Back to the Future: The Game



In December of 2010, over twenty years after the last Back to The Future film came out, Telltale Games had developed an episodic Point and Click game series -- which involves both Bob Gale and Christopher Lloyd, the latter of who would be reprising his role as "Doc" Emmett L. Brown. The first episode, which begins a new chapter in the Back to the Future series, was released on PC and Mac in December 2010 to solid reviews, and subsequent episodes have been equally well received. Its plot revolves around working with a teenaged Emmett Brown to save Doc from Prohibition-era Hill Valley and how Marty's efforts accidentally create a new timeline.

This provides examples of:
""Tax evasion?!""
 * Actor Allusion: In Episode 3, Marty's brother, David, is said to be working for a newspaper in a big city and his sister, Linda, is said to be in a womens' boarding house. Marc McClure played Marty's brother in the movies, and also played Jimmy Olsen in Superman. Wendie Jo Sperber co-starred in Bosom Buddies, set in an woman-only hotel. As an added bonus, both actors played these roles before the first movie came out.
 * Young Emmett says his flying car idea will make traffic jams a thing of the past, which is the same thing Judge Doom - another character played by Christopher Lloyd - said about his freeway idea.
 * All Girls Want Bad Boys: How Marty wins back . In this timeline, she thinks Marty is a complete tool.
 * And, in the final episode,
 * Angrish: Judge Brown's lecture to Emmett near the climax of Episode 1 is nonsensical as one puzzle sequence (trying to make fuel for a rocket powered drill while 1931!Emmett tries to give directions to Marty indirectly by enunciating certain words and phrases in his conversation - for example, "Can't you see the PRESSURE I'm going through?", refers to letting pressure of a valve) begins. As it advances, you start hearing Judge's Brown's voice more clearly- while also enunciating most of the same words - which is designed to confuse and disorient you into unintentionally listening to both of them- thus making a mistake.
 * Applied Phlebotinum: The explanation of how the DeLorean that comes for Marty isn't destroyed.
 * Arcadia: perversely views the 1800s as this, even burning down Beuregard Tannen's saloon  to preserve it.
 * Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking: Kid Tannen is arrested in Episode 2 for kidnapping, attempted murder, tax evasion, and smelling like a piece of crap.

"Marty: (looking at a bathysphere) "It's some kind of...deep-sea diving thingy.""
 * is arrested in Episode 5 for
 * Bag of Holding: Marty is able to carry everything in his pocket, even a full sized guitar!
 * Big Bad: Kid Tannen in the first two episodes .  starts out as something of an annoyance, but then assumes this role from Episode 3 onwards.
 * Big Brother Is Watching: In Episode 3, "Big Brother" is Citizen Brown.
 * Big Damn Heroes: In Episode 2, Doc drops Marty off at his house and drives away in the DeLorean -- only to come back and.
 * Black and Grey Morality: The implications of erasing an alternate timeline -- along with Citizen Brown's life experiences -- are explored in Episode 4. Not to mention all of the underhanded things Marty does to preserve history.
 * Bland-Name Product: There is a scene at the mall in the first episode, but one of the stores there is "JPPinney."
 * Also, 1986!Biff's Jumpsuit has an "Adods" logo.
 * In Episode 3, George McFly has a "Pepson" brand printer.
 * A guard in Episode 4 is seen drinking from a can of soda named Alt (as opposed to Tab).
 * In Episode 5,
 * Bling Bling Bang: In Episode 2, alt-1986 Biff intimidates Marty with a gold pistol. Subverted when it turns out to be a novelty lighter.
 * Blown Across the Room: Same scene as the first movie, this time Biff does it. Marty tries it again in Episode 4, but it doesn't have the expected effect.
 * Brainwashed and Crazy: (Episode 3)
 * Buffy-Speak:

