Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People

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"Time to tear up another day. The Strong Bad freakin' way!"

From the Videlectrix game catalog listing:

YOU ARE Strong Bad in this point-and-click-em-up adventure from Videlectrix and Telltale Games (they bought us lunch even!) of the WiiWare for the Wii in your house.

From the Telltale Games website:

Charming. Suave. Muscular. Awesome. These are just a few of the words that Strong Bad would use to describe himself. In a world gone mad, only one man can be trusted to save the day... for himself. A man with a mask. And boxing gloves. And an attitude. A man called Strong Bad.

Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People (abbreviated as SBCG4AP) is a five-episode series of point-and-click adventure games developed by Telltale Games and first released in 2008. The game was available for the PC, WiiWare, Mac, and PlayStation platforms.

SBCG4AP marked several firsts: the first commercially-sold Homestar Runner game, the first standalone offline game, and the first time The Brothers Chaps had licensed Homestar to a third party. The game was produced in full collaboration with The Brothers Chaps: co-branded with fictional company Videlectrix, the Chaps collaborated on writing and provided voice acting and music. The 3D animation in the game was rendered by Telltale's animators with attention to preserve the look and feel of the 2D Flash cartoons.

Gameplay

Strong Bad talks to Homestar Runner in a scene from "Homestar Ruiner". Dialogue options allow the player to choose whether to talk about Homestar or the telebision.

From a Telltale Games press release:

Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People is a story-driven series with a comic spin that's undeniably Strong Bad. The player uncovers each episode's comedic plot through character interaction, dialogue-based puzzles, and the use (and abuse) of inventory items. In addition, each episode will be crammed with time-wasters to keep players poking around in the world, including Strong Bad emails to check, prank phone calls to place, and mini-games styled after the arcade games on the Homestarrunner.com website.

The point-and-click-em-up adventure games star Strong Bad, exploring a 3D fixed-camera rendition of Free Country, USA. Strong Bad can talk to other characters, choosing to be friendly or insulting to them. Gameplay centers around puzzle solving: collecting items, interacting with the environment, convincing other characters to help, or completing other tasks to progress the story. Finally, once an episode is finished, an "extended play" mode is unlocked, allowing players to explore the environment further.

The first two episodes are kicked off by Strong Bad responding to emails (created by the game's writers, not sent by a fan in the manner of Strong Bad Emails) on the Lappy. Every episode also features (similarly fictitious) emails that the player can read and respond to at their leisure. Although the episode's storylines are largely standalone, there is minor continuity across them as the ending of one may lead into the beginning of the next or reference will be made to something from a prior episode.

Much of the game is focused around exploration, with optional dialogues or activities not strictly related to advancing the plot. Many of these side quests and bonus activities can raise the player's "Awesomeness Meter" to unlock rewards. Collecting objects to use in creating Teen Girl Squad comics or playing unique mini-games on the FunMachine are common examples. Costumes are hidden throughout the games, sometimes used in the narrative; players can dress up Strong Bad in these outfits and take pictures in the Snap Shak. The Snappy feature allows taking photos throughout the game. The WiiConnect24 online system could be used to share messages and pictures with Wii friends, using unique Wii Message Board graphics to do so.

The main menu of the games used a layout similar to the website's main pages.

Episodes

The game is divided into five episodes, each taking around 2–4 hours to play through. The episodes were initially released at monthly intervals. At release, the episodes could be purchased individually or for a reduced price as a full-season bundle (with discounts offered by Telltale Games if upgrading to the full season after purchasing an episode); some time after the finale, the game was only sold as a single-purchase full season.

SBCG4AP was distributed through digital storefronts, with the physical PC release only sold as a collector's item six months after the conclusion of the series.

• Wii — Individual WiiWare episodes were sold through the Wii Shop Channel for 1000 Wii Points ($10.00) each.
• PC — Downloadable episodes were sold through Telltale Games' website for $8.95 an episode. The season pass could be purchased for $34.95.
  • A season bundle was listed on Steam on December 18, 2008, initially priced at $34.99.
  • Macintosh compatibility was added January 13, 2011. This was accompanied by a price drop to $19.99.
• PlayStation 3 — Beginning December 21, 2010, the full season was available for purchase on the PlayStation Network for $14.99.
  • This version was made available to the PlayStation 4 via a PlayStation Now (later PlayStation Plus) subscription in March of 2016; it can also be played on a PS5 via PlayStation Plus Premium.

