Another funny little feature is the ability for Strong Bad to wear costumes and take pictures in a photo booth. (In the Wii version of the game, you can mail these pictures to your friends.) When you’ve finished the game and unlocked Extended Play mode, Strong Bad can wear these costumes outside the photo booth. It’s too bad that the characters don’t comment on his odd attire.

Since the game is only the first episode in a five-part series, it’s surprisingly not very short. It’s not that difficult (with the exception of a few sequences) and you can easily finish it in around four hours. However, there is replay value from the included mini-games, and completionists will want to collect all the “Teen Girl Squad” and Snake Boxer 5 pages, and trophies. Yes, there are trophies.

The controls are relatively smooth; hold down the left mouse button to direct Strong Bad where you want him to go. However, this can be a little awkward if there’s an obstacle. For example, if you try to click on the loose pile of dirt in Marzipan’s yard while she’s in front of it, you may accidentally click on her instead. Furthermore, the dialogue tree needs some improvement. I’d like to be able to tell when Strong Bad is finished talking to someone so that I don’t have to accidentally repeat a conversation, though thankfully conversations can be fast forwarded.

While there have been reports of a glitch in the Wii version that causes it to freeze, thankfully that problem isn’t found in the PC version. The graphics were a bit laggy at times, but not enough to be a headache. The biggest bug I found occurred in the King of Town’s castle. Although Strong Bad accomplished his mission and was outside, he suddenly reappeared in the castle and is tossed outside.

Barring minor technical errors, The Homestar Ruiner is a great start for this episodic game. It’s funny, inexpensive, easy to play, and has replay value from the mini-games. Since it appeals strongly to devoted fans of the animated series, strangers to the Homestar Runner universe may not get all the in-jokes and strange humor. Therefore, if you’re curious to try it out, I suggest visiting the Homestar Runner website first and reading a few Strong Bad Emails to familiarize yourself with the characters.

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