History TearJerker / WreckItRalph

* In a blink-and-you-miss-it moment from [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LEY2rO5Sl4 this]] faux-90s commercial for ''Sugar Rush'' at Litwak's, about 10 seconds, the player chooses a character. The cursor goes over Vanellope and she gets excited - then moves on to Snowanna and Taffyta. If you look close enough as the cursor moves on, she puts her hands over her face in a defeated, sobbing gesture.
** Compare her reaction to Snowanna Rainbeau's (the girl between Vanellope and Taffyta on the selection screen), who looks totally fine with being passed over for the moment. She'll always get another chance to race, but for Vanellope...
** Watch it again in fullscreen HD. She was [[YankTheDogsChain just winding up]] for a celebratory jump.

-->'''Ralph:''' My name's Ralph, and I'm a bad guy. Uh, let's see... I'm nine feet tall, I weigh six hundred and forty three pounds, got a little bit of a temper on me,[[note]] "Hey! You moved my stump!"[[/note]] my passion bubbles very near the surface, I guess, not gonna lie. Anyhoo, what else? Uh, I'm a wrecker. I wreck things, professionally.[[note]] "I'M GONNA WRECK IT!"[[/note]] I mean, I'm very good at what I do. Probably the best I know. Thing is, fixing's the name of the game. Literally. ''Fix-It Felix Jr.'' So, yeah, naturally, the guy with the name Fix-It Felix is the good guy. He's nice enough as good guys go. Definitely fixes stuff really well. But, uh, if you've got a magic hammer from your father, how hard can it be? If he were a regular contractor, carpenter guy, I guarantee you, he would not be able to fix the damage that I do as quickly. And when Felix does a good job, he gets a medal. But, are there medals for wrecking stuff really well? To that, I say, ha! And no, there aren't. For thirty years I've been doing this, and I have seen a lot of other games come and go, how sad. The thing about those guys at ''Asteroids''? Boom, gone. ''Centipede''? Who knows where that guy is, you know? Look, a steady arcade gig is nothing to sneeze at, I'm very lucky. It's just, I gotta say, it becomes kinda hard to love your job when no one else seems to like you for doing it.

** Not to mention the ''[[=RoadBlasters=]'' characters, who not only had their game unplugged as well, but whom Turbo deliberately '''murdered''' by running them off the road out of pure envy and spite.

*** Also meaning that it's '''only''' because her world happens to be built out of edible materials that she hasn't starved to death.

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/badguy_2.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''[[BreakTheCutie "You really are]] [[BrokenPedestal a bad guy..."]]'']]

** The heartbroken look on Ralph's face the moment he realizes [[NotSoDifferent his and Vanellope's plights are similar.]]

** Take a real close look at [[http://25.media.tumblr.com/d430c3254a6978df28a89a3966c94db8/tumblr_mnc9pmNU5f1rv08z0o1_1280.jpg these]] [[http://25.media.tumblr.com/ea07396adbdadc39852bc6265b2a791e/tumblr_mnc9pmNU5f1rv08z0o2_r1_1280.jpg two]] screenshots. For just a second as he falls, Ralph opens his eyes to look at the medal one last time- it is the last thing he expects to see before his FinalDeath. And then he closes his eyes again and he ''smiles.'' [[GoOutWithASmile He just smiles.]]

*** Him not having access to food may be why he snuck out the cherries from VideoGame/PacMan because hey, free food lying around. No one's going to stop him (except the Surge Protector).

-->'''Gene:''' Well now you can live alone, in the penthouse.

* In a blink-and-you-miss-it moment from [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LEY2rO5Sl4 this]] faux-90's commercial for ''Sugar Rush'' at Litwak's, about 10 seconds, the player chooses a character. The cursor goes over Vanellope and she gets excited - then moves on to Snowanna and Taffyta. If you look close enough as the cursor moves on, she puts her hands over her face in a defeated, sobbing gesture.

[[caption-width-right:350:''[[BreakTheCutie "You really are a bad guy..."]]'']]

** The worse part is, he doesn't even yell or really call him out on anything he's done. He just sounds extremely disappointed in Ralph.

* With regards to the other game characters in ''[=TurboTime=]'' after Turbo bailed out to take over ''[=RoadBlasters=]'' just for stealing his [[AttentionWhore "thunder,"]] [[UncertainDoom it's left vague as to what happened to them]] after the game was unplugged. It is possible they were either rendered homeless like Q*bert and stranded in Game Central Station, or worse, they were all killed when they all couldn't evacuate their game in time. Since no one sees them in Game Central Station, it's very likely they were killed (although they could have been in some other places we are never shown onscreen but still homeless).

