Parodies of games?

You know the ones. Those stories that are basically based on the games and mock nearly every aspect of them making you laugh at some point. I have extensively searched the internet in all the big places and many small ones and I've managed to find two that have been completed. Only two. And one of them is mine. I've found a few others that have begun but have been abandonned after a few chapters. And apart from my own every single one has been in script format.

I'm wondering, why does hardly anybody write them? And for most that do, finish them? And why are they all in script format?

Nearly every parody I've read has been popular and my reviewers have demanded more. So, it doesn't really make a lot of sense. And, if anyone says it's because they're usually writen poorly you're wrong because that would put someone off reading them (not many do seem put off though) and just look at OT fics.

Anyone who can provide an answer, thank you.

burningfoot said:

I'm wondering, why does hardly anybody write them? And for most that do, finish them? And why are they all in script format?

Click to expand...

To object to the last question (unless you're talking about the finished ones), I don't believe bobandbill's parody of Pokémon Colosseum is in script format.

That said, my theory, in reverse order, is the following:

Script Format: Because if you do it incorrectly, it becomes the easiest kind of prose you can write. You don't have to include seemingly superfluous words like "Wes said" constantly, and actions and description can be narrowed down to a minimum. Of course, usually, people do script fics incorrectly (as I've implied), so of course, it's the lazy way out.

Unfinished Fics: Loss of interest, really. In order to cover an entire game, you've got to put a lot of effort into it. Hitting up all of the cities and important locations in most games would force the writer to go over at least ten chapters. Kids who start the endeavor don't realize how much 10+ chapters' worth of writing actually is until about chapter six. Then, you've got some people who decide to drop out for something more serious (like an OT story) and some people who just disappear altogether. A few are actually dedicated to their work enough to see it through. This is usually true for a lot of genres in this fandom.

Lack of Parodies: Because although you can rely on fart jokes and a sailor's mouth and still be well-received, parodies aren't exactly easy. You have to work closely with the original, and unless you're consciously creating a running gag, you need to figure out how to create fresh jokes for everything. After awhile, it most likely gets tedious to make fun of every last detail along the way while keeping it as funny as you can get it. If you can make it through, some people will laugh. If you make it through by repeating jokes, that might not be a particularly big audience. And then, of course, some don't make it through after all, if that makes sense.

In other words, it's mostly due to laziness and what's easy, I think.

I have tried a parody of the games once, but it didn't work out so well, pretty much the same reasons Val explained.

-The jokes. It wasn't easy trying to think up of them. At first I was doing well (pun loving Lugia, anyone? :D ), but after a few chapters I'm unable to get inspiration for more good ones. The jokes started to become generic ones you see in parodies nowadays.

-Losing interest. What happened was I suddenly losing the drive to write that story and I'm becoming more interested in my other fic, Nothing, Everything, which is mystery/suspense.

-Time. Because of real life issues and also working on NE, I decided to quit on my parody so that I have one less fic to be worried about.

Parodies are fun to write and read, but for the most part it's not easy trying to go all the way through with a parody. If wanting to parody the game, it might be easier to do it in a one shot so that you can have all the fresh jokes in there and such.

I wrote one once, called Why Fire Red Stinks. I never finished it, you're right. I didn't do it in script format, though. It was more . . . the internal thoughts of my character.

EG:I meet Professor Oak. I get a lecture about stuff I already know.
I am a boy.
My name is Grey. Yes.
This is Oak's grandson. He's been my rival since we both were babies.
His name is Brown. Yes. This old man has Alzheimer's.
Lecture, lecture...
My very own Pokémon legend is about to unfold! Whuppee.
A world of dreams and adventures with Pokémon awaits. I'm so excited. Not.

I played with the NES. Okay! It's time to go!
I booted up the PC. I withdrew a Potion. What's this? I'm not Harry Potter...
I talked to my mom. Apparently all boys leave home someday.
How did you know that?
It said so on TV.
Oh well, that explains it. TV is always right.
And Professor Oak from next door is looking for me. Creepy.
That's it? I just get kicked out? I'm ten, for crying out loud!
...Fine. See ya!

I went next door, but the only one there is a girl with a map.
It's Daisy. She reckons her brother, Brown, is out at her Grandpa's lab.
Your grandpa? Remember, I'm a noob Trainer. I don't know your Grandpa! Sheesh...
Fine. Just ignore me.
Hang on...the letterbox outside says "Brown's house."
But I thought that Mom said the Professor lived here!

