Line #159 Main/MadLibsDialogue


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4	[[quoteright:300:[[Webcomic/PennyArcade https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/MadLibsDialogue_6735.jpg]]]]
5
6	->''"How - are - you - supposed - to - learn - when - the - words - are - spread - out - and - doesn't - sound - like - normal - speech?"''
7	-->-- '''[[Website/ScrewAttack Stuttering Craig]]''' on ''[[https://youtu.be/-PT2Mhb3fO0 Mario's Early Years: Preschool Fun]]''
8
9	Mad Libs Dialogue is the practice of recording lines with certain parts missing (often numbers and names of people, places, or teams) and later filling them in appropriately with separate recordings. For example, a ''VideoGame/MaddenNFL'' announcer may comment (with the bracketed words represent spliced-in dialog):
10
11	''"The [Jets] are leading the [Bears] [fourteen] to [thirteen] here in the [third quarter]."''
12
13	This allows the voice actor to just record one line and have the game put the pieces together as needed. It saves space and time, and it's necessary in situations where there are so many possible dialogue permutations that it's impractical to record every single one individually.
14
15	If it's done well, this effect is hardly noticeable. But if it's done poorly, you start to notice half-second delays, changes in voice tone and pitch, and possibly even instances where the program can't find the correct line and it spits out the wrong recording, a blank space, or an error message. The latter instance is often PlayedForLaughs in fiction.
16
17	Essentially the spoken version of MultipleChoiceFormLetter or HelloInsertNameHere. Unrelated to MadLibsCatchphrase.
18	----
19	!!Examples
20
21	[[foldercontrol]]
22
23	[[folder:Advertising]]
24	* An ad for tax resolution company [=BlueTax=] does this ''very'' blatantly with its phone number. This is because of the underlying marketing technique; they air the commercial during different time slots with different numbers for each one. That way, the execs can track which numbers get the most response and gauge the effectiveness of the advertising.
25	[[/folder]]
26
27	[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
28	* In the English dub of ''Franchise/{{Digimon}}'', the Digimon call their names and attacks using this technique. It becomes obvious in an episode of ''[[Anime/DigimonAdventure02 Adventure 02]]'', where Flamedramon uses his signature move, Fire Rocket, but instead of calling his attack, he says his name. ("Flamedramon! The fire of courage!")
29	[[/folder]]
30
31	[[folder:Audio Play]]
32	* In Creator/TheFiresignTheatre's ''I Think We're All Bozos On This Bus'', the robot president ([[NoCelebritiesWereHarmed who sounds oddly similar]] to UsefulNotes/RichardNixon) uses voice clips of the guests saying their own name to refer to them (that is, until the protagonist, Uhclem, breaks him).
33	[[/folder]]
34
35	[[folder:Live Action TV]]
36	* ''Series/TheDailyShow'' had a correspondent do this to describe the Israel-Hezbollah conflict in 2006. Jon Stewart noticed that her report seemed like it was describing the much-earlier Yom Kippur War, and she replaces all the combatants, politicians, and dates with the current ones, showing that [[ForeverWar all the wars in the region are pretty much the same]].
37	* In the ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000'' episode ''[[Recap/MysteryScienceTheater3000S08E22OverdrawnAtTheMemoryBank Overdrawn at the Memory Bank]]'', Mike and the bots are so dissatisfied with the film that they call its customer service hotline. They get a pre-recorded message, where every mention of the film's name is obviously spliced in.
38	-->"Thank you for calling the [''Overdrawn at the Memory Bank''] customer service center."
39	* One episode of ''Series/MightyMorphinPowerRangers'' had [[ThoseTwoGuys Bulk and Skull]] doing a video project for class. However, Skull's inept editing skills resulted in Bulk "saying" Mad-Libs Dialogue like "I have no class" and "Mrs. Appleby can't teach", to the amusement of their classmates.
40	* Parodied in a [[https://youtu.be/xsYoeoEE3ww sketch]] on ''Series/ThatMitchellAndWebbLook'', where three billionaires attempt to give away prizes by phone, only to have everyone hang up on them because their voices all sound like pre-recorded announcements.
41	-->''Your telephone number has been specially selected in our [Wednesday] draw!''
42	* On ''Series/ParksAndRecreation'', Leslie fakes this when trying to trick Andy into going to City Hall:
43	-->'''Leslie:''' ''(imitating computer voice)'' Because of a local disaster, you, [Andy Dwyer], must go to the evacuation center at [Pawnee City Hall].
44	* Parodied in ''Series/TheITCrowd'', when Jen calls up a different IT support call centre and mistakes the person who answers the phone for a recording.
45	* ''{{Series/Fonejacker}}'' has the flatline/ticketline calls, where the prankster imitates the stilted cadance (and unreliability) of voice-activated automatic telephone systems.
46	* ''Series/ThePeoplesCourt'' has this in spades:
47	-->"This is the plaintiff, (name of plaintiff, followed by a description of why he / she suing the defendant). He / she is suing for (x amount of money)."
48	-->"This is the defendant, (name of defendant, followed by a description of why the defendant feels he / she shouldn't have to pay the lawsuit). He / she is accused of (pun related to what the defendant is being accused of).[[note]]Some episodes have the defendant countersuing the plaintiff with an additional description of why the plaintiff should pay the countersuit.[[/note]]
49	* The denouement of the ''Series/{{Seinfeld}}'' episode where Kramer pretends to be Moviefone has the real Moviefone guy angrily banging on his door and shouting, "I know you're in there, [Cosmo!] [Kramer!] You're stealing [my job!]"
50	[[/folder]]
51
52	[[folder:Music]]
53	* The intro of "Crack Hitler" of Music/FaithNoMore is an example of the public transport stuttering effect (see "Real Life" below): "Flight-8-1-0-to-Miami-Now-boarding-gate-12..."
54	[[/folder]]
55
56	[[folder:Other]]
57	* Disneyland Records:
58	** The read-along book and record sets by them do this at the beginning of each of their books.[[note]]And so do ones by other companies as well, but if we listed each one, we'd be here all day.[[/note]] This is the original intro:
59	--> "This is a Disneyland original Little Long Playing Record, and I am your story reader. I am going to begin to read the story of [insert name of story here]. You can read along with me in your book. You will know it's time to turn the page, when [[WesternAnimation/PeterPan Tinker Bell]] rings her little bells like this. (''sound of "chimes ring" as described in the second version of the intro''[[note]]In some cases either way, a unique page turning sound was used, but most had the chimes ring.[[/note]]) Let's begin now."
