| Introduction
Kim Possible was released in North America some time
in November last year but got lost in the deluge of
"Triple A" titles which got the lion's share
of press coverage. For those that don't know, Kim Possible
is a popular animated series that airs on Disney Channel
and ABC Kids. Here's a summary of the game's plot:
"Dr. Drakken has found a maniacally new way
to take over the world - with a credit card! He's hired
a host of thugs and bought menacing creations to carry
out his plans to thwart Kim's attempts to stop him.
He's even kidnapped Ron, making Kim's job even more
difficult! Kim will have to rely on her training and
some timely advice from Wade to track Dr. Drakken down
and put him out of commission! Can Kim handle it all
on her own?"
GamePlay
Kim Possible is a side scrolling platform cum beat'em
up type of game. There are some puzzle elements too
but not to worry, as your handy Kimmunicator will usually
explain these puzzles with information beamed directly
from HQ. You'll also have to overcome some rather tricky
situations by utilizing Kim's expertise in acrobatics,
although this is generally quite problematic because
of the control system which I'll explain about later.
During your adventures, you'll discover bonus items
littered about the levels. Some of these items will
help you in your quest while others will simply help
to increase your score. Some of the more helpful items
include ray guns and bombs that will allow you to pick
off enemies from a distance, which is especially helpful
when you're low on health. If you collect all the bonus
items and complete a level with a perfect score, you'll
get the incentive to view an unlocked image in the gallery.
Unfortunately, however, the unlocked items only remain
if you record the less than user friendly pass code
on a piece of paper and remember not to misplace it.
Control
I must warn that the Kim Possible control system
has one particularly flawed and poorly implemented move,
and that is the very essential 'super' or 'double jump'.
Now, rather than allowing you to gain greater height
by tapping the 'A' button a couple of times, the developers
have decided instead that in order to grab that slightly
out of reach platform, you'll have to pull off a combo
that entails performing a cartwheel and then jumping
at just the right moment. This is difficult as the move
requires split second timing to succeed. You can of
course ignore pulling it off if it's just to reach a
bonus item, but when you have to do it to move on to
the next level, it becomes a big problem and not to
mention, frustrating as hell. The rest of the control
system is okay, it's just this one move that for me,
wrecks much of the game's playability.
Graphics
Digital Eclipse has maintained a high visual standard
for Kim Possible and everything is designed to complement
the cartoon series with forced perspective buildings
and vibrantly decorated interiors populating the levels.
The animation's pretty good too with Kim and the wide
variety of foes moving in a smooth and pleasing fashion.
There are also some choice FMV clips taken from the
series which is always a welcome addition as opposed
to static cut screens.
Sound & Music
The music in Kim Possible is not too bad although
cheesy and reminiscent of the standard spy movie soundtracks.
Sound effects wise you get the usual grunts and groans
as Kim battles though the levels, with the odd explosion
and laser noise whenever a bonus item is activated.
Most impressive though is the audio that accompanies
the FMV clips. Generally, because of the high compression,
most FMV clips don't sound too good. Digital Eclipse,
however, have aside from perfecting the video stream
in the clips, also mastered the audio aspect, resulting
in FMV that not only look good but sound crystal clear
as well.
Final Comments
Just like the TV series, Kim Possible the game should
have been fun and entertaining. Unfortunately, this
isn't the case, due to some appalling design choices.
First off, is the irritating "cartwheel/jump"
in the control system. Second, is that some parts of
it is way too difficult considering its target audience
and finally, the use of a cumbersome seven digit password
save. Despite the flaws, however, the game is still
playable and what I might consider flaws, others might
view as challenges. Fans of the series in particular
might want to give it a try, and if you do then all
I can say is, good luck because you're going to need
it!
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