Poker Night at the Inventory

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Revision as of 22:32, 17 December 2010

A different kind of poker night.

"There's no quicker way to turn the hotties off than by being a terrible poker player man." — Strong Bad

Poker Night at the Inventory is a game for Windows and Mac by Telltale Games released on November 22, 2010, that features Strong Bad, Max (from Sam & Max: Freelance Police), Tycho (from Penny Arcade), and Heavy Weapons Guy (from Team Fortress 2), as well as Winslow from Tales of Monkey Island as the host of The Inventory. Telltale promises that it will feature "a new style of poker", presumably in a similar manner to that in the company's other card game, Telltale Texas Hold 'Em. Matt Chapman, besides providing the voice of Strong Bad, was heavily involved in the writing of his dialogue, similar to how he worked with Telltale on Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People.

Characters each start with $10,000. Randomly at the start the game, a character might bet a prized item instead of putting up the money, such as the Heavy's minigun, "Iron Curtain" and Dangeresque Too's sunglasses. These items will then become an unlockable item in Team Fortress 2 if you knock them out during the game. The game takes place in a speakeasy, with the premise that the characters are spending their off hours playing poker. Between playing hands, the characters will have a very deep dialogue system, and each character has their own respective thoughts on the others. It is said that Strong Bad and Tycho hate each other, but Tycho and Max get along really well. Heavy is wary of Tycho, loves Max, and thinks Strong Bad is a tiny Heavy. Strong Bad realizes he's a licensed character that was exploited by Telltale Games, similar to how he was treated in Behind The Bad.

The in-game models are the same as used in their respective games, so Strong Bad stands out against the more realistically shaded characters (along with Tycho, who also gets a cel-shaded cartoon look).

Cast: Strong Bad, Max, Heavy Weapons Guy, Tycho Brahe, Reginald Van Winslow, Pom Pom

Places: The Inventory

Date: November 22, 2010

The Inventory

Outside the Inventory

The Inventory's Poker Table

The Inventory is a secret club where video game characters relax and play games when they aren't working. Strong Bad and Pom Pom have played Texas Hold 'Em poker here. The building appears to be a warehouse with a metal door and a lit sign displaying the words "The Inventory". This metal door isn't used, as a hidden elevator in the floor goes down into the real club below. The club is shown to have secret rooms, as a bookcase is opened and closed to allow passage to an unknown area. The club was founded in 1919, in response to an early draft of the prohibition amendment, which would also have outlawed games. The club has remained secret ever since, just in case a similar law is ever created in the future.

In the introduction, while going down the elevator you can see Pom Pom at the table. Later, when you're being shown to the table, you can see Pom Pom get up and bouncing away in disgust. At one of the tables at the bar you can also briefly see a Maps & Minions game board from Strongbadia the Free.

Gallery

Strong Bad throws up chips	Strong Bad and Max at the table	Strong Bad and Heavy	Promotional Artwork
Strong Bad Poster	Strong Bad and Team Fortress 2 unlock item	Item Acquired: Dangeresque shades	Dangeresque shades
Poly Strong Bad

Unlockables

After a certain number of wins, unlockable items become available. The Homestar Runner-related items are:

• After two wins: Trogdor table. A green design with an intricate Trogdor pattern at the center and singed edges.
• After six wins: Homestar Runner deck. A low-res deck of cards. The picture cards are:
  • Ace: Spade has Videletrix Logo
  • King: Strong Bad
  • Queen: The Cheat
  • Jack: Homestar Runner
  • Back of Cards: Blue with white star in center.
• After 10 wins: Videlectrix table. A red, orange, and yellow table with the Videlectrix logo in the center and their slogan below. Using this table turns Strong Bad's model into retro-style polygons.
• After 13 wins: Strong Badia table. A table with the Strong Badia flag design overlaid on the surface.
• After 15 wins: Poker Night Deck. The hearts are all Homestar Runner related, with the King, Queen, and Jack being Strong Sad, Strong Bad, and Homestar Runner respectively.
• After 20 wins: Telltale Shield table. Black table with symbols all the players and Telltale logo in the center. Also causes Strong Bad to turn into his polygon version.

Fun Facts

Trivia

• This is the first time a Homestar Runner character has been in a game with characters from other video game franchises.
• Swears are in the game (with the option to bleep them out). Even with the censor removed, however, Strong Bad's swears are still bleeped out.
• Strong Bad's character bio reads:

  Heralding from the oft-overlooked municipality of Strong Badia, Strong Bad enjoys heavy metal music, video games, cold ones, computers, jetpacks, chainsaw arms, fireworks, jumps, babes, and guitar-axes (both guitars with a sharp edge and axes that go "squiddelydoo" when they chop wood). His poker strategy consists of belittling his opponents and hoping they fall prey to his "natural musk fog." Watch the critically acclaimed drama "Strong Bad emails," where Strong Bad checks his email on Homestarrunner.com or be sure to catch his made for TV movie "The Loneliest Rainbow". Check your local listings for showtimes.

