A look at Bully: Scholarship Edition

[thunderhero4]

A while back, i got a game called Bully: Scholarship Edition for Wii. I was going to get the 360 version because Geno tempted me, but there were no copies of it left in my Wal-Mart and it has a terrible frame rate and bad glitches.

And as much as it didnt need it, I will use pictures in my review, I hope your happy! >:( :P



Name: Bully: Scholarship Edition
Platform: Wii
Genre: Sandbox, Life Simulation
Developer: Rockstar Vancouver
Publisher: Rockstar Games
ESRB: Teen
Retail: $49.99
Also On: Xbox 360 (same game), Playstation 2 (older version)
Input: Wii Remote and Nunchuck

Ok, interview review (whoops, guess its hard to break old habits :) ) time. Lesse, I will start by mentioning this: I had never played this game before I bought it (yeah, real smart). I was amazed by how much I loved this game! Think of it as a school version of GTA. I expect nothing less from Rockstar to give us a top notch sandbox game. If your parents wont let you play GTA (like mine) this is a great alternative!

Story

Ok, you play the role of a 15 year old kid named Jimmy Hopkins. Your dickweed parents dont care at all for you, and your mother just married a new guy. They decide to drop you off at the worst school in the world, Bullworth Academy, so that they can go on their honeymoon for the coming year. Jimmy isnt mean, even if he looks like it! He just gets into alot of trouble for pulling pranks, particularly on School Staff. He may just be the coolest, most charming protagonist of any game I have ever played! His voice acting suits him to a tee. You are taken straight to the principle, who tells you that you can be great at this school as long as you follow the rules. Boring. He also says if you do not, he will expell you if you cause enough trouble.[spoiler](which actually happens near the end of the game, but you are reinstated)[/spoiler] You must now learn your way around the school, and gain respect from the many kinds of students: Nerds, Bullys, Jocks, Preps, Girls, Greasers, and Townies. Doing this will help you survive the year, and become king of the school.


Jimmy Hopkins, the game's protagonist

Sound exciting? If not, then its alot more exciting if you experience it hands on!

Great story, 5/5

Gameplay

Ok, it would take me hours to fully explain every aspect of this game's gameplay. Ill break it down to the important parts. Basically you have the free will to explore the huge school-grounds of Bullworth Academy (and eventually the huge, unmatched town space of Bullworth Town). As you explore you may do many things at your own free will. This includes Skateboard, pick on some poor helpless nerds, beat up the jocks picking on the poor helpless nerds, turn on just about every women you see and make out with them, turn on some GENTLEMEN and make out with them, talk poop to everyone you come by, jack people's bikes and scooters, bully (in a variety of ways), do missions, side quests, and much much much MUCH more.


Bullying can be done on just about everything, as you can see

You may, instead of doing whatever you want, go to your next mission to progress the story. Missions can differ depending on the season of the year. If you want to beat the game's storyline, do missions. Simply go to the yellow spots on your map to start them.


Do missions to continue the storyline

No there are no guns, but there are "school" substitutions like a slingshot and spud gun. Bullying can be done in alot of different ways. The easiest way is to sneak up on any guy you see and you have the option to give them a wedgie. It is hilarious to see the nerds yell and scream when you do that, hear a jock scream "What the hell, someone's grabbing my ass!" and try to beat you up, or (if you do it to a prefect) have him get mad and chase you. Which brings me to my next word of advice: do not get caught! If a prefect (someone who upholds the law of the school) catches you breaking one of the many rules, he will try to catch you and take you to the office. Dont worry, its easy to outrun a prefect. They tire fast and arent that smart, But in numbers they can corner you so watch your ass.


Be careful not to get caught!

Other ways to bully people include dropping marbles to trip anyone, sticking kick me signs on the back of an unsuspecting bystander and watching him get kicked in the nuts by everyone who sees, giving a variety of "bully" finishing moves to a fight, and so on.


Using a "bully" finishing move. This ones the indian burn!

Fighting is one of the most impotant aspects of the game. You may attack and fight ANYONE in the game you can reach. Beware though, fighting is against the rules, so dont do it around a prefect. There are a variety of ways to start a fight, such as talking crap about them until they start it themselves, or just going up to them and hitting them. Also beware of kids that hate you! They will run up to you as you're minding your own buisness and attack you without warning. And attacking girls, prefects, cops, or civillians will cause prefects or cops respectively to ambush you, considering it breaking the biggest of all the rules. Run for gods life if this happens and hide in the nearest trash can once they lose sight of you!


Yep, thats a guy

Fighting is done using both the Wii Remote and Nunchuck acting as your left and right fist. Punching with them in different combinations causes you do to different combos.  You lock on to your opponent with C on the nunchuck. The fighting system is very very similar to that of the Wii version of Twilight Princess, but the controls are actually better in Bully. You may switch to one of your many weapons while locked on and shoot or throw them at them, also very much like Zelda with the bow and slingshot. You have a circular health meter, and their health is shown around their feet in a circle. Knocking out your opponent will cause them to lie on the ground in pain, and you have the right to kick them or taunt them how you please. You will learn new combos by giving a hobo you find behind your old school bus objects, or attending Gym Class.


