It’s Homestar Runner time! Telltale games, the former LucasArts employees that joined together to make Sam & Max, pulled creative threads from together with the HomestarRunner.com team to make Strong Bad’s Cool Game for Attractive People (or SBCG4AP if you “want to get in on the ground floor of abbreviations”). The title will be episodic in nature and delivery, and the first of the five installments was due much earlier this summer. The game was slowed by a few delays, but as of August 11th the first episode is officially upon us. Now comes the time for judging… Will this merely be a collective rehashing of ideas slopped together into, essentially, a point-and-click episode of Strong Bad’s Email? Or will it actually deserve some much coveted Wii system memory for more than purely Homestar fans?
The game’s presentation is on par with the site’s art. Toony, simplistic and punchy, fans of Homestar will feel right at home as soon as they boot this up. It’s to be expected for anyone the least bit familiar with the toons, but Strong Bad sure does lay down thick sarcastic wit at every turn. Sure, it’ll pull a chuckle from you every now and then, but wit only goes so far when it comes to driving a game. And perhaps that’s where the title falters. Strong Bad’s Cool Game for Attractive People survives because it relies almost entirely on the site’s jokes and humor. Fans will probably love it for the sheer laughs it delivers. However, if you’ve never been to the site nearly everything will be lost on you.
As for gameplay… it’s a point and click adventure. I said that the game relies too heavily on jokes because there is nearly no gameplay to speak of. Point. Click. Inconsistent mechanics and several glitches spatter the game with undeniable imperfections. I found an obnoxious glitch on my play-through that most will also encounter. When it comes time for Strong Bad to put on a Homestar mask, well, he doesn’t. Sure, he goes through the motion and you can tell it should be on his head, instead it simply isn’t there. It’s strange, annoying and something that should never have happened considering all the delay.
So, a weak storyline combined with an atmosphere that only fans will understand will make this WiiWare title something of a toss-up for most. For those that have no clue when it comes to Homestar, leave it. You won’t get the jokes and $10 will feel wasted on less than stellar gaming moments. If you’re into Homestar Runner you’ll probably find the $10 price tag well worth what is delivered. The game plays around three hours, plus a considerable amount of replay time for those that love the jokes. For instance, Teen Girl Squad has a customizable story mode; players tell the tale as they create the cartoon. Stuff like that will keep fans returning for some time to come. I will say that it’s tough to slap down a truly objective score on this game, but, as a longtime Homestar Runner fan, I enjoyed the crap out of it. Add the fact that the second episode looks hilarious and you’ve got a truly winning combination for fans of the work.
Crave Online Rating: 6.5 out of 10
