Code Monkeys
Encyclopedia
Code Monkeys is an American animated television program created by Adam de la Peña
. Set in the early 1980s, it follows the adventures of fictional video game company GameaVision.
The show first aired on July 11, 2007. Two seasons have aired on G4
and G4 Canada. In September 2008, the show began airing on the Teletoon Detour
block on Teletoon
in Canada.
While G4 was vague on the future of the show after the end of the second season, it was announced in May 2009 that the show would not be renewed for a third season.
) and its eccentric employees, mainly the slacker
Dave and his high-strung friend Jerry. The entire series takes place in the Silicon Valley
city of Sunnyvale, California
during the 1980s
. Code Monkeys is mostly grounded in toilet humor and stoner comedy, but some of the show's jokes stem from its numerous references to video games, past and present, but mostly those from the 8-bit era
including River City Ransom
, Castlevania
, Mega Man
, Contra
, Ikari Warriors
, Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!
, and Super Mario Bros.
This also extends to cameos from well known video game developers, who appear in the show pitching their ideas to GameaVision for the games that would later make them famous, usually to be rejected, insulted, and sometimes injured or killed off.
Code Monkeys is presented as though it were an 8-bit video game. In keeping with this format, characters, backgrounds and other objects are rendered with an 8-bit color
palette, occasionally leading to trouble animating specific objects. Most episodes begin with a screen flashing "PLAYER 1 START!"; episodes end with a black "GAME OVER" screen, with a "kill screen
" appearing after the production company logo in the first season. Before each commercial break, a small pause box typically appears in the middle of the screen which freezes the scene. On the two occasions when Jerry "died", a "Game Over/Continue?" box appears, with the "player" contemplating on selecting "No", but selects "Yes" to continue the episode anyway. Near the end of "Todd Loses His Mind", the episode "crashes
" abruptly, forcing the "player" to eject the "game cartridge" to blow dust off its connectors, and the episode is reset to its beginning, thus negating everything that happened in the episode. The show also features status bars at the top and bottom of the frame, which display a running counter of points earned by the characters doing video game-like actions in each episode, a health meter for the current characters, narrative aside
s based on certain characters' actions or dialogue, and other humorous sayings or pictures based on an episode's story line. Characters also use similar methods to show emotions, such as air humping (usually to exaggerate sexuality or awesomeness), or throwing up the sign of the horns. The show is entirely computer animated, with the exception of the "game crash" scene in "Todd Loses His Mind", and is done in-house at the G4 studios in Los Angeles
. The original music for the show, video game-styled underscore, is composed by Jon and Al Kaplan. Other music prominently featured in the series includes music by Los Angeles heavy metal group Tinhorn
. Jonathan Coulton
’s song "Code Monkey" serves as the theme song of the show.
, Adam de la Peña began writing a script for what would become Code Monkeys. The original title for the show was Dave And Jerry VS The World, but the name was changed to Code Monkeys after receiving the rights to use the Jonathan Coulton
song of the same name. After making a seven-minute animation test, he began shopping for a network to broadcast the show. He settled with G4 because he thought they understood the premise of the show the most. G4 allowed him to make a full-length pilot and subsequently picked up the show for 13 episodes and after a successful first season ratings-wise, the show was picked up for a second season.
Several months before Code Monkeys began airing, G4 launched an advertising campaign for the show in which GameaVision was presented as a real game company. There were two commercial advertisements for the fictitious games "Crosswalk" and "Barfight", the games "Sir Eats-A-Lot" and "Floating Space Rocks" were featured in a "Cheat!
G-Spot" segment, and "Barfight" was featured in an episode of Attack of the Show. G4 created a website for GameaVision's, featuring two playable games: "2 Card Monte
", which cannot be won; and "Hangman
", which contains fewer than 10 words, all of which are meant to insult the player.
called the show a "promising idea [with] gags [told in a South Park
deadpan
dialect that] have a fast free-for-all quality, as if they were produced by a zealous Galaga
player with his palm down flat on the “fire” button." Scott Jon Siegel of Joystiq
agreed, saying that "Code Monkeys has potential, [but] squanders it." He went on to say that "there was hope that G4 could deliver something actually watchable. [Code Monkeys] isn't." Jake Swearingen of Wired magazine stated that the show would appeal to "anyone who spent their youth blowing dust out of Nintendo cartridges and developing Contra-induced carpal tunnel syndrome." Furthermore, he compared Code Monkeys to arcade games of the 1980s, stating "[m]uch like the classics it riffs on, Code quickly veers into the wildly surreal." Andy Grieser of Zap2it
called the show "the funniest ... animation this side of South Park
." He called the graphics "[i]nstant nostalgia for thirtysomethings." Will Harris of Bullz-Eye.com gave the show a 3.5/5 and commented that "Code Monkeys is a twisted little show, [but that] it’s not for all tastes."
