Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People: Episode 1 - Homestar Ruiner

Homestar Ruiner (and hopefully the balance of Strong Bad's five-episode starting season) is a welcome evolution of everything Telltale learned from making Sam & Max, and Strong Bad's quirky, colorful world is perhaps even better-suited to the format, in terms of both genre and storytelling structure. At times like this, it's a wonder that adventure games ever went off the rails.

Homestar Ruiner (and hopefully the balance of Strong Bad's five-episode starting season) is a welcome evolution of everything Telltale learned from making Sam & Max, and Strong Bad's quirky, colorful world is perhaps even better-suited to the format, in terms of both genre and storytelling structure. At times like this, it's a wonder that adventure games ever went off the rails.

Barring minor technical errors, The Homestar Ruiner is a great start for this episodic game. It’s funny, inexpensive, easy to play, and has replay value from the mini-games. Since it appeals strongly to devoted fans of the animated series, strangers to the Homestar Runner universe may not get all the in-jokes and strange humor. Therefore, if you’re curious to try it out, I suggest visiting the Homestar Runner website first and reading a few Strong Bad Emails to familiarize yourself with the characters.

Until I started playing Homestar Ruiner, I had never heard of Strong Bad and his goofy comrades, but after playing the game I’m hooked. The simplicity of the presentation, the colorful, cartoon-like art direction and the sometimes laugh-out-loud funny writing make this a real treat to play. It might not have much replay value, and there are a few little problems here and there, but if you’re looking for a quick, stylish comedy fix, Homestar Ruiner is the cure for what ails you. Hopefully the upcoming episodes will be able to build on its success.

Bucketloads of humour, an involving and relatively challenging gameplay experience, lots of references and continuity for long time fans, and generally a fun game to play.

Strong Bad's Cool Game For Attractive People might sound like a ridiculous name if you're not a fan of the web cartoon Homstarrunner.com, but if you're a fan then the name is on par with the over the top humor of the popular website. Fans will be happy to know SBCG4AP is one of those few games that not only delivers good gameplay, but it’s a prefect representation of the website. This game not only brings the cartoon to life in a 3D space, but the amount of content makes it a collector item for fans and an amazing refresher course for returning fans.

Taken as a whole, this is a very enjoyable game - if Telltale can keep up this standard all through the season, then they’re looking at another winner.

For Homestar fans, this is a no-brainer, but if they’re the only ones who play it, it’ll be a shame — the only thing you need to enjoy it is a sense of humor. It’s a great beginning to a longer adventure, and absolutely worth a download.

The kickoff episode to the five-game first season of the newest Telltale Games episodic point & click adventure franchise, Homestar Ruiner will be embraced wholeheartedly by the Homestar Runner community at large, as well as those not quite familiar with the website. With fun puzzles and a funnier story in yet another of its game series, Telltale Games has shown everybody that the success and quality of its Sam & Max franchise wasn’t just a fluke, and that any developer/publisher that is interested creating episodic gaming has only to look Telltale’s way on how to do it right.

Homestar Ruiner allows fans to play through most of the franchise’s major locations and interact with virtually all of the major characters, while controlling arguably its most popular character. Strong Bad’s antics translate very well to the adventure game format, and the gameplay is solid with puzzles that are challenging without being illogical. Minor glitches aside, Strong Bad’s Cool Game for Attractive People Episode 1: Homestar Ruiner is a strong start to what should be another long and successful episodic franchise from Telltale Games.

Homestar Ruiner allows fans to play through most of the franchise’s major locations and interact with virtually all of the major characters, while controlling arguably its most popular character. Strong Bad’s antics translate very well to the adventure game format, and the gameplay is solid with puzzles that are challenging without being illogical. Minor glitches aside, Strong Bad’s Cool Game for Attractive People Episode 1: Homestar Ruiner is a strong start to what should be another long and successful episodic franchise from Telltale Games.

Gamers who enjoy adventure games, but aren't familiar with Homestar Runner owe it to themselves to check this one out. Perhaps the only people who won't enjoy this game are those who don't understand or like the comedic style of the Homestar Runner universe.

The first Strong Bad episode is out now, and the other episodes are scheduled to be released in the upcoming months. I enjoyed the first episode a lot, and I think the Sam & Max episodes work as a good litmus test. If you liked the humor and structure of the Sam & Max episodes, then you’ll probably enjoy the Strong Bad episodes as well. The Strong Bad episode is also a much better “animated feature” than what just came out in theaters last week, and for about the same price.