": "I don't think it's a good idea for us to see each other until you've undergone your first Citizen Plus treatment."
 * Burger Fool: Soup kitchens never went out of style in alt-1986. Marty's rival for love, Leech, works here as an attendee.
 * But Thou Must!: Episode 4:
 * Episode 1: When trying to get young Emmett to build the rocket powered drill for you, the dialogue tree gives you the options of "I need that rocket drill," "I REALLY need that rocket drill," and "I REALLY REALLY need that rocket drill." Regardless of what you pick, the scene plays the same.
 * Call Back / Continuity Nod: Episode 1 begins with the first time travel trip of the DeLorean from the first film, recreating it line by line before ominously deviating from the film. The player can still alter some of Marty's dialog during this sequence.
 * Though you miss a Trophy if you do this.
 * Calling the Old Man Out: Emmett and his father, Judge Brown.
 * Came Back Wrong: At the start of Episode 4, it appears that Citizen Brown's personality has reverted to the Doc that we're all familiar with. As the episode progresses however, it turns out that for one thing his scientific knowledge isn't at the same level it was previously, resulting in him, and more problematically.
 * Canned Orders Over Loudspeaker: "RELAX! WE'VE GOT EVERYTHING UNDER CONTROL."
 * Catapult Nightmare: Marty awakening in bed after the prologue.
 * Changed My Mind, Kid: Despite expressing his dread of "Scary Mary", turns up to rescue Marty and Doc at 's shack, grabbing her shotgun barrel before she can fire.
 * The Chanteuse: Trixie Trotter.
 * Chekhov's Boomerang: The from Episode 1 and the  from Episode 2 both make surprise reappearances in Episode 3.
 * Marty's guitar briefly shows up as part of a quickly-forgotten puzzle in Episode 1. It pops up again in Episodes 3 and 4.
 * Citizenship Marriage:
 * Cloudcuckoolander: Edna. By the time Episode 5 rolls around, Marty exclaims, "Jeez, that lady was always a loon!"
 * "Close Enough" Timeline: After all is said and done, the only real changes to the timeline are that
 * Continuity Cameo:  as Marty's great-grandfather in Episode 5.
 * Continuity Porn: There are a great number of references to the movies, ranging from the dialogue and details of locales from the movie, to references to events that occurred but were never shown or showcased.
 * Crap Saccharine World: Episode 3, and HOW.
 * Crazy Cat Lady: Edna early (late?) in Episode 1.
 * Cross Dresser: Vice Principal Strickland, apparently.
 * It should be noted, he only did this as a child. Though he did do it more than once.
 * And it should be also noted that back as late as in the early 20th century it was normal for little boys to wear dresses.
 * Cruelty Is the Only Option: To save the future, Marty pretty much obliterates Emmett's life in the span of two minutes.
 * Curiosity Is a Crapshoot: As shown in Episode 1, Doc ends up in jail in 1931 after being knocked out during the speakeasy explosion. The whole reason he traveled back to 1931 was to figure out who started it, to satisfy his curiosity.
 * Curse Cut Short: Suspecting Marty of being a snitch, Alt-1986 threatens to shove her spraycan up...somewhere.
 * Dark Reprise: The BttF instrumental theme has an imperious tone in the alternate Hill Valley.
 * Emmett's sad rendition of "I Don't Care" on the roof of the courthouse.
 * Darker and Edgier: Episode 3, "Citizen Brown", from start to finish. Up to Eleven in Episode 4
 * Deconstructed Trope:
 * It's also a Subversion of a Deconstruction:
 * Development Gag: Not a gag relating to the development of the game, but to Back to the Future Part III. In Episode 1, Marty can find an old photograph of Marshall Strickland in Edna Strickland's home. Edna states that he had been shot and killed by Buford Tannen. Marty (who, of course, had been to 1885 when Strickland was alive and who was instrumental in Buford being sent to prison) states that he doesn't remember that occurrence. While there's an in-story reason for this (he wasn't there when it happened nor informed of the events), the joke is actually a meta-joke about how the scene depicting Strickland's death was cut from the film.
 * Episode 1 references a gag from the aborted Number Two script, wherein Marty is arrested, and chooses the alias "Marty DeLorean" to get Doc's attention through the newspapers. In the video game, however, it's the other way around: Doc is arrested, and chooses the alias "Carl Sagan" to get Marty's attention through the newspapers.
 * Dirty Cop: Officer Danny Parker starts working for Kid Tannen in Episode 2 after getting demoted and dumped by his girlfriend.
 * Doomed New Clothes: Young Emmett's white suit, a gift from Edna. Zig-zagged by his invention of a surefire method to remove dirt stains, which Marty then converts into acid.
 * Downer Ending:
 * The Dragon: Biff to Citizen Edna, against his will.
 * Dreaming of Things to Come: In the game's prologue, Marty reenacts the Twin Pines mall scene in his dreams -- only this time, the DeLorean carrying Einstein doesn't come back, and the mall's fixtures start disappearing. This doesn't make sense until Episode 5, when.
 * Dressing as the Enemy: Marty dressing up as a diminutive gangster and (later) in riot gear.
 * Drowning My Sorrows: Danny in Episode 2. See Dirty Cop above.
 * Dumb Blonde: Trixie Trotter, Kid's moll.
 * More of a subversion. She turned in Kid Tannen and her plan to get 1931!Edna to break up with Emmett was pretty clever.
 * Earn Your Happy Ending:
 * Embarrassing Old Photo: Principal Strickland as a baby.
 * Trixie, the "Winsome Wench of Winnipeg". (Canadian porn is kinda weird.)
 * Enhance Button: Played embarrassingly straight in episode 4.
 * Epic Fail:       
 * Evil-Detecting Dog:, although we don't find out why until well into Episode 3.
 * Evil Old Folks:
 * Exact Words: After the DeLorean gets stuck a billboard, Marty cries at to "Give me a hand!" She responds with a golf clap.
 * While riding alongside the stolen DeLorean, Marty claws his way onto one of gull wing doors and demands that Edna open up. "You want in? FINE!" she snarls back, then elbows the door open, sending Marty flying.
 * Expecting Someone Taller: Doc's Hand Wave for why he didn't recall meeting Marty in the thirties.
 * Expository Hairstyle Change: Emmett's success (sort of) at the science expo results in him gaining his trademark electrified 'do.
 * Exty Years From Now: Partly subverted; it's Exty-Five Years From Now. Marty travels back 55 years to 1931 throughout Episodes 1 and 2
 * Face Heel Turn:
 * Fair Play Whodunnit: Several clues are given throughout all five episodes that hint to
 * Fictional Counterpart: There is a "Soupmo" in alternate 1986 in Episode 3.
 * Foreshadowing: For example, there's a Frankenstein poster in Marty's room in Episode 1.
 * Doc's mind reading helmet from the original film makes a reappearance in his lab, but it turns out to be more than just a Mythology Gag.
 * Edna Strickland of 1986 in Episode 1 spies on all the activity of the townspeople from her apartment. When Marty returns her shoe, she sighs happily, "Ah, so neat and orderly."
 * Some of the newspapers that Marty flips through in Episode 1 before he finds the right one talks about a soup kitchen being exposed...
 * Also in Episode 1 at the same place, if you examine Edna's candy in 1986 you will notice one interesting book...
 * It's hard to not expect the events of Episode 2 and Episode 3 when the existence of photographs of certain individuals or their possessions are repeatedly called attention to in preceding episodes. In particular,
 * The opening sequence in Episode 1: Doc disappears from existence.
 * There is an old teapot in Doc's fishtank in Episode 1. You see the same teapot in Edna's apartment, but fresh and new. This indicates that the teapot will play a role in Episode 5.
 * From Nobody to Nightmare: See Not So Harmless below.
 * Fridge Horror: Thanks to the events of the games, The philosophical ramifications of this are never addressed. (This also applies somewhat to the movies, but it's not until the games that you, which makes it much, much worse.) And this may not even be true depending on how you interpret the dream sequence at the beginning of Episode 1.
 * Gainax Ending: Admit it, that was pretty weird.
 * Game Breaking Bug: A nasty one in Episode 5.
 * Getting Smilies Painted on Your Soul: Though apparently not a fan of Frankenstein, definitely rented A Clockwork Orange at some point.
 * Gilligan Cut: When Marty and Doc take Arthur into an alley near the new speakeasy in Episode 2.
 * Good Ol' Boy: Willie McFly.
 * Gone Horribly Right: Marty successfully breaks brainwashing near the end of Episode 3. When he comes around though, it turns out that his pathological hatred of the McFly family has returned in this timeline, and he's even more pissed off by the fact that Marty exploited his brainwashing in order to retrieve a videotape.
 * Crops up once again in Episode 4. Because Marty never really thought of the effects his changes would have to the timeline, he has to go back to the past multiple times, each time making pretty much everyone's lives a little bit worse.
 * Marty and Doc make the mistake of showing pity to . Like Biff, however, she proves just as unstable as her other incarnations and pulls a shotgun (!) once her memory is restored.
 * Good Bad Girl: Trixie Trotter
 * Good Feels Good: Cue Ball says that it feels good working on the right side of the law in Episode 5.
 * Go Out with a Smile / Redemption Equals Death: After runs him down in the DeLorean,  (while also in the middle of fading out, no less) invokes this trope after seeing that "he" was given the key to the city (via newspaper).
 * Gosh Darn It to Heck: Marty encountering a post-op in the Citizen Plus facility.
 * Go Out with a Smile / Redemption Equals Death: After runs him down in the DeLorean,  (while also in the middle of fading out, no less) invokes this trope after seeing that "he" was given the key to the city (via newspaper).
 * Gosh Darn It to Heck: Marty encountering a post-op in the Citizen Plus facility.