60	** For releases in the mid-late 1970s onward, this intro is used:
61	--> "This is the story of [name of story]. You can read along with me in your book. You will know it is time to turn the page when you hear the chimes ring like this. (''sound of chimes ring'')[[note]]In the WesternAnimation/PeterAndTheWolf read-along, this part is skipped.[[/note]] Let's begin now."
62	** For adaptations of the various ''Franchise/{{Peanuts}}'' specials,[[note]]which have no narrator, and are instead done in the style of the Peanuts comic strips,[[/note]] a special intro is used:
63	--> "Hi. I'm Charlie Brown. You can read along in your book as you listen to the story. You will know it is time to turn the page when you hear the chimes ring like this. (''sound of chimes ring'') And now we present [adaptation of Peanuts special]."
64	** Some read-alongs used variations on the first two intros; especially the second intro (e.g., Roger Rabbit[[note]]Some of them were narrated in first person by a character from whatever story was being adapted[[/note]] calling it "the story, the yarn, the tale of ''Film/WhoFramedRogerRabbit''"), but these are the most common.
65	[[/folder]]
66
67	[[folder:Pinball]]
68	* Done rather well in Bally's ''Pinball/EightBall Deluxe'', to call out the shots the player should make. The sequel, ''Pinball/EightBall Champ'', didn't pull it off as seamlessly.
69	* Rudy in ''Pinball/FunHouse1990'' talks like this, using a different nickname for each player.
70	* Creator/PatLawlor's first game, ''Pinball/BanzaiRun'', also this technique.
71	-->"He's challenged [opponent name]!" (when you light a rival)\
72	"What a move on [opponent name]!" (when you defeat a rival)
73	* In ''Pinball/NoGoodGofers'' (also by Creator/PatLawlor), Buzz will address each player by a different nickname.
74	-->'''Buzz:''' "Hey, ''[name]'', don't choke!"
75	* ''Pinball/{{Gorgar}}'' was the first pinball game to use this technique, and he only had a seven word vocabulary:
76	--> "GORGAR!" / "SPEAKS!" / "ME!" / "GOT!" / "YOU!" / "HURT!" / "BEAT!"
77	* Done with some of HardboiledDetective Nick Spade's dialog in ''Pinball/WhoDunnit1995'', particularly during interrogations.
78	-->'''Nick Spade:''' "Tell me more about [character name]."
79	* Occurs in Creator/SternPinball's ''Pinball/HarleyDavidson'' with the announcements of the remaining distance to the next city.
80	-->"[One hundred] [and] [fifty] [three] [miles to] [Pittsburgh]."
81	* ''Pinball/NBAFastbreak'' does this whenever the announcer mentions the teams currently playing.
82	--> "Today's game features [the Los Angeles Lakers] against [the Vancouver Grizzlies]!"
83	* ''Pinball/JunkYard'' uses this whenever the player acquires a piece of junk.
84	--> "Great! Now you need the [hair dryer]."
85	* ''Pinball/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanJerseyJack'' uses this during the Map Award animation, which depicts three separate wheels spinning to reveal the exact bonus:
86	--> "[Add]... [one]... [ball]!"
87	[[/folder]]
88
89	[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
90	* The electronic board game Mall Madness does this. A typical example:
91	-->"There is a sale at [the shoe store]."
92	[[/folder]]
93
94	[[folder:Toys]]
95	* Franchise/LeapFrog's My Pal Scout and Violet plushes, Story Time Pad and [=LeapTop=] toy laptops have this function in addition to HelloInsertNameHere in that the owner can also program their favorite food/fruit, color and animal into the toy via USB cable which will get integrated into some of the toy's speech and songs. Surprisingly, it worked pretty well.
96	** V-Tech's clones of Leapfrog's toys, ''Smart Cubs Cody and Cora'', also has the same capabilities, except that instead of into songs, V-Tech's toys tries to create mad-libs stories. However, the toys sound more mechanical and less well implemented than Leapfrog's attempt.
97	* Some of Publication International's sound books do this, as the book may come with an interactive electronic module that plays games with the reader.
98	--> '''Literature/CliffordTheBigRedDog telephone book:''' ''(emulating an answering machine)'' You have [two] new messages. Press [two] to hear your messages.
99	[[/folder]]
100
101	[[folder:Video Games]]
102	* Some military simulation games use this, with varying rates of success:
103	** Flight sims such as ''Total Air War'' have aircrews using stock dialog spliced together, which has obvious gaps -- but since the reports need to be stated clearly, it comes off as the airmen taking their time to ensure their message is clear and concise, and doesn't seem out of place. ''VideoGame/AceCombat04ShatteredSkies'' also does this with AWACS [=SkyEye=]'s combat dialogue ("[Rigley Air Base], [at vector] [3][6][0], [4 miles]").
104	** ''VideoGame/OperationFlashpoint'', on the other hand, [[https://youtu.be/i9P8ZaFRTs0 didn't do so well]] ("OH NO! [Six] IS DOWN!") Somehow, the radio communications become even more robotic in the sequels, ''Armed Assault'' and ''[=ArmA 2=]''. Scuttlebutt is that the developer had a falling out with the publisher after the first game and just didn't have the budget for "generic" combat lines.
105	** ''VideoGame/MicrosoftFlightSimulator'' uses Mad Libs Dialogue for air traffic control and pilot communications, but in RealLife these are so standardized and suited for this sort of thing that there's even an add-on called [=VoxATC=] that will recognize your spoken chatter if you deliver it in this manner.
106	** ''VideoGame/DigitalCombatSimulator'' has [=ATCs=], and to a much lesser extent your WSO in the F-14, who have jarring changes in tone, inflection, and volume when talking. This is especially evident with the Russian and Chinese [=ATCs=] who sometimes sound like the quality of their microphones greatly degrades or improves with each new word.
107	* The AFL video games are terrible at this. Any time a player's name or a stat is brought up, there is a distinct pause, and usually a change in tone of the commentator's voice.
