The first episode of Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People, Homestar Ruiner, is the long-awaited console debut of the extremely popular flash cartoon Homestar Runner. There were already some online games based on H*R (As it is usually abbreviated) made by the company known as Videlectrix, but this is the first "real" videogame. Surprisingly, the game doesn't star Homestar Runner, the main character of the site, but rather, Strong Bad, the site's anti-hero! If you're familiar with Telltale's Sam & Max series (If you aren't: Why!?) you'll know what to expect here as it's pretty much the same - A point and click adventure game. As it was released last Monday in the US, we've already reviewed it - You can read our review here and see what you think. The game costs 1000 Wii Points, and will be followed by 4 sequels the next months.
Today's other pick can't really be considered a "game". Hudson's My Aquarium is in fact so little like a game that it's gotten a new genre on the Wii Shop - Relaxation! In My Aquarium, you can customize your own fish tank (Background, floor, decoration, lighting, music, etc.) and then stick some fish in it, which you can then check back on every day in order to feed them and see how they're growing up. There are a total of 40 fish to select from, although you can't initially pick them all - You'll have to play for a while to earn more. At 500 Wii Points you really can't call My Aquarium overpriced - If you don't have the time or dedication for a real aquarium this is super cheap! The review will follow in the next few days.
That's all for WiiWare this week - Good picks if you ask us! Next week is most likely VC week, so see you again in 2 weeks!
Comments (49)
Strong Bad is good for Europe. I wonder how My Aquarium will turn out?
r they absolutely joking. why cant we have vc and wiiware at the same time. this is so lame. i just want new retro games every week. dracula x for example would be nice etc etc etc. if nintendo want money please get releasing more games. im sure their is enough snes,nes,mega drive,neogeo,etc etc to last for a long long time. god damn it.
And there we have it, the EU gets a Zero game week.
We do get an interactive screensaver and an interactive flash vid for us to waste our points on, but no games of which to speak of.
I'll admit to having chuckled once or twice whilst DEMON has been playing StrongBad but I played the free PC Demo and it's so not my idea of a fun game.
Absolute waste of time for me this week. Maybe we'll get gyrostar eventually.
Huh? Oh it's tommarow in Europe already
I'm interested in the aquarium review. I had a lot of fish before they died, and it was fairly expensive.
If it gets a decent rating I might get it.
Good Wiiware games this week for EU and hope we get "My Aquarium" for the US next week.
Looks like wiiware release dates are actually correct now.
Decent week for you guys. Sorry its not your cup of tea, sadpanda.
Well not my cup of tea in both games but its nice that Europe gets two games (although the second game isn't really a game per say).
Yeah, but do remember we get nothing else now for 2 weeks.
SBC is good fun IMO. But I'm dissapointed at the lack of an actual game this week. Surely Gyro would've complemented SBC's release perfectly?
i hope we get Plattchen on monday
me too i read somewhere that it would be out this monday.
Hmm, I see My Aquarium coming out instead this Monday. Can't say I'm excited considering I think fish are terrible pets anyway. Still, I have my games from last Monday and I'll be content for quite a while.
Pshh, and for those who say today's releases are nothing but nongames, you know nothing. Snake Boxer 5 has the most intense gameplay I've seen in ages.
I am curious to see how well SBCG4AP sells in Europe as opposed to US. Is the site very popular over there on the other side of the Atlantic?
@Virus
Yeah, I get a kick out of the snake boxing game too. Can you tell if the "controversial" mode change makes you stronger or is it just a different image?
@Stratos
Heck, I can't hold my attention on that game long enough to notice! Um...from just the times I've played, I just think it's an image change. Videlectrix puts their heart and soul into the graphics of their games; sadly, it's just the gameplay that suffers.
The mode change allows you to shoot fire when you hold the block button for a few seconds. It definitely makes you stronger.
At first glance it looks like you're getting a webisode and a screensaver all at 1500 Wii pooints.
Why buy My Aquarium when Endless Ocean can be found super-cheap, and is so much more?
Strong Bad only in english Not good for young children and potential new fans of Strong Bad!
Strong Bad is only in english? That is a pity. As with Final Fantasy they were too lazy too translate. Has the game at least english subtitles? I find it easier to unterstand english games if there are subtitles.
YAY!!
I hope the bug that was in Strong Bad U.S Version isnt in this version.
I reckon my Aquarium doesnt look TOO bad, It looks OK for people who like fish.
I am pleased with both titles although it may have been a good idea to have had another game title such as Gyrostar or another arcade kind of wiiware game as both of these are quite a specialised taste.
Looking forward to getting both later today after I get some more points.
It's a pity that NoE doesn't release Wiiware and VC games at the same time or make a Wiiware Sunday and a VC Friday or something, but if we would get them on the same day we would only get one Wiiware game per week and 2 VC games like the US does...
Btw: Don't you have äs on your keyboards in america? It's Plättchen, not Plattchen
AngelBlack, its been this way for several months now in Europe but they do give us about four VC games on our VC weeks (unless you live in Australia which doesn't get C64 games) so it all works itself out really. America only gets 1 WiiWare game a week and two VC games a week usually. I'd rather have it like it was in America, but what can we do.