Marty: "Why not?"


 * "Because your gosh dang hormones are out of control, Martin!""

""I prefer to think of it as exhibiting an admirable sense of self-preservation.""
 * Dropping a barrel of pickle juice on Edna issues this hollow cry: "WHAT THE FRUG!??"
 * It's actually pretty jarring, considering they drop the word "shit", but not "damn" or "hell" (instead preferring "dang" and "heck").
 * Grandma, What Massive Hotness You Have!: (Episode 3)
 * Grumpy Old Woman: Edna Strickland in Episode 1.
 * Hacker Cave: Alt-1986!George has a wall of monitors squirreled away in his garage. Though he begins by spying on his neighbors, Marty convinces him to use his camera network against the regime.
 * Half Truth: Cue Ball's personal spin on testifying against Kid Tannen in court.
 * Half Truth: Cue Ball's personal spin on testifying against Kid Tannen in court.

"Crazy!Edna: [sobbing] "I'M A HOOLIGAN!!""
 * Hammerspace: Well, where does Marty carry his sizable inventory -- when he's walking around town?
 * Hand Wave: The appearance of the original DeLorean in Episode 1 is justified with the explanation that one of the lightning bolts that hit it in 1955 (likely the latter since that was when the DeLorean's Destination Time was on the fritz) created two copies; the one we know about, and one sent seventy years forward to 2025, and later found by Doc with his time train. Lampshaded by the fact that the PlayStation 3 version awards a Trophy titled 'A Plausible Explanation' for learning this.
 * He Who Fights Monsters: Lampshaded in Episode 5.

"Marty: "Place your bets!""
 * Heel Face Turn: Cue Ball in Episode 4.
 * Heroic Sacrifice:
 * Heroic BSOD:
 * Hoist by His Own Petard: Marty ignites a barrel of Kid Tannen's own moonshine to smoke him out. Double points for using the handgun lighter, swiped from Tannen's crime family in alt-1986.
 * Alt-1986!Biff gets conked out by a rotating roulette table, a relic from his father's old speakeasy.
 * Alt-1986!Biff gets conked out by a rotating roulette table, a relic from his father's old speakeasy.

