Like the titular stubbly masked wrestler himself, Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People Episode 5: 8-bit is Enough, is exceptionally diverse. Like the four preceding entries, it is an adventure game. It is also a well-crafted amalgamation of the characters and humor that makes the Homestar Runner universe so beloved by fans, as well as a hilarious lampoon of many video game genres. But above and beyond all else, Episode 5 is a satisfying conclusion to one of the finest adventure series to grace PC and Wii monitors in years.
The premise of 8-bit is Enough is distinctly Strong Bad in nature. While installing a logic board in his Trogdor arcade machine -- a machine that has mysteriously remained broken through the first four Strong Bad episodes -- Strong Bad accidentally damages the cabinet's 8-bit containment chamber. The disruption causes Free Country USA, Strong Bad's native realm, to merge with the world of video games. Trogdor, the fearsome peasant-roasting dragon himself, escapes during the commotion and proceeds to terrorize the scattered citizens of Free Country, many of whom have been transformed into parodies of popular video game characters and scenarios.
Strong Bad's quest is to revert Free Country back to its normal (contextually speaking) state by doing the impossible: slaying the invincible Trogdor. For Strong Bad, who has long been an avid gamer, the opportunity to star in his own game from within his own game is the opportunity of a virtual lifetime. For players, it is the opportunity to witness some of the cleverest meta commentary on gaming ever constructed.
Each video game world, as well as Free Country itself, employs familiar and oft-overused game mechanics from a variety of genres. Homestar often pops up in a shrunken interface window to give Strong Bad advice, a la Otacon from the Metal Gear Solid series. Objects flicker and fade after they've been broken or defeated. Several characters relay dialogue via text box. Strong Bad must bring certain characters items that they desire in order to assimilate them into his party, which in this case means shrinking the characters into items that can be used in certain situations.
Some mechanics flesh out into full-fledged scenarios that even gamers only passingly familiar with gaming trends since the 70s will recognize. Marzipan becomes the female ape Marzi-kong. Upon transformation, she kidnaps Bubs, climbs to the top of a scaffolding, stomps up and down to upset the beams of each level, and throws barrels at anyone who attempts to rescue her captive. After reaching Trogdor's lair, Strong Bad's camera switches to a first-person perspective and displays a Wolfenstein 3D-esque loading screen before dropping him into the lair and allowing him to navigate the dungeon and use his weapons -- fists, a sword, and a light gun peripheral -- via the WASD keyboard layout seen in most FPS games.
First and foremost, Episode 5 is an adventure game, and one that rarely suffers from genre-related pitfalls. Realizing the solution to each puzzle is a smooth and logical transition, eliminating the standard adventure genre frustration of clicking interactive areas with every item in your inventory until something finally happens. In fact, if Episode 5 has any fault, it is that puzzle solutions are usually too obvious. It is a testament to Telltale's excellent design team that not many players will be stumped, but this also means that the game can be completed quickly and rather easily.
Although still linear and arguably the easiest entry in the series, 8-bit is Enough's roast of the video game industry is worth playing through multiple times, and some mini-games completely unique to the Strong Bad series are made available to players after the game's conclusion. The Trogdor arcade game is an ode to whack-a-mole in which players click peasants who appear in four separate locations. Clicking peasants causes Trogdor to "burninate" them with a gout of piexelated flame. As the game progresses, the peasants appear faster and faster, and a polygonal Strong Bad occasionally attempts to slay Trogdor, which instantly ends the game. Each level requires a specific number of peasants to be roasted in order to progress. It's simple, but addictive enough to make for friendly competition between friends.
8-bit is Enough may be shorter than other Strong Bad titles, but its logical puzzle design and excellent tribute to both the world of Homestar Runner and the video game industry makes it the best entry in a series that rarely disappoints. Collectively, the Strong Bad series demonstrates Telltale Games' reinvigoration of the adventure genre. Not a single entry, especially 8-bit is Enough, should be missed.
Strong Bad's quest is to revert Free Country back to its normal (contextually speaking) state by doing the impossible: slaying the invincible Trogdor. For Strong Bad, who has long been an avid gamer, the opportunity to star in his own game from within his own game is the opportunity of a virtual lifetime. For players, it is the opportunity to witness some of the cleverest meta commentary on gaming ever constructed.
Each video game world, as well as Free Country itself, employs familiar and oft-overused game mechanics from a variety of genres. Homestar often pops up in a shrunken interface window to give Strong Bad advice, a la Otacon from the Metal Gear Solid series. Objects flicker and fade after they've been broken or defeated. Several characters relay dialogue via text box. Strong Bad must bring certain characters items that they desire in order to assimilate them into his party, which in this case means shrinking the characters into items that can be used in certain situations.
Some mechanics flesh out into full-fledged scenarios that even gamers only passingly familiar with gaming trends since the 70s will recognize. Marzipan becomes the female ape Marzi-kong. Upon transformation, she kidnaps Bubs, climbs to the top of a scaffolding, stomps up and down to upset the beams of each level, and throws barrels at anyone who attempts to rescue her captive. After reaching Trogdor's lair, Strong Bad's camera switches to a first-person perspective and displays a Wolfenstein 3D-esque loading screen before dropping him into the lair and allowing him to navigate the dungeon and use his weapons -- fists, a sword, and a light gun peripheral -- via the WASD keyboard layout seen in most FPS games.
First and foremost, Episode 5 is an adventure game, and one that rarely suffers from genre-related pitfalls. Realizing the solution to each puzzle is a smooth and logical transition, eliminating the standard adventure genre frustration of clicking interactive areas with every item in your inventory until something finally happens. In fact, if Episode 5 has any fault, it is that puzzle solutions are usually too obvious. It is a testament to Telltale's excellent design team that not many players will be stumped, but this also means that the game can be completed quickly and rather easily.
Although still linear and arguably the easiest entry in the series, 8-bit is Enough's roast of the video game industry is worth playing through multiple times, and some mini-games completely unique to the Strong Bad series are made available to players after the game's conclusion. The Trogdor arcade game is an ode to whack-a-mole in which players click peasants who appear in four separate locations. Clicking peasants causes Trogdor to "burninate" them with a gout of piexelated flame. As the game progresses, the peasants appear faster and faster, and a polygonal Strong Bad occasionally attempts to slay Trogdor, which instantly ends the game. Each level requires a specific number of peasants to be roasted in order to progress. It's simple, but addictive enough to make for friendly competition between friends.
8-bit is Enough may be shorter than other Strong Bad titles, but its logical puzzle design and excellent tribute to both the world of Homestar Runner and the video game industry makes it the best entry in a series that rarely disappoints. Collectively, the Strong Bad series demonstrates Telltale Games' reinvigoration of the adventure genre. Not a single entry, especially 8-bit is Enough, should be missed.
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