Kicking a prep in the side during a fight

Classes are another main aspect of the game. 2 classes go on a day. Every day these 2 classes are random but happen at the same time. There are over 15 classes in all, a few of them being new to the upgraded version of the game (Scholarship Edition). You may skip if you feel free, but you can be caught by prefects while you are skipping. And passing a class has a benefit that differs per class. Each class has 5 courses, each harder the further you go along. The classes are done like a mini game similar to real life. Example: chemestry class has you moving the wii remote and nunchuck in different ways as fast as you can as it shows that movement on screen, and english class has you trying to unscramble a bunch of letters and making as many words out of them as possible. By passing each chemestry class you get the ability to make items like stink bombs, or itching powder from your room. Passing english gets you new abilities in your speech, such as apologizing to an angry prefect and youre off the hook for breaking the rules. Every class gives you new abilities that will help greatly in getting around.


Biology, one of the new classes included in the Wii game

Easiest 5/5 ive ever given

Personalization and Fun Extras

This game also has a huge focus on personalization and alot of fun little things to do on your free time! First and foremost, you may customize the look of Jimmy all the way from the Hairstyle, to the shoes he's wearing, and everything in between. There are over 1000+ different articles of clothing and hairstyles that you may purchase from one of the many stores around town, or steal from somebody's locker (via lockpicking). You can put on entire matching costume pieces, or use single pieces to that costume along with others. The clothing pieces include:

Head: Hats, hair, ect.
Shirt: Jacket, T shirt, polo, ANYTHING!
Pants: Army pants, jeans, shorts, ect.
Wrist: Watches, bands, ect.
Hands: Gloves, "handy" objects (pun alert)
and Feet: Shoes, boots, slippers, ect.

and a couple of outfits include ful ninja costumes, the school mascot, Santa's Elf, a fast food salesman, and many many more.


Jimmy in a nerdy outfit

Along with clothes, you have a room in which you save and swap clothing. You also add to it with trophies you get from missions and side quests. Once you pass Chemestry 1, you have a chemestry set too to make weapons of torture. You must also come here to sleep, for you will pass out if you stay up to 2 in the morning (which is also breaking the curfew rule, so stay alert if ur up late).

As rules go by, there are alot of them. Things like Dress Code, Bullying, Violence, Vandalism, and more can get you into trouble. There is a line between a small rule, and a big one. Attacking enforcers, women, and civilians is considered a big rule. Bullying, violence, trauney (skipping class), and dress code are small rules. If you are caught breaking a small rule, you may make 1 getaway from the cop/prefect. Nothing a little shin kick or squeeze to the nuts cant solve! However, breaking a big rule will not give you this chance and you will be busted automatically.

Some fun things to do: Spraying paint on walls in certain student territory can have some weird effects. It can make them fear you, hate you, or think youre crazy. Its fun to experiment. Also, random people can have small favors for you to do. Its up to you whether you do them or not, but you get payed for comepleting them. You may also hire a bodyguard from each of the student types, helping you out in fights or getting your ass out of trouble if a prefect is after you. There are a TON of things to do that you would never expect. Explore and find alot of them!


Jimmy bouncing a rubberband ball as a fun past time ^_^

This gets a 5/5

Graphics

The graphics in ths game are good for a sandbox. This is a very large game, so dont expect it to have amazing graphics. Even on the 360, the graphics look about like an older console game (Gamecube, Xbox, PS2). The characters dialog matches their mouths very nicely though!

A 4/5

Sound

This game's sound is ecstatic! It has thee nicest voice acting out of any game i have ever played, and thats saying something. Plus all the noises match their actions!

5/5

Controls

The controls are very smooth and nice! You should have a single problem with them, except when pointing with the wii remote to shoot a slingshot or ranged weapon with a 1st person view. Its not THAT sensitive, but someone whos not familiar with the Wii Remote pointer should have a problem with this.


Shooting with a ranged weapon can be a little sensitive...

3/5

Multiplayer

Yes, the new version has added in multiplayer. All it is is a mini game compilation of the classes for 2 players. Nothing great, and not all that fun. This is the games only downside IMO and the origional never had it so it wont take away from my overall score.

But a 2/5 is what it gets.

Overall, I give this game a 9.4/10 for being very fun and long lasting, great sound, great story, lots to do, and ok graphics!

I recommend this game to ANYONE who wants to try something new, because it's definately uniqe.

Also, I only covered about a 3rd of the games features and other things, so if you want me to expand it, please ask.

[Linkman]

dang, i've been wanting to play this game ever since i saw the commercial for the PS2 version...

now i want it even more!!

[thunderhero4]

dang, i've been wanting to play this game ever since i saw the commercial for the PS2 version...

now i want it even more!!

Its the real deal dude. I missed out cuz I didnt have a PS2 (and Im glad I didnt) but now I have a chance to play an upgraded version!

[thunderhero4]

And to all who read this, I am starting to get interested in writing reviews. It gives me the same "I just wrote something cool" feeling that my interviews used to give me, even if its not as large a feeling.

Expect more to come in this fashion, for it seems to please readers to have pictures in a review, so I must swear to put pictures in my reviews from here on out!

Thanks!

-Brandon/Thunderhero4