, partnering with G4
, released a two-disc DVD set of the first season of Code Monkeys on August 5, 2008 in Region 1
.
Watch Instantly as well as the iTunes Store
for purchase and can be viewed on a video-capable iPod
or Apple TV devices, Xbox Live
and Zune
through the Zune Marketplace, or PlayStation Store
.
Adam de la Pena
Adam de la Peña is an American actor, comedy writer, producer, and director.De La Peña started his career writing for The Man Show. From there he continued to work with Jimmy Kimmel's Jackhole Productions, writing for Crank Yankers, and Jimmy Kimmel Live!...
. Set in the early 1980s, it follows the adventures of fictional video game company GameaVision.
The show first aired on July 11, 2007. Two seasons have aired on G4
G4 (TV channel)
G4, also known as G4 TV, is an American cable- and satellite-television channel originally geared primarily toward young adult viewers, originally based on the world of video games...
and G4 Canada. In September 2008, the show began airing on the Teletoon Detour
Teletoon Detour
Teletoon at Night is the name for the animated programming block targeted towards older teen and adult audiences which airs from 9 p.m. to 3 a.m. ET/PT every night on the Canadian television channel Teletoon. It was launched in September 2002 as "The Detour on Teletoon" until September 1, 2008...
block on Teletoon
Télétoon (Canadian TV channel)
Télétoon is a Canadian French language Category A specialty channel that specializes in animation programming. Télétoon is owned by Teletoon Canada Inc; a 50/50 partnership between Astral Media and Corus Entertainment...
in Canada.
While G4 was vague on the future of the show after the end of the second season, it was announced in May 2009 that the show would not be renewed for a third season.
Plot
The plot of Code Monkeys revolves around the fictitious video game company GameaVision (a play on companies like ActivisionActivision
Activision is an American publisher, majority owned by French conglomerate Vivendi SA. Its current CEO is Robert Kotick. It was founded on October 1, 1979 and was the world's first independent developer and distributor of video games for gaming consoles...
) and its eccentric employees, mainly the slacker
Slacker
The term "slacker" is used to refer to a person who habitually avoids work. Slackers may be regarded as belonging to an antimaterialistic counterculture, though in some cases their behavior may be due to other causes ....
Dave and his high-strung friend Jerry. The entire series takes place in the Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley is a term which refers to the southern part of the San Francisco Bay Area in Northern California in the United States. The region is home to many of the world's largest technology corporations...
city of Sunnyvale, California
Sunnyvale, California
Sunnyvale is a city in Santa Clara County, California, United States. It is one of the major cities that make up the Silicon Valley located in the San Francisco Bay Area...
during the 1980s
1980s
File:1980s decade montage.png|thumb|400px|From left, clockwise: The first Space Shuttle, Columbia, lifted off in 1981; American President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev eased tensions between the two superpowers, leading to the end of the Cold War; The Fall of the Berlin Wall in...
. Code Monkeys is mostly grounded in toilet humor and stoner comedy, but some of the show's jokes stem from its numerous references to video games, past and present, but mostly those from the 8-bit era
History of video game consoles (third generation)
In the history of computer and video games, the third generation began on July 15, 1983, with the Japanese release of both the Nintendo Family Computer and Sega SG-1000...
including River City Ransom
River City Ransom
River City Ransom, released as in Japan and as Street Gangs in PAL regions, is a video game for the Nintendo Entertainment System . It was developed by Technōs Japan and originally released in Japan on April 25, 1989. It is the third game in Technos' Kunio-kun series released for the console,...
, Castlevania
Castlevania
Castlevania, known as in Japan, is a video game series created and developed by Konami. The series debuted in Japan on September 26, 1986, with the release of for the Family Computer Disk System , followed by an alternate version for the MSX 2 platform on October 30...
, Mega Man
Mega Man (video game)
Mega Man, known as in Japan, is a video game developed and published by Capcom for the Nintendo Entertainment System . It is the first game in the original Mega Man series and the entire Mega Man franchise...
