Phineas and Ferb Wiki
Register
Advertisement
Phineas and Ferb Wiki
  (subscribe)

Tri-State Gazette                
The Official Phineas and Ferb Wiki Newsletter, Issue 29: October 1, 2010
 
News and information from the world of Phineas and Ferb.
 

Current forum discussions


The list of spotlighted forums will return after we've had a chance to go through the latest additions.

P&F songs by other groups

Phineas and Ferb's Summer Songs by Little Apple Band cover

Did you know that Phineas and Ferb characters are starting to appear in other places outside of Disney? Check out the "Reverse references" section of the List of references to pop culture. And if you want to hear another band's take on P&F songs, check out Phineas and Ferb's Summer Songs by the Little Apple Band. You can find out more about them in the Merchandise Portal in the Music section.


Crat Corner

TopherSportsAvatar
by Topher208

The More Things Change...

Starting October 6th, Wikia will start its transition to its new look. You may remember a few issues ago when I announced that a new design was coming to the Wiki. It will not only affect our wiki, but every other wiki on the Wikia network. This new look is designed to be more open and appealing to new users and veterans alike. You will have the opportunity to check out the new skin by using a link in the Preferences page. It is at this point that the Admin team and I will be working to adapt our current look to the new design.

As of this writing, we plan on making our wiki look as close to our current skin as possible while making adjustments to accommodate the new look. Some key features of the new look are:

  • The wiki's pages will have a fixed width of 980 pixels. Article content will be shifted to the left by widgets on the right hand side of the page, making article content space only 660 pixel across. Amongst other changes, we may need to look at making our infoboxes narrower to accommodate this change. They are currently approximately 300px wide, or nearly half of the content space.
  • Sidebar Menu is being replaced by four dropdown menus at the top of the screen and other links to be spread around to more content-savvy locations.
  • Text links to Talk pages and Edit screens will be replaced by icons.
  • Link to Recent Changes is being replaced by a link to Wiki Activity, a page similar to My Home. There is a link to the classic Recent Changes on that page.
  • More recognition of individual contributors. Pages will be marked with who edited them last, and image thumbnails will include the username of the person who uploaded them.

As we make changes to the design of our wiki, we will also be looking into utilizing the space on the main page more efficiently. Since many of the features on the sidebar menu as it's currently structured will not fit in the smaller dropdown menus, we may need to get creative with our main page. There are also some features that Wikia has introduced in the past year that may get integrated in the design. More info on that as we make our decisions.

Odds 'n' Ends

  • RRabbit42 has caught up on the Recent Changes in the main namespace with the assistance of a couple other patrollers. Great Job!
  • Since "Phineas and Ferb: Summer Belongs to You!" debuted in August, the wiki has not fallen below 2,000 visitors per day.
  • Reminder from the RC Patrol: When making an edit, be sure to use the Preview button, re-read the article and consider whether you need to make any additional changes. Every time you press Save Page, a patroller has to verify that edit. Fewer edits means more time for that patroller to make his or her own edits.
  • If you have any features/changes you'd like to see for the main page, please drop me a note on my talk page.


Phineas and Ferb: Ride Again

Ryan Stoppable's avatar
by Ryan Stoppable
Phineas and Ferb Ride Again

"Phineas and Ferb: Ride Again", the second handheld adventure for our favorite residents of the Tri-State Area, was released in the United States on September 14, 2010. The game is an action platformer produced by Disney Interactive Studios, developed by Altron, the same companies who worked on the first game.

In "Ride Again," Phineas and Ferb continue their efforts to make every day of summer the best day ever while an ever-vigilant Candace looks to bust them and Agent P fights maniacal evil (Dr. Doofenshmirtz, and Mitch on one occasion) each and every day. So how does the new installment stack up?

Graphics: 7. "Ride Again" is built on the same graphics engine and isometric side-scrolling system as the 2009 game. Unfortunately, with little touches they added in to make the world appear more lively, the game slows down at times when there's a lot on the bottom screen.

Sound: 8. Once again, the sound consists of original instrumental music and stock snippets of dialogue from Phineas, Ferb, Candace, Isabella and Dr. Doofenshmirtz. Of particular note is a very well-done knockoff of the "Quirky Worky Song" that plays while constructing the end-of-level rides. I still don't understand why they don't use actual tunes (or instrumentals thereof) from the show, as that would add another touch of authenticity.

Ride Again gameplay
Gameplay from World 2.

