| Introduction
Jimmy Neutron was one of three nominees for the newly
created Best Animated Movie Oscar and although I haven't
actually seen it this must carry some kudos. Based on
the adventures of an eccentric boy genius and his robot
dog the story centers around the alien abduction of
all of Retroville's parents and how the one time class
geek is now everyone's only hope. Veteran gamers have
seen and heard these fantastic game plots hundreds of
times before though and only really care about one thing.
Is it a good game?
GamePlay
As you'd expect the plot, locations and characters
are taken straight from the movie so if you have seen
it you'll know what to expect. The game starts off with
a map screen which you must travel around to complete
various mini-tasks in order to move on to the next stage.
For example, the first area has you collecting parts
of Jimmy's spaceship and once you've located all the
components it's off to the next level. This is not too
difficult initially as there's a handful of bonuses
around to help you. You will however have to search
around the map for areas that are unlocked as there
are always doors or openings that cannot be entered
before you have completed certain tasks.
Things do get a lot more challenging as you move
through the game and in addition to solving puzzles
you'll also need to locate fuel and ammunition for your
jet pack and gun before you can complete a stage. It's
crucial to keep both of these charged up or you'll find
yourself replaying levels simply because you've got
stuck at the bottom of a cliff or run out of health.
As a break from the platforming there are also some
flying stages which look incredible and are great fun
to play. Everything here is in wonderful 'Mode 7' and
the developers have managed to create a good illusion
of speed whilst still maintaining a decent level of
playability.
Finally, if that isn't enough, the game also features
some incredible multiplayer modes for up to four people.
Unfortunately you all require a copy of the game but
we tried out a two player game and it really is a great
demonstration of how much fun the link up cable can
be. You can chooses a Space Ship option where it's a
race to the finish line although all manner of dirty
tricks are fully sanctioned. There's also a platforming
section where the object is for each player to collect
as many coins as possible. The more players there are
the larger the environment becomes so simply learning
locations of bonuses won't always help you.
Controls
This could have been a problem area as you randomly
control two characters with a reasonably complicated
interface. Fortunately Jimmy Neutron contains one of
the best tutorial sections we've ever seen and you'll
be taken through a landscape with giant Gameboy Advances
which inform you exactly how to overcome obstacles and
which buttons to press. Quite simply ingenious and as
a result much more helpful than the printed instructions.
Graphics
Visually this game is well above average and both
Jimmy and Goddard are wonderfully animated. What really
separates this title from others though is the attention
to detail where the developers have tapped into the
graphical power of the GBA to produce some amazing special
effects such as smoke and explosions. Also bear in mind
that this is a movie tie-in so you'll also be treated
to some incredibly detailed cut screens lifted from
the movie which push the story along nicely.
Sound & Music
The GBA's interpretation of the movies incidental
music plays throughout the various levels and to be
honest it's really not that bad at all. The sound effects
are also reasonable with cartoon like audio accompanying
everything from lasers to explosions. The real shame
here is the lack of sampled voices from the movie as
this really would have made a good sounding game great.
Final Comments
The first thing to mention about this title is the
fact that it's big and the amount of gameplay on offer
here is easily double what you'd normally expect from
a movie/cartoon platformer. Add to this the wonderfully
inventive multiplayer modes and you'll quickly realize
the value for money on offer here. There's nothing really
original in Jimmy Neutron and GBA owners everywhere
have seen it all before but invite a few of your friends
around to 'hook-up' and what you have is an unforgettable
gaming experience. One for the collection.
|
Hardware
Reviews 
Game
Title
