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Zapper

Score: 55%
ESRB: Everyone
Publisher: Infogrames
Developer: Blitz Games
Media: Cart/1
Players: 1 - 4
Genre: Action

Graphics & Sound:

Kids' games traditionally don't rely on the best graphics in the world to sell mass copies. Movie licenses, cheap toy tie-ins, or cartoon spin-offs usually populate the market; even if they would've sucked, the Harry Potter games could never have problems selling millions. But when a completely new title arises with no commercial backing or prior recognition, it better have something special. Flashy visuals, innovative puzzles, distinctive appeal... something unique. Such is not the case with Zapper, a run-of-the-mill Frogger dupe with little to offer and nothing to enjoy.

While Zapper's story intro and cutscenes are rendered in a decent 3D style, the real in-game graphics are nothing to write home about. Drab colors and tedious surroundings await Zapper in his quest across five different areas; the only real eye candy comes in with FMV-like bonus levels. Character animations are kept to a minimum, as are the changes of scenery. Sound effects come through clear and crisp (especially when pumped up to 100 percent in the options menu), but boy, do they get annoying fast. That continuous 'Poing!' of Zapper's jumps sounds straight out of Looney Tunes, and it'll have your finger on the volume dial within minutes -- unless you really just love hearing cartoon sound effects every half-second. As suspected, a completely forgettable soundtrack also accompanies the 'action' just fine.


Gameplay:

A cricket with an unexplained ability to emit voltage from his tiny antennae must rescue his little brother from the greediest magpie of the land. Thus begins the story of Zapper, and his amazing journey of boring gameplay. I'll admit, the single player missions don't waste time in getting on one's nerves, but the pace never really picks up later in the game as one might expect. The player's only real duties involve collecting blue orbs, picking up bouncing magpie eggs, and gathering yellow orbs in a specific pattern. It's possible to do this without dying multiple times per level, yet extremely taxing on human sanity. See, particularly dastardly enemies (including curious bunnies, smiling porcupines, and weird arm things that randomly grope around from underneath jars, or something) attempt to stop Zapper at nearly every possible point in each level. It's easy to simply jump over or zap said foes, but with an initially maddening control scheme and increasingly repetitive objectives to deal with, dying occurs quite often.

If you can't keep your wits about you long enough to clear the single player game -- and you know some friends bored enough to partake in the 'fun' -- Zapper does offer some passable multiplayer modes with up to four players at a time. Fortunately, all you need is a single cartridge to check out minigames like Zipper Ball, Deathmatch and Strangle Hold. These distractions are admittedly pretty well conceived, but still don't sincerely warrant a purchase.


Difficulty:

For a kids' game, Zapper sure does lay down a tough challenge. Most of the 20 levels included take a good bit of patience and concentration to get through, and even if you can beat the game, Arcade mode puts insanely hard time limits on each level for more objectives. I suppose this would make for some exceptional replay value -- that is, if the game weren't so mind-numbing in the first place that no one in their right mind would consider a second run-through.

Game Mechanics:

Here's the worst part: Zapper's controls are painfully simple, but since you have to manually turn the electric cricket with the L and R buttons, it's really easy to get confused and attempt to turn with the D-pad. I can't count how many times I've turned the game off in disgust because I kept jumping into rivers or landing on enemies just because I didn't properly turn first.

Oddly enough, as much as I've always dreamed of assuming the role of an insect with 'tude, Zapper can't keep my interest for more than five minutes at a time. I suspect the case will be no different for most gamers (even children), so if you're really that desperate to relive the old Frogger days, pick up Konami's Arcade Advanced or Frogger 2 instead. If your little nephew wants a GBA game for Christmas, giving him Zapper would be the equivalent of coal in his stocking -- so don't go ruining the holidays for anyone, Scrooge.


-Ben Monkey, GameVortex Communications
AKA Ben Lewis

Nintendo GameBoy Advance X-Men: Reign of Apocalypse GameBoy Color/Pocket Spider-Man 2: The Sinister Six

 
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