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Both the Wii and Xbox 360 versions retain the wit and deep gameplay of the previously released PS2 title "Bully" and boasts additional new content. Bully: Scholarship Edition takes place in the fictional New England boarding school of Bullworth Academy and tells the story of 15-year-old Jimmy Hopkins as he experiences the highs and lows of adjusting to a new school. Capturing the hilarity and awkwardness of adolescence perfectly, Bully: Scholarship Edition pulls the player into its cinematic and engrossing world. [Rockstar Games]
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more... 92
Game Chronicles
There are a lot more good lessons to be learned in Bully than bad ones, especially the importance of time management, actually attending classes, and even getting an after school job.
 91
GameShark
If you already experienced the PlayStation 2 version the added content is enough to make another romp in the schoolyard worth your time and money.
90
AtomicGamer
Next to the countless genre clones in the 360 library, Bully: Scholarship Edition stands at the head of the class, easily earning an A for originality.
90
GameTap
It takes the GTA formula and condenses it into a game that requires a quarter of the time commitment.
90
GameSpy
Bully is a game that transcends the technical limitations of its programming, achieving despite its flaws in ways that few games have dared to try.
90
Games Radar
Bully's still a captivating, cartoonish adventure that packs a ton of activity into its deceptively small world, and it's still a lot of fun to run around dodging prefects and thwacking preppies with a slingshot.
90
PGNx Media
The polished graphics, new missions and classes, and multiplayer mode are all icing on the cake for a game that is genuinely funny and provides a rather unique experience.
90
DarkStation
If you're a fan of GTA, then Bully: Scholarship Edition is a game that you should at least check and give a chance, it will surprise you.
89
Xbox360Achievements
Great single player campaign that’ll last you quite a while if you’re going for 100% completion, although multiplayer is a bit of a let down.
88
Extreme Gamer
The extra content in the Scholarship Edition don’t really justify another purchase, however everyone else should spend some time schooling some Bullies at Bullworth
87
IC-Games
This is a top class game that deserves the credit and respect it has been getting.
87
IGN
Though it has some limitations, particularly in the lack of depth of the social structure, there are many other great aspects to enjoy. And really, there is no other game like Bully on 360. If you haven't figured it out yet, Bully is a great game.
87
Talk Xbox
If you missed Bully the first time around, scholarship edition is a great game to pick up.
85
Game Informer
Bully was a fantastic release late in the life of the PS2, and I’m pumped that the folks I know who’ve become gamers this generation now have a chance to experience it for themselves. For those of us who’ve already had our fun the first time, I’m not sure a second run at high school is really in order.
85
GameZone
The missions are amusing and fun and so are exploring your surroundings. This new edition also includes some new classes and co-op mini-games that make this game a real gem.
85
PTGamers
Even though it doesn't use the power of next-gen, Bully is fun, entertains and has a lot of content, something like 15 hours only following the story missions. Bully is a game full of charisma.
84
Xbox World 360 Magazine UK
Shame they couldn't have spruced it up for 360 but it's still great fun. [May 2008, p.85]
83
Gaming Nexus
The bottom line is that Bully: Scholarship Edition is one of those games that you have an extremely hard time putting down and allows the mischievous kid in all of us to come out.
83
Worth Playing
Xbox 360 owners and newcomers who have never experienced any of Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto titles might find Bully's introductory course to be a good manner of getting their feet wet, while Rockstar loyalists will enjoy the kind of free-roaming gameplay that they've come to expect from the studio.
82
Console Monster
Rockstar have done a good job of porting the game from thePlayStation 2 to one of the most entertaining XBOX 360 titles available.
81
ActionTrip
If you've already played Bully on the PS2, it's safe to say you'll find all the new elements a rather cool addition to the game.
80
ZTGameDomain
This “late-to-the-party” edition is chock full of enough extra content to make the wait worthwhile, and if you have already seen all Bullworth has to offer on the PS2 there is enough here to at least warrant a rental.
80
Gamestyle
If you missed out on Bully first time round then this is the perfect opportunity to catch up.
80
Xbox World Australia
For some, Bully has a few minor glitches and hitches, for others, the game is virtually unplayable and broken. But if you're lucky enough to only get a mild dose of this, Bully's view of the world through a child's eyes will amuse and entertain you for hours.
80
GameTrailers
Its clever writing, nuanced characters, and well-developed system of virtual hijinks and interaction have really stood the test of time.
80
games(TM)
In main character Jimmy Hopkins’ quest to turn one of the worst schools in the US around, you’ll find Bully has a lot of heart. [Apr 2008, p.116]
80
Gameplayer
There really isn’t another game quite like it on Xbox 360, full stop. However, if you’ve already spent a year at the Bullworth Academy on the PS2, then you needn’t bother repeating – it’s time for you to graduate to "GTA IV."
80
Gamervision
There’s so much to do that it feels overwhelming at first, with so many missions, classes, students begging you for favors, and ladies looking for romance. Once you’ve spent a little time at Bullworth, though, you’ll learn how to manage your time wisely and get things done the way you want to.
80
Cheat Code Central
If you never got a chance to play the original Bully, you are really missing out and should pick up a copy of the superior Scholarship Edition as soon as possible. However, if you have already played Bully on the PS2, there really aren't a lot of compelling reasons to play through this version.
80
VideoGamer
You'll care about sneaking back to your dorm after curfew, forgetting to buy flowers for the girl you quite fancy, or earning a few quid before school starts. It's a fun experience from start to finish (something that will take longer than you might think) and a welcome breath of fresh air - even if it is a port.