I enter the lab and talk to some guys in white coats.
They both study Pokémon as Professor Oak's aide. I never would have guessed.
The woman in green just gushes about how wonderful Professor Oak is. Blech.
There's a guy with brown hair. Let's chat to him.
What, it's only Grey? ONLY Grey? Who does this guy think he is!
And Gramps isn't around. Everybody but me has a grandfather in this town!!
Hold on... Maybe this is Brown! That would make sense.
Then he'd be Daisy's brother, and Oak would be their grandfather. Dilemma solved.

...and so on, up till about Pewter City, I think.

I remember I did a story RP on a parody of the Matrix (shared by several people as the movie progressed so did our writing of its parody). I wasn't as authentic as others, when writing scenes, but it still turned out to be quite humorous.

Yeah, I'll throw my support behind the 'it's not easy' part. Which potentially might explain why it takes me a while to get new chapters out, although that's probably more down to lack of time and a million other projects/interests, and good old laziness. XD

But I try to pay good attention to all sorts of thing in Pokemon Colosseum, and trying to come up with something funny (or leastways, what I think is funny XD) isn't always such a quick and easy job to keep things 'fresh' and so forth, considering just how much there actually is and all. But I find it fun, and do intend to see it out - it'll just take a good while, is all. XD Considering the length of games, that may be another reason why parodies are not done, as mentioned before. (I never had intended my fic to get as in-depth as it is when I first randomly started though XD).

To object to the last question (unless you're talking about the finished ones), I don't believe bobandbill's parody of Pokémon Colosseum is in script format.

Click to expand...

Yep - my fic is non-scripty. Although some early chapters might be rather...light. XD

I have seen a startling number of parodies though in the script format...quick and easy, I suppose.

Damn. How did I miss something right under my nose. I'm going to read that.

Hmm. I guess saying it's down to people being lazy and finding it hard does sound right. I did only finish mine because I was determined and I don't like abandonning things. But I also enjoyed writing it.

Yeah, coming up wth fresh joke is hard but I seemed to manage it alright. I guess it's just down to ability and laziness.

I'm already preparing myself by coming up with jokes for my parody of HeartGold. I've got quite a few ideas written down.

Thanks for answering.

In all honesty, I consider parodies the lowest form of comedy as they tend to be an easy way to plagiarize while people still consider it something legit. I don't mind an occasional spoof of games within fics; I poke some fun at the whole Pokemon Mystery Dungeon set-up several times in my Dark Nostalgia fic, Biohazard. But, unless they're part of mainstream media like the Scary Movie series, Simpsons, South Park, and that lot, I scorn any usage of this genre.

Skunter said:

In all honesty, I consider parodies the lowest form of comedy as they tend to be an easy way to plagiarize while people still consider it something legit. I don't mind an occasional spoof of games within fics; I poke some fun at the whole Pokemon Mystery Dungeon set-up several times in my Dark Nostalgia fic, Biohazard. But, unless they're part of mainstream media like the Scary Movie series, Simpsons, South Park, and that lot, I scorn any usage of this genre.

Click to expand...

Parodies are actually supposed to make fun of something (game parodies making fun of games) and shows like South Park and Simpsons would make fun of the trends and events in today's society, and doing a good job too.

The problem is the writers here (and anywhere else) think parody is all comedy when it's actually not. You have to understand why you're making fun of one particular thing in the games and how you go about by that when doing a parody. In fact, not all parodies have to be a comedy. Farla/icemew's story Lucki at Serebii is a parody that didn't rely in jokes, but the story still come across its message as it parodies stories with a Mary Sue character and how some of the qualities of a Mary Sue weren't noticeable to the readers at all.

Guess I'm trying to say is I don't think parodies are the lowest form of comedy, but most of the time the writers don't know how to do it right. Even I think I didn't do my parody right.

Bay said:

Guess I'm trying to say is I don't think parodies are the lowest form of comedy, but most of the time the writers don't know how to do it right. Even I think I didn't do my parody right.

Click to expand...

I don't think I could have said that better myself. Parodies...and social commentaries... Even since Fahrenheit 451, I haven't been able to read anything centered around Man Vs. Society conflicts. They all just seem too awful...

Erm...I have a game parody written, actually. But yes, they aren't very abundant. Most people want to write a good story, and some people choose to write parodies in a way t hat parodies beginner writers. That's how I chose to do mine, at least. The difficult part of that was typing like a noob. With Word correcting every mistake I made, that was really the only challenge. That and how some people think you're actually being serious when you finally post the story. But if you're looking for an example, the link is in my signature. I'll let you decipher which is the parody, though.