, Contra
Contra (arcade game)
, known as Gryzor in Europe and Oceania, is a run and gun action game developed and published by Konami originally released as a coin-operated arcade game on February 20, 1987. A home version was released for the Nintendo Entertainment System in , along with ports for various computer formats,...
, Ikari Warriors
Ikari Warriors
Ikari Warriors is a 1986 arcade game by SNK, published in the United States and Europe by Tradewest. Known simply as in Japan, this was SNK's first major breakthrough US release and became something of a classic. The game was released at the time when there were many Commando clones on the market...
, Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!
Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!
Punch-Out!!, originally known as Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!, is a boxing video game for the Nintendo Entertainment System developed and published by Nintendo in 1987. It is a port of both the Punch-Out!! and Super Punch-Out!! arcade games with some variations. It has consistently been ranked among...
, and Super Mario Bros.
Super Mario Bros.
is a 1985 platform video game developed by Nintendo, published for the Nintendo Entertainment System as a sequel to the 1983 game Mario Bros. In Super Mario Bros., the player controls Mario as he travels through the Mushroom Kingdom in order to rescue Princess Toadstool from the antagonist...
This also extends to cameos from well known video game developers, who appear in the show pitching their ideas to GameaVision for the games that would later make them famous, usually to be rejected, insulted, and sometimes injured or killed off.
Episode structure
8-bit color
8-bit color graphics is a method of storing image information in a computer's memory or in an image file, such that each pixel is represented by one 8-bit byte. The maximum number of colors that can be displayed at any one time is 256....
palette, occasionally leading to trouble animating specific objects. Most episodes begin with a screen flashing "PLAYER 1 START!"; episodes end with a black "GAME OVER" screen, with a "kill screen
Kill screen
A kill screen is a stage or level in a video game that stops the player's progress due to a programming error or design oversight. Rather than "ending" in a traditional sense, the game will crash, freeze, or behave so erratically that further play is impossible.Video games, like any other computer...
" appearing after the production company logo in the first season. Before each commercial break, a small pause box typically appears in the middle of the screen which freezes the scene. On the two occasions when Jerry "died", a "Game Over/Continue?" box appears, with the "player" contemplating on selecting "No", but selects "Yes" to continue the episode anyway. Near the end of "Todd Loses His Mind", the episode "crashes
Crash (computing)
A crash in computing is a condition where a computer or a program, either an application or part of the operating system, ceases to function properly, often exiting after encountering errors. Often the offending program may appear to freeze or hang until a crash reporting service documents...
" abruptly, forcing the "player" to eject the "game cartridge" to blow dust off its connectors, and the episode is reset to its beginning, thus negating everything that happened in the episode. The show also features status bars at the top and bottom of the frame, which display a running counter of points earned by the characters doing video game-like actions in each episode, a health meter for the current characters, narrative aside
Aside
An aside is a dramatic device in which a character speaks to the audience. By convention the audience is to realize that the character's speech is unheard by the other characters on stage. It may be addressed to the audience expressly or represent an unspoken thought. An aside is usually a brief...
s based on certain characters' actions or dialogue, and other humorous sayings or pictures based on an episode's story line. Characters also use similar methods to show emotions, such as air humping (usually to exaggerate sexuality or awesomeness), or throwing up the sign of the horns. The show is entirely computer animated, with the exception of the "game crash" scene in "Todd Loses His Mind", and is done in-house at the G4 studios in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. The original music for the show, video game-styled underscore, is composed by Jon and Al Kaplan. Other music prominently featured in the series includes music by Los Angeles heavy metal group Tinhorn
Tinhorn
Tinhorn, formed in 2005, is a Los Angeles based heavy metal group formed by guitarist Harrison Thomas and drummer Johnathan Thomas, sons of Canadian comedian Dave Thomas of SCTV fame...
. Jonathan Coulton
Jonathan Coulton
Jonathan Coulton is an American singer-songwriter, known for his songs about geek culture and his use of the Internet to draw fans...
’s song "Code Monkey" serves as the theme song of the show.
Characters
- Dave (voiced by Adam de la PeñaAdam de la PenaAdam de la Peña is an American actor, comedy writer, producer, and director.De La Peña started his career writing for The Man Show. From there he continued to work with Jimmy Kimmel's Jackhole Productions, writing for Crank Yankers, and Jimmy Kimmel Live!...
