Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People Episode 5: 8-Bit is Enough (PC) Review
Posted by Armando Rodriguez on 12.18.2008
The first season of Strong Bad ends with a bang.
Strong Bad’s Cool Game for Attractive People- Episode 5: 8-Bit is Enough
System - PC
Developer - Telltale Games
Publisher - Telltale Games
Genre: Puzzle, Adventure
Players: 1
Also available for WiiWare on the Nintendo Wii
For those unfamiliar with the concept of Strong Bad, it is based on the Homestarruner.com website. The game, which is split into episodes, is being developed by Telltale Games, the same company that produced the acclaimed Sam & Max games (of which I am a fan). Similar to the model used in the Sam & Max series, the game is split into episodes that are made available at the developer’s official website (www.telltalegames.com) individually for $8.95 an episode or as a full season package for $34.95. 8-Bit is Enough is the fifth episode and season finale for the series.
The gameplay is classic point and click adventure. You talk to characters, interact with the environment, find objects and use this objects to move the story along. The people at Telltale Games have saved the best for last, as this season finale is arguably the best episode of the bunch.
Without giving too much spoilers, the story has Strong Bad trapped in an 8-Bit video game world after his arcade machine, Trogdor, came alive in a weird accident. This presents plenty of opportunities for the developers to parody classic videogames and even themselves as there is plenty of self-referential humor. The game also makes several strong references to previous episodes.
This is Trogdor....and he will BURNINATE you!
The graphics and sound are on par with the rest of the episodes. The graphics retain their colorful and cartoony appearance. The standout is Trogdor himself, an arcade machine with a dragon head and a big muscle arm. The lines of dialogue are well delivered and most of them are hilarious. Once again you have a “good” and a “bad” selection during dialogues and I recommend you try both to listen to the wacky banter than ensues.
The only shortcoming is that the game is pretty short, clocking in at 4 hours or less, depending on your proficiency with this type of game. The extras are a nice addition, but not worth replaying the game for.
The 411:
Strong Bad is charming, funny and entertaining. One single episode might not be worth the price of admission, so if you are even remotely interested in the concept I suggest you spring for the whole season. Every episode is good. As for the finale, I could not have asked for a better way to finish the season. This episode is funnier, presents a clever setting and retains objects and locations from previous games, giving it continuity. Go ahead and try Strong Bad before Trogdor burninates you!
Graphics
8.5
Excellent cartoony visuals. They make you feel like watching a cartoon.
Gameplay
9.0
Classic point and click is easy to learn. The game is funny and draws you into it's characters.
Sound
8.5
Passable sound effects joined stellar voice acting.
Lasting Appeal
5.0
The game will last you between 3-5 hours and the extras it has are not worth a second playthrough.
Fun Factor
8.0
Strong Bad feels like watching a good comedy TV show. The characters and settings are interesting and provide plenty of laughs.