"Brown: "The "billions and billions" guy?""
 * Hollywood Tone Deaf: Edna Strickland's rendition of "You Should Care" in Episode 2. In Young Emmett's words, "You know what represents a clear and present danger to public safety? Your singing voice!"
 * Hope Spot: Episode 3, Marty convinces Citizen Brown he really is a time traveler trying to set the timeline right.
 * Episode 4, Marty goes off to help Young Emmett with his invention and finally fix the timeline. The ending shows
 * Hot Scoop: Played with. 1931!Edna Strickland in Episodes 1 and 2 is an attractive young reporter who's involved with various charities. She's also a self-righteous prude who isn't as influential or talented as she'd like to think she is. By Episode 3,
 * Humiliation Conga: Inverted in Episode 4, which centers on subjecting poor Young Emmett to this. Citizen Brown calls Marty out on it shortly before the plan reaches completion.
 * I Call It Vera: Kid Tannen's six-shooter, "Kid Junior". He's still packing it in 1986.
 * Biff's car is named "Sheila".
 * I Was Quite a Looker: Edna Strickland as a young woman in 1931 is significantly easier on the eyes.
 * Hypocritical Humor: In Episode 1, 1986!Edna calls Marty a nosey busybody at the same time she's being one.
 * Identical Grandson: Continuing in the grand tradition of the movies. George and Biff are both the spitting image of their fathers, Arthur McFly and Irving "Kid" Tannen, respectively. Also, Jennifer's father clearly takes after his own father in the looks department. All in all, a very clever excuse to re-use character models.
 * Lampshaded in Episode 4, when Marty sees a picture of a seemingly random man, only for him to point out that he looks pretty much the same as all the other Tannens, concluding that he must be an ancestor.
 * In Episode 5,  shows up. Ironically, he looks more like   than Marty.
 * Idiot Ball: (Episode 1) One moment the Doc is incredulous when he thinks Marty interacted with his grandfather, the next he urges Marty to work with Young Emmett, who isn't even an inventor yet, to get him out of prison. What Could Possibly Go Wrong? (Although to be fair, they have little choice in the matter.)
 * I'm Mr. Future Pop Culture Reference: This time, both Marty and Doc use it. And when Marty does, you can choose the name yourself.
 * Then gets in on the act in Episode 5, taking the alias  upon arrival in 1876.
 * Gets a brief lampshade in Episode 4 when Marty confuses Citizen Brown by telling him he's supposed to be "Carl Sagan".
 * Gets a brief lampshade in Episode 4 when Marty confuses Citizen Brown by telling him he's supposed to be "Carl Sagan".

"Artie: "You know I don't like to pry, but...what state where you born in?"
 * Both  and Doc Lampshade this during their argument under the chandelier in Episode 5.
 * Identity Amnesia: Justified with Crazy!Edna, who is understandably scrambled at having traveled back in time (not to mention ).
 * In Joke: Gale, Zemeckis, and Fine Law Office
 * Ink Suit Actor: Played straight with Doc Brown, but subverted with Marty; he looks the same (heck, even sounds the same), but it isn't Michael J. Fox.
 * Played with in the case of, who more closely resembles Christopher Lloyd (i.e. bald head and spectacles).
 * Ironic Echo: "It's a fact. Look it up." has reappeared 3 times so far: twice from Edna,
 * This ends up mixed with Foreshadowing in "Get Tannen!": When Emmett is testing his flying rocket car, a mishap ends up stranding Einstein on the courthouse roof and said car crashed through a billboard on top of the soup kitchen. After roughly re-entering 1986, Marty ends up pulling this stunt as well.
 * A darker version of this appears in "OUTATIME": When Marty is walking to the Expo with 1931!Doc's static accumulator, he is almost hit by Citizen Brown driving the DeLorean.
 * Marty provokes a club patron in 1931 by feebly calling him "chicken", getting him bounced out of the building.
 * Ironic Hell: lives in a shack in 1931-A, surrounded by the "pure simplicity" she sought to preserve -.
 * Just the First Citizen: Done literally with . Subverted when he turns out to be a Decoy Leader to.
 * Lampshade Hanging:
 * Large Ham: Trixie Trotter. She's not bad, but the fact that she's quite obviously quoting the script word-for-word makes it seem like she's being overly poetic about the whole thing.
 * Licked by the Dog: Edna Strickland is snobbish, controlling, mean-spirited, annoying, and . However,
 * Leaning on the Fourth Wall: (Episode 1) Marty asks Doc if his plan to tell Young Emmett the solution to the math problem he's been working on in his head will negatively affect the future. Doc answers in big words, but his response, summed up in normal English, is that it shouldn't hurt anything unless it turns out the world in which they live is a form of media displayed on a screen (such as a video game).
 * As it happens, it's also an actual scientific theory. It has been suggested recently that the universe may indeed be a "hologram" very similar to Doc's explanation.
 * Early in Episode 4, if Marty asks his father to override the security systems, George responds that this isn't a science fiction movie. He's right; it's a computer game based on a science fiction movie.
 * Legitimate Businessmen's Social Club: "Speakeasy?? You're mistaken, officer! This is an ice cream parlor."
 * Loophole Abuse: Marty exploiting Trixie's iffy U.S. citizenship to get her canned from her hostess job.
 * Loophole Abuse: Marty exploiting Trixie's iffy U.S. citizenship to get her canned from her hostess job.

Trixie: "Province, Manitoba. Why?""