108	* ''Tonka Construction'' mostly avoids this, with only a few exceptions:
109	-->'''Rusty:''' First, let's demolish the area. Then we'll--clear the site!--so the lot can be surveyed.\
110	'''Rusty:''' Next time, I'll let you talk to the--guys--your--self!\
111	'''Dirk:''' Nice job, young'un. Move--Tonka Air Support--back to the train and click to drop it off!
112	* The original ''World Series Baseball'' for the Sega Genesis went to the absolute extreme with this -- virtually every single word was spliced. "[Welcome] [to] [the] [game] [between] [the] [Dodgers] [and] [the] [Cubs]. [The] [Cubs] [take the field!]"
113	* Beginning with at least the [[Platform/Turbografx16 TurboGrafx]] CD system, some games for some CD-ROM based video game systems will have this message if someone tries to play them in a CD (i.e., audio-only) player:
114	-->"Kore wa [video game system] you no game disc desu. 1 kyoku / track me ni, game no data ga haitteimasu no de, saisei shinai de kudasai.[[note]]"This game disc is [for use] exclusively for [video game console]. Track number 1 contains game data, so please don't play it." Although, on games for the [=TurboGrafx=] CD and Turbo Duo systems, the data track is "2 kyoku me ni", or "track number 2". Some games also had the message done in character, usually with variations.[[/note]]
115	* ''VideoGame/AbomiNation'' is a non-voiced example: As a {{Roguelike}}, dialogue is procedurally generated to drop your teammates names' in where appropriate. The specific teammate referenced is also randomly generated, which can lead to oddities such as [[SeriesContinuityError Abomis mourning teammates they never met]].
116	* Some of the Franchise/{{Barbie}} PC games suffer from constant use of this trope, seeing as Barbie [[HelloInsertNameHere says out your player's name]] with a voice clip of it in them. With the immense list of names that were recorded (around 50,000 of them in one game as the box claims), it likely made sense for the developers to only use one voice recording of it per name, which can lead to some... odd examples as she completely changes her tone of voice whenever she says your name. [[https://youtu.be/xiZvk0WRBxs?t=222 Here's an example]] from WebVideo/LazyGameReviews and WebVideo/PushingUpRoses' playthrough of ''Detective Barbie in The Mystery of the Carnival Caper''.
117	--> "''Clint!'' [LGR promptly yelps as PUR laughs]"
118	* ''VideoGame/{{Borderlands}}'':
119	** The first game's "Zombie Island" DLC uses this in-universe for a computerized P.A. system, played heavily for laughs:
120	---> "Thank you valuable Jakobs employee for your continuing patience during this transitional [ZombieApocalypse]. Your satisfaction is very important to us."
121	** In ''VideoGame/{{Borderlands 2}}'' there's a set of collectible ECHO recordings found in the Bloodshot base, including two from amoral weapons dealer Marcus:
122	---> "Dear [Roland] -- I can’t help but notice the [Bloodshots] you are fighting pack some seeerious firepower. If you are going to have a chance against them, you’ll need to up your arsenal -- you could always arm your men with some high-quality munitions from my store. If you buy from me, those [Bloodshots] will be dead in no time!"
123	---> ''Followed a minute later by:''
124	---> "Dear [Bloodshots] I can’t help but notice the [Crimson Raiders] you are fighting pack some seeerious firepower. If you are going to have a chance against them, you’ll need to up your arsenal -- you could always arm your men with some high-quality munitions from my store. If you buy from me, those [Crimson Raiders] will be dead in no time!"
125	* ''VideoGame/ChronoCross'' has a very interesting non-voice version. Because there are tons of characters, and many characters have their own {{VerbalTic}}s, the side character dialogue was dynamically "tinkered" with for each character, allowing some to call the SilentProtagonist "Sergey", "Mister S", "Sir Serge", etc., and others to drop their g's, add a lisp, or speak all in capitals. Although this generally was pretty good, there were a few goofs where you might have two apostrophes in a row, for example, or a name that ended in two Y's, or a name that just didn't work with a Y at the end (Franco turning into "Francoy", for example).
126	* ''VideoGame/CityOfHeroes'' has an occasional bug where a villain will say something to the effect of "You can't stop me, [HERO NAME]!" (where the character's name ''should'' be, but apparently someone messed up the namespace code). Invoked by players who literally name their characters "Hero Name". It's also done on purpose in some Nemesis missions to show how imperfect the Automatons are:
127	-->'''"Manticore":''' "You think that hurt? [[[AC:SARCASTIC COMMENT 304 NOT FOUND]]]"
128	* In the ''VideoGame/DarkSouls'' series, this naturally emerges, given there are only so many phrases one can insert into in-game messages. [[VideoGamePerversityPotential Not that this has stopped creative players from leaving lewd phrases]].
129	* While ''VideoGame/{{Deltarune}}'' doesn't have spoken dialogue (for the most part), there are two characters in Chapter 2 who are commonly depicted with this trope in fan works:
130	** Spamton G. Spamton has an ElectronicSpeechImpediment where he'll occasionally utter [Stock Advertising Phrases!] in square brackets. In voiced fan depictions, these phrases sound like they were pulled from ads and randomly inserted into his dialogue.
131	** Queen Speaks With Every Word Capitalized And With Barely Any Punctuation So Because She Is A Computer (Smart): Some Voiced Depictions Will Have Her Pronounce Every Word As Its Own Sentence Thus Adhering To This Trope And Making Her Sound More Computer-Ish
132	* In ''Videogame/EliteDangerous'', station traffic controllers use mad libs dialogue to fill in the blanks much like in a flight simulator. Ship make, the first three letters of the player's name in the NATO phonetic alphabet, landing pad designation, and distance to landing all use the system. Thanks to concise voice overs and some minor radio static, it blends together well, and the different controller voice actors use noticeable differences in how they cut off the words; the neutral "American" voice is sharp, while the Russian accented controller has more flowing speech.
133	-->'''Station control''': Delacy Alfa-Bravo-Charlie, proceed to dock at landing pad 3-4.
