History VideoGame / Pico

Pico movies and games can be viewed [[https://www.newgrounds.com/collection/pico here]]. You can read more about him on [[https://newgrounds.fandom.com/wiki/Main_Page the Newgrounds]] [[TheWikiRule Wiki]] [[http://newgrounds.wikia.com/wiki/Pico here]] or on the Pico Wiki [[https://pico.fandom.com here]].

** There's also the option to slit Nene's wrists. If she does so, she finds out that dying that way takes longer than it does in fiction.

* ArtisticLicenseBiology: ''Nene Interactive Suicide'' has the option to let Nene drink a carton of milk... after saying that she's lactose intolerant, and throws up blood before her head explodes. In reality, the consequences of a lactose intolerant person drinking milk ''are'' unpleasent, but ''not'' deadly.
* AteHisGun: All of the children involved in ''Pico vs. Überkids'' put the gun in their mouth after losing a round of rock-paper-scissors. Pico's so sure of himself that he pulls the trigger ''twice''.

* AteHisGun: All of the children involved in ''Pico vs. Überkids'' put the gun in their mouth after loosing rock-paper-scissors. Pico's so sure of himself that he does pulls the trigger ''twice''.

* PrettyFlyForAWhiteGuy: Pico tells Cyclops that he distinctly remembers him going through a "G-squad" phase before he became a goth and then a punk, implying that [[PretenderDiss he's always been a trend-chasing poser.]] Notably, Cyclops doesn't care about being lectured for his trend hopping as much as he does being lectured by [[SkewedPriority a kid with what he feels has terrible taste in music.]]

* PrettyFlyForAWhiteGuy: Pico tells Cyclops that he distinctly remembers him going through a "G-squad" phase before he became a goth, implying that he's always been a trend-chasing poser.

* TakeThat: Aside from the obvious in ''Pico vs. Bear'', the kitchen of Bary's house has other beloved ursine children's figures tied up and victimized. The bound [[Literature/TheBerenstainBears Brother and Sister Bear]], along with the corpse of WesternAnimation/YogiBear and the severed head of Franchise/WinnieThePooh, are prominently featured.

* WeaponOfChoice:

* HaremGenre: Some shorts, most notably in ''[[https://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/638227 Pico's Cat Fight]]'', which has Nene, Cassanda, and Darnell all vying for Pico's attention. Some Piconjo shorts also play this [[PlayedForLaughs for laughs]], usually depicting Piconjo as the successful jock protagonist and his haters as either members of his harem, or as losers jealous of his success.

* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: ''Darnell Plays with Fire'', the earliest of the ''Pico'' series, establishes that Darnell at least lived somewhere in Des Moines, Iowa. Other installments in the series establish the trio as living in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The first three installments also increase in interactivity: ''Darnell'' is simply just an animation, ''Nene'' has you actually click on environmental pieces, and ''Pico's School'' is designed to be a movie with sparse interactive segments.

* LeaningOnTheFourthWall: Before Pico's final confrontation with Casandra, he tells her that she has alternative outlets for her violent rampage, such as making music or making a "[[Website/{{Newgrounds}} crazy website that lets you kill pop-icons]]".

** Some other works featuring or mentioning Cassandra have her as just human, with the transformation attributed to artificial means if acknowledged, thus [[AvertedTrope averting]] this.
** In a few games where the Ghettobots appear, it's hinted that they may actually be robots when they are killed. The same goes for the Überkids.
** There's also [[ShapeShifting Convict]] from ''Pico vs. Convict'', a criminal who gained the ability to shapeshift after getting struck by lightning. However, judging by his [[RedEyesTakeWarning red eyes]], the skull on his head, and his shapeshifting powers, it's ambiguous as to ''what'' he is, exactly.

* DrivenToSuicide: Nene's appearance in ''Nene Interactive Suicide'' speaks for itself, and her second appearance has her begging for Pico to kill her. Usually her attitude is {{Played for|Laughs}} BlackComedy. Pico himself also came close to this in ''Pico's Return'' and [[AvertedTrope Averts]] this in ''Pico Epilogue'', [[PlayedforDrama decidedly ''not'' played for comedy]].

