“Fix-It Felix Jr. was one of the most popular 2D platform games ever made. Launching in 1982, it became a pop culture sensation thanks to its colorful 8-bit graphics, simple controls, and addictive gameplay.”
―Official description
Fix-It Felix Jr. is one of the games ofLitwak's Arcade inDisney's2012 animated feature filmWreck-It Ralphand its2018sequel. It is an 8-bit platformer starring the titular hero,Fix-It Felix Jr., who must save an apartment building from being destroyed by his rampaging rival,Wreck-It Ralph. The game takes place inNiceland, a quaint town inhabited by pint-sized NPCs called theNicelanders.
Developed by the fictional Japanese company, Tobikomi,Fix-It Felix Jr. is one of the oldest games in Litwak's, as the cabinet began operating back in1982 (thirty years prior to2012). Niceland is mainly a single tall apartment building with a forest surrounding it and a dump nearby. It also has scenic lakes, a starry sky with multi-colored stars, and is eternally set at nighttime. The game's screen acts as the characters' window into the human world. The head Nicelander,Gene, is mayor of the town.
Due to Ralph's desire to become a hero, the machine was temporarily marked as "Out of Order" and would be unplugged if they couldn't get him back. By the end of the movie, not only does Ralph return, he invites the characters fromQ*bert and other homeless video game characters to join them as part of the game's "bonus level"; this notably spiked the game's popularity amongst the arcade visitors.
Plot[]
The game revolves aroundWreck-It Ralph, a giant who lives in a tree stump. However, Ralph's home is moved to a dump and replaced by the Niceland apartment building. Enraged, Ralph decides to destroy the building, throwing out a Nicelander in the process. The Nicelanders then call for handymanFix-It Felix Jr. to fix the building with hisMagic Hammer.
Gameplay[]
The player plays as Felix and must fix broken windows while avoiding bricks Ralph pounds out, as well as ducks. Sometimes, a Nicelander may leave a pie out their window, which Felix can eat to become invincible. After Felix fixes all of the windows in the stage, he completes it and goes to the next. The game lasts for five stages and after the fifth stage ends, the game is completed and the player is treated to an ending cutscene where Felix gets a medal and Ralph is thrown off of the building.
Places of interest[]
The Apartment: A large apartment building where Felix and the Nicelanders reside.
The Penthouse: The luxurious residence ofGene. It is known for hosting special events, such as the game's 30th anniversary party. One of its most notable features is Gene's bar.
Felix and Calhoun's Apartment: The home of Felix andSergeant Calhoun. The apartment is modeled specifically to fit the couple's unique styles with its mix of homey and military aesthetics.
The Dump: Ralph's home. It is where Ralph's bricks are stored at the end of every gameplay session. The dump was renamedEast Niceland after Ralph and Felix converted the area into a residency to house Ralph and the homeless video game characters that were invited to live in the game.
The Forest: The forest that surrounds the whole game. It features a large lake.
The Trolley: The transportation system that connects Niceland toGame Central Station.
Trivia[]
As part of Disney's marketing, a version of the game was playable on their website during the release ofWreck-It Ralph, along with playable versions ofSugar Rush Speedway andHero's Duty.
The game is a parody of the classic Nintendo arcade gameDonkey Kong, although theJr. portion of the game's title could be a reference to the gameDonkey Kong Jr., in which DK is the captive and Mario is the villain (and DKJr being the onlyMario game to feature a villainous Mario).
The "gameplay" is also similar toCrazy Climber as it about Climbing Up the Building while Fix-It Felix Jr. is about fixing the Building.
The ducks seen as obstacles in the later levels resemble the ones fromDuck Hunt.
LikePac-Man, completing a certain number of levels of this game will cause it to crash and show a "kill screen" just like in this game and at the end of this film.
According to the DVD and Blu-Ray disc's main menu, the game's high score is 110,212, a possible reference toNovember 2,2012, the film's release date. However, in the film itself, the score is 120,501 (December 5, 1901,Walt Disney's birth date) instead.
