Over 17 years ago, on October 17, 2006, Bully was released for the PlayStation 2. This game was developed by Rockstar Vancouver and published by Rockstar Games. So, if you haven’t heard of Bully, but are aware of other games released by Rockstar Games, then you might have an idea of what kind of game this is.
You play as 15-year-old anti-hero protagonist, Jimmy Hopkins, who begins his journey by being dropped off in front of Bullworth Academy, not before being mocked by his mom and “new” stepfather right as they skid off to their honeymoon cruise. Bullworth Academy, which is a high school, is where you spend a majority of the time in the game, however, you’re able to explore the adjoining town. There’s Bullworth Town, Old Bullworth Vale, New Coventry, Blue Skies Industrial Park, and Happy Volts Asylum – which eventually become available as you progress through the story. These areas offer a bunch of side quests/games that are a ton of fun and add a lot of extra content. You can’t go off exploring all day though, since you are a 15-year-old high school student, you need to attend classes twice a day. Attending classes is actually beneficial though, because as you progress through each class, you unlock rewards that help you, such as bike upgrades, weapon upgrades, combat upgrades, etc.
As Jimmy, you need to restore peace to Bullworth Academy. This can be accomplished by winning over the different cliques (Jocks, Nerds, Bullies, Preps, etc.) at school uniting them under your rule. With any Rockstar Game, the story is insane… I mean, you play a Bully… bullying bullies, to stop bullying. You deal with a ton of memorable “characters” along the way – for instance, Algernon “Algie” Papadopoulos. If you know – you know!
Bully is definitely a classic, and for me, it’s 100% one of my top 5 favorite PS2 games. Jimmy Hopkins is a prime example of a one percenter. What are your thoughts?