* With regards to the other game characters in ''[=TurboTime=]'' after Turbo bailed out to destroy ''[=RoadBlasters=]'' just for stealing his [[AttentionWhore "thunder,"]] [[UncertainDoom it's left vague as to what happened to them]] after the game was unplugged. It is possible they were either rendered homeless like Q*bert and stranded in Game Central Station, or worse, they were all killed when they all couldn't evacuate their game in time. Since no one sees them in Game Central Station, it's very likely they were killed.

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/WillNpcInFps4Food_4561.JPG]]
[[caption-width-right:350: "Will appear as a NonPlayerCharacter in a FirstPersonShooter for food." [[VideoGame/{{Qbert}} Are you happy, modern gaming industry?]][[note]] [[http://www.chipandco.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/wreckit.jpg (on the brighter side of things, though...)]][[/note]] ]]

----
-->''"You really are a bad guy!"''

Creator/RogerEbert once said that VideoGames were not art to him. Never mind the gamers' community's backlash, ''this'' is what will make anyone with that idea change his or her mind. Because, just as ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory'' did with [[TearJerker/ToyStory toys]], ''WesternAnimation/WreckItRalph'' will do with TearJerker/VideoGames: showing the heart that lies within such things.

Oh, and it's directed by Rich [[TearJerker/{{Futurama}} "Jurassic Bark"]] Moore. Bottom-line if you don't know what that means: ''You will cry'' Prepare your tissues.

Oh, and it's directed by Rich "[[TearJerker/{{Futurama}} Jurassic Bark"]] Moore. Bottom-line if you don't know what that means: ''You will cry'' Prepare your tissues.

Oh, and it's directed by Rich [["[[TearJerker/{{Futurama}} Jurassic Bark"]] Moore. Bottom-line if you don't know what that means: ''You will cry'' Prepare your tissues.

Creator/RogerEbert once said that VideoGames were not art to him.[[note]][[http://blogs.suntimes.com/ebert/2010/07/okay_kids_play_on_my_lawn.html He did eventually back away from this opinion.]][[/note]] Never mind the gamers' community's backlash, ''this'' is what will make anyone with that idea change his or her mind. Because, just as ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory'' did with [[TearJerker/ToyStory toys]], ''WesternAnimation/WreckItRalph'' will do with TearJerker/VideoGames: showing the heart that lies within such things.

-->'''Ralph:''' No, '''I'M''' '''''NOT!''''' *smashes the cake*
-->*{{beat}}*

Oh, and it's directed by Rich [[TearJerker/TheSimpsons "Lisa's Substitute]]/[[TearJerker/{{Futurama}} Jurassic Bark"]] Moore, to boot. Bottom-line if you don't know what that means: ''[[PunctuatedForEmphasis You. Will. Cry.]]'' Prepare your tissues.

Creator/RogerEbert once said that VideoGames were not art to him.[[note]][[http://blogs.suntimes.com/ebert/2010/07/okay_kids_play_on_my_lawn.html He did eventually back away from this opinion.]][[/note]] Never mind the gamers' community's backlash, ''this'' is what will make anyone with that idea change his or her mind. Because, just as ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory'' did with [[TearJerker/ToyStory toys]], ''Disney/WreckItRalph'' will do with TearJerker/VideoGames: showing the heart that lies within such things.

Oh, and it's directed by Rich [[TearJerker/TheSimpsons "Lisa's Substitute"]] Moore, to boot. Bottom-line if you don't know what that means: ''[[PunctuatedForEmphasis You. Will. Cry.]]'' Prepare your tissues.

** Her horrified sobbing is the worst part. If you've ever been bullied, that scene is gut-wrenching.

** To boot there's a picture of Turbo in his original form in his victory pose on the wall. He's ''gloating''.
*** It also shows how much of a bastard Turbo is. He doesn't care the least for others except himself, not even a child. Though to imprison a child for being a glitch (who isn't doing anything harmful, mind you) is even more bastard-worthy within itself.
* As if the scene where Ralph wrecks Vanellope's car wasn't enough of tearjerking, soon afterwards Ralph returns back home to "Fix-it Felix Jr." where, to his surprise, finds Gene inside of the Penthouse, who has just finished packing up and getting ready to leave the game before it gets unplugged the next day. Ralph came home expecting a warm welcome by the Nicelanders after winning a medal, but instead learns about the bad news from his own rival, who by this point has completely given up on Ralph. To top it all off, all Gene did after telling Ralph what happened was give him the keys to the Penthouse [[IGaveMyWord as promised]]. Then he leaves Ralph all alone in the Penthouse.
** The worse part is, he doesn't even yell or really criticize him. He just sounds extremely disappointed in Ralph.