134	* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXI'' and ''[[VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV XIV]]'', being {{MMORPG}}s, give the players an optional version of this with their "auto-translate" features, a selection of a few hundred common words and phrases that, if viewed by a player in a different-language client, will be properly rendered in their language. Actually being in a cross-language situation is uncommon, and players end up mostly [[VideoGamePerversityPotential using it for lewd jokes]].
135	* ''VideoGame/{{Freelancer}}'' uses this one to generate the dialog of every non-storyline NPC. It causes a rather jarring effect if your computer is slow, as the cuts in the dialog are immediately evident. Sporadic bugs in the procedurally generated dialogue also led to somewhat comical hiccups when NPC ships would call ''themselves'' to beg for assistance or provide backup.
136	* Arcade game ''VideoGame/{{Gauntlet}}'' used this heavily, with brief but noticeable pauses between audio snippets. It's the TropeNamer for WizardNeedsFoodBadly, which would come out as "Wizard [[Main/{{Beat}} (beat)]] needs food [[Main/{{Beat}} (beat)]] badly!"
137	* In ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoV'', the police dispatcher when you get a wanted level talks like this, with lines like "Citizens report a stabbing near the summit of Mount Chiliad" or "Suspect last seen driving eastbound in a gray van".
138	* ''VideoGame/HalfLife1'' features Mad Libs Dialogue in several situations, such as the [[PoweredArmor HEV Suit]] ("[Seek] [medical] [attention]"), the HECU soldiers' dialogue, and the Black Mesa PA system -- the latter has a ton of words that are never even used in the game. The fan remake ''VideoGame/BlackMesa'' also uses this for the [[ScenicTourLevel opening tram ride]].
139	* Creator/HumongousEntertainment relied on this non-stop. The ''VideoGame/BackyardSports'' were easily the worst offenders ("From the 45...Pete...tees it up...Steve...back to receive...lands on the...24...collects it at the...32...finally brought down."). The older floppy disk versions of the DOS games relied on this much more due to the lack of space.
140	* ''VideoGame/HypnospaceOutlaw'': Counselor Ronnie's TotallyRadical rap about [[DrugsAreBad not "shonking"]] (which is doing a fictional [[AssShove suppository drug]]), "[[https://youtu.be/q2ELAUeCUh0 Snub the Nub]]", has an alternate version named "[[https://youtu.be/wh4eWSmDVxE Snub the Drug]]" with all mentions of shonking haphazardly replaced with general drugs, creating this effect.
141	--> If you're a cool teen, d-d-don't insert a [drugs]!\
142	If your friend tells you to put [drugs] in your [mouth], don't do it! Don't-don't do it!\
143	And by the way... if you're not a [drug taker], nice one, man! (Yeah!) Stay safe out there.\
144	(Watch the [drugs], dude!)
145	* Creator/JenTaylor lends her voice to the Platform/XboxLive version of ''Series/OneVersusAHundred'', announcing how many of the mob is left and the answers the One chose. Unlike Chris Cashman, who does live announcing, Taylor's lines are prerecorded. It's typically done well, but it sometimes slips into "The One has eliminated [Eight] opponents. It's now One versus [Sixty] [Three]."
146	* The ''Super Series/{{Jeopardy}}'' game on the NES contains this:
147	--> '''Announcer:''' For [TWO] [hundred] points, the answer is...
148	* Played for laughs in the VR game ''VideoGame/JobSimulator'', which uses a mad-libs method similar to the ''Futurama'' entry below: the robot's dialog is smooth except when customization is necessary.
149	* Used to a particularly jarring degree in the earliest ''VideoGame/JumpStart'' games from the mid '90s. The developers appear to have been banking on kids not noticing.
150	** However, this is actually averted in ''[[VideoGame/JumpStartAdventures5thGradeJoHammetKidDetective 5th Grade]]'' - one of the games is literally Mad Libs. However, you have to pick words that make ''sense''. Because Jo Hammet is literally reading their thoughts, [[JustifiedTrope the player must pick specific answers]] for Jo to determine what she is supposed to do to disarm the bomb. Further averted in that the words aren't read.
151	* In ''VideoGame/{{Legoland}}'', when Mr Bimble gives you an appraisal for your park, he says, "You now have [insert number here] chances to pass an appraisal before the park is closed," as well as "You still need [insert things you still need]". This, coupled with the voice, can actually be quite funny.
152	* In ''VideoGame/LeisureSuitLarry1InTheLandOfTheLoungeLizards'', purchasing a condom will lead to a series of questions regarding condom preferences, repeated back to Larry by the store clerk for all to hear. Using the payphone leads to a phone survey with a series of questions. When the payphone calls back, a message is given with the answers the player typed in. ''WebVideo/GameGrumps'' provides [[https://youtu.be/drpghMlIiwo an]] [[https://youtu.be/dAQX0Y-ZdQA example.]]
153	* An old edutainment game called ''VideoGame/LilHowiesFunHouse'' (both the Great Math Adventure and the Great Word Adventure) had Mad Libs Dialogue that varies from being handled well to being painfully obvious. The game asks the player to [[HelloInsertNameHere give Howie their name and age]]; however, as the entire game is voiced, it's very easy to see how this can go wrong. Characters tend not to refer to you by name, but rather a pre-selected list of "really cool nicknames".
154	* ''[[VideoGame/LivePowerfulProBaseball MLB Power Pros]]'' has a better version than most sports games. It has two different recordings for each player name and team name: a neutral sounding version when introducing the player or reacting to a negative play, and an excited sounding version when reacting to a positive play.
155	* Sports video games like ''VideoGame/MaddenNFL'' and the ''VideoGame/FIFASoccer'' series do this to deal with the many possible permutations of any given match; interestingly, they do this doing their respective sports' real-life commentators. The ''FIFA'' series in particular shows how the progression goes; early games weren't counting on a CurbStompBattle and wouldn't be able to handle a 10-0 score (John Motson might waffle on about an "exciting game" or say "[[GonnaNeedMoreX I think we'll need a calculator]]," but that's it), but later games have a huge array of commentary options and can handle not only blowout scores, but also provide club- and player-specific storylines for most major teams around the world, and even condemn [[UnnecessaryRoughness overly violent tackles]] and string together enough clichés that it's now a remarkable simulation of the real thing. It turns out to have all come down to disk space.