** Cassandra, considering what she turns into in her final battle with Pico. Judging from other Tom Fulp games, such as ''Samurai Asshole'', Cassandra has something to do with an alien species called Penillians.
** In ''Pico's Cousin 2'', Hanzo is revealed to be a {{Cyborg}} after the events of ''School''. This justifies how Hanzo is still alive in the game, even though they were decapitated by Pico.

** In 2013, a fake ''Pico's School 2'' game was uploaded by Clatform. At first it seems normal, but then you get a weapon and it ''explodes'' on your face.
** In 2021, ''Pico's School'' was replaced by an alternate version that was generally LighterAndSofter. Instead of Cassandra and her goons killing everyone, Pico befriends her and the other goths by sharing the same taste in music and shows her that people aren't as bad as she assumed (revealing more about the other bosses' personalities in the process). It also crosses over with ''VideoGame/FridayNightFunkin'' - when Cassandra expresses concern over the prevalence of homophobia in the world, Pico introduces Boyfriend as his... well, boyfriend. While the game reverted back to normal the day after, the altered version was reuploaded with the subtitle ''Love Conquers All''.

* AxesAtSchool: ''Pico's School'' was inspired by the UsefulNotes/{{Columbine}} massacre, and begins with a {{Goth}} kid named Casandra shooting up Pico's school.

* BreakTheCutie: In the span of mere seconds, Pico at the very beginning of ''Pico's School'' seemed to be nice, popular, and decently respected by his teachers. [[CynicismCatalyst After Casandra and the Goth Kids start wreaking havoc]], Pico can range from merciful or downright nasty to his opponents, and by the time the Ghettobots enter the school, he has zero mercy for them.

* DistantFinale: For the sake of reference, one of the non-Fulp works, ''Pico Sim Date <3'' has Hun-Ni, the daughter of Doki and Nabi from ''WebAnimation/ThereSheIs'' as one of the potential girls.
* DrivenToSuicide: Nene's appearance in ''Nene Interactive Suicide'' speaks for itself, and her second appearance has her begging for Pico to kill her. Usually her attitude is {{Played for|Laughs}} BlackComedy. Pico himself also came close to this in ''Pico's Return'' and [[AvertedTrope Averts]] this in ''Pico Epilogue'', decidedly not played for comedy.

* TheGrimReaper: In ''Pico vs. Überkids'', if the trigger on the revolver in Rock Paper Scissors Roulette is pulled five times without going off, the next contestant to lose the Rock Paper Scissors match will have the Reaper standing over them, signifying that they are doomed.

* HaremGenre: Some shorts, most notably in ''[[https://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/638227 Pico's Cat Fight]]'', which has Nene, Cassanda, and Darnell all vying for Pico's attention. Some Piconjo shorts also play this [[PlayedForLaughs for laughs]], usually depicting Piconjo as the successful jock protagonist and his haters as either members of his harem or as losers jealous of his success.

** If you don't plan on choosing a suicide option for Nene in ''Nene Interactive Suicide'', you would choose the seemingly innocuous milk carton near her bed. Upon selecting it, Nene [[SarcasmMode helpfully]] informs the player that she's ''severely lactose intolerant'' and downs the carton in one go.
** A more tragic version plays when you select the razor blade. Nene cuts herself and doesn't immediately die from blood loss, but as she's contemplating this she hears her mother worriedly knock on her door. It turns out that she's just going off to visit her grandmother and thinks Nene's spray painting her walls [[NoodleIncident again]], and promises her that [[DramaticIrony she'll be fine for a few hours alone]].
* InterpretativeCharacter: While the TroublingUnchildlikeBehavior is the norm, everything else tends to vary. Pico and the gang have gone from good friends to grimly hunting each other down for no discernible reason. Even ''Cassandra's'' been shown as on apparently good terms with Pico before.

* SeriesMascot: Although the WebAnimation/{{Tankmen}} adorn Newgrounds' IconicLogo, one doesn't have to look too far to find a certain [[FieryRedhead redheaded]], [[MoreDakka gun-toting]] [[TroublingUnchildlikeBehavior kid]] [[RedheadInGreen in green]].

* SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome: In ''Nene Interactive Suicide'', the titular character wakes up with herpes. Considering her [[ReallyGetsAround loose morals]], it was only a matter of time before Nene caught an [=STD=].

* ''Nene Interactive Suicide'': Nene learns that popularity isn't all it's cracked up to be when she wakes up with herpes, and must choose how to end her life.

* VagueAge: Also another product of DependingOnTheWriter, Pico and the gang are school-aged, but they have been depicted anywhere between high school and elementary school. ''Pico vs. Bear'' implies that Pico is young enough to be a fan of ''Series/BearInTheBigBlueHouse''. However, Tom Fulp confirmed that all the major characters in ''Pico's School'' are high school seniors (around 16-18 years old) in the comment section of his blog post, "Pico Jams", [[https://tomfulp.newgrounds.com/news/post/1182469 stating that it's based off of his senior year of high school.]]
-->'''Tom Fulp:''' It's largely inspired by senior year of high school, so that's a good fit for the events of Pico's School, despite how stupid my art looks.

Pico, Piconjo, and Pico's best friends Darnell (a black PyroManiac and MadBomber kid) and Nene (a [[DrivenToSuicide suicidal]] [[TwoferTokenMinority Asian girl]] with [[KnifeNut quite an addiction to blades]] and a comical tendency to catch herpes due to her [[ReallyGetsAround loose morals]], who is often portrayed as Pico's LoveInterest) are only the main characters of [[TheVerse the whole Picoverse]]. However, Tom Fulp doesn't make Pico shorts as often anymore. A sequel called ''Pico 2'' was infamously in DevelopmentHell for years, with only some level designs appearing to the public. The status of this game has been unknown for years, although it seems that Tom doesn't like answering questions about it. The unfinished demo of the game was made available for Newgrounds Supporters on Pico Day 2014. The gameplay footage can be viewed [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1SMB4RqUJE here]].

** [[KnifeNut Nene]] [[BladeEnthusiast uses a pair of carving knives]] on her enemies... [[DrivenToSuicide when she isn't using them on herself]].

* SeriesMascot: Although the Tankmen adorn Newgrounds' IconicLogo, one doesn't have to look too far to find a certain [[FieryRedhead redheaded]], [[MoreDakka gun-toting]] [[TroublingUnchildlikeBehavior kid]] [[RedheadInGreen in green]].
* SharedUniverse: Pico tends to be depicted alongside the Tankmen, VideoGame/AlienHominid, and other Website/{{Newgrounds}} originals.

** You have to actively pull the trigger to kill Alucard, Cyclops, Nene, or the guy in the bathroom, though Alucard and Cyclops [[KickTheSonOfABitch arguably had it coming]].
** In the demo for ''Pico 2'' Pico can be played as a friendly kid, as a hot-tempered {{Jerkass}}, [[HiddenDepths or as surprisingly educated]]. There is also the option to [[VideoGameCaringPotential give a homeless man money]] (though he admits to just using it to buy alcohol), berate him, or flat out shoot him until he dies.
** In ''Pico's Cousin'' there is similarly the option to play Otis as mild-mannered or as an impulsive jerk. That being said, being a jerk often has consequences such as being shot by the candy store owner if the player insults him or attempts to steal his candy rather than buying it.

** [[KnifeNut Nene uses a pair of carving knives]] on her enemies when she isn't using them on herself.

** Cassandra, considering what she turns into in her final battle with Pico. Judging from other Tom Fulp games, such as Samurai Asshole, Cassandra has something to do with an alien species called Penillians.

* DatingSim: ''[[https://pico-sim-date.fandom.com/wiki/Pico_Sim_Date Pico Sim Date]]'' and its [[https://pico-sim-date.fandom.com/wiki/Pico_Sim_Date_2 seq]][[https://pico-sim-date.fandom.com/wiki/Pico_Sim_Date_3:_Final_Climax uels]]. It is... ''very'' different than Pico's normal offerings, with Pico on a TimedMission to get with Nene in order to save their KidFromTheFuture.

