Culture Shock
From Sam & Max Wiki
| “Culture Shock” | |||||||
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| Telltale episode | |||||||
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| Episode # | 101 | ||||||
| Villain | Brady Culture | ||||||
| Musical number | More Than Jerks | ||||||
| Release date | October 17, 2006 (GameTap), November 1, 2006 (Telltale Shop) | ||||||
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Culture Shock is the first episode of Season One of the Sam & Max game series created by Telltale Games and published by GameTap. In this episode, Sam and Max must defeat and solve the mystery behind three strange criminals...
Contents |
[edit] Synopsis
[edit] Introduction
As Sam and Max are playing games in The Office (Sam trying to shoot an apple off Max's head), they notice they are recieving a phone call. As they look at the phone table, they notice it is not there; in its place is a note saying "leave swiss cheese by the rat hole". Once they shoot the cheese in their closet and put it there, the rat who set up the bait and switch operation Jimmy Two-Teeth is revealed. He tells those two that he has additional demands for the return of the phone.
Sam and Max set him on the table holding him at watch, and try to interrogate him to get their phone. After Jimmy tells those two he isn't afraid of any of Max's threats and doesn't accept Sam's offerings to settle this peacefully, he slips the information that he has a fear of heights. Once S&M hold him out the window, he coughs up and surrenders the phone. The call is revealed to be from The Commissioner, telling them there have been multiple reports of malfeasance in the neighborhood; particularily at the corner store.
[edit] The Three Soda Poppers
On their way to the store, they encounter one of the 3 Soda Poppers; Specs. He begins to divulge that he is spraying grafitti on the wall because of how it represents Brady Culture and his love for him. He tells him that Brady Culture's Eye-Bo Occular Fintess program (focusing on eyeball strength) has given him a new light in life, and tells them to check the TV for information. When Sam and Max check the TV (4 times), they discover the mystery behind the Soda Poppers (Specs, Peepers & Whizzer) and Brady Culture.
But when they get to Bosco Inconvenience, they discover that the thing being reported as malfeasence is Whizzer shopdropping videos into Bosco's store against his will. Bosco also introduces his new security system automatically knocking out any and everyone who exits the store holding one of his items. They trick Whizzer into being knocked out by this system; the camera then pans away showing a mysterious figure watching Whizzer being knocked out. Bosco is also selling a "high-tech weapon" for 10k dollars.
Sam and Max then knock out Specs by dropping a bowling ball on his head from their apartment after spraying graffiti on the wall directly under it. The mysterious figure is then revealed again, now knowing his plan is in jeopardy.
Then, in Sybil Pandemik's Office they discover that the third Soda Popper; Peepers; is claiming to be Sybil. Noticing some woman knock loudly on the door, those two open the closet door. Sybil comes out. After Sam and Max force a rich criminal to give them 10,000$ to buy Bosco's "Tear-Gas Grenade Launcer" (a salad shooter filled with onions) and use it on Peeprs (then punch him), Sybil tells the unconscious Peepers to "destroy the intruder in [his] dreams", thinking he is hypnotized. When he wakes up, he reveals that Brady Culture brainwashed him and that to find where he is, they must consult his other two brothers.
(If Sam and Max have knocked out the other two brothers, they can simply speak to them what Sybil spoke to Peepers to extract info on Brady's location. If not, they must knock them out first. The order in which they are knocked out and re-awoken is completely customizable.)
[edit] The Manipulator
Sam and Max can't get into Brady Culture's Home For Former Child Stars without a diagnosis of Artificial Personality Disorder, which is common in child stars; a person is diagnosed with APD if he has an obsession with fame/money, violent reactions to hair stylings/dentistry & a desire to marry ones mother. So they return to Sybil's and convince Sybil that Sam displays all the symptoms by completing 3 APD tests; inkblots, asking Sam what he sees looking into a very unclear picture of black ink, a test where Sam must do/say whatever comes naturally after hearing a word, and "dream analysis" where Sybil must determine what Sam dreams about. She gets convinced he has APD.
When Sam and Max travel back to the Brady Culture's Home For Former Child Stars, he manages to get in and they meet Brady Culture for the first time. He tells those two that he wanted "nothing"(?) more than to be universally loved, and how the immensive popularity of the Soda Poppers overshadowed his "Culture's Clubhouse" show. He attacks Sam and Max with a hypno beam; before anything is determined, Sam finds himself delivering videos to Bosco's store. Using the same tactic he used against Whizzer, he knocks himself out. He then finds himself in to his office where Brady Cultures have tooken over The Office and Max. Sam then does what the 3 Soda Poppers does; destroy the intruder in his dreams.
He then wakes up in Bosco's Store, and discovers that Brady has kidnapped Max (this disturbs Sam so much that everything he comments on will respond with something about Max). Now, he asks Bosco what he can do to help him; Bosco can make an anti-hypnotism helmet but he needs tools and some blueprints. After attaining his coat hanger from the TV and getting blueprints from Sybil, Bosco makes and gives Sam the anti-hypnotism helmet which is built into his hat for the remainder of TellTale's series.
When he confronts Brady who fails to hypnotize him, the Soda Poppers return ready to seek their revenge on him for hypnotizing them. Ironically enough, Brady easily re-hypnotizes them to attack Sam. Sam tricks Brady into saying "ATTACK ME!" causing the Poppers to kill Brady, and Max to be free, causing everything to be good again.
But, a TV shows the adversary for the next episode...
[edit] Characters
[edit] Protagonists
- Sam - The player character, who along with Max, must stop Brady Culture & the Soda Poppers.
- Max - Sam's best friend who helps Sam with the case.
- The Commissioner - Phones Sam & Max to tell them about the case, and is never seen/heard from thereon in the episode.
[edit] Neutral Characters
- Bosco - Owner of Bosco's Inconvenience "complaining" over shopdropping (the forcing of items into the store).
- Sybil Pandemik - Owner of her office across Sam & Max's street; this month she is a psychotherapist.
- Mr Spatula & Hubert - Sam & Max's office pets of a goldfish & office plant respectively.
[edit] Antagonists
- Jimmy Two-Teeth - Living in Sam & Max's rat hole and ransom's the two for there phone at the beginning of the episode.
- Soda Poppers - A trio of 1970's child stars (Specs, Whizzer & Peeper) who are brainwashed by Brady Culture to deliver his video tapes.
- Brady Culture - The main antagonist of the episode, who tries to brainwash a mass audience of people to gain popularity.
[edit] Notes
[edit] Trivia
- One of the posters outside the Black Hole Theater depicts Harry Moleman.
- If you turn on the TV before talking to any of the Soda Poppers, it will show an advertisement for Prismatology, narrated by Brady Culture.
- The term "Culture Shock" refers to the complications cultures go through when they encounter each other; this is reflected in the complications Sam and Max meet have with Brady Culture.
- Completing this episode gives you a 20G Achievement on the XBox 360.
[edit] Glitches
- If you right click on an item in your inventory when Sam is delivering videos, he will put his arms by his sides, causing the box he's holding and his body to occupy the same space. He will also stop moving his legs but continue moving forward, making it look like he's floating.
[edit] Reception
[edit] Awards
- Funniest Game of 2006 from GameSpot