156	** This also includes ''VideoGame/{{iRacing}}'', where your spotter, in races where he's present, will communicate the locations of cars in close proximity to you if you can't see them in front.
157	* ''VideoGame/MarioKart Arcade GP 2'' does this in spades. [[https://youtu.be/hzsuPetO5dY Example.]]
158	--> ''[Mrs. VideoGame/PacMan] [is hit by] [the basin!]''
159	* ''VideoGame/MarioTennis'' for the Platform/Nintendo64 does this when Mario is announcing the player names. For the characters imported from the GBC version, he says "Guest" in place of the actual names you give them.
160	* ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'' has an advertisement on the Citadel that includes the name of one of your current party members. If you bring Jack, the name will be "Citizen ID file not found".
161	* The ''Videogame/MechWarrior'' series has this to varying degrees in the voiceovers for the on-board computer. In ''[=MechWarrior=] 2'', she speaks with noticeable gaps in her speech (Planet Twycross, ambient temperature [-3 5 1-] degrees). ''3'' and ''4'' have a much more human voice and drop most of the Mad Libs dialogue. Returns in ''Living Legends'', where Betty has pauses when notifying the player on status "Base [-ECHO-] [-FIVE-] Under ATTACK" or "Right External [-DAMAGED-]"
162	* ''VideoGame/NightTrap'' has mad libs dialogue every time the villains discuss changing the traps' control code from {old code} to {new code}. These scenes are very important for the player to catch, lest they lose control of the traps.
163	* Averted by ''VideOGame/ThemeHospital'', where the Announcer gets a separate line of speech for every single announcement in the game with no Mad Libs, even when you might reasonably expect them (for example, the emergencies have a separate "staff announcement" for each disease). This makes the speech seem a lot more natural.
164	* Used as a game mechanic in ''VideoGame/OhSirTheInsultSimulator'', where the point of the game is to string together insults from a pool of random phrases.
165	-->"[[[YourMom Your mother]]] [admires pictures of] [a frightened school boy] [and] [supports] [[[DirtyCommunists the communists]]] [you twit!]"
166	* In ''VideoGame/TheOregonTrail II'', there's a glitch where the diary will sometimes say "[name] [have/has] an infection."
167	* In the ''VideoGame/PaRappaTheRapper'' games, you are encouraged to "freestyle" lines in the songs to get more points. Because of the way the lines are cut apart so that each word corresponds to a button press, attempting to "freestyle" often leads to this trope. In fact, simply ''playing the game'' as intended can sound like this trope. The sequel does a better job at masking the spliced lines when playing the game normally.
168	* The Platform/PlayStation2 game ''Lets Make A Soccer Team'' doesn't do this very well; Alan Green will call a goal with a flat recording of the player's name (or more commonly, his shirt number) followed by "[[NoIndoorVoice DELIVERING AN ''AWESOME'' SHOT!]]" You'll also hear this at least twice per match:
169	--> '''Alan Green:''' [The current time is] [X] [minutes] [gone]. [Team's hometown] [are playing well, but they're not creating enough chances].
170	* In the [[VideoGame/PokemonRubyAndSapphire third]] and [[VideoGame/PokemonDiamondAndPearl fourth]] generation ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' games, there was an "Easy Chat System" that let players communicate by selecting a string of phrases and words from a list, probably to allow for multiplayer chatting without the potential for profanity. Even if the player never engages with it for that purpose, they'll still encounter it by way of NPC Trainer dialogue at the Battle Frontier. And naturally, sentences put together in this manner end up looking really awkward. It's best seen in ''Emerald'''s Battle Frontier, where every opponent speaks like this, resulting in bizarre lines like "POUND THE THICK FAT ON MY BELLY DRUM!" or "I AM GOING TO ENJOY AN EGG." Later generations still have a few trainers shout out similar inanity as a nod to the old system.
171	* Done by the announcers in the ''VideoGame/PokemonStadium'' series, especially in ''Battle Revolution''.[[note]]While every Pokémon has a separate recording for being sent out (like in the rest of the series), it's the English announcer (and only the English one) that puts a pause in the sentence "[Pokémon] is sent out".[[/note]]
172	* ''VideoGame/PokerNightAtTheInventory'' has to do this to describe the hands at every showdown. ''VideoGame/PokerNight2'' resolved this by making [[VideoGame/{{Portal}} GLaDOS]] the dealer, so they don't even have to bother making that dialogue sound seamless because it's a robot whose dialogue ''always'' sounds stilted and stitched-together:
173	-->'''[=GLaDOS=]''': The little robot has [a pair of fiiives]. The player has [two pair]. The player takes the pot.
174	* ''VideoGame/Portal1'' and ''VideoGame/Portal2'' both parody the phenomenon. Most often, it's [[AIIsACrapshoot malevolent AI]] [=GLaDOS=], who usually finds new and eloquent ways to insult you but occasionally forgets critical information and [[ReadingTheStageDirectionsOutLoud pronounces a placeholder such as "subject name here."]] Per RuleOfFunny, even the generic placeholder lines are recorded in a jarring overly-robotic monotone, making them extremely obvious:
175	-->'''[=GLaDOS=]:''' Unbelievable! You, [subject name here], must be the pride of [subject hometown here]!
176	* ''VideoGame/Postal2'' has a noticeable case of this for shopkeepers. Whenever you go up to someone to buy something (or for some errands, paying a late fee for a book or paying a ticket), they will say something along the lines of "That will be [five] dollars." [=NPCs=] have multiple dialogues for numbers depending on the pricing, most of the time not feeling natural, particularly in a complete inability to say both digits of a two-digit number correctly (e.g. "that will be [twenty] [uh] dollars" for something that costs 25).
177	* ''VideoGame/{{Psychonauts}}'': When you are not talking to Boyd, he rambles on about connections to his conspiracy theory. It's done very well and most people have to listen for a while before they figure out it's a bunch of quotes randomly strung together, especially since the splices are almost completely unnoticeable due to his insane mannerisms. It's also displayed in the tutorial with [[TheBore Vernon Tripe]], who ''will'' go on a long, boring tangent about his dog forever if you stand by and wait.
