Reviewed: January 8, 2003
Reviewed by: Mark Smith

Publisher
THQ

Developer
THQ

Released: December 16, 2002
Genre: Platform
Players: 1
ESRB: Everyone

7
6
6
6
6.9

 Supported Features:

  • Analog Control
  • Vibration
  • Memory Card

    		•
    Nickelodeon has grown into one of the hottest channels on cable TV, captivating adults with a large and varied selection of classic shows dating back to the 60’s and 70’s and appealing to kids with a huge library of original programming that has since evolved into feature films and now video games.

    THQ was hot to pick up on the licensing of several of Nick’s most popular franchises and the resulting games have been a mishmash of hits and misses spanning multiple genres. I confess that before I started reviewing this first wave of Nick games I had never watched any of these animated shows. I resolved myself to watching all of the shows that spawned these new games marketed toward a specific generation of kids.

    Jimmy Neutron Boy Genius is the third THQ/Nick game I’ve reviewed in the past week. I must admit that after watching the various shows to get in the proper mindset and then playing these games I must have regressed at least 25 years in age. Unlike most Nickelodeon shows that evolve into movies, Jimmy got his start in a feature film then moved into TV. There is a definite boyish charm to this loveable character that brought back some fond memories of Willie Beamish or Andy from the Heart of Darkness game.

    Jimmy has all sorts of gadgets and high-tech toys like the shrink ray or inflat-o-ray and of course his faithful robot dog, Goddard is always nearby. In this adventure, Jimmy must save the world and rescue his parents from the evil Yokians. The adventure and several of the locations found in this game are definitely inspired by the movie, so fans of Jimmy Neutron will feel right at home with this title.

    At first glance, Jimmy Neutron appears to be a traditional platform title but this is more of a 3D action/adventure game set in six gigantic levels including Jimmy’s house, Asteroids, Yolkus Underworld, Yolkus City, and Retroland.

    Like most typical games, you explore each level in search of various key items and other pick-ups required to move on to the next level. The pick-ups are related to the level you are playing so in the level where you are exploring your house you must explore your lab and find the necessary parts to build your space ship. The most common pick-ups are the blueberry pie that restores health and the Neutrons that give you a bonus life for ever ten you collect.

    During all the exploring you will encounter a variety of aliens and other enemies that need to be dealt with. You will collect plenty of weapons and high-tech gadgets to eliminate these obstacles in creative ways. Jimmy can even take control of several types of vehicles including a pogo stick, sled, and a scooter. The interesting twist is that these vehicles are all transformed versions of your robot dog, Goddard.

    There are numerous mini-games to compliment the main adventure. These can be found in the Midway, a large carnival-like section of Retroville that offers games such as Rocket Jump, Dunking Booth, Fortune Teller, Phone Booth, and even a side-scrolling arcade shooter that reminded me of the classic Defender game.

    After a week of playing THQ/Nick games I am starting to see a pattern. These games all strive to capture the look of the movie and/or TV show they are based on and Jimmy Neutron does that just fine, but in doing so it falls short of the standard most GameCube gamers are expecting from their platform and action games these days. There is certainly nothing here that is pushing the power of the GameCube.

    Even so, the artistic design of this title is charming in its own right and captures the look and style that Jimmy fans will all appreciate. The levels are creative and colorful, created with interesting and lively textures. There are plenty of special effects that keep things moving and alive and some of the larger levels such as the asteroids will evoke a strong sense of vertigo.

    The camera works surprisingly well and never seems to get in the way of the action or cause any problems, even during the numerous platform jumping sections. My favorite visual effect had to be the excellent transformation sequences where Goddard changes into one of several types of vehicles.

    All of the sound and music of the source material has been faithfully migrated into this game to create the perfect Jimmy Neutron experience. You will recognize voices and original sound effects and even the music fits the charming theme of this title. Again, there is nothing pushing GameCube boundaries such as Dolby Surround, but it all works just the same.

    The average gamer will get 15-20 hours of gameplay from this title while the more experience gamer will waltz through this adventure in under ten hours. The game and the difficulty is definitely targeted to the younger crowd.

    There are plenty of bonus features on the disc including a “Making of” featurette, animated shorts, and a special music movie montage. You can even unlock actual clips from the movie when you finish certain levels within the main game.

    There is no doubt that Jimmy Neutron has a faithful following of fans, and anyone who enjoys Jimmy on the big or small screen will certainly find something to like about this game. The gameplay is traditional yet challenging and the colorful graphics and lively sounds all recreate the feeling of playing in an actual episode of Jimmy Neutron.

    Targeted toward younger kids, teens and adults will still enjoy Jimmy Neutron Boy Genius but may find a rental more than adequate to complete the game. The bonus goodies on the disc are a nice addition to the gameplay and will definitely interest the hardcore Jimmy fans.