As one of the most prolific developers in the gaming industry, Rockstar Games has a deep catalog it could remaster, with titles like Manhunt, Max Payne and others being worthy of the honor. However, Bully needs a remaster more than those other games. With the release of Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition coming next week, Bully should be the next title Rockstar revisits.

Bully released on the PlayStation 2 in 2006, followed by Bully: Scholarship Edition for Xbox 360, Wii and PC in 2008, and a mobile port in 2016. Each edition so far has kept the basic gameplay the same, with Scholarship Edition adding more content. Though Bully was designed to be a less violent, more accessible version of the Grand Theft Auto franchise, it ended up causing just as much, if not more, controversy as Rockstar's iconic series.

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Bully was tremendously controversial when it released, with detractors claiming it glorified bullying. However, that couldn't be farther from the truth. Most of the criticism came from people who judged Bully before anyone had actually played it. If they had, they would likely have found it to be a charming look at life in a private high school that challenges the hierarchy of high school popularity through protagonist Jimmy Hopkins, who takes down bullies.

jimmy hopkins bully game

Like other rereleases, Scholarship Edition added new missions, characters, school classes and unlockable items. The Wii version even added motion controls for some mini-games. However, the new edition also added myriad bugs and glitches that made the game unplayable at certain points. Despite switching to a new game engine, Scholarship Edition didn't do much to improve the graphics or performance either. Between freezing up after certain missions and characters not loading in properly, Bully: Scholarship Edition had some definite issues, especially in the Xbox 360 version.

Still, the underlying game is a fun experience that's unfortunately hindered by glitches and bugs. This is where a remaster would really help. Just as it is with the GTA remaster, Rockstar could implement modern gaming innovations with Bully. Simple features like checkpoints and auto-save would go a long way, and Rockstar could take what it has learned from issues like the "Zero missions" in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and San Andreas and make adjustments to some of Bully's missions. Fixing the controls for the bike missions or when riding the clunky skateboard would improve the overall experience, and some of the frustrating mini-games could be reworked in a remaster.

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Graphics and sound were never the game's strong suit, but with a new fresh coat of paint and HD textures, Bully could go from dated to modern. The original's audio and voiceovers were also heavily compressed, making them fall short of modern gamers' expectations. Scholarship Edition made some fixes, but the game is still jarring to hear nowadays.

The juvenile delinquents get agitated in Bully

Depending on how deep Rockstar goes, changing Bully's various mini-games from quick-time events could update the game for the modern age. Some of the gameplay mechanics and controls are also stuck in that mid-2000s, such as the driving and skateboarding sections. The draw distance and textures suffer from the same issues as other open-world games, but these could be relatively easy fixes considering how much experience Rockstar has when it comes to creating engaging open worlds.

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Overall, Bully is a great game that has been somewhat lost to time. It's simple but nuanced story send the important message that bullying is not the way, and Jimmy Hopkins is a protagonist who deserves to stand alongside other Rockstar greats like CJ and Arthur Morgan. He starts out as a problem child who has been dealt a bad hand, but over the course of the game, he becomes a leader who brings together Bullworth Academy's various cliques. The game gives players the option to decide if Jimmy is going to be a nice guy who still beats up bullies or just a troublemaker, and Jimmy's journey of self-discovery makes the story so engaging.

Remastering Bully would be a great chance for the game to get the attention is has always deserved, highlighting its great story and concepts while smoothing out its issues. It could also open the door for a sequel down the line. With Rockstar's parent company Take-Two Interactive working on three unannounced remastersBully absolutely deserves to be one of them.

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