Joke Item: Difference between revisions

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{{trope}}
{{trope}}
[[File:TheyHaveNoUsesm_6010.jpg|link=Cave Story|right]]
[[File:TheyHaveNoUsesm 6010.jpg|link=Cave Story|right]]


{{quote|''Ness used the Protractor!''
{{quote|''Ness used the Protractor!''
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== Action Adventure ==
== Action Adventure ==
* The easy to find Alucart equipment--easily confused for your lost scattered Alucar'''d''' equipment-- in ''[[Castlevania]] [[Symphony of the Night]]'' have terrible stats, except if you equip ''all'' of them, you get a huge bonus to Luck.
* The easy to find Alucart equipment—easily confused for your lost scattered Alucar'''d''' equipment—in ''[[Castlevania]] [[Symphony of the Night]]'' have terrible stats, except if you equip ''all'' of them, you get a huge bonus to Luck.
** Joke item in more ways than one - [[Fridge Brilliance|It sounds close, if not exactly, to the phrase ''A La Carté'', usually in reference to taking only pieces of an entreé or set.]]
** Joke item in more ways than one - [[Fridge Brilliance|It sounds close, if not exactly, to the phrase ''A La Carté'', usually in reference to taking only pieces of an entreé or set.]]
** And there's also the Tyrfing; a sword with attack power so pathetically low that it harmlessly passes through enemies until Alucard can level up enough to compensate.
** And there's also the Tyrfing; a sword with attack power so pathetically low that it harmlessly passes through enemies until Alucard can level up enough to compensate.
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*** In ''Duodecim'', it's one of the eight weapons Gilgamesh randomly draws when attacking. While the Excalibur doubles the damage he deals, the Excalipoor naturally reduces it to 1.
*** In ''Duodecim'', it's one of the eight weapons Gilgamesh randomly draws when attacking. While the Excalibur doubles the damage he deals, the Excalipoor naturally reduces it to 1.
*** There's also the "Training Ring". A fairly expensive accessory that reduces all damage you take and give to 0, and reduces your initial brave to 0. It's no good for actual battles, but it ''can'' be used for (what else?) making a pseudo-training mode.
*** There's also the "Training Ring". A fairly expensive accessory that reduces all damage you take and give to 0, and reduces your initial brave to 0. It's no good for actual battles, but it ''can'' be used for (what else?) making a pseudo-training mode.
*** Excalipoor shows up yet again in the GBA remake of ''[[Final Fantasy VI]]'', where its only purpose is for wagering in the Colosseum in order to fight one of the game's exclusive bosses. <ref>No points for guessing ''which'' boss. Yep, it's Gilgamesh.</ref>
*** Excalipoor shows up yet again in the GBA remake of ''[[Final Fantasy VI]]'', where its only purpose is for wagering in the Colosseum in order to fight one of the game's exclusive bosses.<ref>No points for guessing ''which'' boss. Yep, it's Gilgamesh.</ref>
** The [[Poison Mushroom|"Potoin" and "Exilor"]] (sic) from ''[[Dirge of Cerberus]]''.
** The [[Poison Mushroom|"Potoin" and "Exilor"]] (sic) from ''[[Dirge of Cerberus]]''.
* Mother series:
* Mother series:
** The Insignificant Item in ''[[Earthbound]]''. Using it gets you the message, "By using this item, you had a very fruitful experience that cannot be understood by one who does not do something insignificant." However, the Insignificant Item does have one use; it can be traded to an NPC from earlier in the game for an ever-useful Magic Truffle, and is, in fact, the first opportunity to acquire one in the game outside of extreme luck in enemy drops
** The Insignificant Item in ''[[Earthbound]]''. Using it gets you the message, "By using this item, you had a very fruitful experience that cannot be understood by one who does not do something insignificant." However, the Insignificant Item does have one use; it can be traded to an NPC from earlier in the game for an ever-useful Magic Truffle, and is, in fact, the first opportunity to acquire one in the game outside of extreme luck in enemy drops
** ''[[Earthbound]]'' has a plethora of these. Things like rulers and protractors that have literally no use--they don't even make good [[Vendor Trash]]--and chickens, which will eventually hatch if you carry eggs around. They ''do'' make good [[Vendor Trash]].
** ''[[Earthbound]]'' has a plethora of these. Things like rulers and protractors that have literally no use—they don't even make good [[Vendor Trash]]—and chickens, which will eventually hatch if you carry eggs around. They ''do'' make good [[Vendor Trash]].
** ''[[Mother 3]]'' has a ''[[Brick Joke]]'' item. It's the doorknob that came off of Flint's house in Chapter 1. You acquire it after you beat the game.