"Jennifer: "Really?""
 * And done again to give Trixie her job back by using another loophole
 * As prepares to execute Marty and Doc for their supposed crimes (actually, hers), . "And you never break the law."
 * Love Redeems:
 * Luke, I Am Your Father: "Trixie Trotter", aka.
 * Magic A Is Magic A: Seemingly subverted at the end of Episode 2, regarding the Delayed Ripple Effect and Ripple-Effect-Proof Memory.
 * However,
 * Man in White: First Citizen Brown.
 * Mayor Pain: Citizen Brown is 1984-A's equivalent of Mayor (he demands that Marty address him as "your Honor"), and cultivates the image of a Type A. When 's plans unravel, he turns out to be a benign Type B.
 * Mexican Standoff: Between Edna and Beauregard Tannen in Episode 5. If Edna drops the torch and sets the saloon on fire, Tannen shoots her. If Tannen shoots her, Edna drops the torch and sets the saloon on fire. However, the situation is weighted somewhat in Tannen's favor, as he can wait for her torch to burn out, and then just shoot her anyway. Naturally, it's up to Marty to find a way to disarm them both simultaneously
 * Mind Screw: See the You Didn't See That entry below.
 * "Mister Sandman" Sequence: Yep, it's back in episodes 1 and 3, complete with period-appropriate music and Marty almost getting hit by a car.
 * Parodied somewhat in Episode 4. 1931 is familiar territory to both Marty and the player by this point, but it's new to Citizen Brown. The latter goes through a mini-MSS of his own, near car accident included.
 * Moral Dilemma: (Episode 1)
 * Multicolored Hair: Alt-1986!. Rowr.
 * My God, What Have I Done?: (Episode 3)
 * Danny in Episode 2 after Marty convinces him that working for Kid Tannen is wrong.
 * Mythology Gag: Left and right.
 * 1) Episode 1:
 * Marty sees a sign for a production featuring a real shark, echoing his experience with Jaws 19 in Back to the Future II.
 * The Sisters of Mercy Soup Kitchen is located where the cafe and saloon were in the films. And it wouldn't be complete without a "HEY, McFLY!!"-scene with similar lines.
 * Marty's mother waking him up at the start of Episode 1, which makes it a Good Morning, Crono
 * Marty's experience with the amplifier, except that in this example, he uses it against Biff. Meanwhile, Biff using the amplifier mirrors Marty's actions from the first film. Marty even mentions that it took him forever to fix it after the last time he blew it out.
 * Marty arrives at 1986!Edna's apartment being towed on his skateboard by a pickup truck, like he does in the first film.
 * Marty clinging onto a vehicle being driven by Tannen mirrors the similar scene in Back to the Future Part II, down to trying to secretly snare an important plot point without his noticing.
 * If Marty turns on the TV in Doc's garage, he watches a short clip from Carl Sagan's Cosmos in which Carl wonders whether nature would allow a time traveler to prevent his own conception. Cue Marty looking over to his dad and smiling.
 * Marty's dad mentions that sometimes, you gotta go out on a limb for the ones you love. Apt, given that he met his wife after falling from the tree branch from which he was spying on her.
 * 1) Episode 2:
 * One area of this game has Marty having to avoid interaction with himself, much like he did in Back to the Future Part II.
 * In 1986:
 * When going to the side door, Marty decides to "try the front door, just in case" something like in 1985-A (BTTF Part II) happens.
 * Marty telling something only he would know to his dad George: what he did when he was eight, or how George met Lorraine.
 * During the Biff scene, a reference is made to when George punched Biff, and when Biff crashed into a manure truck - apparently a more recent crash than the one in 1955, prompting a confused Marty to ask, "Which one?"
 * Looking at the gazebo in the daytime in 1931 has Marty mention his band, the Pinheads, from the first film.
 * Young Emmett mentions requiring 1.21 kilowatts for an experiment. Later, when preparing to use his prototype flying car, he says a line similar to one that Doc says in the first film (and in Episode 1).
 * Emmett says that his flying car could make accidents and traffic jams a thing of the past. He's completely wrong; as seen in the second movie, the airways could suffer from accidents as almost caused by the DeLorean spontaneously appearing in traffic, and one look at a billboard told Doc it would take them "forever" to reach Hilldale because the skyway was jammed.
 * In the new speakeasy:
 * Marty tries to sing "Johnny B. Goode" on the microphone.
 * Marty almost orders a Pepsi at the bar.
 * 1) Episode 3:
 * Marty Lampshades that he's destroyed the car again, and really shouldn't be allowed to drive it anymore. Note also that when Marty asks alt-1986! for a lift into town, she drives past him -- just like the elderly couple in the first film.
 * When Marty finds his dad George, he says, "He's a peeping tom!" There is also a box of peanut brittle (referencing a deleted scene from the first film).
 * Marty mentions the time he set fire to the living room to his mom Lorraine.
 * Marty can say: "Rock n'roll is my density-- er, destiny!"
 * This is just one of several possible random lines of dialog from that scene, the best being, "He might be good with the guitar but I invented Rock and Roll!"
 * Biff messes up a turn of phrase and gets corrected by someone else (who calls him an idiot in the process).
 * Biff stands up tall against Marty as in the films.
 * When talking to Citizen Brown about the DeLorean time machine, Marty says "You built a time machine... out of a DeLorean!" identically to the way he said it in Back to the Future (and subsequently Episode 1's opening), emphasis and all.
 * Not to mention that Marty tries to restate what Doc meant to tell him about the DeLorean's steel frame being perfect for time travel, also from Back to the Future... except he doesn't know exactly what that is.
 * Citizen Brown derisively calls Marty "Time Travel Boy" before kicking him out of his office. He is imitating 1955!Doc, who mocked Marty by calling him "Future Boy".
 * 1) Episode 4:
 * Jennifer notes Marty is wearing Calvin Klein underwear.
 * Jennifer notes Marty is wearing Calvin Klein underwear.

"Marty: "Gross!"
 * George decks a security guard harassing Lorraine, as Marty commends, "Alright, Dad!"
 * Marty has to hide Citizen Brown from his past self, giving him a technobabble explanation similar to the one Doc gave Marty so long ago.
 * When Marty picks up a can of leftover chemicals from the rocket car in Emmett's lab:

Emmett: "Accounting doesn't enter into it!""

