Top 10: Game Grumps Moments

*This list was original posted on 07/08/2019 and updated on 14/12/2019 to include new entries which have made it onto my Top 10 List.

I have previously written Top 10’s for Game Grumps episodes, these cover extended playthroughs and One-offs during Jon era, which you can check out here and here respectively, and during Dan era which you can check out here and here, also respectively. This list is similar but different, instead of focusing on episodes, it instead focuses on what I think are the best Game Grumps moments throughout their approximately 7 year history. So basically, over the years and over the many, many episodes we’ve had moments, sometimes in otherwise unremarkable playthroughs, that have become memorable, that have become quotable and recognised by most fans.

I’ve made sure when putting links in this list to only link directly to the Game Grumps channel, as a consequence I’ve put a time index after each entry, so you know which part of the video to check out to see the ‘moment’. I had considered finding independent sources who’d uploaded just the specific part I was talking about or even finding Game Grumps Animated clips, because these moments are often animated by the Lovelies, but firstly I want as much ad revenue to go to Game Grumps as possible but also and this is the main reason, I can make a safe assume that Game Grumps won’t delete or remove their content in the near future, or just deactivate their channel so I felt it was safer linking to them for that reason as well. That being said, I do strongly urge you to check out any of the many talented creators and/or animators who have made Game Grumps animated clips over the years, they are honestly so creative and enthusiastic, and the clips themselves blend our wacky grumps, with some amazing and diverse animating styles.

Anyway, before we move onto the list, I just want to quickly introduce you to who/what the Game Grumps are just in case you didn’t know. The Game Grumps are a Let’s Play channel established in July 2012 by co-hosts Arin Hanson (also known as Egoraptor) and Jon Jafari (also known as Jontron) who played the characters ‘Grump’ and ‘Not So Grump’ respectively, and while I’m talking about Jon, you can click here to find out my Top 10 Jontron videos (from his own personal channel). Arin and Jon ran the channel together, with their editor Barry Kramer (also known as razzadoop) until Jon left in June 2013 to focus on his own channel. Following Jon’s departure from the channel Dan Avidan (also known as Danny Sexbang) replaced him, taking over the role of ‘Not So Grump’. Okay now that we are all caught up, it’s time for my Top 10 Game Grumps moments.

1. Laura Schmitt
(Starts at approximately 5:15 and runs until approximately 6:20 where it takes a break until 8:09 and finishes at approximately 16:00)
Compared to some of the entries on this list, I came across this one a lot later, but it very quickly became my favourite Game Grumps ‘moment’. Arin is objectively very good at improv and voices, and he really proves that in videos like this. Honestly, the whole Laura bit is hilarious, from the drawn out croaky voice to the actual story just getting more and more over the top, it easily snags the top spot.

2. At Age Six I was Born without a Face
(Starts at approximately 1:02 and finishes at approximately 1:40)
It hasn’t escaped my notice that a lot of my favourite moments seem to be where Arin and/or Dan just tell a crazy story or give us some of that sweet improv, and this one is no different, I must quote this at least once a month, easy. It’s just so weird and hilarious, and well worth a watch.

3. Dennis the Menace Rap
(starts at approximately 14:32 and finishes at approximately 14:48)
So this in my opinion is the epitome of what makes Game Grumps great, something confusing happens and they respond with a completely off the cuff rap song, with Arin beatboxing (much like he would years later in Starbomb, the super-group of Ninja Sex Party and Arin Hanson), Dan singing and Barry Kramer adding a little animation in post to create absolute gold. It’s one of the episodes I go back to most, and it’s mostly for this rap section.

4. This Summer!
(Starts at approximately 11:04 and finishes at approximately 15:00)
I think I like this one so much, other than for the sheer randomness, because it gives Arin a chance to show off his crazy improv and voice acting skills. It’s just silly, and you can tell that Dan really enjoyed the whole thing as well which just made it so much better.

5. Joke Yoda!
(Starts at approximately 5:15 and finishes at approximately 17:01)
I liked the Super Mario Maker series, but I haven’t followed it as consistently as other fans have, however this Joke Yoda bit transcends the episode it’s in because it’s just fantastic. So we basically have Arin, as Yoda (from Star Wars) once he has retired, and decides to take up stand-up comedy and tells really terrible Star Wars related jokes. I love the intensity that builds each time Arin delivers a joke in Yoda’s voice, and then punctuates the joke with a loud, over the top ‘hmm…funny joke’. Meanwhile Dan is just trying to complete the level without absolutely losing it.

