Introduction
Scooby Doo is one of the few cartoon characters to
have truly endured the test of time and despite a dip
in popularity when the incredibly irritating Scrappy
Doo was introduced, the famous Scooby Snack munching
canine has pretty much been on TV constantly since the
1970s. Subsequent video games based on the cartoon,
however, have not seen the same success and the last
GBA title which was inspired by a "full length"
cartoon, was truly appalling in every department. In
contrast, the GBC version was an enjoyable "point
and click" adventure and it's possibly for this
reason and the fact that this is the movie's central
theme, that the developers have returned to this gaming
type. It's always interesting to see a departure from
the usual movie tie-in platformers but has it all paid
off? Read on and see...
GamePlay
As with the other Scooby Doo titles this one allows
you to control all of the five various characters although
not all at once. This is important as everyone has very
different skills so choosing the right person for the
job is the secret to success. This could be Fred moving
heavy objects, Velma's ability to solve puzzles or maybe
even Scooby Doo as he can cover ground far faster and
more efficiently than anyone else. Every level is mission
based and as a result it's important to chat to everyone
on your travels, as you never know who can be of help.
These people may demand some type of payment, or item,
for information so picking up tokens from both the floor,
and through success in the games, is a must. You'll
notice that there are many things that will sap your
energy such as rats and demons so it's important to
keep an eye on this as once it's gone it's 'Game Over'.
Fortunately food, like tokens, is lying around everywhere
so collect it up and use it wisely.
In addition to the exploration part there are also
four sub-games, which are neatly woven into the plot
of the game in various ways. Firstly there's 'Unlock
the Chest' where you must match coloured circles in
order to gain a prize. 'Repair the Pipes' is a little
like the old classic 'Pipemania' where you must construct
a complete pipeline before time runs out. 'Lights Out'
is not based on the classic of the same name but rather
a simple case of running over light switches whist staying
within the grid. 'Musical Mayhem' is a 'Parappa the
Rappa' type of affair were you must use the GBA's controls
to replicate the on-screen ones. They're all actually
very entertaining and the developers have also wisely
allowed you to play each one via the options menu for
extended fun even after you've completed the main game.
The whole adventure is neatly wrapped up with 'The
Narrator' who aids you in your quest and comes up with
constant cheesy lines to keep you entertained. Keep
listening though because if you get really stuck there's
a very good chance he'll point you in the right direction.
His most important role, however, is to automatically
save the game at key points which is very helpful as
nearly all of us forget this until we lose a life.
Controls
This could have completely destroyed the game had
it not been designed with the average gamer in mind.
The result is a very easy to use control system which
you'll feel comfortable with in no time at all. The
main reason for this is that almost everything can be
done with one or two button presses, which minimizes
frustration and never interrupts the flow of the game.
Graphics
Most of the visuals are isometric based and the developers
have done a great job of recreating the various scenes
form the movie whilst employing very little graphical
repetition. The animation of the various characters
is incredibly well done whether they're walking or running
and although they're all really small they're sufficiently
detailed. Outside of this you have the menu systems
which are always clear and informative and very easy
to navigate through. Finally there are the various sub-games
and while these are very simple in design they're also
well executed so you'll never fail at a game because
you simply can't figure out what's going on.
Sound & Music
The background music is great and will have you harping
back to the days when you used to watch it on TV as
a kid and it was actually creepy. There's some wonderfully
atmospheric music, which accompanies all of the areas,
and fans will be pleased with the GBA's rendition of
the TV series theme. Disappointingly missing are any
voice samples of the gang from the movie. I can only
assume this is for contractual reasons but some clips
of Scooby Doo's famous quotes would have been a bonus.
Final Comments
"Scooby Doo - The Motion Picture" is a
huge game which you'll be playing it for some time.
Unfortunately this is not due to the puzzle solving
but rather the exploration. The whole game plays more
like a well-constructed interactive storybook than a
true adventure. There is a lot to do, however, and the
sub-games are a bonus which help detract from the endless
wandering around. As movie tie-ins go this certainly
isn't the worst we've seen and it's always good to see
something a little more original than yet another platformer.
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