By John Walker on August 12th, 2008 at 10:42 am.
Strong Bad’s Cool Game For Attractive People: Episode One – Homestar Ruiner is out, and blimey, it’s good. It’s not been much of a secret that I’ve not been a big fan of Telltale’s Sam & Max games. So I’m delighted to report that I enjoyed Strong Bad’s game. I’ll say no more, as reviews are due to appear in printed form. Meanwhile, there’s a demo, so you can see for yourself. I’d say a fondness for the Homestar Runner cartoons is a bit of a must – if you don’t like them, you’ll likely not get much from the game. But if you don’t like them, then you’re a dreadful sort and it serves you right.
12/08/2008 at 11:10 Seniath says:
Damn my lack of internets at home. I must have this!
12/08/2008 at 13:05 UncleSmoothie says:
John, is it funny the way Homestar was funny 3 or 4 years ago, or is it funny the Homestar is “funny” now?
12/08/2008 at 13:20 Lorc says:
Disabling saved games for the demo really limited how much of a chance I was able to give this.
12/08/2008 at 14:19 roBurky says:
Yeh. That demo is an odd one. I got stuck in the puzzles (or rather, couldn’t figure out what I was supposed to be trying to do next), found I couldn’t save, but had to quit anyway. If I can’t complete the demo, that doesn’t leave me much incentive to get the full game.
12/08/2008 at 14:29 Ginger Yellow says:
I’m not sure how far the demo goes, but the full episode isn’t hard (and bear in mind I’m rubbish at point and click adventures). I completed it in a few hours last night. A couple of tricky-ish puzzles, but only if you forget the previous signposting. It’s very good (if you like Strong Bad), but only rarely laugh out loud funny. The ability to go to any location instantly takes a lot of the tedium out of the genre.
12/08/2008 at 14:42 GrogLvr says:
are there clicksecrets?
12/08/2008 at 14:52 Esha says:
I completed the demo (right up to where I get to pose as Homestaw Wournel!) in about 20 minutes earlier, but then I’m a grizzled old adventure game hack.
It had a few fairly entertaining moments, and I’m likely going to pick up the first episode as pretty much everything Telltale puts out is worth the pittance they ask (a pittance I’d otherwise waste on some PC rag down at the local Agent of News).
If you couldn’t complete the demo in a fairly short amount of time though then it’s probably safe to say that the series won’t be for you. Whereas I’m going to play every damned little thing that Telltale throws at me, and I’m goiing to shake my fist angrily at them in faux bitterness every time it isn’t a new Bone episode.
More Bone, Telltale!
Until then, The Adventures of a Partially Animated Man in a Low-Colour Alternate Dimension where the Collecovision and the Atari were Rolled into Some Bastard Child Named the Videlectrix will do just fine.
12/08/2008 at 15:26 GrogLvr says:
it doesnt have clickables during the dialog. thats kind of an oversight. its half the fun. and :/
12/08/2008 at 15:36 marxeil says:
[quote]I’d say a fondness for the Homestar Runner cartoons is a bit of a must – if you don’t like them, you’ll likely not get much from the game[/quote]
What about complete unfamiliarity with the cartoons? Is this a big detractor from the game?
12/08/2008 at 16:02 Ted says:
Anyone who didn’t like Sam and Max is a dreadful sort in my book.
12/08/2008 at 16:03 Optimaximal says:
So wait, you think Sam & Max are bad, yet consider this good?
*sigh*
12/08/2008 at 16:42 John Walker says:
I thought the S&M episodes were disapppointing (average score between 55 and 65), and rarely funny. I found SB to be enormously funny. This isn’t too surprising, since it’s written by Mike Stemmle and The Bros. Chaps.
There are many secrets in the game. There are two side games, plus loads of things to find, and achievements to, er, achieve.
As for unfamiliarity with H*R – that’s a gamble. Go check out the website, watch a few SB Emails, and then check out the demo. If it matches your humour, you’ve a new thing to like!
12/08/2008 at 17:00 Ginger Yellow says:
“What about complete unfamiliarity with the cartoons? Is this a big detractor from the game?”
More of a big detractor from your cultural life.
12/08/2008 at 17:08 mujadaddy says:
Humor is subjective. That being said, you’re all objectively wrong about H*R being funny. Even 4 years ago, Uncle Smoothie. That weebles thing with the superstrong British accents was loads funnier than the self-mutilation that is waiting for H*R to load, which was loads funnier than what happened after it loaded.
12/08/2008 at 18:04 A-Scale says:
“I thought the S&M episodes were disapppointing (average score between 55 and 65), and rarely funny. I found SB to be enormously funny. This isn’t too surprising, since it’s written by Mike Stemmle and The Bros. Chaps.”
God, I couldn’t disagree with you more. Homestar style comedy hasn’t been funny since the early 2000s, and Sam and Max is uproarious. I also happen to think that the S&M games were well made and tons of fun. I like to think that I am in the majority on that one.
12/08/2008 at 20:14 JonFitt says:
You could not be more wrong about not finding funny the things that I find funny.
Also, your choice of religion is *clearly*wrong, along with your dislike of Marmite.
12/08/2008 at 20:22 Larington says:
I seem to be experiencing a desire to post and say I enjoy the stuff that comes out of Homestar Runner, it may not all be laugh out loud funny but it keeps me entertained. I’m just glad its not ad supported, whereas the advertising hijinks of weebls eventually led to me removing it from my favourites.
12/08/2008 at 21:22 Man Raised By Puffins says:
Been through the first episode (bought the season on the back of the demo) and it’s pretty good. The actual adventuring is a bit meh and rather straightforward, but it’s more than carried by the funny stuff™.
12/08/2008 at 21:54 Theory says:
Yikes.
13/08/2008 at 01:25 Diogo Ribeiro says:
Well, the game clearly excludes me from its intended audience. Had it been named Strong Bad’s Cool Game for Overweight and Underpaid Twits, now, there’d be something I could relate to.
13/08/2008 at 10:37 Bobsy says:
Sigh. Everyone is wrong, natch. Homestar Runner wasn’t funnier 4 years ago, it was exactly the same 4 years ago. Which is why I don’t bother with it any more – the brothers chaps have demonstrated they’re entirely okay with letting the thing stagnate and replaying the same gags over and over. Same with this.
I gave up when it became apparent that not only did I not know what to do next, I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to be doing or why. I couldn’t save and come back to it, and now I’m sure I won’t be bothering.
Plus the sound quality was god-awful. I wouldn’t have minded a bigger download if it meant my ears wouldn’t be violated so.
14/08/2008 at 00:38 GeorgeR says:
God I have to buy this soon, I’m so busy with moving though. I’m a cool attractive person though, I mean it.