Story: 9. A particularly stand-out area of the game, as the familiar stories of Phineas and Ferb have been taken, combined, and modified into ones that are unique yet fit perfectly with the tone of the show. For example, in the "The Chronicles of Meap"-themed level, the boys have to traverse their own video game while finding the parts for Meap's ship, and it's Agent P who defeats Mitch because the latter has captured Doofenshmirtz, which would put O.W.C.A. members out of jobs.

Gameplay: 9. The main portion of the game sees you controlling Phineas and Ferb through 16 levels as they collect anywhere from 8 to 14 parts for each of their four Big Ideas. Along the way, each character gains the use of several gadgets: Phineas gets a jet pack, a skateboard and a grappling hook fishing rod, while Ferb acquires a drill, radar goggles and a handheld tractor beam. The gadget system is a major improvement from the first game, as it is no longer necessary to go to the menu to switch between them. Furthermore, some of the platforming gets rather difficult near the end of the game, especially in the bonus levels necessary to complete the game fully.

Ride Again mine cart race
The mine cart race.

But there are several other minigames to discuss. If the boys blunder too many times along the way, Candace will gladly take the opportunity to drag them into the returning "You're So Busted" minigame, where the boys have to collect all of the screws in a Pac-Man-style maze while avoiding her. The rides, generally considered the worst part of last year's game, have been completely redone and are also significantly improved; the boys and their friends compete in skateboard and mine cart races based on Excitebike and the Mario Kart series respectively, a Star Fox-esque space shooter with Meap's ship, and a surfing minigame. Finally, Agent P has boss battles at the end of every world, which makes him feel like an integral part of the game instead of tacked on like his battle in the first game.

Replay Value: 5. The main game is more difficult than the first one, but once you complete it, clear the bonus levels, and find the 3 Custom Parts in each world to upgrade the rides and access new areas with them, there's nothing else to do.

Overall, "Phineas and Ferb: Ride Again" earns a solid 8, and it's an improvement on the first game. If you like video games and are big enough of a Phineas and Ferb fan to be reading this, you'll enjoy their newest handheld adventure.




Bi-Weekly Top 5

as voted on by the members of the wiki


Poll #21: What is Ferb's best line from the first third of Season 1?

This poll gives "the man of action" a chance to show off his verbal skills. Quality, not quantity, could be his motto. But as you can see, when he does choose to be verbose, it's worth listening to.


Largest number of votes in each section:

  • "Because, she's a tire-spinning, gear-grinding, clutch-burning, backfiring, paint-trading, red-lining, overheating-throttle-stomping, truck-driving girl." — 40 votes. ("It's a Mud, Mud, Mud, Mud World")
  • "I was weak." — 11 votes. ("I Scream, You Scream")
  • "You do realize that's French for 'pencil neck'?" — 10 votes.
  • "Well, he was all up in my face." — 9 votes. ("Raging Bully")
  • "I was weak." — 15 votes.

Largest total number of votes:
1. "Because, she's a tire-spinning, gear-grinding, clutch-burning, backfiring, paint-trading, red-lining, overheating-throttle-stomping, truck-driving girl." — 61 votes.
2. "I was weak." — 37 votes.
3. (interrupted several times and ends with) "Ah! I give up!" — 31 votes. ("Ready for the Bettys")
4. "You do realize that's French for 'pencil neck'?" — 31 votes.
5. "Well, he was all up in my face." — 16 votes.

We miss you, Sparky

by JeremyCreek JeremyCreek Avatar
Other than noting a couple of mistakes in the poll choices, there were no comments on this poll.


Next poll: What is Ferb's best line from the middle third of Season 1?

If you have an idea on what an upcoming poll should be about, head on over to the forum's Discussion page and let us know what it is.



Bonus comic

Insider sold Disney secrets
by Mobo85

 

Super-Short Review

Ed. note: Super-short reviews are a new format we're trying wherein a writer reviews an episode of the show in 140 words or less.

"Wizard of Odd" I expected this episode to be a stereotypical Wizard of Oz rip-off. Thankfully the wonderful writers did a fantastic job making this episode unique and fresh. While it had all the characteristics that you'd expect from an Oz parody, Phineas and Ferb's hilarious ways to make the yellow brick road less dull were quite enjoyable. Same with Candace's reactions and Baljeet's constant complaining about not being allowed to sing.

I wonder if Candace knows about Perry's double life. She's only ever seen him as Agent P was when she was hallucinating from the moss. Since this was a dream, maybe she thinks seeing him as a spy is like seeing the Talking Zebra.