And RGVEDA, Omega - does Germany regularly recieve titles in english? What are German gamers opinions of playing games in a foriegn language or is english everyone's first foriegn language that they learn?
@Bensei: we don't have ä's on keyboards, but it is on the character map (or the €éα button on the Wii internet channel) but we're too lazy to be bothered with that.
As for this weeks releases, I must say that I'm more than happy. IF ONLY I HAD SOME MORE BLOCKS!!!! (wink cough wink Nintendo)
Yes!!! To succeed the play was not translated because the German translation is mostly absolutely bad.
I hate the fact that the Germans, French, Italian want to have the games translated. Because of that most games are being delayed!!
I want my games the same time as Canada and that other country south of it.
Strong Bad is Awesome!
I dislike it when games are only in english. My english is not sufficient to understand spoken dialogues with no subtitles. I think for 50 Euro (5 * 1000 points) one can expect at least german/italian/french etc. subtitles.
Strong Bad has not even a lower price than most of the retail games and there are almost no retail games in which the translation is missing. I think that casts a damning light on Wiiware.
There were English subtitles in the PC version I played, not sure about the WiiWare version.
English is the 'World's Main Language' so it's the first foreign language you learn. I think I learned enough english to understand a game's whereabouts, but sometimes dubbings without english sub-titles can be a problem. I had some in MM8
Does anyone know if the PAL strong Bad Freezes like the U.S Version?
I want to know if it does before getting it!
Please Hurry!
I wanna know, so I can decide whether to get it or not!
@LAA: I've played the game for an hour, and it runs perfect and smooth so far.
@ Apocalypse
Cool!
Are you on extended play mode? (after you complete the game, this is unlocked)
Apparently, when you talk to Coach Z on extended play mode, the game freezes...
the game freezes on random.
you can't teel when.
just play it in 4:3 and you'll be fine.
there subtitles.
I think everybody with some understanding of english can play this game.
@ Pink Rabbit
Yeah, I know it freezes at random, but I was just using that example because it freezes ALL the time whenever you talk to him (Widescreen Mode), So its easier to check, instead if running around, waiting for it freeze.
Also, I like my games being in Widescreen mode, I dont like it when everythings bigger.
Thanks anyway Pink Rabbit
"sometimes dubbings without english sub-titles can be a problem. I had some in MM8"
Don't worry. Even gamers with english as a first language had problems with that dubbing.
"Wen you fine da meedeor, den you fine docta why-ree"
Does anyone know if it crashes or not?
I'm eager to spend my wii points!
Hey, Hudson made a promise that was kept. Hurrah!
PLEASE!
Can Someone tell me if it crashes when you talk to Coach Z on Extended Play Mode?!
@LAA Just play in 4:3 instead of asking the same question 4 times.
I wonder who has the honor or reviewing Aquarium since its not a typical style game
That honour went to Marcel, he likes the unconventional
I want Protöthea and Gyrostar! Why does poo comming out on Wiiware? Pong Toss... bah
We don't have Pong Toss yet.
@opeter According to this website, SBCG4AP is better than Protothea and about the same as Gyrostarr, and My Aquarium has gotten a better score than both, so you can't really bash this weeks releases just because you don't like them.
Konkerdoodle, the problem people are seeing in this release set is that both titles are very niche. A fish tank sim and a Point-and-click adventure game based off of an internet comic won't catch a wide swath of players. Pairing each of them with a more robust title would have met the desires of a lot of gamers who find neither of these games to be their cup-o-tea. Though the question is which other games are in the release queue (in that I mean completed, localized and ready to go) to pair with them.
@Bensei: "I think I learned enough english to understand a game's whereabouts, but sometimes dubbings without english sub-titles can be a problem."
Yeah. While I'm more or less fluent in English, I can often have a hard time getting everything that's being said if there's no subtitles. While translated subtitles are rather unnessecary, the lack of English subtitles in English-language movies and games is annoying. I got my brother the Band of Brothers DVD box set for christmas last year, and we both had a bit of trouble following along, since the set had absolutely no subtitles at all. Videogames and cartoons usually aren't too much of a problem, but live action movies very often have a ton of mumbling and drowned out speech that's hard to understand. Is it really that hard to toss in some subtitles on a DVD?
@Stratos--Good point, but it's still not an excuse to complain about the releases. If they're generally accepted as being entertaining to a decently large group of people, then you can't call them crap. Plus, all it means is that more games that interest him will be released at the same time instead of spread out. Nobody practices patience on the internet, I suppose
I think I almost beat it and I have to say it's the best WiiWare game I've played so far. No freezing issues, lags or whatever. I wasn't even a fan of the cartoon, but I just really like Point & Click games and the humor is pretty good.
8.5/10
Uh, well I was tempted into buying this seeing as everyone was raving about it. Now I wish I hadn't - it's boring. Whilst I appreciate the humor, I'm afraid the old Monkey Island/ Sam and Max/ Day of the Tentacle games wipe the floor with this game. The whole premise is just meh and once again, the developer has tried to modernise the point and click genre with junk that really doesn't matter (photos and sending emails) Personally, I'd have preferred the series to stick to just the animations rather than try and make something that really doesn't have the material to work that well as a game.
6/10 tops.
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