Homestar Runner is a web cartoon that's been amusing Adult Swim-type crowds for almost a decade now. It's not exactly a household name, but it does have a devoted cult following. So a videogame based on the property, regardless of quality, was always going to have limited appeal. Telltale's first episodic Homestar effort is a decent point-and-click game, but its real allure is the peculiar brand of humor fans of the show have come to love. It is obvious Homestar creators Matt and Mike Chapman have been heavily involved in Strong Bad's Cool Game and this is not a cheap cash-in on the license. The adventure is a short one, but attractive people will likely find this is the game for them.

Wii owners should consider themselves lucky that Homestarrunner.com and Tell Tale games have given the Wii a bizzare yet awesome game series. It is well worth the investment and can be enjoyed by just about anyone without being dumbed down to the lowest common denominator. If you are a long time fan of the cartoon, consider it a 9.

Strong Bad’s first videogame adventure definitely proves to be the perfect game for not only long-term fans of the online web episodes of Homestar Runner, but point-and-click fans that enjoy a weird sense of humour and zany puzzles in small doses. A strong core gameplay mechanic mixed with an engaging and extremely amusing script makes this WiiWare effort one of the best buys on the download service so far and certainly bodes well for the remaining episodes coming in the next few months.

That aside, this is an extremely promising start for another episodic game and I'm holding out hope that this one can avoid the repetition that slightly marred the later Sam & Max episodes. Wherever it takes the series next, Telltale clearly isn't sticking to a proven formula, and that can only be a good thing for the adventure genre on the whole.

While I did enjoy playing through Homestar Ruiner, my fear is that the level of fan fare won't be able to be kept up, and quite frankly, I doubt that people who aren't fans of both Homestar Runner and adventure games will find this series too appealing. That being said, if you do happen to fall into this category, then Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People is definitely worth looking into, at least Homestar Ruiner is. We will report on the rest of the season as it becomes available.

Clocking in at the better part of four hours, with a cost of 1000 Wii Points, each episode of Strong Bad's Cool Game For Attractive People will give hope monthly to those looking to support WiiWare.

Ultimately, just as in the other adapted franchises from Telltale Games, the strength of the game relies on the strength of the material. The developer has earned a reputation for handling Sam & Max very faithfully, and its treatment of the universe of Homestar Runner is no different. Mike and Matt’s handiwork is all over this game, and at times it feels like a couple of their cartoons interspersed with short segments from their website all run together. How much that idea appeals to you will be the key element to how much you will enjoy this game. Aside from slight issues in making the transition from 2D to 3D, the world of Free Country USA is much the same in the game as it is on the internet, and the quality of the gameplay makes this game an easy recommendation for any fan of the Homestar Runner series and worth at least a try for all adventure game fans.

All in all, totally worth the playtime and highly recommended for fans of adventure gaming and fans of Strong Bad. You Homestar runner fans can just…umm…go run the race to the end of the race.

Unless you happen to be an enemy of all things cool and funny, the first installment of Strong Bad is where it's at. This new monthly series shows tons of promise, and the next episode, Strong Badia the Free, looks even more delightfully ludicrous. If you own a Wii or a PC, there's absolutely no reason why you shouldn't throw down some money to pick up Episode 1. Strong Bad's first wacky gaming adventure is highly recommendable, but can you handle his style?

The amount of content and the price point is just on the right side of comfortable, with the story trading ambition for authenticity. As a result, this first game can be called 'pretty good', but it’s still a little short on awesomeness.

Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People, Episode 1: Homestar Ruiner is a point-and-click adventure game, of the "Try the hedge clippers on the car, because why not?" variety. Like Telltale's other comic-based games (Sam And Max, Bone), it will be released in Sunday-afternoon-length episodes, and the story in the first one is just complicated enough to satisfy. But the strange mini-games, the dialogue, and the interactive peek into the mind of Strong Bad are the real draw.

Overall, despite its faults, Homestar Ruiner is a pretty enjoyable game, a lighthearted cartoon romp with a great sense of humor and an original flavor. It suffers from some problems with its puzzle and dialogue design, but it is fun to play, and the developers incorporated a lot of details along with a great script -- even the Main Menu is entertaining! Even if you’ve never heard of Homestar Runner or watched any of the videos, you can still have a great time with this game, and it will definitely inspire you to go to the website. Plus, you’ll get some great cynical one-liners to use on your friends!