"""
 * Marty, his guitar, and giant amps once again play a part in the story.
 * Not to mention that the final puzzle of the episode involves Emmett, the clocktower, and an oncoming lightning storm.
 * The Mind Map card on top of the stack is one taken from Red Thomas, Hill Valley's mayor-turned-bum. There's also a poster asking people to re-elect him at the Science Fair.
 * One of Emmett's boxes for the expo is a Peabody apples box. Peabody was the farmer in the first film who was obsessed with pine trees.
 * Marty, at the "Hill Valley of the Past" diorama, looks at a T-Rex model and mutters, "If this thing is called a Tannenosaurus..." The animated series did feature a dinosaur Biff.
 * 1) Episode 5:
 * For starters, the title: The other four titles have been straightforward in their explanations, but the finale is simply called 'OUTATIME'. It makes sense when you remember that's what's spell out in the DeLorean's License Plate.
 * Marty wakes up in his trademark sleeping pose from the movies. Once again, it's Emmett Brown's phone call which jolts him awake.
 * One of the exhibits at the science fair is "Enlightenment Under the Sea".
 * One of the exhibits at the science fair is "Enlightenment Under the Sea".

"Beauregard: "You first, lady.""
 * "He stole his wallet! I think he stole his wallet!"
 * Art says you have to go out on a limb for the ones you love. His son took that to heart.
 * The final scene of Episode 5
 * The final playable sequence involves Marty clinging to a vehicle from the outside once again. It's not driven by a Tannen this time, but !
 * A final conflict without a Tannen? MADNESS.
 * Speaking of Tannens,
 * Doc mentioned Verne.
 * 1) Throughout the series:
 * Once Per Episode, Marty using the classic "What the hell is that?!" and pointing behind who he's talking to.
 * In Episode 5,   pulls it off. Officer Parker Lampshades, "One of these days, I really should stop falling for that!"
 * Kid Tannen winds up going into a pile of manure, of course. No "I hate manure" line, though.
 * No Celebrities Were Harmed: Doc Brown's father looks strikingly like Theodore Roosevelt.
 * Not So Different: Marty's playing mediator between Young Emmett and Judge Brown eventually reveals that the Judge went through the same thing with his father, except it was about his decision to come to America rather than Emmett's pursuit of science. This realization is what gets the Judge to let his son take his own path in life.
 * Not-So-Harmless Villain:  Making the transition so awesome is that the game drops constant hints that are easily missed, and replaying the game brings an new appreciation for.
 * A few scenes near the end of Episode 2 imply that.
 * Off the Wagon: Alt-1986!George suspects Marty's mom of this.
 * Oh Crap: Both Marty and Doc have a huge one in Episode 5 when
 * Opposites Attract:
 * Our Founder: In the alternate Hill Valley, Emmett's "heroic" triumph over Kid Tannen is immortalized in a bizarre art deco statue. Marty adjusts it to block a security camera's line of sight.
 * Persona Non Grata: Emmett's Diesel Punk DeLorean gets him banned from the Science Expo for fifty years. Which, as it turns out, would be 48 years longer than Hill Valley had a Science Expo left to ban him from.
 * Pet the Dog:
 * Playing with Fire: In Episode 5,
 * Plot-Driven Breakdown: After the DeLorean is fixed in Episode 4, Marty and Citizen Brown reenter 1931,, the only reason why they don't just go back to an earlier date is the same reason why they have this current problem:
 * Police State: The alternate universe's Hill Valley.
 * The Power of Rock: A few guitar licks is all that's needed to snap 's brain back to normal.
 * Puppy Dog Eyes: Edna lays this trope on Young Emmett, provoking a hilarious attempt at a smile.
 * Quick Time Sequence:
 * One is cleverly implemented in Episode 1, in which Emmett hints which gadget to use to create the fuel for the Rocket-Powered Drill.
 * Two more are each at the beginning and end of Episode 2. Marty must move around the DeLorean before Danny Parker reaches him, and later must close young Emmett's flying car's top at the right time.
 * Episode 3's final scene.
 * Race Against the Clock: This happens in Episode 4.
 * Reasonable Authority Figure: Det. Parker.
 * Surprisingly,
 * 1931's Officer Parker becomes this in Episode 5.
 * Red Scare:
 * Refusal of the Call: In Episode 1, Emmett at first refuses to go along with Marty's attempts to get him to work on his Rocket-Powered Drill for fear of his father, Judge Brown, finding out his love of science and distaste for law.
 * Reverse Psychology: Towards the end of Episode 4, when Emmett is sitting on the clock tower ledge and thinking about giving up on science, Marty starts to hurl insults at him, hoping that Emmett will be provoked into reconsidering his stance.
 * Ripple Effect Indicator: Several, starting with Marty's family photo.
 * Rule of Symbolism: When Marty he remarks to himself, "Subtle. Real subtle, Marty."
 * Scary Shiny Glasses: First Citizen Brown, as he's depicted in his propaganda posters.
 * Science Is Bad: Citizen Brown blames his science for turning  so corrupt in the future. He's wrong, of course, but he's unlikely to listen to reason...
 * Screw This, I'm Outta Here:
 * Script Swap: Marty has to engineer two simultaneous variants in Episode 2, one with sheet music for various piano songs and one with lyrics to one of those songs.
 * See You in Hell: Spoken to Beauregard Tannen by.
 * Screw This, I'm Outta Here:
 * Script Swap: Marty has to engineer two simultaneous variants in Episode 2, one with sheet music for various piano songs and one with lyrics to one of those songs.
 * See You in Hell: Spoken to Beauregard Tannen by.