This was a great episode with a good message from Mom at the end about having fun along the way. Let's hope Candace takes it to heart.



Twitter-proof review: Wizard of Odd was more than just an OZ parody. It was a reminder for everyone to have fun while they go about their daily lives.




Hands-on with the new merchandise, part eleven

RRabbit42
by RRabbit42
Hallmark birthday party banner

This edition of our merchandise review will show you all of the things you need to throw a Phineas and Ferb-themed birthday party. This is the first round of birthday supplies, so it's just decorations right now, but in the future we may see other things like "Pin the tail on the platypus" games. But until those come out, if you're looking for a game that could be played, grab a couple of sets of the Phineas and Ferb Top Trumps Card Game so you'll have enough for more than four players.

All except one of the banners are made by Hallmark's Party Express division. Different places have them available online, but I found the Hallmark products at a local Walmart. Most come in a set of eight.

P&F Personalized Birthday Banner

You can see one of the banners at the top of this review. The other is shown to the right. It's a personalized banner that you have to order online at the Birthday Express website. This is the most expensive of the birthday supplies, but you get a durable banner that can be reused, and it's available in 18"x61", 24"x80" and 30"x100" sizes.

For the rest of your decorations, you can pick up these items. From left to right, they are: invitations, 16 ounce plastic cups, 9 ounce paper cups, napkins, 9" and 7" paper plates, tablecloth, foil/mylar balloons and a centerpiece for the table. The plastic cups are sold separately, and when you buy the balloons, you get two of the round balloons and two of the green star balloons.

Hallmark birthday party invitations Hallmark birthday party plastic cups Hallmark birthday party paper cups

Hallmark birthday party napkins Hallmark birthday party paper plates Hallmark birthday party tablecloth

Hallmark birthday party foil balloons Hallmark birthday party centerpiece

For your guests, we have a few treats. On the left is a party favor bag which can hold any or all of the following items: temporary tattoos, stickers and an Agent P "blowout" party horn.

Hallmark birthday party favor bag Hallmark birthday party temporary tattoos Hallmark birthday party stickers Hallmark birthday party blowout


Hallmark birthday party sampler

When you put it all together, you get a something that looks a little like this. About the only thing that I can think of that is missing right now is an edible cake topper. If you go into a Dairy Queen or Baskin Robbins, you can look through their catalog of designs. Each has several Disney characters, but at the moment, neither has a Phineas and Ferb design. One of the catalogs had The Princess and the Frog in it, and that's a pretty recent movie from earlier this year, so I can't help but think that Phineas and Ferb won't be too far from being released. When it is, I'll add it to our Merchandise Portal. Each of these birthday items will be in the Portal within a few days.


In our next review, the boys of summer will get a run for their money when Phineas and Ferb put another spin on the game of baseball.



Summer Vacation Summerizer

by RRabbit42

Last month, I announced a contest to go along with the new Summer Vacation Summerizer areas on the Disney Channel and Disney XD websites. Since Disney was making it possible to share your creations with other people, I wanted to see what everyone came up with. With an equal playing field where everyone has access to the same items, who could come up with the most creative arrangement of those items?

Well, only one person entered the contest. This may have been because the contest wasn't given as much publicity as I wanted to because I was busy working on the wiki. Or maybe everyone else was busy, too.

Another problem was that the more you added to your playfield, the longer it took to load it each time. The first entry by Tammsys got stuck each time I tried to check it and wouldn't load even when I gave it several hours. Tammsys' second entry now goes to the main P&F page on the Disney XD site because they moved the Summerizer to a different location.

So, while I had promised that I would display each winner's playfield in the newsletter, I'm sorry to say it just isn't possible. Next time we have a contest, we'll try to pick something that works a bit more reliably and advertise it a lot more.

On the bright side, I've discovered that all three areas of the Summerizer will stay on both the Disney Channel and Disney XD websites. You just have to get to them in a different way. Watch the Summer Vacation Summerizer page for those links in the near future.



Coming in two weeks:
  • Results of the next Bi-Weekly Top 5
  • Hands-on with the new merchandise, part twelve
  • Retro Reviews or a review of a new episode
  • Updates on the policies that are being voted on now
  • Other articles to be determined (submissions wanted - send to RRabbit42 or use the Newsletter submissions page)


Got a question or comment about this issue? Leave a message on this issue's Discussion page.
Advertisement