* SeriesMascot: Although the Tankmen adorn Newgrounds' IconicLogo, one doesn't have to look too far to find a certain [[FieryRedhead redheaded]], gun-toting kid [[RedheadInGreen in green]].

* AntiHero: Pico can sit somewhere between the [[PragmaticHero pragmatic]] and [[UnscrupulousHero unscrupulous]] types. In ''VideoGame/FridayNightFunkin'', he is a hired assassin who is tasked with killing Boyfriend, but ultimately spares him in Week 3 and saves both him and Girlfriend from Tankman's assault during Week 7. This also goes for his friends Nene (repeatedly implied to be promiscious) and Darnell (shown as a pyromaniac).

* BlackComedy: Oh so much. Whether it be Pico, a [[VagueAge school-aged]] person, firing an AK-47 assault rifle in ''Pico's School'', or Darnell [[{{Sadist}} listening with glee as people burn alive]] in ''Darnell Plays with Fire'', this is all PlayedForLaughs in the Pico universe.

* StylisticSuck: [[https://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/799106 Piconjo Jam 21]], made to celebrate user Piconjo's return and the inauguration of Piconjo Day, features well done animation alongside bizarre and poorly-animated segments. Most apparent in user Piconjo's second segment, which starts as a high effort and well-animated short only for it to "crash" and return to the low-effort MS Paint style slideshow animation of the first.

** In ''Pico's Cousin 2'', Hanzou is revealed to be a {{Cyborg}} after the events of ''School''. This justifies how Hanzou is still alive in the game, even though they were decapitated by Pico.

* {{Ninja}}: Hanzou, the second boss in ''Pico's School'', is a ninja with a katana and night-vision goggles who you fight in a darkened women's bathroom.

** Unlike the other bosses in ''Pico's School'', Hanzou's attacks can't be avoided. You'll have to gun him down before he kills you.

* HaremGenre: Some shorts, most notably in ''Pico's Cat Fight'', which has Nene, Cassanda, and Darnell all vying for Pico's attention. Some Piconjo shorts also play this for laughs, usually depicting Piconjo as the successful jock protagonist and his haters as either members of his harem or as losers jealous of his success.

* InterpretativeCharacter: While the TroublingUnchildlikeBehavior is the norm, everything else tends to vary. Pico and the gang have gone from good friends to grimly hunting each other down for no discernible reason. Even Cassandra's been shown as on apparently good terms with Pico before.

* LittlestCancerPatient: Darnell claims to have five years left to live in his campaign for school president, though many fan flashes and even ''Love Conquers All'' indicate that it's just a lie.

* NegativeContinuity: Most of the Pico games and movies have Pico, Nene and Darnell getting killed, only to [[UnexplainedRecovery get better]] in the next flash.

* PlotRelevantAgeUp: The characters' {{Vague Age}}s mostly depend on what is necessary for the setting, such as ''Pico Sim Date'' making them teens, and ''VideoGame/FridayNightFunkin'' making Pico a young adult implied to be around the same age as the 19-year-old Boyfriend. [[JustifiedTrope Justified]] with both examples, as they take place years after the original "Pico's School" series.

* RockPaperScissors: The "Rock Paper Scissors Roulette" game that Pico and crew play with the Überkids in ''Pico vs. Überkids''. As the name suggests, it's a fusion of rock-paper-scissors and Russian roulette, with the loser of the rock-paper-scissors match having to try their luck with the revolver. The now-discontinued 2007 game "Pico Roulette" was an updated version with online multiplayer and extra characters if you had a registered Newgrounds account.

* SuckySchool: Fulp's version of the main school is not a fun place to be. Even considering the Goth Punks' rampage, Mr. Flacit does zero background checks for the apparently dangerous Ghettobots, the corpses of the shooting victims are still in a trash can outside ''six months later'', and in his second appearance he allows a Russian Roulette game in order to help gather research for the Human Genome Project.

* VagueAge: Also another product of DependingOnTheWriter, Pico and the gang are school-aged, but they have been depicted anywhere between high school and elementary school. ''Pico vs. Bear'' implies that Pico is young enough to be a fan of ''Series/BearInTheBigBlueHouse''. However, Tom Fulp confirmed that all the major characters in Pico's School are high school seniors (around 16-18 years old) in the comment section of his blog post, Pico Jams, [[https://tomfulp.newgrounds.com/news/post/1182469 stating that it's based off of his senior year of high school.]]