Episode	Screencap	Description	Icon	Date
Homestar Ruiner		When Strong Bad's plans to beat the snot out of Homestar backfire, he ends up with an unwanted houseguest cramping his style. Now he needs to get life back to normal, by any means possible.		August 11, 2008
Strong Badia the Free		When Strong Bad fails to obey the King of Town's totally unfair email tax, he's placed under house arrest. Once freed from his wrongful imprisonment, Strong Bad goes on a mission to unite the local warring factions under the Strong Badian flag. Is Free Country USA ready for such an awesome ruler?		September 15, 2008
Baddest of the Bands		Rock and roll! Hurting for cash, Strong Bad sets out to dominate the Battle Royale of the Bands. Can he rule the stage and win the big prize? Or will he be drowned out by the competition? Find out in this high-voltage episode -- with special guest stars, rock gods LIMOZEEN!		October 27, 2008
Dangeresque 3: The Criminal Projective		Move over, James Bond! Strong Bad's here to show you how it's done in his hand-crafted cinematic masterpiece. You play Dangeresque, a dirty cop in pursuit of action and big sacks of cash. Can our hero defeat his arch-nemesis and save the world? Looks like he's gonna have to jump...		November 17, 2008
8-Bit is Enough		Trogdor must be stopped! The beefy-armed dragon of legend has broken free from his arcade cabinet and is burninating the land. With classic 8-bit games leaking into the real world and Strong Badia a fiery mess, only Strong Bad can take back the night and conquer this scorching menace once and for all. Does anybody know how to kill a dragon?		December 15, 2008

History

See also Telltale Games

Telltale Games was founded in 2004 by former LucasArts employees who had worked on the company's adventure games. The company focused on releasing adventure games in an episodic format, initially licensing niche IPs with strong fanbases like Sam & Max (which previously had been licensed to LucasArts).

Development

The partnership with Telltale was the first time The Brothers Chaps had licensed out their work. The Brothers felt Telltale made for a compelling partnership, given their LucasArts pedigree and understanding of the property. According to a 2008 interview, the game had been discussed for over a year. It was finalized when Nintendo announced the WiiWare system, and development officially began in January 2008.

A 2008 interview described the development process in detail: after an email from Joel Dreskin, The Brothers Chaps went out to San Rafael for their first meeting with Telltale, where they discussed many of the ideas that would end up in the final episodes. After a couple conference calls regarding the story and puzzles, the writer of each episode would send a first-pass script for The Brothers Chaps to tweak. The dialogue would sometimes be rewritten during recording to keep the improvisational feel of the toons; Matt Chapman, Mike Chapman, and Missy Palmer provided the voice acting, recording in their usual studio and sending the files to Telltale.

Promotion and Release

The first teaser for SBCG4AP was the short Strong Bad Gameways, released (via an Easter egg in shapeshifter) on April 1, 2008. Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People was officially announced by a press release on April 10, 2008, followed shortly by an advertisement on homestarrunner.com and a trailer and screenshots on the Telltale Games website. The series trailer was added to the Nintendo Channel on August 4, 2008.

The game was promoted through several interviews with the Brothers Chaps, as well as reviews and feature articles in gaming publications. On April 11, the gaming website IGN covered the Nintendo Summit and several demonstrations of WiiWare, including SBCG4AP. In the July issue of Nintendo Power, the game was featured in an article, including an "interview" with Strong Bad on pages 22 and 23.

The initial trailer on Telltale Games' website gave a release date of June 2008; following delays to July and then August, the first episode was released August 11, 2008. The remainder of the five episodes were released as scheduled, on a monthly basis concluding December 15, 2008.

Legacy

"Oh crap, I'm late for the DVD!"

The main menu animation of strongbad_email.exe Disc Six (released between the fourth and fifth episodes) utilized the CG models from the games. The intro was choreographed by Telltale employees Jake Rodkin and Nick Herman, and Telltale Games was thanked in the credits of the DVD.

On November 22, 2010, Telltale Games released Poker Night at the Inventory. This poker game pitted the player against several preexisting fictional characters; Strong Bad appeared among the opponents, and the game featured several musical and visual elements from Homestar Runner. Dangeresque Too's sunglasses could be unlocked in Poker Night and then used in the game Team Fortress 2.