Net zoals Sam & Max is het Telltale gelukt om gewoon weer een leuke point & click game af te leveren. De sfeer van de oude Lucasarts adventure games is zeker terug te voelen. Leuk voor de fans maar ook voor niet-fans raden wij het zeker aan. Wij haatten Strong Bad en Homestar Runner hiervoor maar deze episode vonden wij prima.

Sam & Max genieten onze voorkeur, maar dit is net zo goed een leuke en grappige adventurereeks. Op naar episode 2!

Strong Bad‘s Cool Game for Attractive People ist sehr lustig, total abgefahren und einfach mal anders. Dass das Spiel hierzulande viele spielen werden, wage ich jedoch zu bezweifeln. Das liegt zum einen daran, dass kaum jemand die Serie Homestar Runner kennt und zum anderen, dass der Humor für nicht englisch sprechende Menschen kaum zu verstehen ist. Eine Übersetzung des Titels ins Deutsche schließe ich aus, ich bezweifle zumindest stark, dass sich ein deutscher Publisher an eine Lokalisierung traut. Dafür ist der Humor auch zu sehr auf das amerikanische Publikum zugeschnitten.

In the end however, these are all near moot points, considering both the cost and inherent polish in admission. As yet another example of the industry's exaggeration of the death of adventure games, Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People - Episode 1: Homestar Ruiner is not quite the upholder of its genre's elegant values. But as an example of the continuous satisfaction to be garnered from episodic delivery, the game's a welcome, if short-lived experience for both adventure game and Homestar Runner fans alike. A positive foreboding for the rest of the SBC4AP saga.

All in all, it's solid for what it is, but unless you really like logic puzzles involving everyday objects and cheating, the fact that it's a game will not make up for the fact that it's Homestar Runner if you don't enjoy the site. If you do enjoy the site, this game will be wonderful for you in spite of its flaws, which is probably what they were going for anyway.

In the end however, these are all near moot points, considering both the cost and inherent polish in admission. As yet another example of the industry's exaggeration of the death of adventure games, Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People - Episode 1: Homestar Ruiner is not quite the upholder of its genre's elegant values. But as an example of what WiiWare is truly capable of when developers aren't unenthused by the profiteering of shovelware, the game's a welcome, if short-lived experience for both console owners and Homestar Runner fans alike. A positive foreboding for the rest of the SBC4AP saga.

SBCGfAP is packed with little extras and mini-games, although none provide more than a few minutes of diversion. The real fun is discovering all of the inside jokes from the series plastered throughout. You can explore every room in Strong Bad's house, buy stuff from Bub's concession stand, outwit the Poopsmith, and participate in all of the lunacy that gives the website such ongoing popularity. Gamers who aren't fans of Homestar Runner won't get much out of this, but if you enjoy the work of the Brothers Chaps and are looking for a few hours of primary-colored mayhem, you might want to give the first episode a spin.

SBCGfAP is packed with little extras and mini-games, although none provide more than a few minutes of diversion. The real fun is discovering all of the inside jokes from the series plastered throughout. You can explore every room in Strong Bad's house, buy stuff from Bub's concession stand, outwit the Poopsmith, and participate in all of the lunacy that gives the website such ongoing popularity. Gamers who aren't fans of Homestar Runner won't get much out of this, but if you enjoy the work of the Brothers Chaps and are looking for a few hours of primary-colored mayhem, you might want to give the first episode a spin.

However, it appears that they weren't able to perfectly hit their stride in terms of puzzle creation, and this episode definitely has some of the early-season jitters that the first few episodes of Sam & Max had.

More enjoyable for existing series fans, Homestar Ruiner provides a light, enjoyable experience that succeeds mostly as a platform for its humor.

Here’s the so basically: If you’re a fan of Strong Bad, the game is worth getting. If you are not a fan, it’s not worth getting. That’s it!

Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People est un peu décevant comparé à d'autres jeux épisodiques sortis ces derniers temps. Il ne vous arrachera que quelques sourires si vous n'êtes pas un grand connaisseur de la websérie Homestar Runner. Mais à 6 euros l'épisode (et environ 22 euros le pack contenant les cinq premiers épisodes), SBCG4AP a de quoi conquérir les coeurs et surtout les portes-monnaie.