) — Dave is the lead character of the show and the de facto lead programmer at GameaVision. A constant slacker, he focuses his attention more on playing games than actually making them. Dave is also a stonerDrug subcultureDrug subcultures are examples of countercultures, which are primarily defined by recreational drug use.Drug subcultures are groups of people united by a common understanding of the meaning and value of the incorporation into one's life of the drug in question...
; he claimed that most of his game ideas were conceived while he was high. Dave often grosses out his co-workers by either throwing up in front of them, having his pants down at inopportune moments, humping random people or objects, or performing other lewd acts. A rampant hedonistHedonismHedonism is a school of thought which argues that pleasure is the only intrinsic good. In very simple terms, a hedonist strives to maximize net pleasure .-Etymology:The name derives from the Greek word for "delight" ....
, the only things that seem to motivate Dave are money, drugs, and sex. Most of the show's and characters' predicaments are caused by Dave's erratic and impulsive actions. While he considers Jerry to be his best friend, Dave often insults him and manipulates his emotions. Despite his quirks, Dave has a flair to all of his actions and is a competent game programmer.
- Jerry (voiced by Matt Mariska) — Jerry is the show's other main character and Dave's best friend, fellow programmer, and office-mate. Unlike Dave, Jerry is hard-working, responsible, and tidy. However, usually under Dave's negative influence, Jerry will succumb to sinful pleasures, often with disastrous outcomes. Jerry's running gags throughout the series deal with his unrequited crushPuppy lovePuppy love is an informal term for feelings of love or infatuation felt by young people during childhood and adolescence, so-called for its resemblance to the adoring, worshipful affection that may be felt by a puppy. 'Simple infatuation is often called a "crush" or "puppy love"...
on fellow programmer Mary, fixing the damage Dave causes, wetting himselfUrinary incontinenceUrinary incontinence is any involuntary leakage of urine. It is a common and distressing problem, which may have a profound impact on quality of life. Urinary incontinence almost always results from an underlying treatable medical condition but is under-reported to medical practitioners...
when nervous or threatened, and his allusion to having closeted sexual feelings for men.
- Bob T. Larrity (voiced by Andy SipesAndy SipesAndy Sipes is an Actor and Art Director.He was born on July 2, 1975 in Oklahoma City. He is 6'6" tall.His voice can be heard on the G4 animated series Code Monkeys as the insane Texan Mr. Larrity, as well as Mr. Larrity's idiot son, Dean. He also played a number of different characters on Adult...
) — Mr. Larrity is the current head of GameaVision, a TexanTexasTexas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
billionaire who bought the company from Steve WozniakSteve WozniakStephen Gary "Woz" Wozniak is an American computer engineer and programmer who founded Apple Computer, Co. with Steve Jobs and Ronald Wayne...
, despite the fact that he knows nothing about video games, only that they're sure to make him rich. Larrity often employs various illegal methods to make his fortune. In addition to being ignorant, Larrity is violent, manic, bigoted, and misogynistic. Despite his apparent stupidity, Larrity can be quite cunning and manipulative. He treats his employees with no respect, but still cares about them to some degree, particularly for Dave, Jerry, and Benny.
- Dean Larrity (voiced by Andy SipesAndy SipesAndy Sipes is an Actor and Art Director.He was born on July 2, 1975 in Oklahoma City. He is 6'6" tall.His voice can be heard on the G4 animated series Code Monkeys as the insane Texan Mr. Larrity, as well as Mr. Larrity's idiot son, Dean. He also played a number of different characters on Adult...
) — Dean is Mr. Larrity's extremely muscular and borderline retarded son. He is appointed by his father as GameaVision's Head Supervisor. Dean has limited interaction with the other employees, doesn't participate in any of the programming, and doesn't even seem to do any actual work, aside from helping his dad cover up his illegal activities. He oftentimes uses violence to solve problems.
- Todd (voiced by Dana SnyderDana SnyderDana Snyder is an American actor, voice artist, and comedian, best known for playing Master Shake on the Aqua Teen Hunger Force show, and the film Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters, both part of Cartoon Network's Adult Swim franchise.- Early life :Dana Snyder was born in...
) — Todd is GameaVision's resident fantasy game designer, an obeseObesityObesity is a medical condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to the extent that it may have an adverse effect on health, leading to reduced life expectancy and/or increased health problems...
