Weekly Poll #288

6/22/2025

We did a poll question back in 2020 asking what people's favorite overall special was, but I thought it would be a fun idea to narrow it down to just the direct-to-video ones that came out with various DVD compilations during 2012 through 2015!

The Scrappy VHS tapes are one of the most nostalgic things in the franchise for me. As you may remember, we did already did a poll with just the main episodes at the end of 2023, so I was really interested to see how the results would change with people voting for both episodes. Last time, "The Nutcracker Scoob" was our winner, but with it being paired with a Scrappy short, it was bumped back to third place. That means we have a new winner for last week's poll!

What is your favorite pair of episodes from the Cartoon Network Scrappy-Doo VHS tapes?
Wedding Bell Boos / To Switch a Witch - 19
A Halloween Hassle at Dracula's Castle / The Tar Monster - 10
The Nutcracker Scoob / Alaskan King Coward - 8
The Ghoul, The Bat and the Ugly - 6

23 Comments

WildwindVampire link

6/22/2025 07:47:43 am

6. Ghastly Goals
The first word of the title accurately describes the quality of this special lol. The animation here is just plain bad, and the plot feeling rushed also doesn’t help. I do think Eshu’s design is cool, but that doesn’t do much for what otherwise feels like a pretty rough and low-effort special.

5. Mecha Mutt Menace
Huge step up in quality between this one and Ghastly Goals. This is a pretty good special with a cool villain! It’s not one of my favorites like I know it is for many others, but I like it a decent amount. It does lose a few points for rehashing the Daphne and Fred romantic drama, which felt extremely played out when it was first released between SDMI, and Stage Fright just coming out a month prior.

4. Spooky Scarecrow
A decent special! The corn maze was a unique setting, and Cornfield Clem was a pretty cool villain! Otherwise, this feels pretty average and has never stood out to me a ton compared to other Halloween episodes/films.

3. Beach Beastie
This was a fun special! I enjoyed meeting Fred’s uncle (and neat that he was voiced by Adam West!). The villain was also super cool! I enjoyed how they tied a little bit of SDMI into this one with Fred’s trapping obsession. They did a nice job not making it feel like a retread like the Daphne/Fred drama in Mecha Mutt Menace.

2. Haunted Holidays
If I had to pick a winner, I’d guess it would be this one. I considered voting for it, because it’s such a wonderful Christmas special. I absolutely love the atmosphere of the toy store! The whole special feels very warm and festive. The Sinister Snowman is an amazing villain, and I love his ability to morph! Despite how great this special is, for my #1 I’m going with…

1. Spooky Games
I remember being so excited for this one when it was first announced to celebrate the 2012 Olympics, and it did not disappoint. This was a really cool special that felt fun and fresh, especially with the current series (SDMI) having a very different vibe. I thought Fortius was a great villain, and the London setting was really well-done in a way that felt unique from all the other times the gang had been there, despite it being one of the most visited countries in the franchise. Despite that it’s not usually the fan favorite, I’m going to give this one an underdog vote.

JustMeJordanW link

7/1/2025 09:51:42 pm

@WildwindVampire Hey, just a little reminder, the uncle that was voiced by Adam West in Beach Beastie wasn't Fred's.

It was Daphne's.

WildwindVampire link

7/2/2025 09:34:51 am

Oops, you're right, that was a typo on my part.

Spooky Space Ghost

6/22/2025 09:32:52 am

I can't vote. I never had the chance to see one of those !

Spooky Games seems very interesting, since I like crossovers.

By the way, do you know if a Scooby-Doo specials collection DVD exists ? I know it's the case for the Flintstones, and it would be simple for me to watch them all.

Also, I started watching Goblin King yesterday. I didn't finish it for the moment but I really like it ! It's interesting that Warner Bros found another way to integrate real monsters than doing like during the revival era.

I'm sorry that my implication is sometimes limited because I didn't watch everyting about Scooby. I really need the DVDs, and some of them, like Mystery Incorporated second season, are just impossible to find in my country. I avoid using Amazon since we're in a commercial war against the United-States.

Actually, I'm trying to complete my Scooby-Doo movies collection. I'm at 30 movies collected. If I found a way to get the specials in a local store, I'll buy them.

Thanks for the poll, and sorry again :)

WildwindVampire

6/22/2025 12:09:58 pm

No need to apologize! I think lots of fans haven’t seen every single piece of Scooby media, and it doesn’t make you any less of a fan just because you haven’t seen some of them imo. :)

Unfortunately, the specials are only available individually in the 13 Spooky Tales sets (and the Laff-a-Lympics: Spooky Games DVD for the Spooky Games special). I’ve always thought it would be cool for them to a release a complete specials set! There aren’t that many of them, so I feel like it’d make an awesome DVD.

Glad you’re liking Goblin King so far! Also, that’s really cool that you’ve collected so many of the movies!

