In Homestar Ruiner, you as Strong Bad are finally are able to dish out to Homestar the humiliating pummeling Strong Bad has always dreamed of. However, a problem arises when this humiliation forces Homestar into hiding--in Strong Bad's house. So now you as Strong Bad must set out to clear Homestar's name and record among the other citizens of Free Country, USA so that Strong Bad's world can go back to normal.
While fans of the site are no stranger to the amount of interactivity typically present in the cartoon adventures of Homestar Runner and Strong Bad, they've never seen anything like this before. In Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People, you ARE Strong Bad and as such you'll get to participate in all of his usual activities (such as checking his e-mail, making prank phone calls and even creating "Teen Girl Squad" comics) not to mention getting the ability to roam free around the entire world presented in the cartoons on the website, from Strong Badia to "the Stick" and everywhere else. Side quests, including using Strong Bad's metal detector to find the missing pieces of his Snake Boxer 5 video game manual, or playing said video game, round out the experience.
Point-and-click adventure fans will feel right at home with the game's interface of clicking on everything in the environment, amassing an inventory of random items and attempting to "use" them on just about everything else. A pleasant surprise is how simple, elegant and intuitive all the menus are in the game, ensuring that even video game novices will have no trouble getting the hang of things immediately. Bravo! There are even fun touches added in the most unexpected of places. For instance, once Strong Bad receives the ability to travel to a new location, you as Strong Bad get to decide where to draw it on your own map. It's these kind of extra special touches that are sure to illicit many smiles from players throughout the game.
But the experience isn't flawless. Moving Strong Bad around the environment isn't always as intuitive as the menu systems. A few times, Strong Bad actually walked in the opposite direction that I wanted him to, and getting him to run consistently in large spaces (like the athletic track) is something I just couldn't figure out how to do. Accidentally clicking too close to an object can start a long, unavoidable sequence (such as with the camera at the track later in the game) and I found myself accidentally triggering said sequence numerous times to the point of frustration. A few times the 3D animation was off, such as during the opening "song" Strong Bad sings when he's supposed to have a potato chip bag stuck around his hand but when he walks his boxing glove hand can clearly be seen outside of the bag with it "floating" behind.
Article comments
1 - El Bicho
I am in.