33-year old geek who is always seen wearing a horned helmetHorned helmetEuropean Bronze Age and Iron Age helmets with horns are known from a few depictions, and even fewer actual finds. Such helmets mounted with animal horns or replicas of them were probably used for religious ceremonial or ritual purposes.-Prehistoric Europe:...
. Todd's narcissism, use of pretentious language, and eccentricity, often blurring the lines between his Dungeon and Dragons-inspired fantasy and reality, makes him the most despised employee at the company; other characters often refer to him as "creepy" and "douche". Todd also lives with his mother, with whom he has a (very) near-incestIncestIncest is sexual intercourse between close relatives that is usually illegal in the jurisdiction where it takes place and/or is conventionally considered a taboo. The term may apply to sexual activities between: individuals of close "blood relationship"; members of the same household; step...
uous relationship.
- Black Steve (voiced by Tony StricklandTony StricklandAnthony A. "Tony" Strickland is a California State Senator, representing the 19th District. Strickland is a member of the Republican Party and a former Assemblyman, representing the 37th District from 1998 to 2004.-Early life:...
) — Black Steve is GameaVision's accountantAccountantAn accountant is a practitioner of accountancy or accounting , which is the measurement, disclosure or provision of assurance about financial information that helps managers, investors, tax authorities and others make decisions about allocating resources.The Big Four auditors are the largest...
and, as his nickname would imply, he is the only black personTokenismIn the arts, employment, and politics, tokenism is a policy or practice of limited inclusion or artistic and/or political representation of members of a traditionally marginalized group, usually creating a false appearance of inclusive practices rather than discrimination, intentional or not...
working at the company. He is foul-mouthed, ill-tempered and racist against white people. Despite his position, Black Steve has contributed games to the company, mostly themed to his prejudice towards white people. And, he is apparently fluent in Japanese and conversational Arabic.
- Mary (voiced by Gretchen McNeil) — Mary is GameaVision's sole female programmer, and consequently isn't taken seriously by any of the other sexistSexismSexism, also known as gender discrimination or sex discrimination, is the application of the belief or attitude that there are characteristics implicit to one's gender that indirectly affect one's abilities in unrelated areas...
employees, with the exception of Jerry, who has a major, although unrequited, crush on her. Compared to her boss and co-workers, Mary is considered to be the most level-headed employee at GameaVision. She is often accused of being a lesbianLesbianLesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
because of her strong beliefs in feminismFeminismFeminism is a collection of movements aimed at defining, establishing, and defending equal political, economic, and social rights and equal opportunities for women. Its concepts overlap with those of women's rights...
; a majority of the games she designs are targeted at girls or revolve around women's issues in some way.
- Clare (voiced by Suzanne Keilly) — Clare is GameaVision's receptionistReceptionistA receptionist is an employee taking an office/administrative support position. The work is usually performed in a waiting area such as a lobby or front office desk of an organization or business...
. The antithesis to Mary, Clare is airheaded, self-centered, self-conscious, and sexually promiscuousPromiscuityIn humans, promiscuity refers to less discriminating casual sex with many sexual partners. The term carries a moral or religious judgement and is viewed in the context of the mainstream social ideal for sexual activity to take place within exclusive committed relationships...
, even going as far as taking unconscious men back to her house and partaking in BDSMBDSMBDSM is an erotic preference and a form of sexual expression involving the consensual use of restraint, intense sensory stimulation, and fantasy power role-play. The compound acronym BDSM is derived from the terms bondage and discipline , dominance and submission , and sadism and masochism...
-related activities. However, like Mary, Clare is often treated with little to no respect by her co-workers.
- Benny (voiced by Dana SnyderDana SnyderDana Snyder is an American actor, voice artist, and comedian, best known for playing Master Shake on the Aqua Teen Hunger Force show, and the film Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters, both part of Cartoon Network's Adult Swim franchise.- Early life :Dana Snyder was born in...
) — Benny is a KoreaKoreaKorea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
n child, illegally adoptedChild abductionChild abduction or Child theft is the unauthorized removal of a minor from the custody of the child's natural or legally appointed guardians....
by Larrity to test the company's games. He is fed a diet of cigaretteCigaretteA cigarette is a small roll of finely cut tobacco leaves wrapped in a cylinder of thin paper for smoking. The cigarette is ignited at one end and allowed to smoulder; its smoke is inhaled from the other end, which is held in or to the mouth and in some cases a cigarette holder may be used as well...
s, Pixy StixPixy StixPixy Stix is a powdered candy packaged in a wrapper that resembles a drinking straw.Pixy Stix used to be made by Sunline which started 1952 in Springfield, Missouri. Originally it was a drink mix in the late 1940s, sold as Frutola, but J. Fish Smith found that kids were eating the sweet & sour...