** ''[[Mother 3]]'' has a ''[[Brick Joke]]'' item. It's the doorknob that came off of Flint's house in Chapter 1. You acquire it after you beat the game.
* The HK droid Pacifist Package in ''[[Knights of the Old Republic]] 2'' is a completely useless waste of several thousand credits, but you get some awesomely hilarious dialogue when you install it in HK-47. It also gives him a small stat boost, so not completely useless.
* The HK droid Pacifist Package in ''[[Knights of the Old Republic]] 2'' is a completely useless waste of several thousand credits, but you get some awesomely hilarious dialogue when you install it in HK-47. It also gives him a small stat boost, so not completely useless.
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* ''[[Chrono Trigger]]'' has the mop, a weapon for Crono with an attack power of 1.
* ''[[Chrono Trigger]]'' has the mop, a weapon for Crono with an attack power of 1.
* ''[[Morrowind]]'':
* ''[[Morrowind]]'':
** There's the Scrolls of Icarian Flight. They grant a massive Acrobatics bonus, allowing you to jump huge heights and distances, then land safely -- well, except for the land safely part, as the bonus wears off in mid-jump. You find them on the corpse of their inventor after he falls from the sky.<br />However, [[Soft Water|if you land in water, you don't take damage]]. This can be used to take a jump to the ocean, and if you aim it right, it can get you to places you shouldn't be yet.<br />The scrolls have been used in a speedrun, for jumping way the hell up Red Mountain much sooner than you could normally get there. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1IRxTN-_kU
** There's the Scrolls of Icarian Flight. They grant a massive Acrobatics bonus, allowing you to jump huge heights and distances, then land safely—well, except for the land safely part, as the bonus wears off in mid-jump. You find them on the corpse of their inventor after he falls from the sky.<br />However, [[Soft Water|if you land in water, you don't take damage]]. This can be used to take a jump to the ocean, and if you aim it right, it can get you to places you shouldn't be yet.<br />The scrolls have been used in a speedrun, for jumping way the hell up Red Mountain much sooner than you could normally get there. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1IRxTN-_kU
*** Use one scroll to jump, activate another one when you see the ground approaching. Problem solved. At 115 or more points of Acrobatics, you don't take any falling damage whatsoever, irrespective of the height you fall from. As for the distance, two scrolls (one for jumping, one for landing) will get you from the point where you procure them to the center of Balmora.
*** Use one scroll to jump, activate another one when you see the ground approaching. Problem solved. At 115 or more points of Acrobatics, you don't take any falling damage whatsoever, irrespective of the height you fall from. As for the distance, two scrolls (one for jumping, one for landing) will get you from the point where you procure them to the center of Balmora.
** ''Morrowind'' also has the "Fork of Horipillation" - a, well, ''dinner fork'' which the player is tasked with killing a giant netch with. Of course, the quest-giver ''is'' the god of madness...
** ''Morrowind'' also has the "Fork of Horipillation" - a, well, ''dinner fork'' which the player is tasked with killing a giant netch with. Of course, the quest-giver ''is'' the god of madness...
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* Some of Elizabeth's most irritating quests in Persona3 involve hunting down rare enemies or rare items. The reward? Weapons with 100 power and 99 accuracy like a bone, a toy bow, a broom...What's even funnier is that the first one you can get (the toy bow) is pretty powerful around the time it's first available (most weapons at the time have 50 power).
* Some of Elizabeth's most irritating quests in Persona3 involve hunting down rare enemies or rare items. The reward? Weapons with 100 power and 99 accuracy like a bone, a toy bow, a broom...What's even funnier is that the first one you can get (the toy bow) is pretty powerful around the time it's first available (most weapons at the time have 50 power).
* ''[[Tales of the Abyss]]'' has a number of these, acquired throughout the game: there's the Fork, Knife, and Spoon, which count as spear, sword and staff weapons, respectively. Jade also gets the Pointer (a cartoony gloved pointing hand on a stick) and the Deck Brush, and Anise gets to wield a giant Lollipop.
* ''[[Tales of the Abyss]]'' has a number of these, acquired throughout the game: there's the Fork, Knife, and Spoon, which count as spear, sword and staff weapons, respectively. Jade also gets the Pointer (a cartoony gloved pointing hand on a stick) and the Deck Brush, and Anise gets to wield a giant Lollipop.
* In the [[Star Ocean]] series, by the developer "Tri-Ace" the "Tri-Em'''p'''lem" is a decent but unremarkable accessory, especially by the time you gem them. "Tri-Em'''b'''lems", however, are extremely powerful accessories that can only be found in the [[Bonus Dungeon|Bonus Dungeons]].
