Strong Badia the Free is the second episode in the SBCG4AP series and it retains the largely obscure humour from its predecessor. The game is obviously intended for fans of the Homestar Runner universe, or at least people who are familiar with its characters, as much of the humour is derived from references to the flash cartoon. However, in the three to four hours it takes to complete Strong Badia the Free it seems more focused than its predecessor, and just like its protagonist, it has a style all of its own.
When diplomacy fails, clearly an occupation is needed.
Perhaps the best indicator of whether you will enjoy this game is its plot, and whether or not you can understand it. As with the previous episode, Homestar Ruiner, the action in Strong Badia the Free begins with the professional layabout Strong Bad checking his e-mail. He is quickly placed under house arrest by the doughy King of Town for failing to pay a newly imposed e-mail tax (which must be paid in creamy snack cakes). His style now considerably cramped, Strong Bad decides to take action and secedes from the town, forming his own country (consisting of a small field behind some dumpsters) – ‘Strong Badia’. Unfortunately for Strong Bad, everyone else in town has decided to secede as well, creating such fearsome nations as ‘Bleak House’, ‘Pompomerania’ and ‘Country’. To make his way from Strong Badia to the King of Town’s castle, Strong Bad is tasked with conquering each of the newly-formed countries which stand in his way, as violently and as awesomely as possible. To the game's credit, the plot is quite a bit funnier than Homestar Ruiner, even if it unravels a bit near the end with an unnecessary twist. For the most part, Strong Badia the Free successfully treads the line between the familiar and the surreal.
On the whole, the game doesn’t play a lot differently to Homestar Ruiner, which is understandable given that they’re both parts of a larger series of games. Interacting with the world is still pretty easy, using the tried and true point-and-click method seen in countless adventure games. It’s always rewarding to click around and see what Strong Bad has to say about any object he happens to come across, and the game avoids the ancient adventure game trap of 'pixel-hunting' for the correct spot where you're supposed to click. This episode does feel a little tighter, due to structuring the game around Strong Bad’s new ‘Maps and Minions’ board, which serves as his game's world map. As Strong Bad succeeds in making peace or violently occupying the seceded countries, an amusing World War II-style newsreel pops up depicting Strong Badia’s borders ever advancing. There’s something to be said for the simple pleasure of watching a blue map slowly become red as you conquer the world. While a lot of the puzzles still consist of finding the right item and using it on the right person/object, there are a couple of challenges which do require real strategy (including another clever use of Strong Bad’s ‘Maps and Minion’s board).
The gang's all here.
There are other subtle changes as well from the first episode, which fans of Homestar Runner will appreciate. For instance, not only can Strong Bad read his e-mails, but reply to them as well. Each of these scenes become mini-episodes of the cartoon series, where Strong Bad sarcastically replies with the help of crudely-drawn visual aids. There are also new minigames to play, including ‘Cave Girl Squad’, a variation on ‘Teen Girl Squad’ from Homestar Ruiner, and the hysterically entertaining ‘Math Kickers featuring the Algebros’. Taking the form of a side-scrolling beat ‘em up (Double Dragon style) on Strong Bad’s 8-bit console, the Algebros must defeat ninjas by balancing both sides of an equation. It’s a lot more awesome than it sounds, especially when the boss battles involve beating the snot out of quadratic equations.
Somewhat artificially inflating the game's length are a wealth of collectibles which can be found. Strong Bad can collect instruction book pages for 'Math Kickers', idea cards for 'Cave Girl Squad', flags for each of the seceded nations and costumes which he can wear by making use of a strange inter-dimensional photo booth. If you've already completed Homestar Ruiner, the game detects the costumes which you have already collected from that game and makes them available from the outset. Strong Bad also has a chart of sorts measuring how awesome he is at any given time. Points to increase your awesome rank are given out for tasks such as getting a high score in the minigames, setting things on fire or insulting Strong Sad in as many different ways as possible.
You can even converse with Pom Pom, even if talking isn't his strong suit.
Once again, the graphics are true to the Homestar Runner universe, their cel-shaded style giving the impression of a demented children’s book which has come to life. The characters’ voices, almost all of them provided by Homestar Runner co-creator Matt Chapman, are completely authentic to the cartoon and bursting with bizarre personality. Perhaps the most bizarre character, Homsar, steals the show as he seems capable of only speaking in strange word salads that make absolutely no sense at all.
Strong Badia the Free is yet another solid episodic title from Telltale. It builds upon the groundwork laid by the first episode, adding a stronger sense of progression and generally feeling less ‘empty’ than Homestar Ruiner. For a four-hour game, there’s a fair amount to see and do, and the puzzles do feel a little more original. However, the main barrier that may prevent you from enjoying this game continues to be its sense of humour. If you know what ‘consummate V’s’ are, and are eagerly awaiting the perpetually delayed ‘Dangeresque 3: The Criminal Projective’ then by all means rush out and get into SBCG4AP. If you’ve been reading this review and scratching your head, it may be worth checking out the flash cartoon series to see if SBCG4AP is your cup of suudsu.
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