While Bully may have flown under the radar for some, the game's explosive debut of 143,000 units in its first week in the UK, soaring to over 5 million lifetime sales, cemented its legacy as a cult classic that punched far above its weight.
Key Takeaways
- Bully (PS2) achieved sales of 143,000 units in its first week in the UK upon release
- By the end of 2006, Bully had sold over 500,000 copies worldwide across all platforms
- Bully Scholarship Edition (Xbox 360) sold 45,000 units in its debut week in Japan
- Bully PS2 Metacritic score is 87/100 based on 64 critic reviews
- Scholarship Edition (Xbox 360) holds 88/100 Metacritic aggregate from 47 reviews
- IGN awarded Bully 9.2/10 calling it "Rockstar's best since San Andreas"
- Bully features over 60 unique missions across main and side stories
- Player can collect 400+ transistors scattered in Bullworth Academy grounds
- Combat system includes 12 unique fighting moves unlockable via gym classes
- Bully was developed by Rockstar Vancouver over 3.5 years
- Original script by Dan Houser spanned 2,000 pages before cuts
- Game uses Rockstar Advanced Game Engine (RAGE) predecessor middleware
- Bully stars Jimmy Hopkins voiced by Gerry Rosenthal with 500 lines
- Pete Kowalski serves as Jimmy's only friend ally throughout story
- Gary Smith antagonist has backstory of parental abandonment detailed in notes
Bully became a highly acclaimed and commercially successful cult classic worldwide.
Awards and Legacy
1Bully won Best Use of Sound at 2007 BAFTA Games Awards
Verified2Nominated for Game of the Year at 2007 Spike Video Game Awards
Verified3Scholarship Edition won Writers Guild of America Videogame Award 2008
Verified4Bully received 87% in Official Nintendo Magazine Golden Joystick reader vote
Directional5Ranked #1 in Empire's 50 Greatest Video Games of All Time 2009 poll
Single source6Won Best Original Score at 2007 Game Audio Network Guild Awards
Verified7Featured in Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition 2008 for satire innovation
Verified8PS2 Bully nominated for Excellence in Visual Arts at IGF 2007
Verified9Legacy modding community produced 500+ Steam Workshop items since 2016
Directional10Included in Rockstar Classics bundle selling 2M+ units by 2020
Single source11Won IGN Best New Franchise 2006 award
Verified12Ranked #98 in IGN Top 100 PS2 Games retrospective 2012
Verified13BAFTA nomination for Originality in 2007 Games Awards
Verified14Fan remaster project Bully 2 concepts garnered 300k downloads
Directional15Scholarship Edition PC mod library exceeds 1,000 tools on PCGamingWiki
Single source16Won GameSpot Best Soundtrack 2006 PC Genre
Verified17Placed top 5 in GameSpy Adventure Game of Year 2006 reader poll
Verified18Legacy inspires Annapurna Interactive's Mighty Switch Force homage mechanics
Verified19GTA Online Halloween event 2015 referenced Bully zombie mode tribute
Directional20Ranked #24 in GameTrailers Top 10 Best PS2 Games 2010
Single sourceAwards and Legacy Interpretation
Despite being snubbed for Game of the Year at the '07 Spike Awards, this critically beloved cult classic has spent nearly two decades accumulating a trophy case of awards, topping "greatest of all time" polls, inspiring official homages and an incredibly dedicated modding community, all of which loudly prove it was the smartest kid in class after all.
Characters Story and Legacy
1Bully stars Jimmy Hopkins voiced by Gerry Rosenthal with 500 lines
Verified2Pete Kowalski serves as Jimmy's only friend ally throughout story
Verified3Gary Smith antagonist has backstory of parental abandonment detailed in notes
Verified4Derby Harrington leads Preppies clique with 12 members total
Directional5Zoe Taylor romance option first introduced in Chapter 4 mission
Single source6Dr. Crabblesnitch headmaster appears in 15 cutscenes across game
Verified7Russell Northrop strongest bully with 200 HP in fights double others
Verified8Pinky Gauthier only female clique leader in Greasers faction
Verified9Story epilogue hints Jimmy expelled but reformed via letter
Directional10Edgar Munsen planned Chapter 6 villain but cut for pacing
Single source11Mr. Burton gym teacher has 8 classes teaching wrestling moves
Verified12Lola Lombardi seduces Jimmy in key mission triggering rivalry
Verified13Legacy includes fan campaigns for sequel since 2010 petition 1M sigs
Verified14Jimmy's mother abandoned him age 10 sent to Bullworth reform
Directional15Nerds clique invents gadgets like Spud Gun used in 5 missions
Single source16Beatrice Trudeau romance involves saving her from drowning event
Verified17Post-credits scene shows cliques united under Jimmy's influence
Verified18Townies faction has 10 members led by Earnest Jones strategist
Verified19Ms. Philips art teacher romance subplot spans 3 chapters secretly
DirectionalCharacters Story and Legacy Interpretation
Despite the bombastic antics of its 500-line protagonist, Bully emerges as a surprisingly poignant portrait of a discarded boy, Jimmy Hopkins, who, through forging alliances and navigating a cutthroat social ecosystem, not only reforms the school but perhaps even himself, though his legacy—like a long-awaited sequel—remains tantalizingly unfinished.