80
Kombo
It's not exactly Grand Theft Auto caliber, but Bully: Scholarship Edition is still an entertaining open-world romp through Bullworth Academy.
80
Gamer.nl
Bully is a very enjoyable game with the typical Rockstar atmosphere and humour. Too bad Bully is the most ugly guy in the classroom. We had problems with framerates and freezings, but accordering to Rockstar the game will be patched this week. Anyway, these minor things doesn't take away the fact that Bully: Scholarship Edition is the ultimate chance to get the Bully attitude out of us. Class dismissed!
80
EuroGamer
Had the crash problems not made it into the retail code, we might have scored it higher, but Rockstar's programmers are in detention this week sorting it out, so hopefully within a few days of your reading this we won't feel like beating them up behind the bike-sheds as we do now. The fact we're so happy to be playing Bully again in spite of this ought to speak for itself.
80
GameDaily
The game didn't make a smooth transition from the PlayStation 2, and suffers from frame rate hiccups and lots of load sequences, but it's one heck of a good time, whether you're sneaking through the girls dorm or dissecting a frog.
80
360 Gamer Magazine UK
Bully is an absolute joy and the perfect warm up to Grand Theft Auto IV. In fact, compared to some entries in the GTA series, we’d have to say Bully’s story is more engaging and, overall, it’s got a charming sense of fun that’s often missing in the car-jacking, prozzie-shagging world of San Andreas or Liberty City.
80
Official Xbox Magazine
This game isn’t one you stick with for its story. A bully’s quest to end bullying among cliques by relentlessly bullying everyone does not make a good yarn. But it does make an impressively wide-open world full of tons of gameplay types and nuggets of surprise. Your inner game explorer won’t be able to resist.
80
Team Xbox
Sure, the content isn’t exactly tailor made for an afterschool special, but it’s a great exaggeration of the hijinks and hard times that just about anyone can relate to. And thanks to Rockstar’s decision to give fans continuing education by expanding the game’s content, there’s plenty in place to please both Bullworth freshmen and alumni alike.
80
Ferrago
But, all the problems aside it's still great fun when it works and for that reason, had it been released bug free, we'd be looking at a score in the 90's. As it is the painfully obvious nature of those bugs make it impossible to ignore them entirely however much you may want to.
80
Giant Bomb
There’s something thoroughly satisfying about getting to play out your prankish schoolboy fantasies, though it’s the game’s excellence that makes the technical shortcomings specific to Bully: Scholarship Edition on the Xbox 360 so heartbreaking.
80
G4 TV
We’re happy to report that since applying the patch, we have not encountered any more crashes.
80
AceGamez
With enjoyable characters and a story that's great fun, along with a host of things to see, do and find that will take you hours and hours to fully discover, Bully can definitely stand up to some of the bigger boys on 360 and is the perfect way to while away your time until the ever-nearing release of "Grand Theft Auto IV."
80
DailyGame
Put all this together, and Bully: Scholarship Edition is a great game.
79
Game Over Online
If you absolutely have no other way of playing the game, then give this a rental, and if you like it, buy it once the price has dropped and its major glitches have been patched up by Rockstar.
77
Gamer 2.0
So the verdict is simple: If you’ve never played it, buy it; just don’t expect an engrossing experience. Simply expect to be entertained with a few genuine laughs.
75
MS Xbox World
Bully is a pretty decent game, although I can't comment on how much different the experience is if you've already played the PS2 version to death many moons ago. If like me you are new to the fold, then Bully is a highly entertaining tongue firmly in cheek look at modern day school life with a twist of old fashioned tomfoolery thrown in for good measure.
74
Computer and Video Games
The polygon boost isn't enough to stop Bully looking dated. But there's still plenty of fun to be had here if you didn't play the original.
70
GamePro
It's disappointing really because Bully offers incredibly entertaining gameplay that's worthwhile, but the improvements that should have come with the jump to the more powerful Xbox 360 hardware just don't pan out.
70
GameSpot
Bully's enhanced rerelease is raucously entertaining, but you may need to look past some frustrating glitches to get the most out of it.
70
Official Xbox Magazine UK
But the thing which pulls this down to a seven is actually its technical aspect - while diving in and out of the subgames would amuse, the constant loading pauses before most fracture its atmosphere.
70
Boomtown
There’s a good game here, with at least twenty hours of gameplay to keep you occupied, but it’s nothing we haven’t seen before, even if this wasn’t essentially just a re-release with a few added extras.
70
GameCritics
Much like the original Bully, Scholarship Edition is entertaining enough at times, but it never rises above being merely good.
70
Thunderbolt
Despite its shortcomings – even the game-stopper bugs – it simulates almost perfectly the experiences of a typical schoolchild, despite being ridiculously over-the-top in almost every manner.
70
X360 Magazine UK
This could quite easily be the cancelled Xbox port, wrapped in 360 clothing. [Issue#31, p.82]
67
1UP
It's really a shame that these technical problems detract from what is an otherwise outstanding experience.
67
Gaming Age
It can be funny and disturbing while being challenging and clever. It's just too bad more care wasn't taken in making it available on a new platform.
Phil H. gave it a6: John M. gave it an8: King B. gave it a3: J Reb gave it a9: Andy K. gave it a5: Kevin R. gave it a9: Jalex D. gave it a0: |
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