• Strong Bad uses The Poopsmith's shovel to scoop up chips.
• Pom Pom makes a cameo in the introduction wearing the pre-order bonus Dealer's Visor for Team Fortress 2.
• A version of the Dangeresque theme song can be heard occasionally in the background.
• Each character has a unique play-style in line with their personalities. In particular, Strong Bad tends to bluff often.

Inside References

• Strong Bad mentions The Cheat, Homestar Runner, Strong Sad, Bubs, Homsar, The King of Town and Marzipan.
• One taunt Strong Bad will use is "Looks like you're gonna have to fold!" This is a reference to Dangeresque's catchphrase, "Looks like I'm gonna have to jump!"
• Strong Bad refers to the Heavy as "Heavym'n"
• The Heavy misunderstands Strong Bad when he asks if he can take care of The King of Town for him, thinking Strong Bad wants to assassinate him. When Strong Bad learns that The Heavy wants to assassinate the King, he shrugs it off with a simple "oh well".
• Strong Bad suggests that the Heavy should come live in the House of Strong, implying that the Heavy would displace Strong Sad.
• Strong Bad says "Flops are stupid, but floppy disks are analog-awesome.
• Strong Bad says "Flop, flop crap. Crop. Trying to make it rhyme. See what I was doing there?"
• Strong Bad tells Tycho he will kick him in his groin-face.
• Strong Bad is upset when Tycho asks him what he'll do if he ever gets a lady, and Strong Bad says he had to cancel five dates with nine supermodels just to be there. When asked how he manages to unhook a bra with his boxing glove hands, Strong Bad says bras fly right off when they enter his "natural musk fog".
• When The Heavy asks if Strong Bad wrestles, Strong Bad says he's a wrestleman, not a "wrestle...ER".
• Strong Bad says he can "buy a new Compy with that pot. One with a half-core processor".
• Sometimes, when Strong Bad has to make a decision to call a large bet, he will state that this decision is harder "then the time both Strong Sad and Homestar asked me for dessert, and I only had one laxative-laced brownie left."
• If Strong Bad wins two hands in a row, he'll say "You know, I'll just keep winning. Same plan. Twice times, twice times".
• Strong Bad mentions "jibblie nightmares".
• Periodically, Strong bad will state that he's "totally in this hand. Total, man."
• Tycho and Strong Bad have a very antagonistic relationship with one another. Examples include Tycho claiming that Strong Badia is nothing but a deflated tire and a piece of dog whatsit. Strong Bad also shows envy toward Tycho's popularity and says that his Penny Arcade Expo is nothing without him.
• Strong Bad shows gender confusion when he offer to be Team Mother of The Heavy's RED Team.
• After Tycho's short but disturbing monologue about the wonders of the hedgehog spines, Strong Bad responds, "Oh, nothing. Just puking in my pants." This may be a reference to the email secret recipes.
• Sometimes when the player wins a hand, Strong Bad will claim that it's not as impressive as "the time he had a full house and a flush in one hand. A flush house."
• When Strong Bad mentions how the cold ones at the Inventory are supposedly good, Tycho questions Strong Bad's age, saying, "Aren't you like, ten?". Strong Bad responds with "You shut face."
  • Ironic, considering that The original book was written in 1996 and Penny Arcade went online in 1998.
• The Heavy reveals that his favorite video game is Where's An Egg?.
• Tycho asks Strong Bad how he can do anything with "hands like those".

Real World References

• The Heavy wants Strong Bad to join the RED Team, the team from Team Fortress 2 portrayed as the good guys in Team Fortress 2 media.
• Strong Bad compares Max to a Pokémon.
• One of the lines Strong Bad can say when raising is "raisin' in the sun", a reference to the movie A Raisin in the Sun.
• Strong Bad said playing poker at the inventory was "better than poker night at Homestar's. Marzipan is always walking around au-natural trying to get us to play no-loser Candy Land," referring to the board game Candy Land.
• Strong Bad compares Tycho's hair to "a greasy hedgehog... unassociated with any video game license," referring to Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog games.
• After being called a beginner by Max, Strong Bad responds with "Shut up, Stitch," referring to the Disney film Lilo and Stitch.
• When Strong Bad busts out, he can be seen in the background playing on a Buster Blaster video game from Sam & Max.
• In the intro movie, before reaching the poker table, Monty Muzzle from "Wallace & Gromit's Grand Adventures: Episode 3: Muzzled" can be seen.

External links

• Poker Night at the Inventory official website at Telltale Games
• Teaser Video released August 28th, 2010
• Official Trailer Video released November 3rd, 2010
• GamePro article covering how the game was put together
• Poker Night Wiki