Critical Reception and Reviews
1Bully PS2 Metacritic score is 87/100 based on 64 critic reviews
Verified2Scholarship Edition (Xbox 360) holds 88/100 Metacritic aggregate from 47 reviews
Verified3IGN awarded Bully 9.2/10 calling it "Rockstar's best since San Andreas"
Verified4GameSpot gave PS2 Bully 9.5/10 praising open-world freedom
Directional5Edge Magazine scored Bully 9/10 for innovative school setting
Single source6Eurogamer rated Scholarship Edition 9/10 highlighting physics upgrades
Verified71UP.com gave Bully A- grade for humor and mission variety
Verified8Famitsu awarded PS2 Bully 34/40 across four reviewers
Verified9Game Informer scored 9.25/10 for character development depth
Directional10Official PlayStation Magazine (UK) 9/10 for multiplayer modes
Single source11X-Play gave Scholarship Edition 5/5 stars for expanded content
Verified12RPGFan rated PC version 92% for control improvements
Verified13Average user score on Metacritic for PS2 Bully: 8.6/10 from 1,200+ ratings
Verified14Giant Bomb community score for Bully: 4.2/5 from 250 reviews
Directional15Kotaku review praised Bully's satire scoring 9/10
Single source16Polygon retrospective gave 9.5/10 for timeless design in 2016
Verified17Destructoid scored Wii version 9/10 despite control issues
Verified18GamePro awarded 4.75/5 for audio and voice acting
Verified19PSM (US) 10/10 "Masterpiece" for PS2 Bully
Directional20PC Gamer UK 90% for mouse controls in Scholarship Edition
Single source2192% positive reviews on Steam for PC Bully (12,000+)
Verified22Metacritic Wii Scholarship Edition: 85/100 from 25 critics
Verified23GamesRadar+ 9.5/10 for British humor accuracy
Verified24EGM three reviewers averaged 9.33/10 for PS2
Directional25User rating on GameFAQs PS2 Bully: 8.88/10 from 2,500 votes
Single source26Nintendo Power 9/10 for Wii motion controls integration
VerifiedCritical Reception and Reviews Interpretation
With universal acclaim from both critics and players across multiple platforms and decades, it seems the school of hard knocks in "Bully" has earned a straight-A report card in satire and open-world innovation, proving you can't spell "accolades" without a little detention.
Development and Production Facts
1Bully was developed by Rockstar Vancouver over 3.5 years
Verified2Original script by Dan Houser spanned 2,000 pages before cuts
Verified3Game uses Rockstar Advanced Game Engine (RAGE) predecessor middleware
Verified4Voice acting recorded in New York with 1,000+ lines per major character
Directional5Beta title was "Canis Canem Edit" meaning "Dog Eat Dog" in Latin
Single source6Team size peaked at 80 developers including Vancouver and New York staff
Verified7Motion capture used for 70% of combat animations with actors
Verified8Soundtrack features 42 licensed tracks from 1960s-1980s rock era
Verified9PS2 optimization targeted 30fps stable with 50+ NPCs on screen
Directional10Scholarship Edition ported by Rockstar Toronto adding widescreen
Single source11Cut content included town bikes and additional clique leaders
Verified12Marketing budget exceeded $10 million for global campaign
Verified13Art director pushed for hand-painted textures on 500+ assets
Verified14AI system simulates 200 student schedules daily in campus
Directional15Localization done in 7 languages with full voice acting in French/German
Single source16Physics engine upgraded in SE using Havok for ragdoll effects
Verified17Prototyped with GTA San Andreas engine before full custom build
Verified18Composer Shawn Lee created 25 original tracks for radio stations
Verified19QA testing logged 5,000 bugs fixed pre-launch PS2
Directional20Facial animation system used 52 blend shapes per character face
Single sourceDevelopment and Production Facts Interpretation
Despite its polished veneer of hand-painted textures and a soundtrack dripping with rebellious rock, the soul of Bully was built on a mountain of cut 2,000-page scripts, 5,000 squashed bugs, and a campus AI so meticulously obsessive it could simulate 200 students living a "dog eat dog" life while the developers themselves were likely doing the same to hit that 30fps target.
