1x10 Fight Fighters

[7.3/10] Definitely a little milder as Gravity Falls episodes go, but as someone who played a reasonable amount of Street Fighter and other games when I was a kid, I can totally appreciate the homage here. The show has tons of fun with the “What if video games, but in real life?” premise, and its blend of old school arcade tropes with pixels + meatspace gags makes for an enjoyable, if not as deep outing for the series.

There is some ballast to this one, focused as usual on Dipper maturity. He sics “Rumble McSkirmish” on Robbie after the two have a mini-feud over Wendy’s affections. But eventually, he realizes that he has to fight his own battles, even if it means earning a few bruises, and that better yet, he can not fight at all. Using a Street Fighter spoof to dramatize that idea gets points for creativity, and Robbie and DIpper deciding to hate one another secretly and quietly is an amusing yet solid place for it all to land. (Plus hey, we find out that Wendy is Manly Dan’s daughter, which I didn’t realize, and probably accounts for her hatred of fighting!)

The B-story, about Mabel testing Stan’s fear of heights, isn’t bad. The gags aren’t fantastic, but STan trying to pretend he doesn’t care and Mabel’s byzantine efforts to get the truth to come about are laugh-worthy enough. The fact that Mabel cures her Great Uncle’s phobia but inadvertently gives it to herself in the process is an amusingly ironic conclusion.

Last but not least, I like all the minor bits in this one. Soos trying to “get into the game” with a Tron-like cabinet, only to just literally get stuck in an arcade machine is a laugh. Likewise, Rumble’s animations, and the spoofs of beating up cars or finding weapons on the street in beat-em-ups are all great knowing gags for folks familiar with the conceits of those old games.

Overall, what this one lacks in depth it makes up for in a good time for gamers who remember the old days and can appreciate the silliness and references involved.