Nicktoons: Attack of the Toybots
Score: 75% ESRB: Everyone Publisher: THQ Developer: Bluetongue Media: CD/1 Players: 1 - 2 Genre: Platformer (3D)/ Action/ Fighting
Graphics & Sound: Nicktoons: Attack of the Toybots plays much like an interactive commercial for the Nickelodeon network combined with a team-based, smash-em-up title like Marvel: Ultimate Alliance. The top-down perspective doesn't necessarily highlight the characters to a great extent and there's very little that stands out visually about each character as you move them through each level. There is running commentary that veers into humorous territory, but mostly stays in the sophomoric, SpongeBob SquarePants arena. Depending on which character is the primary as you play the single-player game, you'll hear different quips that start to get old quickly. There are some cut-scenes scattered through the game that create a context for viewers of the various Nick shows. As each "hero" or character enters the picture, you'll see a brief segment highlighting how they came to be captured by the evil Prof. Calamitous. It's fun window dressing, but the goods are delivered once you start moving through the game's levels. Levels and enemies are well designed and really have a unique look. There is a lot of depth in what otherwise could be a 2.5D side-scrolling brawler. Rarely will you find yourself confused about the next jump or area to explore, but you'll often be bouncing off into some remote part of the background. What looks like background art is actually part of the level in many cases. While there is a theme at work from stage to stage, the developers worked in quite a bit of unique material. The real shame is in how poorly the game controls, making it a trial to work through each level. If that weren't bad enough, you'll quickly find that Nicktoons: Attack of the Toybots diabolically forces you to replay levels to earn goodies that allow access to new content. You'll get to play different characters from the Nick universe, but at some point in the game things just start looping and it isn't a good thing. Variety is the spice of life.
Gameplay: A brawler-style game can definitely make for good multiplayer action. Playing Nicktoons: Attack of the Toybots with a "buddy" is probably the only way to enjoy the game. The single-player action is incredibly flawed because you'll end up repeating levels several times to gather baubles that are only accessible to specific characters. A fair amount of the game is open in the beginning, but the repetition required to unlock levels is too much unless there's the added fun of playing with a friend. There isn't a default for multiplayer, as in you can plug in another controller and join the action. Instead, there are designated multiplayer levels. This is enough to justify a rental over a long weekend, but hardly enough to keep Nicktoons: Attack of the Toybots in the library for any extended period. The multiplayer suffers from control issues that plague the entire game, so it's hard to know how long you'll be able to enjoy bonking your friend on the head before you give up in frustration. What's good about the game? Luckily, there are some saving graces. The level design, as mentioned above, is creative and each area is large enough to pack in plenty of enemies, special items to gather, and crannies to explore. The biggest opportunities for exploration are clearly marked and exclusive to one character. Once you select that character and play through the level to that point, you'll be able to access the "secret" level. Completing this challenge-level opens up a collectable figure that you'll use to buy your way forward in the game. Smashing items and some enemies releases credits you'll use to purchase extras in the game, mostly forgettable stuff like costumes for characters. The enemies come in waves and are pretty tough in some cases due to their size or their numbers. The selectable heroes all have about the same attacks handy, by virtue of mechanical costumes they can wear to shoot goo or perform special moves. The basic punching and butt bouncing is valid across almost every character. It's a shame that each character isn't more unique to the extent that Nicktoons: Attack of the Toybots could include more interesting puzzles or co-op gameplay. The button-mashing play style is fine for a while but gets old, especially when you find you are forced to double back and replay levels a second or third time to gather necessary items.
Difficulty: Nicktoons: Attack of the Toybots is in the awkward position of being unintentionally difficult. By way of poor choices in design and control implementation, trying to do simple platforming stuff results in constant death and dismemberment. The developers must have realized this at some point because the penalty for kicking the bucket is incredibly light. When you die, you disappear in one place and disappear in another. There's no counter or "game over" that comes because it would totally cripple the player's experience. Almost every screen in some levels are spots that just don't work, either because of poorly placed jumps, bad mechanics in the game's physics, or spotty controls. Sometimes all three are in operation. More deaths result from bad jumps than enemies. Most enemies are, in contrast to just moving around, creampuffs. They attack, but a few well-placed hits destroy them. Enemies don't really respawn and in some areas you'll need to defeat specific enemies to open up an exit path. This isn't explained or demonstrated so it often feels like you're scouring the place for an exit until you realize there may be another enemy to defeat that will trigger some event. Collecting items is done through even more difficult levels that require some heady platforming skill. Skill-based challenges are fine, but when simple controls like jumping or camera are out of whack, it's hard not to feel cheated.
Game Mechanics: One beef I have with some games on the Wii is how they attempt to spread controls out across the two controllers when it's not necessary. Motion controls aren't even used in the game. Not that games without motion controls shouldn't come to the Wii, but why make things more complex than they need to be? The Wii-mote on its own, turned sideways as in most retro games, would accomplish 90% of the moves needed to play Nicktoons: Attack of the Toybots. Instead we have movement on the Nunchuk and jumping via the (A) button on the Wii-mote. Pressing the (Z) button launches projectiles at enemies, and the only other useful thing you'll have to worry about is ducking with (B) or using a variation of these controls in some areas with certain characters. The Wii-mote has five buttons plus the D-pad, and there aren't more than about three or four things you'll do on a regular basis throughout the game. Various events in the game would have adapted easily to motion control, so it's hard to understand why it wasn't implemented. The jumping issue is a combination of poor props in each level, a camera that doesn't adjust to the action, and controls that feel muddy. Many ideas were probably good in concept and looked good on screen, but are incredibly painful to play. The average gamer will work hard enough to get through the obstacles, but the kicker is how you'll have to go back and play the same levels over again to collect special items. This isn't exactly a morale booster after you swore that if you could just get to the end of that one frustrating area you'd be alright and never have to play it again. There are so many things that are completely unforgiving in the game, where you touch a wall or the wrong thing and just disappear. Not lose life or hearts or energy, but just return to the last checkpoint. Thankfully the checkpoints are plentiful; you can definitely while away some time in Nicktoons: Attack of the Toybots, but your reward is very poor. We sometimes fault licensed games for completely ignoring gameplay or just pasting on a brand to get something out on shelves. Nicktoons: Attack of the Toybots doesn't feel like that type of game, it just feels like a game that can't get over some of the technical hurdles required to let us relax and enjoy the experience. Nothing about wanting to throw the Wii-mote at my wall makes me enjoy SpongeBob SquarePants and his Nicktoons friends...
-Fridtjof, GameVortex Communications AKA Matt Paddock
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