* In the [[Star Ocean]] series, by the developer "Tri-Ace" the "Tri-Em'''p'''lem" is a decent but unremarkable accessory, especially by the time you gem them. "Tri-Em'''b'''lems", however, are extremely powerful accessories that can only be found in the [[Bonus Dungeon]]s.
** In the fourth game, the former can be made into a [[Lethal Joke Item]] by taking advantage of its high number of slots, and synthesizing eight of the latter into it.
** In the fourth game, the former can be made into a [[Lethal Joke Item]] by taking advantage of its high number of slots, and synthesizing eight of the latter into it.
* In ''[[Pokémon Black and White]]'' you can get various "Wings" in the bridges which slightly increases the Pokemon's stats ([[And the Fandom Rejoiced|even at level 100!]]) depending on the type of Wing (Muscle Wing increases attack, Health Wing increases HP, etc.) but you can also get a "[[Vendor Trash|Pretty Wing]]" which does absolutely nothing. This was ''[[Lampshaded]]'', not surprisingly.
* In ''[[Pokémon Black and White]]'' you can get various "Wings" in the bridges which slightly increases the Pokemon's stats ([[And the Fandom Rejoiced|even at level 100!]]) depending on the type of Wing (Muscle Wing increases attack, Health Wing increases HP, etc.) but you can also get a "[[Vendor Trash|Pretty Wing]]" which does absolutely nothing. This was ''[[Lampshaded]]'', not surprisingly.
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** It DOES however allow you to hold around triple the normal amount of ammunition for the Sub-Machine Gun due to a possible glitch.
** It DOES however allow you to hold around triple the normal amount of ammunition for the Sub-Machine Gun due to a possible glitch.
* Zombie-bashing game ''[[Dead Rising]]'' features many, many weapons, as literally anything can be used to smack zombies around. Most items are somewhat damaging or useful. Then you have the stuffed teddy bears, the [[Mega Man (video game)|Mega Buster]] that shoots nerf balls, and the water pistol. These have the exact same effect: they make zombies flinch. Nothing else. Still, it's absolutely hilarious to see protagonist Frank lugging a huge teddy bear around a mall full of zombies.
* Zombie-bashing game ''[[Dead Rising]]'' features many, many weapons, as literally anything can be used to smack zombies around. Most items are somewhat damaging or useful. Then you have the stuffed teddy bears, the [[Mega Man (video game)|Mega Buster]] that shoots nerf balls, and the water pistol. These have the exact same effect: they make zombies flinch. Nothing else. Still, it's absolutely hilarious to see protagonist Frank lugging a huge teddy bear around a mall full of zombies.
** While the nerf ball Mega Buster is technically capable of incapacitating zombies if they are shot in the head enough times, it takes about a third of the weapon's magazine to do so. Because of this, it still firmly falls under the [[Joke Item]] territory.
** While the nerf ball Mega Buster is technically capable of incapacitating zombies if they are shot in the head enough times, it takes about a third of the weapon's magazine to do so. Because of this, it still firmly falls under the Joke Item territory.
** Don't forget spitting, which actually becomes lethal with the right powerup.
** Don't forget spitting, which actually becomes lethal with the right powerup.
** Several of the Joke Items give you +Humor points when you take photographs involving them, as well.
** Several of the Joke Items give you +Humor points when you take photographs involving them, as well.
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== Non-video game examples: ==
== Non-video game examples ==


== Live-Action TV ==
== Live-Action TV ==
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** He does eventually get an honest-to-goodness special attack, but it proves useless mostly because he's fighting an insanely strong opponent.
** He does eventually get an honest-to-goodness special attack, but it proves useless mostly because he's fighting an insanely strong opponent.
* In ''[[Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger]]'', the Gokaigers learn that the Greater Power of the [[Gekisou Sentai Carranger|Carrangers]] they obtained is actually the Carrangers' [[Super Sentai Stance|pose]].
* In ''[[Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger]]'', the Gokaigers learn that the Greater Power of the [[Gekisou Sentai Carranger|Carrangers]] they obtained is actually the Carrangers' [[Super Sentai Stance|pose]].
** Also the [[Bakuryuu Sentai Abaranger|Abare Pink]] Ranger Key, since rather than being an actual powered warrior it's just a homemade costume -- and a particularly silly-looking one at that. It's used once, roundly mocked, and then promptly forgotten.
** Also the [[Bakuryuu Sentai Abaranger|Abare Pink]] Ranger Key, since rather than being an actual powered warrior it's just a homemade costume—and a particularly silly-looking one at that. It's used once, roundly mocked, and then promptly forgotten.




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