Fun And Games
Felipe has acquired a new Supremoguy video game, and doesn’t want to stop playing; meanwhile, Mr. Lopart is trying to film a commercial for his candy store. When a leg on Mr. Lopart’s tripod breaks, Manny pulls Felipe from his game so they can fix it; Felipe is anxious to get back to playing, but has to contend with one delay after another- and then, just when he thinks he’s home free, Fluffy gets herself stuck on a ledge high on a building. Too bad Supremoguy can’t rescue her!
Tropes in “Fun And Games” include:
- Amateur Film-Making Plot: The plot of the episode involves Mr. Lopart trying to shoot a commercial for his candy store, and struggling to manage every role in production by himself; the filming has to be temporarily put on hold when Fluffy accidentally breaks his camera’s tripod.
- Asteroid Thicket: A level of Felipe’s Supremoguy game involves flying through one of these.
- Autoscrolling Level: The above-mentioned asteroid level is seen to be an autoscroller.
- Call-Back: Felipe’s love of Supremoguy continues, as he finds himself unable to stop playing a Supremoguy-based video game.
- Camera Abuse: At one point while Mr. Lopart is trying to shoot his candy store commercial, Fluffy jumps at the camera, knocking it over and breaking a leg on its tripod.
- Cat Up a Tree: As a variation, Fluffy manages to get herself stuck on a ledge partway up a building, although it’s not clear exactly how she managed to get up there in the first place. The tools, by working together, are able to get her down with almost no trouble.
- Company Cross References: Apparently, a level in the Supremoguy game involves fending off invading “Galacticos”; “Galacticos” is also the name of a kind of aliens in The Backyardigans, another Nelvana production. (Although those Galacticos were friendly.)
- Deus ex 'Scuse Me: When the tools encounter Fluffy stuck on a ledge on the flower shop building, Manny leaves to get a ladder, and leaves the tools there to keep an eye on Fluffy. While Manny is absent, Felipe concocts a plan for them to rescue Fluffy by themselves; unlike what normally happens under these circumstances, the plan is a complete success.
- "Eureka!" Moment: Felipe has one when he realizes how the tools can get Fluffy down from a ledge.
- "Everybody Laughs" Ending: When Felipe, acting as director for Mr. Lopart’s commercial, yells “QUIET ON THE SET” loudly enough for Flicker to fall over.
- Fictional Video Game: Apparently, there’s a video game based on Supremoguy, which Felipe has become addicted to playing; it’s 2-d and the graphics are sprite-based but unpixelated, and it’s not exactly clear what the plot is other than “Supremoguy flies through space and fights bad guys”.
- Hypocritical Humor: When Felipe is acting as director for Mr. Lopart’s candy store commercial.Felipe (loudly bellowing into a megaphone): QUIET ON THE SET!!
- In-Universe Camera: A few shots are from the perspective of Mr. Lopart’s camera, as he tries to film an ad for his candy store.
- Just One More Level!:Manny: Come on, Felipe, we got a job to do!
Felipe: But I’m in the middle of a hyperstorm!
Manny: There will be plenty of time to play el juego later.
Felipe: But I need to save the game!
Manny (crossing his arms): Felipe.
Felipe: Oh, alright… (powers down game) - Names to Run Away from Really Fast: Whoever the villain of the Supremoguy game is, they sure love this trope.Game’s Villain (after Felipe beats a level): You may have defeated my nanobots, Supremoguy, but now let’s see if you can handle the awesome power of the Eliminator!
- Obsessive Hobby Episode: Felipe spends a decent portion of the episode unwilling to put down his Supremoguy game, and is very anxious to get back to it once Manny makes him stop playing.
- On Three: As part of Felipe’s plan to rescue Fluffy (It Makes Sense in Context), Dusty is used as a Seesaw Catapult (no pun intended), with Felipe and Turner jumping on her on the count of tres.
- Pac Man Fever: Felipe’s Supremoguy game might have modern-ish 2D graphics, but it still has a high score counter and the sound effects it emits are pure 8-bit.
- Seesaw Catapult: While trying to get Fluffy down from the ledge, Felipe has Dusty act as one (with Pat as the fulcrum) to launch Stretch up to Fluffy's ledge. Yes, a saw was used as a seesaw.
- Stylistic Suck: Even without being pixelated, the graphics of the Supremoguy game are still subject to this; Supremoguy is a static sprite who moves around the screen without actually changing pose, and his design is fairly simplified, notably missing his Chest Insignia.
- Unspoken Plan Guarantee: Normally, when the tools try to do something while Manny isn’t around, Felipe will tell them what they should do, and they’ll then fail miserably. Here, the audience doesn’t find out what Felipe’s plan to rescue Fluffy is until he puts it into action, and it succeeds wonderfully.
Autumn Leaves
While driving around Sheet Rock Hills looking at the beautiful autumn leaves, Manny and the tools encounter Mr. Ayala and Nelson- and somehow get roped into helping them rake leaves, and then building a place to put the leaves when their leaf bin fills up too quickly.
”Autumn Leaves” provides examples of:
- The Bus Came Back: Nelson, who hadn’t appeared (except for background cameos) since “The New Kid”, plays a major role in this episode.
- Comically Missing the Point:Squeeze: Oh no, maybe the plant is sick!
Pat: I’ll get a bandage. - Continuity Nod:
- When Manny and the tools run into Nelson, he’s playing soccer with his father; soccer was something he was shown to enjoy in his debut episode.
- Pat’s attempt to hammer down the leaves in Mr. Ayala’s leaf bin is very similar to his attempt in “Jackie’s Old Shed” to compress the trash in a recycling bin in order to fit more in; the compost bin Manny builds at the end of this episode also looks very similar to the giant recycling bin he built in that one.
- "Everybody Laughs" Ending: One happens when the tools all jump into a leaf pile.
- Hidden Depths: Apparently, Kelly can knit; she knits a blanket for the tools with images of them on it.
- "I Can't Look!" Gesture: Rusty does this when Nelson jumps into a leaf pile.
- Sticky Situation: Mr. Lopart at one point gets a caramel-coated apple stuck to both his hands; eventually, he frees his hands, only for it to stick to Fluffy’s head.
- Textile Work Is Feminine: Kelly is revealed as being able to knit, and knits a blanket for the tools that has images of them on it.
