Scooby Doo: Night of 100 Frights
Score: 90% ESRB: Everyone Publisher: THQ Developer: THQ Media: DVD/1 Players: 1 Genre: Platformer
Graphics & Sound: As if it were possible for Scooby-Doo! Night of 100 Frights to look any better, the graphical ante is upped considerably for the Xbox debut. Okay, so the difference isn't as drastic as it sounds, but it's noticeable. Colors are a little brighter and renders are a little cleaner. Once again the in-game graphics top those found in cut scenes, but the 'Doppler Effect' that showed up on some characters I complained about in the GC version isn't as noticeable. Overall, Scooby is a fan's dream. All of the environments and characters are sharp and attractive offerings that really fit the look and feel of the classic Scooby episodes. I was particularly impressed with how in time Scooby's digital movements were with his animated incarnations. Once again Scooby gets high marks for the impressive line up of voice talent it features. In my mind, any game that features the voices of Don Knotts, Tim Conway, and Tim Curry gets a perfect score right off the bat, but we have to remain objective here, right? When it comes to sound, Scooby does not disappoint. In addition to the three stars mentioned above, Scooby also features all of the 'official' Scooby voices as well as music and sound effects taken directly from the show. At times the game even uses the cheesy laugh track from the game. Truly the mark of a great game.
Gameplay: You know -- as improbable as it sounds, when I picked the Xbox version of Scooby-Doo! Night of 100 Frights up, I had completely forgotten that Don Knotts was even in the game. I mean, when the original came out, that was my primary reason for even requesting the game, but when it finally clicked and I remembered, the game just got that much better. Scooby proves that old school gaming is still alive and can be found in the strangest of places. This is platform gaming the way it used to be, complete with impossible jumps, slippery and broken floors, and lots of bottomless pits. Most of the game revolves around Scooby and the gang trying to figure out what happened to the famous inventor, Dr. Alexander Graham. Without giving away the identity of the mastermind behind the professor's disappearance, fans of the original shows should expect to run across nearly all of Scooby's old foes including the Creeper and Geronimo. Scooby's search will take him all over the professor's house as well as to the nearby Smuggler's Cove and Haunted Grounds. In this respect, Scooby takes on characteristics similar to newer platformers like Jak and Daxter or Ratchet and Clank. Each of the game's areas can be entered at any time, provided you have either found enough Scooby Snacks to open a portal, discovered the key, or found one of the Professor's gadgets. This adds a very fun dynamic to the game since you're not mindlessly wandering through level after level, but instead exploring and figuring out how to solve certain puzzles and clear paths to new areas. As I mentioned before, gadgets play a very big part in Scooby's adventure. For example, one area may contain a webbed passage that Scooby can't pass or a platform that is higher than he can jump. By finding each of the gadgets scattered throughout the levels such as the helmet or springs, he can reach otherwise impassable areas. While most gadgets are extremely useful, I found some, like the lampshade and slippers, useless.
Difficulty: For the most part, I found the game to be a near perfect blend of challenge without becoming too hard. To me, this shows that the developers were really attuned to their target audience. I did, however, find that a few of the jumps were a little too tricky, due to both questionable enemy placement and some very tricky camera issues. The one game play issue I wasn't too fond of was that Scooby has infinite lives. While this will certainly make things easier and less frustrating for younger players, I felt it made some parts a little too easy.
Game Mechanics: There's something magical about controlling a big dog with a big controller. Just as with previous versions of the game, the layout and execution of controls is incredible. Scooby-Doo! Night of 100 Frights features one of the most comfortable layouts I've experienced on the system yet. Every button is exactly where I wanted it to be and felt good in my hands. You'll find no complaints here. When I played the Scooby a year ago on the GameCube, I was completely blown away by the subtle complexity of the game. It was certainly one of my bigger surprises since previous Scooby games have been less than stellar (see Scooby-Doo and the Cyber Chase for an example). But, just as I said over a year ago, regardless of whether you are a 'hardcore' or casual gamer, do yourself a favor and give Scooby at least a rental, even if you are one of those gamers who feels they have 'outgrown' certain games and deem Scooby Doo as kiddy. This is easily the best Scooby-Doo game to come along yet and in my opinion ranks among some of the best platformers available.
-Starscream, GameVortex Communications AKA Ricky Tucker
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