Ohne die Internet-Serie zu kennen, habe ich mich von Beginn an köstlich amüsiert. Nachdem ich mir einige Folgen angesehen hatte, wurde es noch lustiger. Jedoch müssen Sie, wie bei Sam & Max, sehr gut Englisch verstehen, auch dieses Adventure erscheint nicht als deutsche Version. Für umgerechnet sechs Euro ist Strong Bad für englischkundige Freunde schrägen Humors auf jeden Fall einen Blick wert.

"Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People Episode 1: Homestar Ruiner", como um jogo tradicional, oferece uma experiência rasteira e bem menos envolvente do que a própria franquia "Sam & Max" da mesma Telltale, por exemplo. A mecânica clássica utilizada serve apenas de muleta para piadas tradicionais do universo de "Homestar Runner", retratado com extrema fidelidade, deixando o game com cara desenho com certos toques interativos. Fãs dos personagens pode não ver nada de errado e se deliciar, já que o roteiro tem algumas tiradas muito engraçadas e criativas, mas o conjunto parece raso demais para o jogador desavisado que ignora o material que deu origem ao título.

"Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People Episode 1: Homestar Ruiner", como um jogo tradicional, oferece uma experiência rasteira e bem menos envolvente do que a própria franquia "Sam & Max" da mesma Telltale, por exemplo. A mecânica clássica utilizada serve apenas de muleta para piadas tradicionais do universo de "Homestar Runner", retratado com extrema fidelidade, deixando o game com cara desenho com certos toques interativos. Fãs dos personagens pode não ver nada de errado e se deliciar, já que o roteiro tem algumas tiradas muito engraçadas e criativas, mas o conjunto parece raso demais para o jogador desavisado que ignora o material que deu origem ao título.

Overall my suggestion would be, stick the game’s suggestions (hints) on high, enjoy it as a constant stream of brain-dead semi funny entertainment, in a universe you are probably familiar with, and get as much stress-free enjoyment from what admittedly, feels like a pretty polished episodic game. And be excited by the fact there will be one a month for a while to come… Or you could just watch all the video’s on Youtube for free, and have about as much fun.

Overall my suggestion would be, stick the game’s suggestions (hints) on high, enjoy it as a constant stream of brain-dead semi funny entertainment, in a universe you are probably familiar with, and get as much stress-free enjoyment from what admittedly, feels like a pretty polished episodic game. And be excited by the fact there will be one a month for a while to come… Or you could just watch all the video’s on Youtube for free, and have about as much fun.

Homestar Ruiner is hardly a game, and the point-and-clickery only serves as a barrier between the player and some genuinely funny moments. It is a shame that this episode was so disappointing, as the series has tremendous potential. If Telltale can make the gameplay half as good as the humour, it will be a winner.

There is hope: this franchise is just way too funny to imagine that it won't hit its stride in the next few episodes. I have to say, the teaser preview that you unlock for Episode 2 at the end of this episode did look really funny. But it's clear that there are going to be some growing pains along the way as the developers figure out how to make the humor and style of Homestar Runner translate into a video game. Fans of the franchise probably won't be too disappointed if they pick this up, but people looking for a series point-and-click adventure game are probably going to want to go elsewhere.

In the end, SB:Ep1 is a mixed bag; it's funny, but can get old during a sustained playthrough, and it's got some neat puzzles, but they're presented in a disjointed, directionless way that'll have players doing things not because the story or characters dictate them, but simply due to odd item placement and situation setups that seem like they should be done just because. It's alternately entertaining and frustrating, in equal amounts -- the very definition of a 5/10, for me.

After the consistent quality of the Sam & Max games, you might have the expectation that this game is going to be similarly excellent. I certainly did. I was sadly disappointed. Now don't get me wrong, technically, Strong Bad is rock solid. The graphics, sound and voice acting all are good quality. I just didn't like it at all. I guess I couldn't deal with the conflicting messages between an adult male voice and such infantile attitudes in the main character and his quest. And things just went downhill from there.

Homestar Ruiner looks quite good, but ultimately this new format doesn't work out. The punchy comedic pacing that works so well in a series of video shorts does not hold up when stretched out over a few hours, and the few times you do chuckle will only punctuate the fact that such moments are few and far between. Though it is reasonably priced at $8.95, Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People isn't recommendable. Folks looking to get a Homestar humor fix are better off visiting the Web site than going on this subpar adventure.