* The quick gag of Felix saying that Ralph sometimes falls asleep in the bar "Tappers". Through a darker lens it could be that [[DrowningMySorrows he drinks a lot some days.]]

* Imagine for a moment that Vanellope hadn't saved Ralph and he had died in the cola volcano. All the Bad-Anon members would ever know of what happened would be that despite their attempts to help him, Ralph went Turbo and ended up getting himself killed. They would probably feel somewhat guilty that they weren't able to help him with his problems when he came to them for help coping with his life. They would never know that the bad guy creed they taught him gave him the courage to save an entire game world and comforted him as he fell to his doom. They would never know how much their support helped him in the most important moment of his life- they would find out Ralph sacrificed himself from them, as Felix would probably spread the word like wildfire, but Felix was too far away to hear the Bad Anon affirmation and wouldn't have recognized it anyways.

** Unlike the other three protagonists, she has ''no one''. Felix is a well-respected "good guy" among his game, Calhoun has her soldiers to keep company, Ralph has other "bad guys". Vanellope can't go out of her game to befriend others. Meaning she is forced to be in the same world as her tormentors.
* Sergeant Calhoun's tragic backstory. Her fiance was eaten by a Cy-Bug ''at the altar on their wedding day'' because she forgot to do a perimeter check.
** It might even be worse than this: Unless this actually takes place in flashback in a cutscene in the game, ''it's just a memory the game developers programmed into the character''.
*** If it ''does'' take place in a cutscene, then she has to relive her fiance's death ''every time someone plays the game''.
*** Moreover, since cutscenes in arcade games are usually part of its AttractMode, looping whenever a game ''isn't'' in play, it's also possible that Calhoun has to relive said death, or at least have it on display, even when the game's not in action.
** It gets worse. Calhoun has flashbacks of several dates with her betrothed!
*** The minigun part of her flashback does not at all lessen the tearjerker value. Look at the pain in her eyes! It may have come off as a little funny ''and'' tragic in the movie, but ''her eyes''. At no other point do we see her that frightened.
*** This was after Felix [[TraumaButton accidentally set her off by calling her]] [[InnocentlyInsensitive a "dynamite gal"]]. He was trying to be kind... but being called by her betrothed's AffectionateNickname for her made her FreakOut.
** Also, remember what happens to things Cy-Bugs eat. They are assimilated. She knows this. So not only did she watch her fiance die, but she has to kill him again.
** It gets worse. Calhoun has MediumAwareness. She knows this is a game. Brad likely didn't even exist outside of her memories/cutscenes, and her wedding-that-should've-been didn't technically happen... and she ''knows this''. But she still gets all the PTSD that would come from having been through such a traumatic event. Even when everything's fine, and she understands that on a logical level, she has a flashback to what happened. She just can't help it. Anyone who's ever had an anxiety attack set off by a seemingly innocuous thing (or, worse, an anxiety attack where they're not sure ''what'' triggered it) can probably relate.

[[caption-width-right:350: "Will appear as a NonPlayerCharacter in a FirstPersonShooter for food." Are you happy, modern gaming industry?[[note]] [[http://www.chipandco.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/wreckit.jpg (on the brighter side of things, though...)]][[/note]] ]]

Creator/RogerEbert once said that VideoGames were not art to him.[[note]][[http://blogs.suntimes.com/ebert/2010/07/okay_kids_play_on_my_lawn.html He did eventually back away from this opinion.]][[/note]] Never mind the gamers' community's backlash, ''this'' is what will make anyone with that idea change his or her mind. Because, just as ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory'' did with toys, ''Disney/WreckItRalph'' will do with VideoGames: showing the heart that lies within such things.

Oh, and it's directed by Rich [[TearJerker/TheSimpsons "Lisa's Substitute"]] Moore, to boot. Bottom-line if you don't know what that means: you ''will'' cry, so prepare your tissues.

'''As a Moments subpage, all spoilers are unmarked [[Administrivia/SpoilersOff as per policy.]] Administrivia/YouHaveBeenWarned.'''

* Seeing that Q*bert and his crew are now homeless and starving, as a result of their game being unplugged. Though Ralph giving them cherries from the VideoGame/Pacman game helps somewhat.