Inspector Gadget
Score: 50% ESRB: Everyone Publisher: DreamCatcher Interactive Developer: Magic Pockets Media: Cart/1 Players: 1 - 3 Genre: Miscellaneous
Graphics & Sound: Inspector Gadget resides somewhere in the region between average and good. It is not an eye-popper by any means, but I have seen worse. Aside from some great animation, everything you see is so bland that it is hard to get excited. It was great to see some of the little 'visual gags' from the show carried over to the game, such as every henchman looking the same or Brain putting on stupid costumes and passing by unnoticed. Unfortunately, not every aspect made it over - more notably the theme song. Other than Penny's cool computer book, this is probably the thing people remember most about the show - so why not include it? Instead, we are given some half-baked background music that sounds remarkably like 'Froggy went a courtin'.
Gameplay: Overall, I just found Inspector Gadget to be a boring game. The levels are dull, overdone and long. In fact, just about every level is the same, only instead of climbing the Statue of Liberty; you will climb to the top of Big Ben. Basically, this is your standard, run-of-the-mill platformer. Before each mission, The Chief gives you a mission briefing saying that one of Dr. Claw's machines needs to be destroyed - and it is up to Inspector Gadget to get the job done. For those who remember the show, you know that Inspector Gadget rarely solved the case on his own...okay, I'm lying to you, he NEVER solved the case on his own; it was always his dog Brain and niece Penny. The game is no different and during each level you will have to switch to either Penny or Brain to solve certain puzzles. This was probably the best part of the game and I was disappointed to see that it was not used more. I really would have liked parts of levels dedicated to using just one character and their special skills instead of having to use Penny to get through one door, or Brain to pass up one group of bad guys. Actually, there are parts that you are expected to use a different character, but can easily pass with another. Inspector Gadget also offers a three-player link mode that has you completing levels against your friends, similar to the mode found in Sonic Advance. This mode is okay, but like the rest of the game, it becomes stale rather quickly and ends up feeling like an after thought.
Difficulty: The hardest thing about Inspector Gadget is keeping track of the piece of paper with level passwords written on it. There are a few tight spots, such as when you have to time your jump so the gun-wielding henchman standing above does not shoot you, but that is easily passed. Even the average gamer will be able to zip through this game with ease.
Game Mechanics: Throughout the game, I kept wishing I had more control over the gadgets. Except for when you get certain power-ups, most of the cool gadgets like the 'Gadget-Copter' are unavailable. I just kept thinking it would have been neat if you had to figure out which gadgets to use at certain points in the game instead of being spoon-fed, and in some areas forced, to use gadgets. Instead, the game seems to be content with being average, and considering some of the other platformers it is going up against - there is really nothing here to make the game stand out. This is a maybe for even the most dedicated of Gadget fans.
-Starscream, GameVortex Communications AKA Ricky Tucker
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