Spooky Space Ghost

6/22/2025 04:38:31 pm

Thank you very much for answering my question! It's a shame these specials aren't collected on a single DVD, like the Flintstones specials. It's worth noting, however, that the Flintstones specials are much longer. Perhaps Warner Bros. doesn't see the economic benefit of releasing a Scooby-Doo DVD with six specials, each only 22 minutes long. It would be interesting to add to this potential DVD the 1988 Scooby-Doo movies, which were produced for television and could be considered specials.

I just finished Goblin King. My opinion remains the same: an excellent film! I particularly enjoyed Krudsky. Even though he's probably one of the most powerful villains in the franchise, he was very funny, especially at the end!

It's true that Fred, Velma, and Daphne were barely present, but I didn't find that disturbing. I like movies where Shaggy and Scooby are dragged into difficult adventures, like in Chill Out. It reminds me of what Fred and Barney experience in Dr. Sinister, while their wives wonder what they could be doing. In a way, Wilma and Betty's role in this episode is similar to that of Fred, Velma, and Daphne, who are pushed into the background and are victims of the events of the film.

I also just set myself a complicated challenge. You see, I want to continue my film analysis, but I didn't know which feature film to choose from my list. So I randomly picked Big Top Scooby-Doo. It won't be easy. I liked this film, but I don't think I'd be able to give a review as long as the one for Abracadabra-Doo.

Thanks for reminding me what a fan really is :)

WildwindVampire link

6/22/2025 08:29:25 pm

Omg, I love the Flintstones specials DVDs! I've always found it super cool how they organized them by decade and released them in volumes. When I first saw the franchise as a kid, some of the specials were so rarely aired on TV, so I was super happy when they announced they were putting out collections featuring all the specials.

I like your idea of putting them with the Superstars 10 films! I was thinking another cool way to release them could be putting out all the 1990s/2000s specials on them (Behind the Scenes, The Scooby-Doo Project, and Night of the Living Doo), and maybe even including some of those Cartoon Network bumpers and/or crossover episodes (i.e. the Dynomutt episodes, Bravo Dooby Doo, etc.) as special features.

I'm so glad you enjoyed Goblin King! I completely agree with your thoughts on it not being an issue that Fred, Daphne and Velma weren't there. I like your comparison with "Dr. Sinister"...I guess it is a lot like that episode!

Looking forward to seeing your review of Big Top Scooby-Doo! :)

sdf

6/22/2025 09:48:37 am

6)Ghastly Goals: This was a missed opportunity. I love football and the World Cup, and I was excited for this, but it felt sloppy and rushed.

5)Mecha Mutt Menace: I saw it once back in the day, and to be honest, I don’t remember much of it. I guess it was average.

4)Beach Beastie: This is a decent special with a fun summer setting and a cool villain. I think it fits well somewhere in the middle of the list.

3)Spooky Scarecrow: I think this is pretty much the same quality as Beach Beastie, but I placed it higher because I prefer the autumn Halloween setting.

2)Spooky Games: I think 2012 was the peak year for these specials. I’m a huge fan of the Summer Olympics, and I really enjoyed this one. It had some fun moments, and the villain was cool and unique.

1)Haunted Holidays: This is an awesome Christmas special. The story was nice, the mystery with the toy store was interesting, and the sinister snowman was a great villain. Overall, it was a warm wintery adventure.

WildwindVampire

6/22/2025 12:05:00 pm

6. Totally agreed with you. This could have been a really cool special, but it ended up being a wasted opportunity imo.

2. I also feel like 2012 was the peak for these specials! Both of the first two were really solid, and although I like most of the others, I don’t think they quite rose to the same level of quality.

ZoinksMan

6/22/2025 10:10:17 am

6 Spooky Games 7/10

5 Ghastly Goals 7/10

4 Mecha Mutt Menace 8/10

3 Spooky Scarecrow 9/10

2 Haunted Holidays 10/10

1 Beach Beastie 10/10

WildwindVampire

6/22/2025 12:02:04 pm

Thanks for sharing your ratings! :)

Shadowscooby

6/22/2025 10:26:10 am

Spooky Games all the way really great special.

WildwindVampire

6/22/2025 12:01:41 pm

Completely agreed!

Becker

6/22/2025 12:49:21 pm

Definitely not Ghastly Goals lol. I'll go with Haunted Holidays.

Boo Brothers #1 Fan

6/22/2025 12:54:12 pm

6 - Spooky Games. Probably an unpopular opinion, but this one never stood out to me. I found the villain meh and it was never one I came back to often.

5 - Beach Beastie. This one is really fun but I love so many of these that it just ends up falling pretty low. Suuuuper cool villain plus the net jokes are hilarious.

4 - Mecha Mutt Madness. Always enjoyed this one, I found the design of the mutt to be cool and I enjoyed the pacing and setting.