178	* ''VideoGame/PunchOut'' has an accidental example in Super Macho Man. He [[CallingYourAttacks calls his attacks]] with SurferDude lingo, but only finishes the phrase if they connect. If he misses, the phrase is interrupted with his disappointed interjection. [[MemeticMutation Popular phrases resulting from this]] include "Release the... Bogus." and "Crunch... Dude?"
179	* Used a couple of times in ''Franchise/RatchetAndClank'':
180	** In ''VideoGame/RatchetAndClank2002'', Qwark congratulating the winner of the Blackwater Hoverboard race is this. Despite personally being in the city, Qwark's dialogue has the winner read out in an automated voice.[[note]]Interestingly, in the demo Qwark reads this out himself, meaning this joke was added in later. If you turn on Big Head Mode in the final game, you can see Qwark's antennae sticking out of the TV and animating just like in the demo![[/note]]
181	--->"[Hi folks, Captain Qwark here! It is my ''distinct'' honour to welcome your Hoverboard Intergalactic Champions! Lets give it up for-] [Ratchet. And. Clank.]"
182	--->"[[WideEyedIdealist Hey look, that's us!]]"
183	** In ''VideoGame/RatchetAndClankGoingCommando'', this is how the "Galactic Greeting" balloons work, with the sender's recording being spliced into a pre-recorded message. The amusing part is that the sender is clearly frustrated at this process in their clips:
184	--->"[Hello] [Ratchet and Clank], [you lucky devils], [''[[TranquilFury Angela Cross...]]''] [has sent you a galactic greeting!]"
185	* ''VideoGame/ResidentEvilOutbreak'' has a button dedicated to "ad-libs", a quick comment which either characterizes the person briefly, or (supposedly) aligns with the context of the situation at hand. There's also the option to use the right analog stick to spout more consistent phrases, such as character names or instructions.
186	* Parodied in ''VideoGame/{{Satisfactory}}'', where loitering around a special collectible item will trigger several different phrases from your AI assistant ADA compelling you to gather the item, one of them being supposedly a botched attempt at doing so by manipulating your character's feelings:
187	--> ''Relaying message: "Hello, this is [={% MATERNAL_FIGURE %}=]. I have taken ill and need your help to find a cure. Doctors say that the only remedy is alien artifacts."''
188	* Used in ''VideoGame/SewerShark'' for [[RobotBuddy Catfish the nav-bot's]] directions.
189	-->'''Catfish:''' Catfish to Ghost, the dang thing bit me! Vector [twelve] [three] [niner].
190	* The ''VideoGame/SoulSeries'' has historically done a good job with this, although there have been some hiccups. Marathon modes would have trouble when you started reaching numbers higher than twenty and the game wouldn't give itself enough time to say the number ("[Round] [Twenty-F][FIGHT!]"), ''VideoGame/SoulCaliburIII'' randomly sped up the announcer ("[ASTAROT-][VERSU-][TALIM][FIGHT!]"), and ''VideoGame/SoulCaliburIV'' didn't have the budget for this, so it just recorded a handful of CaptainObvious lines to use in any situation.
191	* Lampshaded in ''Videogame/SouthParkTheFracturedButWhole'', where after the side quest "Touch The Sky" you'll be accosted by [[PoliticallyIncorrectVillain the Rednecks]], and one of them will list out all of the options you have chosen for your character sheet in a comically stiff manner.
192	-->'''Skeeter''': Well well well, look what we've got here.
193	-->'''Cletus''': We've got ourselves a [GENDER], [SEXUALITY], [RACE], [ETHNICITY], [ALIGNMENT], [RELIGION].
194	-->'''Skeeter''': Dang Cletus, why you talkin' like that?
195	-->'''Cletus''': (whispers) Dialogue tree.
196	* The two video game adaptations of ''TabletopGame/SpaceHulk'' have this in virtually every line of dialogue. Because there were a small pool of voice actors and the lines were semi-randomly generated to reflect various events in game, you had obviously spliced lines with objects and marine names, some parts in a quiet and grim manner, some in a bombastic delivery and even some in a different voice. This lead to gems like this:
197	-->"[[WalkieTalkieStatic Crackle]] [Akhad.] [[[NoIndoorVoice GET OUT OF MY WAY!]]] [I cannot see the] [ARCHIVED RECORD VIEWER!]"
198	* The first two ''VideoGame/{{SSX}}'' games use this technique for Rahzel reading out the tricks. It's especially impressive in ''SSX Tricky'' where he reads out the trick in full, including Frontside/Backside, the rotation amount, the TYPE of rotation (Misty/Rodeo), if you pulled two Grabs/Ubers in the trick or not, and more.
199	* The PC game ''VideoGame/StayTooned'' contains a ''Franchise/MortalKombat'' parody in which an announcer yells the names of the characters fighting:
200	-->'''Announcer:''' [Tai Chi Chisel] [Versus] [Kung Fu Frank] [''(EvilLaugh)'']
201	* As mentioned in the page quote above, the ''[[Franchise/SuperMarioBros Mario's Early Years]]'' series suffers from quite heavy use of this trope, and it's not even done well. It's used for literally '''every''' single line of dialogue in the game, as for some inexplicable reason, the developers decided to record the lines from the main voice actor (who sounds like a child) into separate words, leading to ''a lot'' of issues. Not only are the tones of each word different, each one sounds like it's going to end the sentence, and you can blatantly tell where the words stop and are then spliced together. This means that the game spews out sentences like "Let's- Go! To? Alphabet! World.", "What. Animal! Makes. This! Sound?" and "You? Picked. The! One. That! Is? X. It. Is? The! Opposite! Of? Y."
202	** During [[WebVideo/TheAnnotatedSeries the Annotation Station]]'s jab at it, one annotator said "Who. Talks? With. One? Word. At. The! Time?" Our answer would be this trope used at its worst. One user also parodied it in the intro to his video of it, titled [[https://youtu.be/rhMGDXM7OV8 "Video Games that SHOULDN'T Exist: Mario's Early Years."]] You might want to check it out if you want to see how bad the splicing on it can really get. Speaking of videos, LetsPlay/ProtonJon and his friends [[https://youtu.be/6VJaLVR94YI immediately picked up on it]] in their LetsPlay of the game to humorous results as well.