Although the five episodes were referred to as "Season One", there was never any commitment or planning towards a second season of SBCG4AP. Extenuating circumstances surrounding both parties in the following years made a second season even less likely: Homestar Runner went on a major hiatus beginning in late 2009; from 2010 onwards, Telltale Games began to focus on much larger and more mainstream properties (partnering with studios like Universal and Warner Bros.) rather than smaller themes like Homestar Runner.

Modern availability

Telltale Games abruptly announced a "majority studio closure" on September 21, 2018. In the following months, as assets were liquidated and the company moved into general assignment, many games were removed from sale on digital storefronts — SBCG4AP was delisted from GOG on May 27, 2019 and from Steam on February 11, 2020. LCG Entertainment, Inc. acquired many assets and revived the "Telltale" brand in 2019, relisting many of the former company's games; despite this effort, SBCG4AP is largely unavailable for purchase at present:

Wii

The Wii Shop Channel closed on January 30, 2019, removing the ability to purchase the WiiWare version of the game. Users who previously purchased the games can still re-download them. Like all WiiWare games, they can be transferred to follow-up console the Wii U and played via backwards compatibility; no such feature exists for Nintendo's subsequent console, the Nintendo Switch.

PC/Mac

SBCG4AP was relisted to the GOG and Steam catalogues on December 7, 2020. Several years later, following an announcement from Telltale that they no longer held the IP rights and could not continue to "sell or support" the game, it was again delisted on May 30, 2023. Owners can still redownload the game from the storefront it was originally purchased on.

PlayStation

The PS3 version of the game is still available for purchase on the PlayStation Store, if accessed directly via a PlayStation 3 console. The game can also be streamed via PlayStation Plus Premium on modern PS consoles.

Future rereleases

In a 2024 interview, when asked about the potential future availability of the game, The Brothers Chaps noncommittally remarked that "part of us likes that it's become one of those titles you kinda had to be there for, but it would prolly also be okay if it got remastered one day."

Characters

Strong Bad Homestar Runner The Cheat Marzipan Bubs Coach Z Strong Sad Strong Mad The King of Town Teen Girl Squad main cast

Pom Pom The Poopsmith Homsar Gel-arshie Frank Bennedetto (Picture only, also mentioned several times) Peacey P (Picture only) Li'l Brudder (picture only) Jibblies Painting Limozeen (Picture and voice only) Bear Holding a Shark

Senor Cardgage Cheatball (Picture only) Trogdor Stinkoman Videlectrix Guys (Picture and voice only) Rather Dashing Old Man Browntant Chorch Onion Bubs

Places

House of the Brothers Strong Bubs' Concession Stand Coach Z's Locker Room Marzipan's House The King of Town's Castle Strong Badia The Brick Wall The Field The Stick Race Track

Snap Shak Swimming Pool Club Technochocolate Gremlin The Pond Homsar Reservation Smoky Office The Stone Bridge Drive-Thru Whale

Cool Tapes Stage Two-O Duo Stage Pomstar Stage DÖI Stage Videlectrix Mainframe Gel-Arshie's Pro Fruitboarder Backstage Peasantry Planet K Halfathlon

Screenshots

Games

Menu screen for Baddest of The Bands

The title screen of Dangeresque 3: The Criminal Projective

Publicity

The first hint	SBCG4AP Advertisement	SBCG4AP Gameplay Trailer	Strong Bad hard at work on the game at Telltale's offices
A pop-up ad for Dangeresque 3: The Criminal Projective	Pop-up ad for 8-Bit Is Enough (In 2009, the text was changed to promote the whole season)	SBCG4AP Collector's DVD	"Only Videlectrix has the REAL box art!"

