I confess
that I’m addicted to the Cartoon Network and the number of shows that range from
the Friday evening lineup to the Adult Swim collection of mature-minded
programming. While there are a few favorites worth mentioning, it’s The Grim
Adventures of Billy and Mandy that stands out as one of the most insanely
twisted and fun shows. The emphasis here is “twisted” and if you do happen to
catch an episode you’ll know exactly what I mean. Then again, it’s the twisted
humor that made this show a hit. So you can see that it wasn’t a surprise when a
game was announced. The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy has arrived
just in time for the new Nintendo Wii for a party game for the next-generation.
The show’s
premise revolves around two kids named Billy and Mandy who meet the Grim Reaper
who arrived to take their beloved pet from them. In a game of chance, both kids
are able to best Grim and, as a twist of fate, he agrees to stay on Earth as
their best friend. The game’s story is simple: Grim’s mystical chest has been
raided and the Mojo Balls inside have been scattered around the world and thus
causing chaos everywhere. It’s up to Billy, Mandy, Grim, their friend Irwin to
track down the thief and get back the Mojo Balls that are causing fights to
erupt everywhere.
That’s right;
this is a brawler with each level turning into a battle arena. You can pick from
Mandy, Grim or Billy and oftentimes you’ll be teaming up with them as well as
other characters you encounter along the way. Some fights are one-on-one and
escalate to major battles that have you not only fighting off the single
opponent but a number of secondary creatures. For example, in one battles you’ll
be taking on a single opponent in a pumpkin patch while also fighting off living
pumpkin creatures the Mojo Balls brought to life.
Really, this
is all there is to the game and it‘s main Story Mode. You’ll face off in an
arena, often fighting your way through multiple environments during a single
battle. Interesting enough you can play the game using the GameCube controller
but then again why have the same old steak when you can have prime rib? The Wii
remote is used in a somewhat creative way when it comes to finally knocking out
your enemy. You can slash away at your enemy by swinging the remote while moving
your controller via the nunchuk attachment’s controller stick. While this sounds
complicated, it really isn’t and there’s no doubt even the youngest of gamers
will enjoy swinging their remotes during a four-player multiplayer brawl.
The real
challenge comes from pulling off a Moo Meltdown move. When you manage to stun
your opponent, you have the chance to defeat them by pulling off a devastating
move. The screen suddenly flashes and an icon appears on the screen but you have
to drag a pointer across to the screen to match the icon. You’ll have to do it
quickly or your enemy counters your attempt There are also various weapons you
can pick up and use throughout the game like swords or clubs.
Then there’s
Mission Mode, a game mode that is made up of a series of missions you can play
solo or cooperatively with other players. Basically, the mode contains a few
mission objectives that have you attempting to beat the clock like smashing
items or taking out secondary enemies. It’s really a great way of unlocking extras
such as extra characters you can use in the single-player Story Mode. And, of
course, there is Vs Mode where you can play against up to four players
The game also
uses cel shading to capture the feel of the show and, for the most part, it
succeeds in bringing the characters to life. Then again, the whole cel-shading
thing doesn’t mask the fact that this game looks like a current-generation
GameCube title. The despite the fact that the Wii isn’t known for its graphics
capabilities, it does manage to upstage the Cube when it comes to the graphics.
Still, the game’s backgrounds look pretty decent and so does the visual effects.
As for the
game’s sound, the music and voice acting is as just as loony as the show. This
is great, especially if you’re a fan of the show. Even the dialogue and the
jokes feel like they come right out of an episode of the show. Since this is a
brawler, there’s an arena announcer that is actually really nutty since it’s
handled by “Weird” Al. Then there’s the sound effects that have that
cartoon-like quality.
If you’re a
fan of The Adventures of Billy and Mandy there are a few things to like
about this game but then again it’s way too repetitive. This is too bad since
the game is actually pretty fun and the Wii controls fit the game perfectly, but
by the fourth battle you’ll wish there was more to the game to the point that
most gamers won’t want to see this game through to the end. Still, if you plan
to use it as a party game to share with a group of friends it does do
multiplayer right. If you’re a big fan of the show or love zany arena-styled
cartoon brawlers then you might want to consider renting this before buying it.
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Gameplay:
6.6
It’s a brawling game with very
little style or substance but at least the Wii remote controls are responsive
and not bad at all. There are also enough characters to pick and use in the game
and the single-player game retains the show’s crazy and funny vibe. I just wish
there was more to this brawler.
Graphics:
7.0
The cel-shaded graphics don’t look
very next-gen and would feel right at home on the GameCube. Still, the
characters resemble those on the show during cutscenes as well as during the
action and the arena backgrounds are easy on the eyes.
Sound: 7.0
The voices from the show are all
here and even the sound effects feel like they belong on the show. To add to the
zaniness “Weird” Al Yankovic is the brawling arena announcer. The music is also
pretty decent but nothing special.
Difficulty: Easy/Medium
Some of the older gamers will find
the single-player mode a little too easy for their own liking but younger gamers
will find plenty of challenges in the arena especially later in the game. Then
again, no matter how old you are it’s still pretty challenging to successfully
pull off a Mojo Meltdown move.
Concept:
7.0
Anyone who has seen the Cartoon
Network show will love the fact that the characters are just as zany and the joy
of controlling them might just appeal to the younger fans. You’ll wish there
were more inventive uses for the Wii remote but what is here is good. Oh, and
there are dozens of goodies to unlock like movie trailers and character art.
Multiplayer: 7.0
It’s all about the multiplayer fun
and having up to four friends fighting it out in the arena is what it’s all
about. It’s just too bad that the annoyingly bad camera will frustrate gamers to
no end. Still, the multiplayer game runs at a steady framerate even with all the
smashing and bashing going on at once.
Overall:
6.9
The Grim Adventures of Billy and
Mandy for the Wii is actually very
fun but if you’re looking for a game with substance or neat Wii tricks, you’re
in for a big disappointment. Still, if you’re a fan of the Cartoon Network show
or like your brawling games extremely wacky then you might want to spend an
entire weekend with this one.
