Hey Beavis . . . this game sucks. Hehehe. Review

Hey Beavis . . . this game sucks. Hehehe.

Almost all of us should at least have some memory, good or bad, of Beavis

and Butthead, one of the most famous and controversial duos to ever hit

the television. Whether it was laughing oneself stupid over episodes like Frog

Baseball and Couch Fishing or wanting to beat the hell out of every single person

who imitated their laugh, it’s safe to assume the world is a little different

thanks to Mike Judge. One could assume that it would only be a matter of time

before someone else would try to cash in again on Beavis and Butthead’s success

(some of us might remember Virtual

Stupidity).

Unfortunately, gamers have seen this type of game before and we’re sure to

see it again: a rushed, sorry attempt of a game that will depend only on the

recognizable license to sell copies. Sure, you might enjoy the comical courses

and funny voice clips, but after about 10 minutes, anyone who dropped a dime

for a copy of Beavis and Butthead: Bunghole in One will be kicking themselves

. . . guaranteed.

The premise of Beavis and Butthead: Bunghole in One is extremely basic:

a simplistic 18-hole miniature golf course with familiar characters, settings,

and sound clips from the show. Now, when I say simplistic, I mean dumbed down

to the point of nausea. I can honestly say that I’ve seen shareware games programmed

by teenagers in Europe that are far more impressive, both in looks and gameplay,

than Illusions’ (developer) sorry attempt at a miniature golf game. It’s almost

insulting when publishers put out such an underdeveloped and outdated product

and expect the public to buy it based on the name alone.

With that out of the way, Beavis

and Butthead: Bunghole in One provides one 18-hole course with the option

of playing as six different characters: Beavis, Butthead, Tom Anderson, Mr. Van

Driessen, Todd, and Principal McVicker. What influence does character choice have

on gameplay? Well, depending on the character chosen, you can hear the same couple

of repetitive sound clips over and over again at random points throughout the

game. Is it funny at first? Yes. Does it get annoying as hell in no time flat?

Damn right.

Once everyone (everyone meaning up to four people) has chosen his or her character,

it’s time to hit the course. Each hole is preceded by a pre-rendered, cartoon

fly-by of that particular hole. Graphically, each level consists of one oversized

bitmap.

There are a few basic sprite animations, which usually consist of obstacles

common in a miniature golf course. Last, and definitely least, is the ball movement.

The bottom line is that anyone with any sort of 2D graphical knowledge could

have easily programmed Bunghole in One‘s graphical routines.

In the end, you have to take Beavis and Butthead: Bunghole in One for

what it is: a simple, joke of a game whose little success will come from its

recognizable license. Yes, the recognizable theme song and cherished “uh-huh’s

and “heh-heh’s are all there, but is it really worth the price? While GT Interactive

did put a low $20 price tag on the game, there are a couple of alternatives

to wasting an Andrew Jackson: watching the show (free), getting sound clips

off the Internet (also free), or grabbing Beavis and Butthead graphics

(by George…also free). So, what need is there to dish out the bucks for a

simple, joke of a mini-golf game with the Beavis and Butthead name on it? None.

Now go out there and spend your money on a useless product that is actually

fun.