Wii Menu

The first released image of Homestar Ruiner in the Wii Menu

The Wii Menu icon for Homestar Ruiner

The Wii Channel banner for Homestar Ruiner

"Totally Popular Strong Bad" promotion on the Wii Shop Channel

Fun Facts

Trivia

Wii Message Board graphics

• A different font is used for the Lappy 486 rather than its regular font, Glitch0.
• The end of each episode teases the next one:
  • Homestar Ruiner — After Strong Bad falls asleep on the couch, the camera pans to the computer room where the Municipality logo is visible on the Lappy 486.
  • Strong Badia the Free — As Strong Bad leaves the castle, he mentions that he wonders if his new Limozeen game was delivered.
  • Baddest of the Bands — When Strong Sad says that the game sounds dangerous, Strong Bad says "No, sounds..." and hums the Dangeresque theme song, while the camera zooms in on the Dangeresque 3 poster.
  • Dangeresque 3: The Criminal Projective — The closing shot is the opening shot of 8-Bit is Enough. Additionally, the Trogdor arcade cabinet can be seen behind Strong Bad.
• When an SBCG4AP message is received via the Wii Message Board, a Strong Bad themed message will show as follows:
  • The envelope has Strong Bad on the right, and if a picture is attached, the picture will be shown on the right. The name of the sender is shown at the bottom.
  • When opening the message, a voice clip of Strong Bad saying "Helloooooooo" can be heard.
  • The message is printed on The Paper with a stamp of the Rocoulm drawn on the left, a TGS style drawing of Strong Bad with a motion-line behind him, and the words, "jibbie jibblie" is on the right. The body of the message is shown in the middle. "STRONG BAD'S COOL GAME FOR ATTRACTIVE PEOPLE" is written at the bottom.

Real-World References

• The Trogdor arcade cabinet's structure is patterned after "Bluster Blaster", a member of the C.O.P.S. from Sam & Max Seasons One and Two.
• The Item Get music that plays every time Strong Bad acquires various bonus items comes from the fifth episode of Sam & Max: Season One, "Reality 2.0".
• The Homestar Runner Wiki is listed in the "Special Thanks" section of the end credits.

Fast Forward

• "SBCG4AP" is crudely edited into Strong Bad's generic endorsement video shown in an Easter egg of Coach Z's 110%.
• The Cheat pulls out a copy of the game (with the Videlectrix cover) in an Easter egg of Which Ween Costumes?.
• In 2018, Strong Bad tweeted that the SBCG4AP release of Dangeresque 3 "doesn't count. As far as I'm concerned, [the movie] remains unreleased."

See Also

• SBCG4AP Advertisement
• SBCG4AP Gameplay Trailer
• SBCG4AP Collector's DVD
• SBCG4AP Interviews
• Behind The Bad
• Sam & Max Season Two Alternate Ending 101

External Links

• Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People at Wikipedia
• Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People at IMDb

This page may contain dead links.

Press releases and promotional media

• Telltale Games—
  • "Announcing Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People for WiiWare" press release (archive link)
  • "Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People Launches August 11" press release (archive link)
  • Telltale Games' site for SBCG4AP
  • Frequently Asked Questions (archive link)
• "Homestar Ruiner" Nintendo WiiWare store page (archive link)
• "A Chat with the Chaps: SBCG4AP Q&A" GameCyte interview (archive link)
• "Are You Cool? Are You Attractive? Strong Bad Makes the Call in His First Game" GameZone interview with lead developer Mark Darin (archive link)
• Cold Hard Flash interview with The Brothers Chaps and Rob Schrab
• Gamespot video interview with Brett Tosti at the Nintendo Media Summit
• 05 Jun 2008 episode of "On The Spot" featuring a SBCG4AP segment
• WiiWare World interview with Mark Darin
• Nintendojo interview with Mark Darin
• 30 Jun 2008 episode of "Gamer Girls Radio" featuring an interview with Mark Darin
• Big Download interview with Chuck Jordan and Emily Morganti
• N-Gamez interview with Mark Darin
• Game Pro Arcade interview with Matt Chapman
• MyWii.com.au interview with Mark Darin
• Coin-op.tv video interview with Dave Grossman at San Diego Comi-Con
• CollegeHumor Interview - 15 Sep 2008 content warning (archive link)
• Cubed3 interview with Mark Darin and Emily Morganti
• Adventure Gamers Interview - 12 Dec 2008
• RPS Interview - 17 Dec 2008
• Adventure Classic Gaming interview with The Brothers Chaps and Mark Darin
• Ron & Fez radio interview with The Brothers Chaps
• Rock, Paper, Shotgun interview with Dan Conners
• OMG Nintendo Interview - 12 May 2009

Reviews and articles

8.6 stars, guys!

• IGN preview of the demo
• Adventure Gamers preview
• GameCyte preview of the demo
• Ars Technica preview
• The Married Gamers preview
• The Target Demographic preview
• IGN preview of the near final first episode
• IGN teaser of second episode from Comic-Con

Awards

• Best Voice Acting - IGN
• Best Voice Acting - Adventure Gamers

Forums

• The Homestar Runner Wiki's Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People subforum
• Telltale Games Forums: Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People sub-forum
  • Unofficial FAQ