"Matches: "Don't. Even. Blink."
 * Sequel Hook:
 * Set Right What Once Went Wrong: A continuing plot for the series. The story opens with Marty trying to rescue Doc, but this leads to further problems as Marty's interactions in the past just cause the present to break down even further. A major case happens in Episode 3,.
 * Completely deconstructed in Episode 4.
 * Shoot Him! He Has a Wallet!: Marty almost ends up on the business end of this trope in Episode 2 when he pulls out a in the middle of Tannen's speakeasy, and immediately finds himself staring down the barrels of several guns simultaneously.

Marty: (puts his hands up) "It's not a real gun, it's not a real gun, I swear!""

"Marty: "We're fine here, we're all fine now, thank you. How are you?""
 * Shout-Out:
 * In Episode 1:
 * The Weird Science poster on Marty's wall.
 * Marty also has a "Greetings from the Moon" postcard on his wall.
 * Mario Bros. Charity.
 * Marty's choice of an alias are Sonny Crockett, Harry Callahan, and Michael Corleone, all names of famous characters in crime fiction. On top of that, Marty also has the option of quoting said Callahan before giving his name.
 * Doc has the alias Carl Sagan in 1931. Additionally, the TV in Doc's garage plays a clip from Cosmos.
 * Edna screams out the window, "Jack! Diane! I know what you're doing behind that tree!", a reference to the song Jack and Diane.
 * In Episode 2:
 * Doc mentions having hidden the DeLorean in a DeSoto lot, keeping it safe because no one is buying cars in the Depression-era economy.
 * When trying to get into the speakeasy, Marty can say that he's "selling these fine leather jackets."
 * In Episode 3:
 * When spots Marty's DeLorean in a billboard, she asks whether he's Luke or Bo.
 * Helter Skelter is mentioned.
 * Marty can have this exchange with any security box:

"Marty: "Marty McFly A dork? He can't be a dork!"
 * Also, the PS3 trophy for diving into the decycling bin is called "Into the garbage chute, McFlyboy".
 * If you examine Marty's guitar in his inventory, he'll say "This is my axe. There are many like it, but this one is mine."
 * A box of floppy disks includes one labeled WOPR. Another is labeled "LOGO" and features an image of a turtle; LOGO is a programming language used for "turtle graphics" that was used by many educational facilities in the 1980s.
 * A portrait of resembles American Gothic.
 * When examining a noteworthy (but ultimately useless) brick for the first time, Marty exclaims that it's just another brick in the wall.
 * When you go down the garbage chute and land in the dumpster, one of the items that flies out is a Banang bottle.
 * In Episode 4:
 * Jennifer remarks Marty is "a little short for a Stormtrooper." Since Star Wars had been released in theaters at that point, Jennifer is probably Lampshading the situation.
 * In Episode 5:
 * In episode 5, Marty is called
 * Shown Their Work: The environments are mostly extremely detailed reproductions of classic scenes from the movie, such as Doc's lab (complete with the speaker that Marty blows up in the beginning of the first movie) and the Lone Pine Mall in the first episode. Even the flying DeLorean has the flashing green lights underneath it, which were only seen once in the second film.
 * Doc tells Marty that his inspiration for deciding to become a scientist was seeing Frankenstein for the first time. When he goes  he sees The Virtuous Husband instead. This was a real movie released in the same year as Frankenstein. (It was a comedy about how a man marries at a young age and bases all of his marriage decisions on advice written in letters from his dead mother. The wife can't stand it and eventually burns them, and the man grows more tolerable.)
 * Shoot the Hostage:
 * Show the Forehead: Emmett's haircut.
 * Slap Slap Kiss: As soon as Emmett and Edna start hurling vitriolic insults at each other, you know there's going to be trouble.
 * Inverted with Edna and in the finale.
 * The Slow Path:
 * Soapbox Sadie: Edna Strickland is arguably a Deconstruction. Her protests and general prudishness are harmless enough as a teenager, but when she gets older...
 * ...well, it depends on the timeline. In the normal one, she becomes an absent-minded Crazy Cat Lady who lives by herself in a second-story apartment and is always using a megaphone to yell at hooligans from her window.
 * Although
 * So Was X: Though Citizen Brown admits 's methods were horrible, he reminds Marty that   started with good intentions. Marty retorts, "So did Nero!"
 * Foreshadowing:
 * Start X to Stop X: Though not deliberately, winds up destroying  in an attempt to "save" it!
 * Stealth Pun: The "Plant Recorder"? It's a listening device you plant someplace!
 * Strong Family Resemblance: Arthur McFly looks and sounds just like George McFly (both being based on Crispin Glover's performance in the film). Artie's father, William, is once again played by Michael J. Fox, who had previously portrayed him in a photo shown in the third film (even though Marty himself is actually voiced by AJ LoCascio). This leads one to believe that if the pattern continues, since Marty's son will end up looking like Michael J. Fox, his grandson and great-grandson will look like Crispin Glover, and so on.
 * Also, Kid Tannen is basically just Biff with a moustache and zoot suit.
 * A Storm Is Coming: A thunderstorm rolls in during Marty's premonitory dream in Episode 1.
 * Super Multi-Purpose Room: Kid's concealable speakeasy.
 * Suspiciously Similar Substitute: The character of Leech was originally intended as Needles, but was altered for budgetary reasons (presumably, they couldn't afford to use Flea's likeness).
 * In addition, the voice actor just wasn't able to get the voice of Needles down, but could handle Leech properly.
 * Take a Third Option: Episode 4.
 * Take My Hand: Doc hoisting Marty back into the DeLorean at Episode 5's climax. The geezer's got a pretty strong arm.
 * Taking the Bullet: When Edna carjacks the DeLorean, a fading shoves Marty out of the way. The camera cuts away, revealing that he's been fatally struck by the car.
 * Tall, Dark and Bishoujo: Young Edna is a short-haired variant.
 * Talking to Himself: AJ LoCascio plays both Marty and in Episode 3.
 * The Tape Knew You Would Say That: Doc's tape in Episode 1 and the billboard PA in Episode 3.
 * That Didn't Happen: Check the You Didn't See That entry below.
 * Theme Tune Cameo: A part of "Back In Time" is on the jukebox at Doc Brown's estate. The entire first verse can be played in-game, and the entire song is played during the end credits of Episode 5.
 * This Is Wrong on So Many Levels: Marty's realization that he's seen his naked.
 * Throw a Barrel At It: Kid is undone by a loose barrel of alcohol, whilst Edna is apprehended with a barrel of pickles.
 * Tim Taylor Technology: Young Emmett's rocket-powered drill in Episode 1..
 * Time Travel Tense Trouble:
 * Time Travel Tense Trouble:
 * Time Travel Tense Trouble:


