I Spy Challenger
Score: 70% ESRB: Publisher: Scholastic Developer: Black Hammer Game Media: Cart/1 Players: 1 Genre: Puzzle/ Miscellaneous
Graphics & Sound: As a child, I remember paining my parents on car trips with constant pleas to use the bathroom, recurrent requests as to the status of our trip and distance to destination, and insidious nagging between my siblings and I as we fought between the clamps on the seat belt. I look back at those days with nostalgia. One thing my parents used to try to help pass the time was I Spy, a simple family game that spans many generations and many different arrangements of rules and such. Now, Scholastic has created a new way to enjoy I Spy, and this time it doesn't even have to involve more than one person. I Spy Challenger for the Game Boy Advance is Scholastic's first attempt at an edutainment title for children. The imagery in I Spy Challenger is not especially phenomenal. The style of game only requires simple objects such as watermelon slices or baseball bats. Images are entirely static with no animated features or depth. Certain sections of I Spy Challenger deal with this better than others. I found that the large selection images manage to keep the game different while leaving the basic functions of the game intact. One minute you may be seeking out an object in a sports-like setup, and the next you're doing the same thing with magician's objects. I found these large-scale images worked the best, as the smaller, simple images really should have at least some animations to them. The music in I Spy Challenger is especially suited for the game, tending to keep the game in a state of suspense and fun intensity.
Gameplay: A simple I Spy game, in real life, consists of seeking out groups of things based on a certain riddle. I Spy Challenger builds on that concept and adds a few extra mini-games to the bundle. Riddle Roundup is the traditional I Spy setup. You're given one of 36 different setups. These range from Magicians mess to Toy Box locale. Each setup has its own set of riddles, which acts as hints toward finding objects hidden within the big picture. Solving each set of riddles advances toward the next riddle set. The other three games in I Spy Challenger are time based. Hoop Drop keeps a constant scrolling of different items inside of large or small hoops. An item appears on the screen and the player must position that item in the hoop that contains related items. Grid Grab sets up a grid of items and asks the player to find certain connected arrangements. Finally, Match Attack requires that the player obliterate everything on the screen by 'shooting' items related to another item toward a wall of items. If an item matches, both items disappear. However if the player misses or aims at the wrong item, nothing disappears and the screen gets one more item to dispose of. Each of these games is setup to increase player's response and motor skills. Players earn a score as the clock runs out which determines if he can move to the next level or earn a bonus round. Bonus rounds typically contain the same requirements as the regular rounds, except the time limit may be shorter.
Difficulty: In practice, I Spy Challenger could provide a nice bit of Challenge for players of all ages. As the levels increase, the time limits fluctuate and other factors are implemented to make each situation increasingly difficult. For example, a beginner's Grid Grab starts with a grid of 3X3 items. As the player levels up, the grid becomes wider and the list to match also grows. In Hoop Drop the hoops become smaller and the number of different hoops increase. Riddles in Riddle Round-up could also provide some challenge and tend to become tedious if you're in the mood for more action.
Game Mechanics: Nothing could be easier than the Game Boy Advance's simple to learn interface. I Spy Challenger consistently reminds you what each control does in case the player can't figure it out intuitively. Each game has it's own requirements, but there are no extremely difficult key press combos to figure out here. Mostly A to select or B to switch. With such simple commands and easy but brain building games, Scholastic has definitely taken the need for outside players in the game of I Spy. Parents can rest with ease knowing that they'll never have to sit through another agonizing trip again. Finally they can relax as their children sit quietly as I Spy Challenger challenges their potential, increasing their motor skills. However, nothing is golden. If Scholastic had found a way to make I Spy Challenger a two-player game, parents would never have to turn around and fuss their kids for nagging ever again also. Nevertheless, I Spy Challenger does come with its misfortunes, most of which can be overcome based on this game's demographic. But wait till those kids get 80 miles into a 140-mile ride. Parents, you'd better not forget traditional I Spy skills quite yet.
-==Boy, GameVortex Communications AKA Kyle Prestenback
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