Scooby-Doo and the Cyber Chase (film)

Scooby-Doo and the Cyber Chase is the fourth of a series of direct-to-video animated films based on Hanna-Barbera's Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! Saturday morning cartoons. It was released on October 9, 2001. It features the Mystery, Inc. gang, which includes Scooby-Doo, Shaggy, Freddy, Daphne and Velma. As is the case with all Scooby-Doo-related projects, the film is produced by Warner Bros. Animation, yet carries a Hanna-Barbera Cartoons, Inc. copyright and logo. It is recognized as the last "official" Hanna-Barbera production, as Warner Bros. had fully absorbed Hanna-Barbera after the passing of co-founder William Hanna.

A video game based on this film was made by THQ for the Sony PlayStation.

This is the first direct-to-video movie to have the flatter, bright animation style of the new TV series, departing from the darker shading and effects used in the three prior released movies. It is also the first Scooby-Doo movie to slightly return to the original format where the monster isn't real, though the overall plot still varies significantly from the established formula. In this case, the villian is a venomous computer virus created by someone, so it can be argued that the monster was never considered real. However, since the virus was exactly what it claimed to be, it can also be considered 'real' at the same time. The Scooby-Doo movies would not feature real supernatural creatures again until Scooby-Doo and the Goblin King.

There is also a GameBoy Advance version of this game.

Plot
The mystery gang visits Freddy's friend Eric at Eric's college. Eric invited them because he made a prize-winning computer game based on their adventures using a high-tech laser. They arrive at the same time a scary beast called the Phantom Virus is causing mayhem. It is established that the monster has been "materialized" from the Phantom Virus which has infected Eric's program and that it can be weakened by using high-powered magnets. The suspects appear to be Eric's teacher, Professor Robert Kaufman; Bill, a fellow student who is a baseball-loving programmer; and a grumpy police officer. During one of the Phantom Virus' scare runs and after the Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! theme song is played, the gang and the virus are beamed into Eric's ten-level video game.

To finish each level, they have to find Scooby Snacks, or Scooby Snax.

Level one is set on the moon where the Phantom Virus chases them with spooky moon ghosts. The second level includes the Phantom Virus unleashing three spooky Gladiators and a lion in Ancient Rome. The third level includes a prehistoric jungle where they encounter T. Rex, pterosaurs, and woolly mammoths. The fourth level takes place under the sea where they get attacked by giant octopuses, electric eels, and sharks. The fifth level includes a backyard where they are chased by caterpillars and ants. The sixth level takes place in the Samuri era. The seventh takes place in Ancient Egypt where they get chased by mummies. The eighth includes medieval times with dragons and ogres. The ninth takes place at the North Pole where they see polar bears, penguins, and walruses.

On the tenth level, the gang discover cyber-versions of themselves (based on how they looked in the original "Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!" series) at a resteraunt. They help the gang deal with the Phantom Virus and the guardians of the last box of 'Scooby-Snax' boxes - which are monsters that the gang had faced before: Jaguaro, Gator Ghoul, The Tar Monster, Ol' Iron Face, and The Creeper... all of them are real in this game, whereas originally in reality, they were people in costume. The Phantom Virus leads the villians. After a chase through the amusement park to the Video arcade, they find the Scooby Snax box there. Scooby-Doo and his cyber-twin defeat the Phantom Virus. Back in their real world the gang, using the Phantom Virus's baseball terms, unmasked his creator, Bill, who was upset that his game wasn't picked, since he been at the college longer than Eric.

Cast

 * Scott Innes - Scooby-Doo, Cyber Scooby-Doo, Norville 'Shaggy' Rogers, Cyber Norville 'Shaggy' Rogers
 * Frank Welker - Fred 'Freddy' Jones, Cyber Fred 'Freddy' Jones
 * Grey DeLisle - Daphne Blake, Cyber Daphne Blake
 * B.J. Ward - Velma Dinkley, Cyber Velma Dinkley
 * Joe Alaskey - Officer Wembley
 * Bob Bergen - Eric Staufer
 * Tom Kane - Professor Robert Kaufman
 * Mikey Kelley - Bill McLemore
 * Gary Sturgis - Phantom Virus