GamePro Arcade

Review: Strong Badia the Free

Sep. 15 12:03 PM by Terry Terrones

The Strong Bad video game quintuplegy got off with a Coach Z starter gun bang last month with the very excellent first episode, Homestar Ruiner. Of course the problem with a strong start are high, sometimes unrealistic, expectations which are never easy to meet once the new game smell of the original has worn off. It's a problem seen not just in games but in other mediums as well. You know you never looked at Neo, Trinity and Morpheus the same after the first Matrix movie and chances are if you ever bumped into George Lucas, you'd ask him if he lost his mind after the first three Star Wars films.

But judging from the second episode of "Strong Bad's Cool Game For Attractive People," the creative team from Homestar Runner won't suffer from a sophomore slump. In fact this episode, Strong Badia the Free, is even better than the first with a stronger storyline, cleaner dialogue and even more great one-liners.

In Strong Badia the Free gamers will again be placed in the familiar setting of Free Country, USA. This time Strong Bad's life is turned upside down by the King of Town's email tax, which he didn't pay despite frequent email reminders from Homestar Runner (his Idiot Filter prevented him from receiving them). Placed under house arrest for not paying his taxes, a furious Strong Bad declares war on the King of Town and escapes to Strong Badia where he and everyone else secede and form their own countries.

Gamers who enjoyed Episode One are sure to enjoy Episode Two because it has everything that made the first so enjoyable - great humor, inside jokes for longtime Homestar Runner fans and a game that's easy to pick up and play - and then some. The witty dialogue repeats a lot less frequently, the humor has plenty of gaming references, and Strong Bad does more of what he does best, reply to emails. There's even another in-game video game on the fun box, Math Kickers: Featuring the AlgeBros, if you're tired of playing Snake Boxer 5. But the most noticeable improvement in the second episode is the improved storyline.

With all the seceding going on in the game, Strong Badia the Free is rife with political humor. There's no Democrat/Republican satire, but there's certainly plenty of jokes at the expense of politicians and governments of all varieties, and with the upcoming presidential election on the horizon, it just feels relevant.

As with Episode 1, Strong Badia the Free suffers from some occasionally confusing story path issues but Episode 2 is so well written, funny and enjoyable you'll gladly submit to the domineering, steel toed boot of your new red masked overlord.

Pros: Even better than the first, smoother storyline, great humor

Cons: Story path not always clear, Why isn't this game available on XBLA and PSN again?

Sound: 4.5
Controls: 4.5
Graphics: 4.0
Fun Factor: 4.75
Editor's Choice

The Info: Game Name: Strong Bad's Cool Game For Attractive People Episode 2: Strong Badia the Free, Platform: Wii, PC, Publisher: Telltale Games, Developer: Telltale Games/Videlectrix, ESRB: T, Players: One, Price: 1000 Wii Points ($10)/$8.95 per episode or full subscription for $34.95 on PC, or if you've already bought episode one buy the remaining episodes for $26