, bags of pure sugar, and amphetamineAmphetamineAmphetamine or amfetamine is a psychostimulant drug of the phenethylamine class which produces increased wakefulness and focus in association with decreased fatigue and appetite.Brand names of medications that contain, or metabolize into, amphetamine include Adderall, Dexedrine, Dextrostat,...
s to stunt his growth and keep him game-testing nonstop. As a result, Benny is constantly hyper and usually spends his time roaming through the building's ventilation and plumbing systems, making a side living selling things to employees. No game can be shipped without Benny's approval, which causes the programmers, namely Dave and Jerry, to repeatedly bribe him with (often illegal) treats and toys. He is often accompanied by a taciturn, muscular bodyguard.
- Clarence (voiced by Lionel Tubbins) — Clarence is GameaVision's audio designer. Flamboyantly gayHomosexualityHomosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
, he wears sparkly jumpsuits, sings effectively all of his dialogue, and constantly makes blatant references to gay sex. He has also demonstrated the abilities to levitate and pass through walls, using "gay magic" which can be toggled on and off, possibly a play on the "fairy" pejorative of homosexuality. Occasionally, Clarence pitches homosexually-themed games to the company.
History
While working on the pilot for MinoriteamMinoriteam
Minoriteam is an animated television series on Cartoon Network's late night programming block, Adult Swim. The pilot episode premiered on November 6, 2005...
, Adam de la Peña began writing a script for what would become Code Monkeys. The original title for the show was Dave And Jerry VS The World, but the name was changed to Code Monkeys after receiving the rights to use the Jonathan Coulton
Jonathan Coulton
Jonathan Coulton is an American singer-songwriter, known for his songs about geek culture and his use of the Internet to draw fans...
song of the same name. After making a seven-minute animation test, he began shopping for a network to broadcast the show. He settled with G4 because he thought they understood the premise of the show the most. G4 allowed him to make a full-length pilot and subsequently picked up the show for 13 episodes and after a successful first season ratings-wise, the show was picked up for a second season.
Several months before Code Monkeys began airing, G4 launched an advertising campaign for the show in which GameaVision was presented as a real game company. There were two commercial advertisements for the fictitious games "Crosswalk" and "Barfight", the games "Sir Eats-A-Lot" and "Floating Space Rocks" were featured in a "Cheat!
Cheat!
Cheat! is a TV show on G4 that provides cheat codes, strategies, and other hidden features for video games. The show is hosted by Kristin Adams , who replaced original host Cory Rouse in January 2005. After a nearly 18-month hiatus, new episodes of Cheat! began airing in December 2008...
G-Spot" segment, and "Barfight" was featured in an episode of Attack of the Show. G4 created a website for GameaVision's, featuring two playable games: "2 Card Monte
Three-card Monte
Three-card Monte, also known as the Three-card marney, Three-card trick, Three-Way, Three-card shuffle, Menage-a-card, Triplets, Follow the lady, Les Trois Perdants , le Bonneteau, Find the lady, or Follow the Bee is a confidence game in which the victim, or mark, is tricked into betting a...
", which cannot be won; and "Hangman
Hangman (game)
Hangman is a paper and pencil guessing game for two or more players. One player thinks of a word and the other tries to guess it by suggesting letters.-Overview:...
", which contains fewer than 10 words, all of which are meant to insult the player.
Reception
According to the president of G4, the first season was a huge success for the network. During its first season the show was watched by more than 20 million people. Since its inception, Code Monkeys has received mixed reviews. Virginia Heffernan of The New York TimesThe New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
called the show a "promising idea [with] gags [told in a South Park
South Park
South Park is an American animated television series created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone for the Comedy Central television network. Intended for mature audiences, the show has become famous for its crude language, surreal, satirical, and dark humor that lampoons a wide range of topics...
deadpan
Deadpan
Deadpan is a form of comic delivery in which humor is presented without a change in emotion or body language, usually speaking in a casual, monotone, solemn, blunt, disgusted or matter-of-fact voice and expressing an unflappably calm, archly insincere or artificially grave demeanor...