203	* Used in ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'', particularly in Classic Mode where the announcer tells the player who they'll be fighting next. However, the splicing is quite obvious in some places, as the LargeHamAnnouncer has a single inflection for every character, and they don't always match up well ("[Luigi?] [versus] [Metaaall] [ZERO SUIT SAMUS]"). ''[[VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosMelee Melee]]'' has 2-on-2 Classic Mode matches where the announcer throws in a very emphatic "AAAND" that seems out of place ''everywhere'' ("[versus] [Jigglypuff!] [AAAND] [Mewtwo!]")
204	* ''VideoGame/TalesOfSymphonia'' has another non-voice use. At the colosseum, the announcer will refer to you as "[contestant] the '[title]'!". This works flawlessly in almost all cases, with the notable exception of "Lloyd the 'Aargh Me Hearties'!"
205	* Deliberately invoked in ''VideoGame/ThiefIITheMetalAge'', where the {{steampunk}} guard robots' lines are stitched together from a set of pre-recorded phrases.
206	-->[[http://thief.wikia.com/wiki/T2_Sound_Folder:_Robots "[Be notified, thou] [I have] [not determined] [visual indications]."]]
207	* ''VisualNovel/TokimekiMemorialGirlsSide'' slips into this with [[HelloInsertNameHere your name]], particularly in the DS remakes. Each possible name pronunciation (selected from several common Japanese names) is pre-recorded by the guys' voice actors, then spliced into conversation. Unfortunately, each name was only recorded ''once'', and it's in a fairly normal, flat voice, meaning that everything from a melancholic mumble to a motormouth rant to a LoveConfession is appended with an emotionless tag at the end.
208	* ''[[VideoGame/WaveRace Wave Race 64]]'' does this under two circumstances:
209	** The track introductions...
210	--->''"Welcome to [track name]."''
211	** ...and the occasional notification how much of a time gap is between the player and an opponent after each lap.
212	--->''"You're about [number] seconds [ahead/behind]."''
213	* ''VideoGame/WhereInTheWorldIsCarmenSandiego Deluxe'' features Warren the Warrant Robot. He helps you with issuing warrants and always talks in Mad Libs Dialogue.
214	-->'''Warren:''' HELLO! I! AM! WARREN! THE! WARRANT! ROBOT!
215	* The Adventure Game version of ''VideoGame/WhereInTimeIsCarmenSandiego1997?'' features a level in the ancient Incan empire, where a man reads off numbers from a type of counting board. The numbers are constructed out of Mad Libs, but the correct answers to the puzzles have separate voice recordings, so it always sounds right.
216	* ''Wrestling/{{WWE}} Crush Hour'', a VehicularCombat game sponsored by the WWE, is notorious for having ''horrible'' Mad-Libs Dialogue from Jim Ross. [[MemeticMutation The most famous piece]] is his emphasis on "THE TWISTY ROCKETS!"
217	* Many Wrestling/{{WWE}} wrestling games use this. The most JustForFun/{{egregious}} example is the infamously bad commentary of ''Smackdown! Just Bring It'', which featured Michael Cole saying things like ''This [Singles] match will be an important match!" and "[The Undertaker] executes a perfect [The Last Ride]!".
218	* In the ''VideoGame/XMen1992'' arcade game, much of Magneto's dialogue (aside from the infamous "Welcome... to die!") seems to be spliced together even when it doesn't need to be, such as "[I] [KILL you!] [X-Chicken!]" and "You are [DEAD!]" Most of his catchphrases can be summed up in [[https://youtu.be/gjuWKAMAlQU this video.]]
219	* The ''VideoGame/{{X}}-Universe'' games create voice dialogue on the fly for virtually all the spaceships. It's always noticeable, unfortunately, because whoever spoke the lines gave the [[AcCENTUponTheWrongSylLABle wrong intonations for many of the words]], so a sentence sounds like it's over when it's not, and words at the end of the sentence sometimes sound like they indicate the sentence isn't finished yet. ''Videogame/XRebirth'' drops the system entirely.
220	-->'''Player:''' Where is the nearest shipyard?\
221	'''Random [[ProudMerchantRace Teladi]]:''' Somewhere far behind the [NORTH GATE]. Good profit!
222	* ''VideoGame/YouDontKnowJack'' uses Mad Libs Dialogue for most of its hosts' speech, especially for things like rules spiels or references to the players' standings.
223	[[/folder]]
224
225	[[folder:Web Original]]
226	* Musician George Hrab parodied this trope in his [[http://geologicpodcast.com/the_geologic_podcast_episode_161 video]] produced for the Atheist Community of Topeka.
227	%%* Not the MOST popular fad on Website/{{YTMND}} [[http://eddieizzardytmnd.ytmnd.com/ but...]]
228	* ''WebVideo/TechnologyConnections'': In "[[https://youtu.be/hWl9Wux7iVY?t=867 The VHS cassette was more clever than Beta]]", Alec dubs in the exact measurements of how much more tape the Betamax tape transport mechanism uses than VHS. The captions even say the numbers are obviously dubbed in.
229	--> '''Alec:''' The beta machine needs [12] more inches of tape. That's about [30] centimeters.
230	[[/folder]]
231
232	[[folder:Western Animation]]
233	* Parodied on ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'' in the episode "[[Recap/FuturamaS3E15IDatedARobot I Dated a Robot]]", when Fry downloads a copy of Creator/LucyLiu into a robot body. The robot's dialog is smooth, except when customization is necessary. This gets played with near the end of the episode, when [[spoiler:the Liu-bot performs a heroic sacrifice, and starts speaking a little more naturally... for a moment.]]
234	-->"You are one sexy man, [PHILIP J. FRY]."\
235	"It's amazing the way you [NOTICED TWO THINGS]."\
236	"Oh [FRY], I love you more than the moon, and the stars, and the [POETIC IMAGE NUMBER 37 NOT FOUND]."\
237	"You should write a book, [FRY]. People need to know about the [CAN EAT MORE]."\
238	"I'll always remember you, [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness Fry]] -- [MEMORY DELETED]."
