Plagiat projet "Sonic le film" (1993) annulé. (Oui, des années avant le film que nous connaissons pour Jim Carey, un Sonic qui a certe fait scandale pour une histoire de design lors de sa première bande-annonce, mais qui, avec un redesign sympa et plus acceptable, est cool à suivre et une correction d'une histoire déjà vue, il devait avoir un film en live assez différent. Le héros humain, qui s'appelle Josh -vous voyez-, est un gamin de 12 ans dont le père est un informaticien au chomage. Sonic et son ennemi juré, le Docteur Robotnick, sont arrivés dans le monde réel à cause d'un super ordinateur où était branché une saturne, là où dans ce qu'on a eu Sonic est un alien ayant passé 10 ans sur Terre et Robotnick un humain extrêmement intelligent et dont le gouvernement le craint. Et puis, on a une histoire impliquant des enfants robotisés (Bonjour, l'ambiance!), un final épique dans le monde de Sonic et une fin comme celle de ce comics avec Sonic qui doit rentrer dans son monde pour empêcher Robotnick de revenir dans le monde réel. Et comme dans le film qu'on a, la fin nous promet une suite. Le projet a été annulé par Séga Japon (ah oui, à l'époque Séga of América et Séga Japon ne s'entendait pas.). Bon, en même temps, quand on voit se qu'il se fesait à cet époque en therme de films adaptés de jeu vidéo, surtout Mario.) -Au moins, ils ne se sont pas trompé de princesse. (N'est-ce pas Super Mario Bros le film?)

[@fero8955]

*K A - B L O E E Y*

[@Nipponing]

Where's the part where Mario beat them up?

[@Zaicyn]

What movie is the "Ruler of the universe" guy from?

[@RhythmGrizz]

Mario speaking that articulately is wrong

[@rolanalberto3064]

Funny I should mention I had the same comic he's read. I think the story was half-decent IMO, I mean it aint great but it's not bad either.

[@joerosio3004]

12:20 man Josh looks like Syndrome from the Incredibles. Totally creepy!

[@JaredsGaming]

10:22 Rock On!

[@strawberrybankai12]

wait, game boy aliance? Game Boy Aliance.... GBA my god was nintendo trying to recruit us with the game boy?

[@nvfury13]

May I draw your attention to "Atari Force"?

[@Canadamus_Prime]

I remember these comics. I feel old now. The comics about Mario, Luigi and company in the Mushroom Kingdom were better.

[@FarNoGaming]

My brother is Blonde and my hair is black... we have the same parents soooooo... It’s not so uncommon

[@Obiwan1994Kenobi-iv4jf]

Your Mario impression is not too bad.

[@TimothoNuva]

Tatanga did 9/11.

[@dannermyte]

What's the music at the end? Sounds familiar.

[@kimifw58]

Mario Kart, I believe.

[@Trevin_Taylor]

Music from Mario Land on Game Boy, you know, the thing he was reviewing.

[@DinosaurFan88]

I'm not the only one who relates to Josh here, am I?

[@austinreed7343]

Street Fighter #2!

[@electricgemini965]

Tatanga is wrong. You only live twice!