Gilbert Goodmate and the Mushroom of Phungoria

Of all the games I have played in the past year or so this one has to be the simplest in graphics, gameplay and storyline and I have to say that it is also one of the most relaxing. I love fast and furious as much as the next gamer, but once in a while it is nice just to mindlessly play without having to stay on my “mouse” every second.

As the proverbial PC curtain goes up we find ourselves in a situation which though not quite feasible, fun nevertheless. The city of Phungoria (gotta love the take off of the word) is in a quandary. A big old bad ruthless wizard seems determined to be master of his domain, which happens to include Phungoria. All attempts by the good citizens of this city to foil him have come to naught. That is until a young lad named Marvin finished his job by one simple act. The act? Why throwing a mushroom at the old menace, thus ending his reign of mayhem.

Now the citizens of Phungoria are ecstatic and hail the mushroom as a sort of hero itself and decide that it must contain some magical elements to take down a wizard. They treat this mushroom with almost adoration and in turn care for it with kid gloves, each citizen sharing the responsibility for keeping it healthy. Alas, one day the mushroom turns up missing and unfortunately it happened to be in Gilbert’s grandfather’s care on the day of the abduction. Well now, that does not bode well for Grandpa Goodmate as the punishment for his lapse in care of the beloved mushroom is nothing less than execution. A little rough for the disappearance of a spore but hey if it works!

Well there is only one person who can save this grandpa in distress and who better than his grandson, that hero of heroes Gilbert! So the mission begins and the race is on. Gilbert must find that mushroom, give it back to the good people of Phungoria and save his grandfather from a fate worse than eating a mushroom topped pizza. Gilbert must roam the city looking for clues to find the mushroom and in the interim must question all he meets for some clues to where that doggoned spore has gone. To conquer this challenge you will find yourself solving puzzles along the way, a sort of scavenger hunt of sorts. One thing you will find in this storyline is a “whole lotta talkin going on”. The citizens have a lot on their minds and have no trouble in going on and on and on. Be aware that the dialogue cannot be stopped once it has started. At times this can stall the game and at times wear on the old patience. I would have liked it better if you could at any time of the dialogue stop it and go on with your mission. Too much talk can easily wane the attention of even the most dedicated gamer!

I do have to point out that whoever created the dialogue for this game is a person with a rich sense of humor. The characters are not as well defined as they could be but still come off as likeable. Gilbert comes off as a likeable but somewhat of a bumbling detective. This is perhaps one reason why the game is enjoyable. Gilbert is just one of those characters who you root for and wonder how in the world he can possibly win.  

Install: Easy
Installation of one CD

Gameplay: 7.6
The game may be simple in nature but still very enjoyable to play. The challenges are easy enough to handle and except for maybe too much dialogue, the game does move along at a decent pace.

Graphics: 7.1
The graphics could have been better but are acceptable for this type of game. I would have liked to see a little more animation and perhaps more vivid colors and defined background.

Sound: 7.9
I enjoyed the music as it was easy to see that the creators took great pains to give is very personal touch. The voices were also a plus as the were used to differentiate the characters and did a good job of  not becoming one and the same.

Difficulty: 7.1
The difficulty level is on par with the game. The challenges are not really too hard to meet but still can offer good hours of fun.

Concept: 7.1
This is the time-honored genre of good versus evil and good triumphs and saves the day.

Multiplayer: N/A

Overall: 7.6
I really gave this a lot of thought when it came to the overall rating. On the one hand it is a game which relies on simple graphics and the old “click and see” way of discovering objects. On the other hand though, it is kind of nice to find a game, which does not tax the mind, every step of the way. The sense of humor incorporated into this game is a real bonus. Overall I have to say that although this is not a game filled with glitz and glamour of the latest technology, it does contain some real moments of true fondness not only for the game itself but also for Gilbert Goodmate. This is one of those games you can sit back and just enjoy and that ain’t half bad!