239	* The ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'' episode "[[Recap/SouthParkS10E1TheReturnOfChef The Return of Chef]]" featured Chef in spite of his voice actor Isaac Hayes having left the show. All of Chef's dialogue was spliced together from older episodes, and it all sounded really weird. Interestingly, [[spoiler:this was deliberate; it was spliced poorly (and hilariously) to show that he was brainwashed, and it was spliced together well when he was snapped out of it]].
240	-->"I wanna [MAKE LOVE] [[=TOo=]] [ya] [[=AASSholes=]] [chil'ren]!"
241	* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' loves to parody this trope:
242	** From the stock corporate video shown at camp in "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS4E1KampKrusty Kamp Krusty]]":
243	--->'''Krusty:''' Krusty can't be here right now, so allow me to introduce you to my friend, [Mister Black.] I want you to treat [Mister Black.] with the same respect you'd give me. Now here's [Mister Black.]
244	** From "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS9E1TheCityOfNewYorkVsHomerSimpson The City of New York vs. Homer Simpson]]":
245	--->'''Voice:''' Thank you for calling the parking violations bureau. To plead ''not guilty,'' press ''one'' now. ''(Homer dials 1)'' Thank you. Your plea has been [rejected.] You will be assessed the full fine plus a small [large lateness fee.] Please wait by your vehicle between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. for parking officer Steve [Grabowski.]
246	** In "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS10E12SundayCruddySunday Sunday, Cruddy Sunday]]", Homer and Moe discuss the upcoming UsefulNotes/SuperBowl, but they use Mad Libs Dialogue (while [[FilmingForEasyDub obscuring their mouths with beer mugs]] and clearly using different recordings), ostensibly so that they could record over the original dialogue and always keep the episode topical. But since it's a gag, they never did that, so the episode is stuck in 1999:
247	--->'''Homer:''' Hey, Moe, you wanna come with me and Wally to the Super Bowl?\
248	'''Moe:''' Oh, absolutely! My favorite team's in it! The [Atlanta Falcons].\
249	'''Homer:''' Yeah, they're good, but I wouldn't count out the [Denver Broncos].\
250	'''Wally:''' Yeah, I hear that President [Clinton] is gonna be watching with his wife [Hillary].[[note]]There's an extra joke here -- at the time, Clinton was being impeached, so they couldn't be ''entirely'' certain he would still be the President (or married to Hillary) when the episode aired.[[/note]]
251	* In the ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'' episode "Karate Island", when [=SpongeBob=] receives the tape inviting him to said island, [=SpongeBob=]'s name is very clearly spliced in, and read out in a completely different voice to the rest of the narration. It's one of many clues that the whole thing is a scam, but [[IdiotHero Sponge]][[TooDumbToLive Bob]] doesn't notice.
252	* One episode of ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'' starts with the title character being given a magic mirror that is allegedly broken. It's intended function is to answer any question that gets asked, and it does this by repeating clips of things that were already said and mashing them into sentences. [[spoiler: It turns out that it's really Lapis Lazuli talking to Steven through the mirror...]]
253	* On ''WesternAnimation/TheVentureBrothers'', the Guild of Calamitous Intent's video invite to Dr. Orpheus does this in hilariously inept fashion: Watch and Ward are reading a scripted skit "personalized" by periodically inserting the recipient's name -- by means of awkward pauses where an obviously different speaker announces "Dr. Orpheus and team" in a polite monotone while Watch and Ward cover their mouths with their hands to hide lip movements (or the lack thereof).
254	* In ''WesternAnimation/WallE'', when the recording of Shelby Forthright gives instructions on how to return the ''Axiom'' to Earth, the ship's name appears to have been dubbed in, suggesting the message was made for other ships in the [=BnL=] fleet as well.
255	%%* ''WesternAnimation/InvaderZim'' gave us ADHESIVE MEDICAL STRIPS (bacon scented!) from the Door to Door episode.
256	[[/folder]]
257
258	[[folder:Real Life]]
259	* GPS programs do this with their voices:
260	-->"[After] [two hundred] [meters] [turn] [right]. [Go straight] [for] [three] [miles]."
261	* It's a traditional part of [[TakeANumber the waiting room at the DMV]] ("[Now serving] [number] [B] [eighty] [four] [at window number] [ten]").
262	* [[ForInconveniencePressOne Automated phone systems]] do this; the voice speaks in sentences strung together from a bank of pre-recorded phrases, which often leads to unusual grammar and intonation. Some companies have tried to [[RealisticDictionIsUnrealistic more accurately simulate human speech]], only to slam straight into the UncannyValley.
263	* Answering machines tend to do this, especially when listing phone numbers, times, and dates ("[Sunday] [Two] [Oh] [Eight] [P.M.]"). Their {{Spiritual Successor}}s voicemail do this as well with the traditional "You have [one] new message."
264	* The self-service checkout at the grocery store will often do this when talking to you ("You have purchased [six] [doughnuts] for a total of [three] [dollars] [AndNinetyNineCents]. Please move your [doughnuts] to the belt.")
265	* Public transport tends to do this routinely. If you're waiting for a train or a plane, rather than have a live announcer handle everything that's going on, it's much easier to have a computer which can put together every permutation of departure time, departure platform/gate, service type, and destination -- in multiple languages, no less. These tend to be unintentionally hilarious, as they sound universally obvious and awkward (with every individual entry sounding like it should end the sentence), and their banks of rarely-heard entries all sounding the same (you'd half expect to hear "[Train service to] [Yokohama] [suspended] [because of] [{{Kaiju}} attack] [[[UnusuallyUninterestingSight We apologize for the inconvenience.]]]") Announcements like this on trains themselves have the additional wrinkle of being hard to hear over the train noise and, in big cities, the LongList of possible connections you can make at the next station.
266	* Air traffic control often sounds like this with real people, at least partly because they have to be very sure everyone is understood and often deal with people for whom English isn't their first language (hence the strict standardization of terminology). This is why flight simulation games tend to be more realistic in spite of using Mad Libs Dialogue to replicate this. And computerized dialogue does happen in real life when broadcasting ATIS (Automatic Terminal Information Service) to pilots (''e.g.'' [La Guardia Airport] [Information] [Alpha], [main landing runway] [31], [transition level] [50], [visibility] [13] [kilometers], [temperature] [23], [end of information] [Alpha].")
267	[[/folder]]

Context Main / MadLibsDialogue