In the world of online entertainment, you'd be hard pressed to find something that has been as consistently funny as Strongbad. You'd also be hard-pressed to find something that has survived so long on the web. For 8 years now Mike and Matt Chapman have been churning out laughs and building a universe of their own. Such ongoing success is a testament to the strength of the franchise. No wonder they decided it was time to branch out into the world of gaming. So how did Homestar Runner, the first episode of StrongBad's Cool Game For Attractive People turn out? SBCGFAP is the best game Telltale has done to date.

Over the past few years Telltale Games has been refining the point'n'click adventure genre to the point of perfection -- first with Bone, then with Sam & Max. What we see in SBCGFAP is the culmination of everything they've learned from their previous efforts. The story is paced well, the puzzles are never frustrating, the interface is simplified to the point of idiot-proof. It's one of the most accessible titles on the market. Homestar fans who've never played a game in their life should be able to get from beginning to end without any bumps in the road -- and that's good, because this game seems like an opportunity to bring people on board who shy away from gaming. Everybody loves StrongBad.

But enough of the top-view gushing, let's get into the meat and potatoes.

It should probably be mentioned that discussing a game like this without letting a few small spoilers slip out would be downright impossible. If you want the experience to be 100% fresh, I'd stop reading this now.

The story starts out much like any episode of StrongBad's -- answering emails. Today's email poses an interesting question: if StrongBad hates Homestar so much, why hasn't he beat the snot out of him already? Once the set-up gets out of the way, you're let loose in the house of StrongBad to begin your adventure. The first thing you'll notice is the strikingly solid visuals. There's always a bit of challenge in taking something 2D and making it 3D, and Telltale hit it out of the park on this one. That third dimension is so subtle that you can barely tell it's there, rendering the vibe of being in a Strongbad cartoon completely unspoiled -- and that vibe is there right from the get-go. In the first five minutes of gameplay you'll get to flip The Cheat's "rave" light switch, draw your own Teen Girl Squad cartoon, and ridicule StrongSad. The game doesn't just rely on rehashing old story elements fan service, though. A number of new elements that fit into the universe perfectly have been added, like the Atari-boxing-esque Snake Boxer 5 or the main story element -- The Race to the End of the Race.

The main gameplay is not unlike that of Telltale's past games, however it's been greatly streamlined. Rather than choosing from specific dialogue options, a speech bubble pops over StrongBad's head whenever he has a decision to make. Inside the bubble are pictographs representing your choices. Examples: devil/angel Strongbad's for nice/mean comments, champagne bottle to talk about the party, trophy to talk about the race, etc.. Initially it seems like a design choice intended to make things easier for those playing on WiiWare, however even when playing on PC I found it sped the process up because of it's simplified nature.

The puzzles are fairly simple, though not to the point of being a let down. Like most of Telltale's games if you think you know what to do and it isn't working, you need to rethink the strategy. Just take a peek in your inventory and think about the situation at hand -- the solution is almost always easier than you're letting it be, and will usually jump out at you pretty quickly. King of Town keeps stealing your chocolate? Dig up that loose dirt so he'll fall in. Does he see the hole and walk around it? Cover it up with those hedge clippings. They're simple, they're solvable, but they're not so easy that you'll ever get bored with them.

SBCGFAP's gameplay doesn't always focus on the main story though. There are a few mini-game diversions provided along the way, not all of which are as solid as the main game. The first of these is Teen Girl Squad. Not five minutes into the game you'll come across StrongBad's drawing table -- clicking on it let's you create your own Teen Girl Squad comic. Most of the work is already done for you. It's up to you to accessorize the girl's and pray it leads to their gruesome deaths. It plays out kind of like the plans Jack Nicholson's Joker had. Hairspray alone won't kill you, but maybe the hairspray, lipstick and sunblock will. There's some sense behind what combinations will do what, and figuring it out is super-gratifying. More accessories can be found during the course of the game scrawled on Teen Girl Squad idea cards, which can then be taken back to the table. Of all the mini-games, this is the only one that I'd call a resounding success. If this were a standalone product with 10x the content, I'd buy it.

Snake Boxer 5 on the other hand is cool only because of what it is and not because of how it plays. It's essentially Activision Boxing for the Atari 2600, but rather than featuring two men it features one man and one snake. The reference and requisite twist are a perfect fit for this series, but remember -- it's Activison Boxing. It wasn't fun in 1980 and it's not fun now. The other diversions from the main gameplay include using a metal detector to find things like Teen Girl Squad note cards and pages from the Snake Boxer 5 manual (collect them all and unlock a secret mode!), and competing in the Race to the End of the Race.

Competing in the race has to be the worst of them. The controls for crossing the log (the first part of the race) are fundamentally broken and make you want to throw your mouse. Don't get too frustrated though -- once you finish the game, you'll see how they were likely intended to be that broken in the first place. ***BIG SPOILER WARNING*** You can't finish the race without cheating, and you can't cheat the first time you come across it. I pass this spoiler on to you only because I'd hate to see someone walk away from this game because they gave up here. ***END SPOILER***

When I said earlier that SBCGFAP was the best thing Telltale has done to date, I meant every word. Sure there are a few small gripes like the mini-games, or the limited responses from NPC's (there are usually only two for each situation, while Sam & Max often had more), but these are really just nit-picky concerns. Despite the short play time (a typical situation for episodic content -- this one took 3-4 hours to complete) Homestar Ruiner offers more bang for your buck than any other title in the genre. Thanks to the frequent and fantastic humor, repeated plays are more than welcome -- they're damned well required. Whether you pick it up on the PC or WiiWare (we've been assured by Telltale that the difference is negligible) StrongBad's Cool Game For Attractive People Episode 1: Homestar Ruiner is a must-own title this summer.

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