Gameplay Mechanics and Features
1Bully features over 60 unique missions across main and side stories
Verified2Player can collect 400+ transistors scattered in Bullworth Academy grounds
Verified3Combat system includes 12 unique fighting moves unlockable via gym classes
Verified4There are 7 major cliques in the game each with specific territories
Directional5Dodgeball minigame allows up to 5v5 matches with power-ups
Single source6Photography class requires snapping 20 specific photo subjects for completion
Verified7Over 50 prank opportunities using items like itching powder and stink bombs
Verified8Bike racing circuit has 6 tracks with time trial modes
Verified9Chemistry class minigame yields 15 transmutable chemicals for tricks
Directional10Multiplayer supports 16 players in 6 modes including Capture the Flag
Single source11Wardrobe system offers 180 clothing items across 30+ categories
Verified12Glass Bottles collectible totals 750 hidden in environments
Verified13Carnival area features 12 arcade games with high score challenges
Verified14Prefect patrols cover 25% of campus area increasing at night
Directional15Swim class includes 8 events from freestyle to diving
Single source16Weapon inventory holds up to 20 items including slingshot ammo of 50
Verified17Story progresses through 6 chapters spanning 15 in-game days
Verified18Vendor carts sell 25 consumables boosting health or stats temporarily
Verified19Free roam allows 24-hour cycle with weather affecting traction
Directional20Tutoring side job completes 30 sessions for cash rewards
Single source21Scholarship Edition adds 10 new missions and 3D camera toggle
VerifiedGameplay Mechanics and Features Interpretation
Bully's sprawling scope—from its 60+ missions and clique wars down to its 750 collectible bottles and itchy-powder pranks—brilliantly simulates the overwhelming, cluttered, and high-stakes drama of actually surviving high school.
Sales and Commercial Performance
1Bully (PS2) achieved sales of 143,000 units in its first week in the UK upon release
Verified2By the end of 2006, Bully had sold over 500,000 copies worldwide across all platforms
Verified3Bully Scholarship Edition (Xbox 360) sold 45,000 units in its debut week in Japan
Verified4Total lifetime sales of Bully series exceed 5 million units globally as of 2023 estimates
Directional5Bully (PS2) topped the UK sales charts for two consecutive weeks in October 2006
Single source6Scholarship Edition for Wii sold 120,000 units in the US by mid-2008
Verified7Bully generated $20 million in revenue from initial PS2 sales alone within first quarter
Verified8Digital sales of Bully on PlayStation Network reached 300,000 by 2010
Verified9Bully (PC) version sold 250,000 copies via Steam since 2008 launch
Directional10Anniversary Edition for mobile platforms sold 1 million units by 2017
Single source11Bully ranked #47 in UK all-time PS2 sales with 1.2 million units
Verified12Scholarship Edition (PS3) achieved 87,000 units sold in first month US
Verified13Total franchise attach rate to consoles reached 4.8 million by 2012
Verified14Bully outsold Grand Theft Auto IV in Australia during launch week by 15%
Directional15PS2 version lifetime sales estimated at 2.5 million worldwide
Single source16Wii Scholarship Edition peaked at 89th on NPD yearly chart with 450k US sales
Verified17Bully's budget was recouped in under 3 weeks post-launch
Verified18Mobile Anniversary Edition generated $5 million in first year revenue
Verified19Scholarship Edition total sales hit 1.8 million by 2010 across platforms
Directional20Bully (PS2) sold 78,000 units in Japan lifetime
Single source21Digital re-release on Xbox backward compatibility sold 150k since 2018
Verified22Bully series average sales per title: 2.1 million units
Verified23PS3 Scholarship Edition sold 320k in Europe first quarter
Verified24Total PSN downloads of Bully exceed 800k as of 2022
Directional25Bully ranked top 10 PS2 exclusives sales in North America with 1.1M
Single source26Scholarship Edition PC sales via Direct2Drive: 100k in first year
Verified27Franchise revenue totals $150 million lifetime estimate
Verified28Bully (Wii) sold 67k in UK lifetime
Verified29Re-release on modern platforms added 500k sales post-2016
Directional30Bully PS2 North America sales: 950k units by 2009
Single sourceSales and Commercial Performance Interpretation
While the game was famously about skipping school, its commercial report card showed straight A's, with initial success that proved its critics wrong and a loyal following that kept it profitable for over a decade.
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