6. Fired and Missed
(Starts at approximately 6:00 and finishes at approximately 8:40)
This moment, as well as Mark Zuckerberg and Subway are probably the most quoted and widely disseminated of the Game Grumps moments, this one is probably my favourite of the three and it’s genuinely funny, although it’s constantly teetering on being a little overused. It comes from their playthrough of Nancy Drew: The White Wolf of Icicle Creek and is just absurd, I would also strongly suggest you check out some of the Game Grumps Animated clips of this, as it is a strong fan favourite for the Lovelies to animate.

7. Arin’s Video Game Nerd Voice
(Basically the entire Video)
Okay, first off I need to say that unlike the other entries on this list, it’s not narrowed down to a window of time in the video, this moment is really just the entire episode. So basically during this video Arin and Dan play Mickey Mousecapade, the classic Capcom platformer for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), but since Arin has recently watched a video game review, which many fans speculate might have been this video by The Game Dude (who apparently appeared very brief in DinoCity BRO!!! by JonTron) although Arin himself later disputed this on Reddit, but neglected to expand on who exactly inspired the moment we are here to discuss. Anyway, in the vein of the unidentified reviewer, who is apparently one of the many Angry Video Game Nerd (abbreviated as AVGN) rip-offs Arin keeps doing a stereotypical nerd gamer voice and which very nearly broke Dan. Arin just made comedy history by spouting off all sorts of poop based, misogynistic rhetoric, while also trying in vain to succeed at Mickey Mousecapade.

8. Mark Zuckerberg!!
(Starts at approximately 0:37 and finishes at approximately 5:20)
Another really well known moment, in my opinion, it was either this or the Subway moment which would be making the list, in the end I went for this one, partly because I really enjoyed the Super Mario 64 playthrough and also because I really enjoy Subway, and don’t want people talking trash about one of my favourite eating establishments (joking obviously, it really just came down to liking the full playthrough the Mark Zuckerberg moment came from more). Anyway, the whole crux of this is Arin, sleep deprived, sending voice to text messages to Dan, rambling about The Social Network, and his inability to remember the name of the real life person who invented Facebook.

9. Obama is a fan of Game Grumps
(Starts at approximately 0:30 and finishes at approximately 10:40)
So much like the Mickey Mousecapade moment above, this one takes up the majority of the episode, but I feel like it’s well worth listening to if you haven’t already. While playing the fantastic Kirby’s Dream Course (and Grump’s Dream Course, a ROM hack of the original game for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System or SNES, which was developed by the fans also know as Lovelies, in an effort to give the Game Grumps more courses to play) they discuss how amazing it would be if Barack Obama, the 44th President of the United States of America were a fan or Game Grumps, and proceed to just go back and forth stating random and/or absurd things in their best Obama voices.

10. Unavoidable Chin Move
(Starts at approximately 16:30 and finishes at approximately 19:30)
I knew I wanted to include a Sonic moment in this list, as Sonic, and mostly Arin’s reaction to those games is an integral part of the show but I struggled to pick a specific one, and very nearly went for the whole Froggy thing from Sonic Adventure DX, but in the end I went for the unavoidable chin move from Sonic and the Black Knight. It’s just the sheer explosive rage from Arin, you really get the feeling that this game almost broke him, and it’s also great because it’s so relatable, I’m sure anyone who plays games will have gotten to this point once or twice.

Honourable mentions go to Arin’s impeccable Improv (AKA Arin plays Battle Kid) (Starts at approximately 3:47 and finishes at approximately 13:46), Flash Man, Hash Man, Crash Man (AKA Arin and Dan play Mega Man) (Starts at approximately 3:43 and finishes at approximately 7:20), You Freak! (Starts at approximately 11.06 and finishes at approximately 13:55), Milton’s Milton Factory (Starts at approximately 0:04 and finishes at approximately 1:55) and Thomas the 18th Century Boy (Starts at approximately 6:48 and finishes at approximately 7:55) which I also really enjoyed but didn’t quite make the top 10 list.

First Published on: https://offtherecordblog.org/

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