* VillainousCrush: In ''Pico's School'', Cyclops tells Pico that Cassandra has a crush on him, hence him not being killed with the rest of his classmates when her gang attacked. Perhaps best demonstrated by [[https://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/638227 Pico's Cat Fight]].

** There's also [[ShapeShifting Convict]] from ''Pico vs Convict'', a criminal who gained the ability to shapeshift after getting struck by lightning. However, judging by his [[RedEyesTakeWarning red eyes]], the skull on his head, and his shapeshifting powers, it's ambiguous as to ''what'' he is, exactly.

* AteHisGun: All of the children involved in ''Pico Vs. Überkids'' put the gun in their mouth after loosing rock-paper-scissors. Pico's so sure of himself that he does pulls the trigger ''twice''.

* AnimatedShockComedy: Oh, yeah -- swearing, guns, shit, dicks, explosions, and much more. Website/{{Newgrounds}} was a treasure trove of adolescent irreverence back in the day, and Pico sat firmly at the center.

* CampingACrapper: In the men's bathroom, if you open the first stall, you'll find a guy sitting on the toilet asking you to shut the door. Keep talking to him, and he'll get angry, accuse you of having a scat fetish, and throw his poop at you to get you to leave. (This gets you the achievement "Scat Man" if you stick through it long enough.) Of course, you can always just shoot him.

* DistantFinale: For the sake of a reference, one of the non-Fulp works, Pico Sim Date 2, has the daughter of Doki and Nabi from ''WebAnimation/ThereSheIs'' as one of the potential girls.

* FanRemake: Two exist, both of them each done by different authors. [[https://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/616353 One]] for the original ''Pico's School'' and [[https://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/829032 one]] for ''Pico VS Bear'', with the latter including voice acting and an exclusive boss battle against [[VideoGame/FridayNightFunkin Boyfriend]].

** If you don't plan on choosing a suicide option for Nene in ''Nene Interactive Suicide'', you would choose the seemingly innocuous milk carton near her bed. Upon selecting it, Nene [[SarcasmMode helpfully]] informs the player that she's severely lactose intolerant and downs the carton in one go.

%%* InterruptedSuicide: ''Pico Epsilon'', an alternate version of ''Pico Epilogue'', shows Pico about to go through with offing himself [[spoiler:until armored Überkids go all [[Anime/DragonballZ Saiyan Saga]] on his friends]].

* NoAntagonist: ''Pico Vs. Überkids'' can hardly say it has a villain role, as the Überkids were only brought to Pico's school to be tested on and otherwise weren't actively malicious to Pico and friends outside of mocking them if they win - in fact it was ''Pico'' who suggested the life-or-death rock-paper-scissors match. Of course, they do develop a meaner streak in non-Fulp flashes.

* ToiletHumour: The series is full of it: a lone guy in the bathrooms in ''School'' throwing his turds at you, and the Überkids taking a dump if you lose in ''Vs. Überkids''.

* VagueAge: Also another product of DependingOnTheWriter, Pico and the gang are school-aged, but they have been depicted anywhere between high school and elementary school. ''Pico vs Bear'' implies that Pico is young enough to be a fan of ''Series/BearInTheBigBlueHouse''. However, Tom Fulp confirmed that all the major characters in Pico's School are high school seniors (around 16-18 years old) in the comment section of his blog post, Pico Jams, [[https://tomfulp.newgrounds.com/news/post/1182469 stating that it's based off of his senior year of high school.]]

* MoodWhiplash: While most of the deaths in ''Nene Interactive Suicide'' are quick and/or comedic, choosing to slit Nene's wrists results in the longest of any of the cutscenes with zero humor. She realizes that wrist cutting suicides take way longer than TV deaths would portray it, has a conversation with her mother who mistook the sound of Nene's HighPressureBlood for her spray painting the walls again, and the sequence ends with Nene [[SkeweredPriorities fretting about her mother discovering she ruined her room with her blood]]. [[NoEnding She also doesn't die at the end of that sequence]].

