I remember watching my step-brother playing this back when it first came out. He'd never let me play, and eventually I forgot about it. When I bought a PS3 a few years later I was bummed to find my model didn't support backwards compatibility. Finally this year I've transferred to PC gaming, and bought Bully in a steam sale last month. Playing a game you've been meaning to get to for over 6 years is an awesome feeling. So, because it meant so much to me, I figured I share some thoughts with veteran fans on here.
The game is a lot more expansive than I remembered! I love the town and all of the class mini games were great - although English and Math were a real pain. Lots of the dialogue was really amusing. Even though he wasn't in it enough, Gary was probably my favourite character along with Jimmy and Lola. The scenery changes for Halloween and Christmas were awesome touches, too.
My only two complaints are that it was too short, and that and the ending was a bit rushed. Even within the chapters that dealt with a single clique, I only ever managed to learn one or two members' names - I would've loved extra missions that dealt with personal issues for all sorts of people around school. As for the ending, that goes for Jimmy's expulsion and the boss fight. I didn't really understand the reasoning behind his expulsion, and it seemed so lame considering how much crap he had gotten away with all year. The Gary fight's set-up was definitely not as unique or memorable as the other boss fights. And the epilogue was so rushed - I really wanted to see the results of Jimmy's actions and the fate of the main characters.
But those complaints are me being picky about a game I ultimately really loved. I think I'll be going for 100% completion (not looking forward to the nerd challenge, lol..) and will probably replay one day. Maybe once Bully 2 is announced, eh?
I'd also like to say that it amazes me there's still a fanbase around for Bully. Proves how fun and engaging this title was for so many different people!