WhyGamesMatter

This is an entry for the A to Z Challenge (see the sidebar for more information).  These are just some of my initial impressions on the Steam, GOG, and other online games throughout the month.  It is not as much of a review as it is a summary of my feelings on the game.

I look at Strong Bad episodes in the same way that I look at most Saturday Night Live skits: they are enjoyable in the 5-minute framework of SNL, but they should almost never be made into films and should absolutely never be made into video games.  With very few exceptions (Wayne’s World, maybe The Lady’s Man), the things that are funny in occasional, short bursts just won’t sustain a whole film.

Unfortunately, that’s what happened in the Strong Bad Games.  Yes, there were funny elements, but it lacked the continuous humor of a Maniac Mansion or Secret of Monkey Island.  One of the things that Ron Gilbert pointed out about the Monkey Island games was that a four-part discussion tree gave the designers four opportunities to tell a joke.

With the Strong Bad games, however, I didn’t feel that the designers seized the joke opportunities as aggressively as they could. This is unfortunate, too, because the source material was there. It just wasn’t used to its fullest effect.  I think this is an important point, especially coming out of the brief review for Rag Doll Kung Fu; if a game has to take the time to silently ask “get it?” at the end of each joke, it’s going to fall flat.

If you are a big fan of Homestarrunner, then give this game a try when it is on sale.  Don’t get your hopes too high, though; it will just make the fall hurt that much more.