** If you don't plan on choosing a suicide option for Nene in ''Nene Interactive Suicide'', you would choose the seemingly innocuous milk carton near her bed. Upon selecting it, Nene helpfully informs the player that she's severely lactose intolerant and downs the carton in one go.
** A more tragic version plays when you select the razor blade. Nene cuts herself and doesn't immediately die from blood loss, but as she's contemplating this she hears her mother worriedly knock on her door. It turns out that she's just going off to visit her grandmother and thinks Nene's spray painting her room again, and promises her that [[DramaticIrony she'll be fine for a few hours alone]].

* MoodWhiplash: While most of the deaths in ''Nene Interactive Suicide'' are quick and/or comedic, choosing to slit Nene's wrists results in the longest of any of the cutscenes with zero humor. She realizes that wrist cutting suicides take way longer than TV deaths would portray it, has a conversation with her mother who mistook the sound of Nene's HighPressureBlood for her spray painting the walls [[NoodleIncident again]], and the sequence ends with Nene fretting about her mother discovering she ruined her room with her blood. [[NoEnding She also doesn't die at the end of that sequence]].

* ''Pico vs. Uberkids'': A trio of cloned "genetically perfect" Uberkids challenge Pico, Nene, and Darnell in the game of their choice to prove their superiority. The game: RockPaperScissors [[RussianRoulette Roulette]]!

** Some other works featuring or mentioning Cassandra have her as just human, with the transformation attributed to artificial means if acknowledged, thus adverting this.

* AteHisGun: All of the children involved in ''Pico Vs. Uberkids'' put the gun in their mouth after loosing rock-paper-scissors. Pico's so sure of himself that he does pulls the trigger ''twice''.

* GoldenEnding: In ''Pico vs. Uberkids'', it is possible to get a perfect sweep with none of the main trio dying. The ending is the same as if player won two out of three rounds, however.

* TheGrimReaper: In ''Pico vs. Uberkids'', if the trigger on the revolver in Rock Paper Scissors Roulette is pulled five times without going off, the next contestant to lose the Rock Paper Scissors match will have the Reaper standing over them, signifying that they are doomed.

%%* InterruptedSuicide: ''Pico Epsilon'', an alternate version of ''Pico Epilogue'', shows Pico about to go through with offing himself [[spoiler:until armored Uberkids go all [[Anime/DragonballZ Saiyan Saga]] on his friends]].

* LuckBasedMission: ''Pico vs. Uberkids'' has this in its RockPaperScissors and RussianRoulette hybrid. Something of a JustifiedTrope; the point of the story is that inherent superiority can't compensate for bad luck, and Pico is implied to have chosen the event because he knows this is the only way to defeat the Uberkids.

* RockPaperScissors: The "Rock Paper Scissors Roulette" game that Pico and crew play with the Uberkids in ''Pico vs. Uberkids''. As the name suggests, it's a fusion of rock-paper-scissors and Russian roulette, with the loser of the rock-paper-scissors match having to try their luck with the revolver. The now-discontinued 2007 game "Pico Roulette" was an updated version with online multiplayer and extra characters if you had a registered Newgrounds account.
* RussianRoulette: In ''Pico vs. Uberkids'', Pico plays a variant where the loser of a RockPaperScissors match has to play Russian Roulette.

* SequelHook: At the end of ''Pico's School'', Pico sees some kids from the ghetto coming to class, and gets out his gun. In ''Pico's Unloaded'', after killing all the Uberkids, Pico sees the ghettobots again and prepares to fight.

* ToiletHumour: The series is full of it: a lone guy in the bathrooms in ''School'' throwing his turds at you, and the Uberkids taking a dump if you lose in ''Vs. Uberkids''.

* SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome: ''Nene Interactive Suicide'': Considering her [[ReallyGetsAround loose morals]], it was only a matter of time before Nene caught an [=STD=].

* SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome: ''Nene Interactive Suicide'' has the option to slit Nene's wrists. If she does so, she finds out that dying that way takes longer than it does in fiction.