We’ve been reviewing Telltale Games’ latest episodic game series since the first entry, and Strong Bad’s Cool Game for Attractive People has certainly been an interesting experience to follow. As we’ve mentioned before, episodic games enjoy both a unique privilege and challenge: Once the initial episode has succeeded, demonstrating that its gameplay and characters are worthwhile, the subsequent entries in the series are freed from the responsibility of inventing an all-new game. However, they are still tasked with sufficiently differentiating themselves from prior episodes, proving that they can stand alone if need be — that they are not simply “more of the same.” This month’s episode, Dangeresque 3: The Criminal Projective, most definitely sets itself apart as a unique entry in the SBCG4AP lineup, in a number of ways — some good, some bad.
When I reviewed Baddest of the Bands last month, I praised the episode as “the ideal introductory episode for newcomers to the Homestar Runner universe,” citing its accessible handling of the characters as excellent for folks who might not have seen many H*R cartoons. Dangeresque 3, on the other hand, is the polar opposite: This episode, far and away, is the fanservice episode. If you have never seen Strong Bad before, do not start with this game; you will have absolutely no idea what is going on. That being said, if you are a dedicated fan of Strong Bad and the gang, Dangeresque 3 is easily the funniest episode so far, and for this series, that’s saying a lot.
Looks like we’re gonna have to read more after the jump…
Can you recall how you were first introduced to Homestar Runner? For me, it was back in 2002, when someone linked me to Everybody to the Limit. It’s a classic cartoon for H*R fans, to be sure, but take a moment to watch it, and imagine for a moment that you have never seen Strong Bad before, you do not know The Cheat’s directorial style, and you haven’t a clue why “fhqwhgads” is a legitimate lyric. If you were like me at the time, your reaction would probably be along the lines of “What the hell did I just watch?” Later, I would become familiar with the various tropes of the H*R universe, and while Everybody to the Limit never truly makes sense, at least one’s knowledge of the various inside references will keep one’s brain from exploding. It’s definitely funny in its own right, but it’s the kind of cartoon that’s tailor-made for long-time fans of the series.
Dangeresque 3 follows the same design, albeit in game form; it requires the same familiarity and experience with some of H*R’s long-running gags and tropes. In fact, it is the first episode so far to be directly based on existing cartoons from the flash site, namely Stunt Double and, appropriately, Dangeresque 3. The game centers around Strong Bad finally making the long-awaited threequel to his homemade action film series, causing the game to get extremely surreal at times, as every character appears in their “film” persona — including Coach Z as Reynaldo, the King of Town as Perducci, and so on. This leads to some extremely hilarious fourth-wall humor, as Strong Bad’s entire cast continue to miss cues and foul up their performances. “Venice, eh? Then we’re going to France! *JUMP CUT* We’re going to Italy!” For fans who can follow the inside jokes and nonsensical character usage, Dangeresque 3 is downright hysterical — I laughed harder at this episode than any of its predecessors, and on a series based almost entirely on humor, I mean that as a significant compliment. It has to be said, though, that newcomers to H*R have a very high likelihood of getting lost.
Case in point, with a spoiler alert: Since before the series began, I have been pining for an appearance by Senor Cardgage, my personal favorite bit player from H*R. Senor Cardgage largely defies explanation, even for H*R fans; I won’t go into the circumstances of his debut, nor his bizarre and inexplicable further appearances. However, the character finally receives an on-screen role in Dangeresque 3, and needless to say, I was utterly delighted. For a long-time fan like myself, placing Senor Cardgage in the game is a great shout-out, and his dialogue is everything I hoped it would be, filled with laugh-worthy non-sequiturs and mangled words. Newcomers, however, will be completely baffled, especially since he is cast as Strong Bad’s father in the in-game film. Who is this character? Is he Strong Bad’s father? If not, why does he actually look so much like Strong Bad? What the hell is wrong with him? The game makes zero effort to explain Cardgage to players, relying completely on their prior knowledge of the H*R universe to drive the humor. Gamers who “get it” will be laughing themselves silly, while casual observers will likely be chuckling nervously and scratching their heads. Spoilers end here, if you were worried.
With that in mind, assuming you’re the proper audience for Dangeresque 3’s humor, Telltale has put together a pretty excellent game for you, staying extremely true to the “interactive H*R cartoon” game flow that the series has become known for. The game designers have done some exceptionally creative work with the game engine, using it to deliver a great deal of fourth-wall meta-humor to remind you that you’re watching Strong Bad’s home video. Apart from the aforementioned flubs and missed cues delivered by the actual characters, Dangeresque 3 uses a series of subtle tweaks to give the entire game a very amateurish vibe: Conversation shots will have a shaky, unsteady camera, and outdoor dialogue is constantly affected by wind blowing over the microphone. Combined with a handful of visual effects to give an occasional “old VHS tape” look to the game, the presentation in Dangeresque 3 is top-notch, adding an extra layer of humor to an already hilarious game.
The downside, unfortunately, is that with so much work clearly having gone into the writing and humor, the game takes something of a wrong turn with its puzzles. While some of Dangeresque 3 follows the series’ usual level of difficulty, presenting the player with intuitive puzzles and obvious-yet-humorous solutions, there are a few moments in the game which will end in frustration — possibly even FAQ consultation. The range of puzzle flaws is pretty broad — some solutions are unclear due to non-obvious hotspots, while one puzzle actually requires the player to manipulate the game’s interface in a seemingly nonsensical way. These puzzles are thankfully sparse and isolated, but the solutions really are esoteric enough to make one groan in annoyance.
Also, the game suffers from the notable omission of Teen Girl Squad. I can understand that having Strong Bad make a comic while he’s making a movie would probably be one meta-joke too many, but that didn’t stop them from including a new Videlectrix mini-game in this episode, so… what gives? Fans of Strong Bad’s ultraviolent looseleaf comic will be disappointed — I certainly hope they re-appear in the fifth episode. All of the other SBCG4AP staples are still here, though, including an especially inventive “Extended Play” sequence, the ability to collect and pose in various costumes, and, of course, searching for bonus items with the damn metal detector. That last one, I think, I would not miss in episode 5.
All in all, Dangeresque 3 makes for another solid entry in the SBCG4AP series, significantly changing the routine again, and well worth a purchase. Yes, some of the puzzles are on the ridiculous side, but thankfully Telltale provides a walkthrough on day one, so if worse comes to worse, you won’t get completely stuck. And, yes, most of the humor here is equally esoteric. But, for dedicated, long-time fans of H*R, you absolutely must play this episode — it was made especially for you. I guarantee that the number of laughs you will get will far outweigh the annoyances.
Strong Bad’s Cool Game for Attractive People - Dangeresque 3: The Criminal Projective is available now for PC and via WiiWare.
Full disclosure: Pantheon Labs, parent company of GameCyte, is owned by Richard Kain, an investor in Telltale Games.
November 17th, 2008 at 11:37 am
Suggestion: How about linking the score graphic to your entry on the scoring system, so new users can get a better understanding of the score system without having to search for that post?
November 17th, 2008 at 3:31 pm
A fine suggestion, sir. I’ll fix that.