 * "OK, anyone who talks about himself in the third person is a dork!""

" : "Here they come! The lights! I'm being transported!"
 * Timeshifted Actor: Young Emmett is voiced by James Arnold Taylor; also, Young and Old Edna each have their own voice actress.
 * AJ LoCascio plays Marty throughout the game. In Episode 5, Michael J. Fox finally joins in as William McFly, in addition to
 * Title Drop: Brilliantly subverted when  acts like she's in the past.

Doc: "Where?"



"Marty: "Nice bike. Huffy?"
 * Took a Level In Badass: (Episode 3)
 * Trapped in the Past: Doc in Episode 1, before Marty comes to 1931 to rescue him. Unfortunately, Marty has his work cut out for him since Doc is trapped in jail.
 * Triple Entendre: The Episode 1 title "It's About Time", which can be interpreted as Marty's reaction to seeing Doc again, as well as the widespread reaction to news of a new Back to the Future game. (Or a good one anyway.)
 * It could also be a case of Exactly What It Says on the Tin - aka "It (the game) is about time."
 * Uncle Sam Wants You: YOU could be a Citizen Plus!
 * Utopia Justifies the Means: Episode 3, "Citizen Brown", and HOW.
 * The Voice: Judge Brown in the first episode. Even in the Browns' family portrait, you can only make out his silhouette.
 * He does appear in Episode 5.
 * "Well Done, Son" Guy: Judge Brown.
 * Well-Intentioned Extremist:
 * In Episode 5,  If that's not well-intentioned AND extreme, nothing is.
 * Wham! Line: Episode 4:
 * What Happened to the Mouse?: Shouldn't the lightning that created two copies of the DeLorean, one that was sent back to 1885 and one that was sent forward to 2025, also create two copies of the Doc, who was driving it at the time? What happened to the duplicate Doc that ended up in 2025? Although, that might be addressed in a future episode.
 * As of Episode 2, the question may have become academic.
 * In episode 5, what happened to the French diver after Doc stole his outfit?
 * Presumably he was hidden somewhere in his booth, because it'd be kind of hard for Doc to drag an unconscious body through a crowded expo hall without drawing attention.
 * You mean like ?
 * What the Hell, Hero?: In Episode 4, Can also double as What the Hell, Player?.
 * What Year Is This?: Marty ends up resorting to this in Episode 3, despite the time display still working. Likely the result of denial due to the severe differences between the alternate 1986 and the original timeline.
 * And then again in Episode 4, because the time display isn't working as well as he thought.
 * Which Me?: in the pre-credits scene. Sequel Hook?
 * Who's on First?: In Episode 1:
 * Which Me?: in the pre-credits scene. Sequel Hook?
 * Who's on First?: In Episode 1:

1931 Edna: "Huffy? I'm not huffy, I'm passionate!""

"Doc: "Don't say anything. Let's just walk quietly into the lab and hope there are no more surprises.""
 * Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?: Edna is petrified of dogs; Naturally, Marty sics Einstein onto to her at every opportunity. In the alternate Hill Valley, she responds with a pitch-perfect Donald Sutherland impression.
 * ] "...doooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOG! EEEEEEEK!!!!"
 * However,
 * You Can't Fight Fate: No matter what marriage Doc chooses with, it turns out badly.
 * You Didn't See That / That Didn't Happen / Mind Screw: The ending of Episode 5.
 * You Didn't See That / That Didn't Happen / Mind Screw: The ending of Episode 5.


 * You Make Me Sic: While on her bullhorn, Edna corrects a vandal's misspelling of his graffiti.
 * Zeerust: At the Hill Valley Science and Technology Expo in Episode 4, Marty sees a "Hill Valley of the Future" tent speculating what Hill Valley will be like in 1981. (The scene takes place in 1931. Marty's from 1986.) The exhibit predicts underground cities, very Zeerust-esque architecture, and artificial rain and sunshine. Marty's comment: "I don't think I've visited THAT timeline yet..."
 * Zeerust Canon: The ending of Episode 5: