Scooby Doo and the Night of 100 Frights
Score: 90% ESRB: Everyone Publisher: THQ Developer: Heavy Iron Studios Media: GCD/1 Players: 1 Genre: Miscellaneous
Graphics & Sound: It isn't often that in-game graphics outshine those found in cutscenes, but this is clearly the case in Scooby-Doo. Instead of using the perfectly good in-game engine to generate some of the story scenes, the game instead uses a render engine that results in characters that are pixilated messes with color blending reminiscent of Doppler Radar images. It's not pretty to look at. In-game, Scooby is a fan's dream. All of the environments and characters are sharp and attractive offerings that really fit the look and feel of the classic Scooby episodes. I was particularly impressed with how in time Scooby's digital movements were with his animated incarnations. Even if the game sounded like cats in a blender, I would have probably given it high marks for the impressive line up of voice talent it features. In my mind, any game that features the voices of Don Knotts, Tim Conway, and Tim Curry gets a perfect score right off the bat, but we have to remain objective here, right? When it comes to sound, Scooby does not disappoint. In addition to the three stars mentioned above, Scooby also features all of the 'official' Scooby voices as well as music and sound effects taken directly from the show. At times the game even uses the cheesy laugh track from the game. Truly the mark of a great game.
Gameplay: Initially, my only interest in this game stemmed from the fact that Don Knotts was is in it. However, Scooby proved to me that old school gaming is still alive and can be found in the strangest of places. This is platform gaming the way it used to be, complete with impossible jumps, slippery and broken floors, and lots of bottomless pits. Most of the game revolves around Scooby and the gang trying to figure out what happened to the famous inventor, Dr. Alexander Graham. Without giving away the identity of the mastermind behind the professor's disappearance, fans of the original shows should expect to run across nearly all of Scooby's old foes including the Creeper and Geronimo. Scooby's search will take him all over the professor's house as well as to the nearby Smuggler's Cove and Haunted Grounds. In this respect, Scooby takes on characteristics similar to newer platformers like Jakk and Daxter. Each of the game's areas can be entered at any time, provided you have either found enough Scooby Snacks to open a portal, discovered the key, or found one of the Professor's gadgets. This adds a very fun dynamic to the game since you're not mindlessly wandering through level after level but instead exploring and figuring out how to solve certain puzzles and clear paths to new areas. As I mentioned before, gadgets play a very big part in Scooby's adventure. For example, one area may contain a webbed passage that Scooby can't pass or a platform that is higher than he can jump. By finding each of the gadgets scattered throughout the levels such as the helmet or springs, he can reach otherwise unpassable areas. While most gadgets are extremely useful, I found some, like the lampshade and slippers, useless.
Difficulty: Having recently reviewed Scooby Doo and the Cyber Chase, I was expecting to finish the game in an hour and move on with my life. But, like most things in life, I was surprised to see how addictive and fun this game is. For the most part, I found the game to be a near perfect blend of challenge without becoming too hard. To me, this shows that the developers were really attuned to their target audience. I did, however, find that a few of the jumps were a little too tricky, due to both questionable enemy placement and some very tricky camera issues. The one game play issue I wasn't too fond of was that Scooby has infinite lives. While this will certainly make things easier and less frustrating for younger players, I felt it made some parts a little too easy.
Game Mechanics: This was the type of game the GC controller was built to play! When it comes to the GC controller, history indicates that I'm usually not the biggest fan of how most games are handle the controller's unique layout. Scooby features one of the most comfortable layouts I've experienced on the system yet. Every button is exactly where I wanted it to be and felt good in my hands. You'll find no complaints here. Regardless of whether you are a 'hardcore' or casual gamer, do yourself a favor and give Scooby at least a rental, even if you are one of those gamers who feels they have 'outgrown' certain games and deem Scooby Doo as kiddie. This is easily the best Scooby Doo game to come along yet and in my opinion ranks among some of the best platformers available.
-Starscream, GameVortex Communications AKA Ricky Tucker
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