PSP World

Bully: Scholarship Edition Review!

Making stink bombs, running from authorities, picking fights with jocks, and still having time to go to class...seems like a typical school day, right? Well, for Jimmy Hopkins it is and this time he's got his hands full. In the video game Bully: Scholarship Edition, players get to control Jimmy Hopkins and decide whether or not this delinquent can actually prove everyone wrong and not get expelled from another school.

Bully: Scholarship Edition revolves around Jimmy Hopkins, a delinquent who has been expelled from every school he's been to. His last chance at redemption takes place at the fictional New England boarding school named Bullworth Academy in the town of Bullworth. Here, the player is free to do whatever he or she wants with Jimmy Hopkins and see if they can survive Bullworth Academy without getting busted by the Perfects, the so-called "Security Guards" of the school.

The game was originally published for the PS2, but because of its success, it just had to come to the 360 and the Wii. One thing that players will notice right away is the higher-resolution of the graphics. It looks more crisp and smoother. In addition, the game has many new features that surpass the PS2 version. These new features include:

- 8 New Missions
- 4 New Classes (Biology, Music, Math, and Geography)
- New unlockable items and clothing
- New 2 Player offline minigames

and many more!

Players can also unlock new skills by going to class. These skills include talking your way out of getting busted by perfects, getting kisses from girls (which help with increasing health), talking your way out of getting bullied, learning new fighting moves, and even creating your own stink bombs and firecrackers.

One of the Pros of the Wii edition of this game is the utilization of the Wii-mote. Players will surely enjoy this new feature during classes. For example, players will have to beat a drum in rhythm during Music class and also dissect an animal with precision during Biology class. However, the most enjoyable experience of the Wii-mote in this game may come from fighting. The player will feel as if they are getting a work out as they scrap with the jocks.

Another thing players may enjoy is the multiplayer minigames that the game offers. Not only are they fun, but they also require the players to actually think (such as the English and Geography minigames). Despite having to think, the minigames are enjoyable and may even teach players a thing or two that they haven't even learned in school yet. I don't want to give away anything about the minigames. It is better for players to discover what kind of homework assignment lies waiting for them.

One thing I was disappointed in was some of the glitches in the game. At one point during a mission, I was at low health and I could not grab the sodas on the floor near the jock I had beaten. Not only did it confuse me, but it also irritated me. After that, I had run out of health, yet I was still alive. I was able to grab the sodas on the floor only after I had completed the mission. I don't know if it was part of the mission, but it may set some sort of confusion for the players. Also, players may start to feel some repetitive and redundant gameplay going on.

I could not find any other disappointments for the game except for some slight glitches and repetitive gameplay. Other than that, the game is definitely worth checking out and playing. Get some friends together, hook up those nun-chuk controllers, and prepare yourself for the fun and mischief that Bully: Scholarship Edition has to offer. For the price of $49.99 SRP, this game of worth your while.

Screenshots courtesy of Rockstar