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Bully: Scholarship Edition

EMAIL PRINT xbox360

8.0 User Score:

Generally favorable reviews

Based on 56 critic reviews
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Based on 31 votes
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Game Info

Publisher: Rockstar Games

Developer: Rockstar Vancouver

Genre(s): Action, Adventure

Players: 1

ESRB Rating: T (Teen)

Release Date: March 3, 2008

Summary

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]

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GAMES: Bully

Cheat Codes & Hints: Cheat Code Central

Also On The Web: Official Website

What The Critics Said

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...

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.

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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.

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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.

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GameTap

It takes the GTA formula and condenses it into a game that requires a quarter of the time commitment.

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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.

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Games Radar (in-house)

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

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IC-Games

This is a top class game that deserves the credit and respect it has been getting.

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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.

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Talk Xbox

If you missed Bully the first time around, scholarship edition is a great game to pick up.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Pelit (Finland)

Bully: Scholarship Edition is not head of its class anymore, but fun and entertaining adventure nonetheless. The tried and true Grand Theft Auto thrown into a boarding school setting defends its place well on the newer consoles too, despite the age already apparent when the facelifted graphics of Xbox 360 version are compared to the new generation standards. But still, Rockstar's strong points have always been excellent characterization and captivating storyline on semi-open sandbox setting, and that Bully delivers very well. [May 2008]

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]

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Gamestyle

If you missed out on Bully first time round then this is the perfect opportunity to catch up.

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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.

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GameTrailers

Its clever writing, nuanced characters, and well-developed system of virtual hijinks and interaction have really stood the test of time.

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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]

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."

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Kombo

It's not exactly Grand Theft Auto caliber, but Bully: Scholarship Edition is still an entertaining open-world romp through Bullworth Academy.

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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!

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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.

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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.

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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.

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.

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TeamXbox

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.

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Play.tm

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.

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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.

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G4 TV

We’re happy to report that since applying the patch, we have not encountered any more crashes.

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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."

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DailyGame

Put all this together, and Bully: Scholarship Edition is a great game.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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GameCritics

Much like the original Bully, Scholarship Edition is entertaining enough at times, but it never rises above being merely good.

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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.

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X360 Magazine UK

This could quite easily be the cancelled Xbox port, wrapped in 360 clothing. [Issue#31, p.82]

1UP

It's really a shame that these technical problems detract from what is an otherwise outstanding experience.

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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.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this game is 8.0 (out of 10) based on 31 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Phil H. gave it a6:
Hilarious story line, looses points for the glitches and consistent freezing. Get very annoying when you have to re-play several missions because your game froze.

John M. gave it an8:
While more could have been done to improve the graphics, (they really should have just ported it to the RAGE engine) its a very long and engrossing plot with a multitude of missions that are usually fresh and changing, I get the feeling the mini games would be more fun wii i think the only thing that bugs me about it is....no downloadable content, games like this NEED dlc nowwa days! but still, definitely worth buying, just probably not if you've already beaten the ps2 version.

King B. gave it a3:
FedEx quests, escort quests and mini games. Yawn. This game may be the reason I don't bother playing the next Grand Theft Auto. I now realize there may be nothing new to do in "sandbox" games. Honestly, there are quests where all you do is escort a slow, fat guy from point A to point B. I'm serious. I played for almost 12 hours, I still have no idea what the plot is, if there is one and where this game is headed. I have not had any fun yet with any of the quests, some being nothing more than extremely frustrating. It was a rental, no loss. Great art design, though.

J Reb gave it a9:
This game is lovely as hell and its ACTUALLY funny. Get this as a warm up for GTAIV if you haven't already played it on PS2.

Andy K. gave it a5:
Funny gameplay but average graphics with many technical problems, slowdowns and freezes.

Kevin R. gave it a9:
A re-issue of one of the best games on the PS2, Bully: Scholarship Edition comes off as one of the most impressive offerings on the 360 to date. A great story, interesting, relatable characters, and an open, yet not completely free world with plenty to do all make for a great experience. And while the graphics are somewhat hampered, they are definitely among the middle of the pack on the 360, and dwarf the graphics on both the PS2 and the Wii.

Jalex D. gave it a0:
All in all, a rather lazy rehashing of what was a mediocre game at best. It doesn't fix any of the problems that were present on the PS2 version, it just gives you more to do. And, these tasks are no more entertaining than the original tasks.

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Bully: Scholarship Edition

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