3 - Ghastly Goals. I have always loved this one. found the villain to be unique looking, loved the setting and humour, plus I adore the soccer ball pit scene.

2 - Haunted Holidays. LOVE this special. They totally nailed the atmosphere and side characters. That being said it isn't my favourite winter/Christmas themed episode and I find this version of an evil snowman to not quite hit the mark - I much prefer the headless snowman.

1 - Spooky Scarecrow. I love fall and Halloween so it naturally comes in first place. This is one of my favourite interpretations of the scarecrow villain that scooby has ever done. I ove the corn maze and the small town feel of the episode, along with the overall humour and tone. A classic for me!

WildwindVampire link

6/22/2025 08:20:55 pm

5. Forgot to mention it in my review, but I love the villain in this one too!

3. Interesting to see a different opinion on this! :) Although I'm not a fan of the special itself, I agree with you that the monster design is really cool!

2. Completely agreed! Although my vote is Spooky Games, I'd agree with you that this has the strongest atmosphere and most memorable side characters out of any of these.

Dzsasztin

6/22/2025 03:03:00 pm

I love this question since I absolutely enjoy these specials. I feel like the characters are practically their default selves. Here's my ranking.

6. Ghastly Goals
No shocker here, not much to say, however I don't think this is as atrocious as most people claim it to be.

5. Spooky Scarecrow
It's hard to see it so low, since as I said, these specials are some of my favorite Scooby media ever, so while I enjoy this one greatly, the other four just beats it out.

4. Haunted Holidays
The setting, atmosphere and the mood are fantastic, as far as I know this one is popular and it deserves it, but I like three specials even more.

3. Spooky Games
Everything about it just works. Characterization and storytelling is top-notch. The humor is witty. I'd say this is as perfect as it gets.

2. Mecha Mutt Menace
The reason this one is so high for me, because I love the science and mecha theme. I also adore the specific character animation used here, and the colors are appealing to my eyes. I enjoy mostly everything about this episode.

1. Beach Beastie
If you ask me, this episode has no flaws. Scooby's romantic subplot is one of the very best he's ever gotten, the monster is unusual and creative. But the reason I consider this to be a top 10 Scooby episode is the focus on Fred and his hyperfixation. It's funny, relatable and it's kind of heartwarming how his friends handle it so well and help him.

WildwindVampire link

6/22/2025 08:24:28 pm

1. I also find Scooby's romantic subplot to be really strong here! After some hit or miss romantic plots during the years during/shortly after SDMI, this one was a breath of fresh air imo. It felt really sweet and was well-written, and I liked that it didn't detract at all from the mystery. And yeah, Fred's trap obsession in this one is definitely heartwarming! :)

Mr Neither

6/22/2025 03:12:06 pm

I will happily go 6. Beach Beastie 5. Ghastly Goals 4. Spooky Games, 3. Mecha Mutt, 2. Spooky Scarecrow 1. Haunted Holidays.

WildwindVampire link

6/22/2025 08:24:40 pm

Thanks for sharing your ratings!

6/22/2025 08:48:49 pm

The problem is that all these specials are basically just normal episodes of Scooby Doo. So let's say the Christmas one that stands out most.

Matt

6/22/2025 09:18:05 pm

A little late for me, but currently traveling

6. Ghastly Goals- Truly dreadful. There is zero excuse for the animation here, and overall, a lack of care seems to be a theme with this one. SKIP!

5. Beach Beastie- To be fair to this one, it could go up my rankings if I gave it a rewatch (going up or staying the same are the only options here, falling below Ghastly Goals is pretty much impossible), it is the one here in biggest need of one for me. But I am not exactly eager to do it either

4. Mecha Mutt Menace- Pretty average, but pretty decent nonetheless. Not really much more to say about it

3. Spooky Scarecrow- Really good special, very secure bronze medal here. Its biggest crime is just not being nearly one of the best Scooby Doo Halloween specials, though to be fair, going up against The Headless Horseman of Halloween, A Halloween Hassle at Dracula’s Castle, and A Scooby Doo Halloween is just unfair lol

2. Spooky Games- I’ve always really liked this one as well. I feel they pretty much nail the Olympics setting as much as possible. Definite second place for me

1. Haunted Holiday- Over the years, this has grown into no contest for me. Other than The Scooby Doo Project and Night of the Living Doo, this is my favorite special. This is a Christmas staple for me in the past few years, along with The Nutcracker Scoob. Just a really well done Christmas special, and an easy winner for me

WildwindVampire link

6/22/2025 09:46:29 pm

Hope you're enjoying your trip!

3. This one has grown on me a tiny bit over the years, but I also feel like the strong competition from other Halloween episodes in the franchise is one of the main reasons I don't like this one quite as much as some of the others lol. Although I would say the other reason is that the atmosphere just doesn't feel quite as strong for me as it did in either of the 2012 specials, which both had excellent atmospheres imo.

Weekly Poll #288

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