Bully for PlayStation 2

The fine folks at Rockstar games have done it again. They've created a game I'm destined to monopolize the bulk of my free time over the next few weeks. If you've found yourself roaming around Liberty City, Vice City or San Andreas, then I think you're gonna' wanna' spend some time at Bullworth Academy.

In "Bully", you take on the role of 15 year old Jimmy Hopkins, a juvenile delinquent kicked out of every respectable and not so respectable Academy known to the free world. Even Jimmy's own mom seems to have abandoned him, dumping him off at the infamous Bullworth Academy so she can run off with Jimmy's newest step dad.

You're assaulted by your fellow classmates almost from the time your Mama drops you off at the gates of the Academy. The Headmaster and his secretary openly mock you, and deep down you know this really is your last chance. . .if you can survive.

If you've spent any time at all playing a GTA game since GTA III, then the controls and missions of "Bully" will be instantly familiar (Especially "San Andreas"). For those that haven't, the camera hangs just behind Jimmy as you navigate him around campus. At first, you only have access to the campus itself, but as you progress through the game and complete missions, you'll gain access to the town and neighborhood surrounding "Bullworth Academy".

The best part is you're free to roam and explore at will. Just like the GTA missions, you decide when you want to try them. Want to skip class? Go ahead! But get busted for truancy by one of the many security personnel around campus and they'll force you to go to class while they confiscate some of your precious contraband. In between classes, you can get into fights, hit on and make out with girls, steal from lockers, etc.

The Classes

As much fun as it is to skip class, you might actually enjoy the class time in "Bully". I especially love going to art class, as it's just a mini game version of the arcade classic "Qix". Chemistry class is a rhythm game similar to club dancing in "San Andreas" or the PS1 classic "Parrapa the Rapper". English class is a word game that I know that I'm going to have to cheat at when I reach the higher levels. (In English, you're given the task of making as many words out of 7 letters as you can in a given time frame. The hard part isn't so much finding the words as it is just trying to beat the clock.)

Unlike real school, you receive instant gratification for passing a class. Pass chemistry, and you're rewarded with cool goodies to use against your tormentors. Things such as firecrackers and stink bombs you can make with your very own chemistry set! Pass art, and you'll get health bonuses from kissing the girls. Pass enough, and you'll go from Georgie Porgie to Cassanova before you know it!

The Missions

I really enjoy completing the missions, as they not only advance the interesting story, but they're usually juvenile spins on previous GTA missions. So far I've competed in a beach bike race, planted a stink bomb in a cheerleader's locker, and stolen back a diary from a girl's professor. (You get to read part of the diary too!)

Most of the time you're also racing against the clock, too. You're only given a certain amount of time to complete certain missions, plus you have to work against the game clock too. If you're out on a mission after 11 PM, you can get busted for being out past curfew. Spend too much time fighting back against bullies that harass you and you'll run out of time. As long as you stay focused and can navigate using a map, then the missions aren't too much of a challenge.

In some ways, the game is almost like one of those classic game compilations I'm so fond of. An in game arcade game plays exactly like "Super Sprint", The art class is like "Qix", and one of the missions is a boxing game just like the classic "Punch Out". So if you misspent your youth at an arcade or playing any of the many compilations released over the years, you'll smile as you breeze through these. They're top rate clones too, unlike the lame-o ones scattered throughout San Andreas.

I've read a few articles about this game decrying that it encourages kids to fight and become a bully. Obviously, these are from people who haven't played the game. I think part of the fun is it manages to make fun of all the clicks and clubs, and the general attitude of the game is all this bullying is unnecessary. No group or clique is spared, including Jimmy Hopkins himself.

I'm only about 15% through the game, but the storyline seems to be a bit linear. Your actions affect how you're treated by certain factions, but the storyline seems to have more control over your destiny than you do. I wish it could be more like the earlier versions of GTA games where there was more push and pull between your actions and what cliques seem to take to you. But that's a minor gripe, and maybe even unnecessary, as that could make the game even longer and more challenging than it already is.

Fortunately the storyline is well written enough to keep you interested. All these kids have self motives and flaws, including Jimmy. For me, it's a welcome refresher from those annoyingly perfect but still bratty Final Fantasy pretty boys and girls.

Young kids shouldn't play this game, but I'd feel comfortable letting anyone over 15 with a stable personality play. Sure, there's cussing, violence and fights. . .basically the same things they're exposed to in the Education system. I'm having a blast taking on "Bully" and I think you might, too.