If
the DS had channels, I'd be flipping all over the
dials instead of trying to force this one down my
entertainment-hole. by
Cole Smith
February
9, 2006 - What
do you do when you produce a game featuring one of
Nickelodeon's biggest star, and you realize that it
basically sucks? Add three more of Nickelodeon's biggest
stars and hope the kids are too distracted to notice
how bad it really is. After all, four heads are better
than one - aren't they?
It
wouldn't matter if Brad Pitt and a naked Angelina
Jolie starred in this game, it's just not very good.
It's a stale platformer in which every element has
been dumbed down to its basic component and just barely
manages to make use of the touch and dual screen.
The control system seems like an added afterthought,
which would explain why it's so loose, making the
game unplayable in some situations and at the very
least, frustrating for the rest of it.
In
a bid to take over the world, Professor Calamitous
has recruited Vlad, Crocker and Plankton to form the
Evil Syndicate. They have built a Doomesday machine
that can be used to destroy the entire planet. When
Jimmy Neutron gets word of this evil plan he enlists
the aid of his cartoon pals, Spongebob, Danny Phantom
and Timmy Turner to help him shut the Evil Syndicate
down.
Each
character is represented by an icon located in each
corner of the lower screen. You can play as any of
the four characters by simply selecting them and dragging
the icon to the middle of the screen with the stylus.
Each character has different abilities that you can
exploit to get past certain areas and enemies in each
level. You can change characters instantly at any
time during the gameplay.
Spongebob
can shoot bubbles at the enemy and he can even encase
himself in one and float in the air to avoid booby
traps and enemies on the ground. Danny Phanton can
pass through solid objects and he is capable of shooting
a plasma blast. Timmy Turner uses camouflage to hide
from enemies and can call upon his fairy godparents
to help him slow the enemy down. Jimmy Neutron has
his jetpack to fly around with in addition to his
shrinking ray. Each character also has one special
move that is facilitated by a power-up. Once you pick
it up you have to draw the corresponding design on
the screen using the stylus in order to activate it.
That's about the only unique feature that utilized
the touch screen.
Only
the platform levels will offer you much of a challenge,
and most of it is due to the loose controls and wacky
camera angles. Perspectives are difficult to judge
at the best of times and just when you think you've
got a bead on it the camera will suddenly decide to
return to the default setting. You can adjust the
camera manually but the controls are very sensitive
and it's really easy to overshoot the angle that you
need. To add insult to injury the characters aren't
easy to control either. The controls are spongy which
makes jumping a dangerous proposition. It's very difficult
to have your character run to the very edge of the
platform and perform a leap at the last moment. You
will usually not make the jump in time and fall off
the platform or you find that you have to jump before
the ledge in which case you might not generate enough
inertia to make it to the other side.
The
enemy AI is way too weak. It wouldn't matter if your
only weapon were an un-ripened banana, you could slap
them into submission with the peel. They don't put
up much of a fight and rarely will you find yourself
in danger. Each playable character has the ability
to shoot some kind of projectile and as long as you
enter into a room shooting you'll be able to clear
it of lame enemies in no time. In this case it's more
like a shooting gallery than tangling with interactive
enemies.
Looks
can be deceiving because the characters in Nicktoons
Unite are absolutely gorgeous. They look every bit
as good as their cartoon counterparts and maybe even
better because they're rendered in 3D. The game is
very colorful and the animation is very smooth and
fluid. It's disappointing that there are no voiceovers.
The storyline is text driven and is somewhat lame.
I know that most cartoon storylines are lame but they
can be saved by visual gags and voiceovers, something
that the developers have decided to overlook here.
The inclusion of some animated cutscenes would not
have saved this game but it would have certainly sweetened
the bitter taste left in one's mouth.
Features
- 1-4
players cooperative play featuring SpongeBob SquarePants,
Timmy Turner, Jimmy Neutron or Danny Phantom
- More
than 15 explorable Nicktoons levels, including Retroville,
Dimmsdale, and Amity Park and Bikini Bottom
- Choose
from over 16 upgradeable gadgets and powers.
By
Cole Smith
CCC
Staff Writer
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