Game Review Data
 


Game Title

Powerpuff Girls - Mojo Jojo A-Go-Go!
Publisher
BAM
Features
1 to 3 Players. Battery Save.
Format
Shoot'em Up
Reviewer
Andrew Blanchard


RATING

Good!


Ratings Scale:

Excellent!

Good!

Playable!

Ho-Hum!

Yuck!


Archived Game Reviews:

From A - Z

 

 
Introduction

For those of you who haven't tuned into the adventures of Blossom, Buttercup and Bubbles yet 'what on earth are you watching?'. Simple story lines, intriguing characters and retro style animation made the Powerpuff Girls an instant hit when it was released some years ago and things show no sign of slowing down. BAM! are not new to this license and have already released Playstation, PC and 3 Gameboy Colour titles but this is their first outing on the GBA. The sheer amount of experience they've had with this title should guarantee a unique and playable title but as with so many TV series inspired games it could simply turn out to be a waste of time.

Screen Shots

GamePlay

The Powerpuff Girls are out to save the world again and this title will initially have you battling over six levels in order to discover Mojo Jojo's terrifying creation. Every level has the same objective : get to the end with at least one of the girls intact and collect the allotted number of jewels. This can get tricky as the jewels are deposited when you destroy a robot which means you can find yourself ignoring a fair amount as you come under increasing fire. It's worth remembering that not everything has to be destroyed, sometimes dodging on-coming fire is a better route to success as everything, initially at least, scrolls from left to right and nothing is really out to get you. I did say 'initially' as by level three you'll encounter some droids who want nothing but your demise and then it's either them or you.

On completion of a level you are given a piece of Mojo Jojo's blueprint and it's onto the next stage. It must be pointed out that not all stages have an 'end of level boss' which is both surprising and refreshing, it does link into the story line though so you should know what to expect on any given stage. After collecting all the blueprint pieces it's time for the final challenge and, without giving too much away, make sure you have a good rest before you attempt this one!

In addition to the mindless blasting there is an element of strategy which should be employed or you could find you'll have an incredibly short game. You control all three girls and keeping them all healthy and happy is of utmost importance so giving the character with the least health extra energy is always a wise choice. Then there's the question of 'power ups' so while bestowing Bubbles, for example, with all the extra 'punches' and 'eye beams' will make her a great asset to the team, using her all the time will deplete her health and once she's gone your team becomes less effective. Finally, but just as essential is locating the secret passages as these can allow you to bypass the worst of the battles and collect bonus items. Ignore this and evil will reign supreme.

Controls

The control system is a little intimidating at first and as with all shoot'em up's you'll find yourself getting zapped on quite a few occasions as the action starts to heat up. A little practice helps and switching between the controls will soon be second nature. Everything is very responsive allowing you to dodge as many lasers and robots as you destroy initially. All your Powerpuff Girls can punch, throw and fire an eye beam and they can be switched via the shoulder button. There's also a 'super attack' which can only be activated by combining all 3 girls but which is usually necessary to deal with the 'end of level bosses'. One aspect of the game which must be applauded is the battery save and though with only seven levels it's hardly a necessity we love it anyway.

Graphics

The in-game visuals, like the TV series, have a wonderful retro feel about them and even though all the levels are quite lengthy the backgrounds remain suitably different. The Powerpuff Girls and their numerous foes are wonderfully animated and, importantly in these types of games, there's never any slowdown even when there's loads going on. The intro and cut screens demonstrate once again just what can be accomplished with the GBA and a little imagination and the scrolling cityscapes with overlaid characters are very effective in telling the story. This is all packaged together with a neat interface making cycling through the various menus simple and the whole game self-explanatory.

Sound & Music

The intro and cut screens are accompanied by some quality, clear samples from the series. Sound effects and dialogue have been seamlessly woven together and provide a fully immersible audio experience to accompany the fantastic visuals. The actual in-game music is also excellent and although it uses the GBA's sound chip you'll be hard pushed to tell the difference as the quality is just as impressive.

Final Comments

This is possibly the first Powerpuff Girls game on any of the GameBoys that will truly satisfy fans of the series. It's rare that a game catches the entertainment values that make a series so watchable in the first place but this title does it and does it with style. Even if you have no interest in the cartoon and are simply looking for a good side shooter, I'd urge you to give this a try. Good Movie/TV tie-ins are not exactly plentiful in the computer entertainment industry so don't let this game pass you by.

@ EAGB Advance 2002. All rights reserved.