dialect that] have a fast free-for-all quality, as if they were produced by a zealous Galaga
Galaga
is a fixed shooter arcade game developed and published by Namco in Japan and published by Midway in North America in 1981. It is the sequel to Galaxian, released in 1979. The gameplay of Galaga puts the player in control of a space ship which is situated on the bottom of the screen...
player with his palm down flat on the “fire” button." Scott Jon Siegel of Joystiq
Joystiq
Joystiq is a video gaming blog founded in June 2004 that has since become one of the most successful sites within the Weblogs, Inc. family of weblogs. It is the centerpiece of WIN's own network of video gaming blogs, which also includes a blog dealing specifically with the popular MMORPG World of...
agreed, saying that "Code Monkeys has potential, [but] squanders it." He went on to say that "there was hope that G4 could deliver something actually watchable. [Code Monkeys] isn't." Jake Swearingen of Wired magazine stated that the show would appeal to "anyone who spent their youth blowing dust out of Nintendo cartridges and developing Contra-induced carpal tunnel syndrome." Furthermore, he compared Code Monkeys to arcade games of the 1980s, stating "[m]uch like the classics it riffs on, Code quickly veers into the wildly surreal." Andy Grieser of Zap2it
Zap2it
Zap2it is an American website and affiliate network that provides news, photos and video, local TV listings and movie showtimes. The site is produced by Tribune Media Services , part of the publishing division of the Chicago-based Tribune Company...
called the show "the funniest ... animation this side of South Park
South Park
South Park is an American animated television series created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone for the Comedy Central television network. Intended for mature audiences, the show has become famous for its crude language, surreal, satirical, and dark humor that lampoons a wide range of topics...
." He called the graphics "[i]nstant nostalgia for thirtysomethings." Will Harris of Bullz-Eye.com gave the show a 3.5/5 and commented that "Code Monkeys is a twisted little show, [but that] it’s not for all tastes."
DVD release
Shout! FactoryShout! Factory
Shout! Factory is an entertainment company founded in 2003 that was started by Richard Foos , Bob Emmer and Garson Foos initially as a specialty music label...
, partnering with G4
G4 (TV channel)
G4, also known as G4 TV, is an American cable- and satellite-television channel originally geared primarily toward young adult viewers, originally based on the world of video games...
, released a two-disc DVD set of the first season of Code Monkeys on August 5, 2008 in Region 1
DVD region code
DVD region codes are a digital-rights management technique designed to allow film distributors to control aspects of a release, including content, release date, and price, according to the region...
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| Code Monkeys: Season One | |||||
| Set Details | Special Features | ||||
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Kristin Holt Kristin Nicole Adams , née Holt, is a television personality and entertainment news correspondent. She is most noted as a host of G4's Cheat!, a television show dedicated to video game cheats and strategies. The show now airs as a segment on G4's X-Play. She also substitutes hosting roles for the... " |
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Netflix, iTunes, Xbox 360, Zune, Wii and PSN
All 26 episodes are available via NetflixNetflix
Netflix, Inc., is an American provider of on-demand internet streaming media in the United States, Canada, and Latin America and flat rate DVD-by-mail in the United States. The company was established in 1997 and is headquartered in Los Gatos, California...
Watch Instantly as well as the iTunes Store
ITunes Store
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
for purchase and can be viewed on a video-capable iPod
IPod
iPod is a line of portable media players created and marketed by Apple Inc. The product line-up currently consists of the hard drive-based iPod Classic, the touchscreen iPod Touch, the compact iPod Nano, and the ultra-compact iPod Shuffle...
or Apple TV devices, Xbox Live
Xbox Live
Xbox Live is an online multiplayer gaming and digital media delivery service created and operated by Microsoft Corporation. It is currently the only online gaming service on consoles that charges users a fee to play multiplayer gaming. It was first made available to the Xbox system in 2002...
and Zune
Zune
Zune is a digital media brand owned by Microsoft which includes a line of portable media players, a digital media player software for Windows machines, a music subscription service known as a 'Zune Music Pass', music and video streaming for the Xbox 360 via the Zune Software, music, TV and movie...
through the Zune Marketplace, or PlayStation Store
PlayStation Store
The PlayStation Store is an online virtual market available to users of Sony's PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable game consoles via the PlayStation Network. The Store offers a range of downloadable content both for purchase and available free of charge. Available content includes full games,...
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