Better than you think. Fun for anyone.
Written: Nov 30 '06 (Updated Jul 29 '08)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Very fluid 2D animations, great voice-overs
Cons: Lack of bosses, bad soundtrack, ugly 3D
The Bottom Line: If you're a fan, buy it. It's got everything you want. If you're not a fan, rent it. It's a good platform game.
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| C_A's Full Review: Disney's Kim Possible: What's The Switch for PS2 f... |
I like Kim Possible: What's the Switch? a lot. It has the courage to go out there and say, “Hey, if we made this game completely in 3D, it was probably going to suck, so here is this very good 2D platformer with 3D environments.” Instead of focusing on graphics, the developers tried to make a simple, fun game. For the most part, they succeeded.
Gameplay
In KP:WTS, you will alternate between playing as Kim Possible, the obvious hero, and Shego, one of her arch-enemies. There are lots of neat moves in the game that separate this from most of the old 2D platform games from years ago. I enjoyed jumping up walls, doing acrobatic flips to avoid laser fire, and swinging along ceilings with my grappling hook. Kim & Shego can unleash powerful punch and hit combinations on generic baddies all day long without taking a scratch. I really didn't feel that the game got too repetitive at any point, however someone that was watching me play noted that the game was very monotonous. Your mileage may vary.
I liked most of the level designs. The developers really force you to use all the skills you've learned throughout the game, even sometimes using three or more of those skills at once just to make it past one obstacle. Also, these levels are long. It can take anywhere between 20 and 30 minutes to beat some of these levels. This game is not difficult, but I'm glad it's not like other generic titles where you can just double-jump your way to victory.
Rufus, your trusty naked mole rat, sometimes has to enter into tight spots so that he can shut down contraptions or eat up some wires. These levels weren't fun, but I'm sure they were necessary since he's probably a fan-favorite.
There are a few different types of enemies in this game, but I wish they were a little smarter at blocking and dodging attacks. To make the game even easier, on most enemies if you just chunk some gum at them, they are defenseless and can be beaten in one punch.
I noticed a substantial lack of boss fights in this game. The only true boss fight in this game is Shego battling a helicopter with her fists. Other ‘boss fights' usually consists of taking down five to ten generic bad guys and then performing a task with mild platforming involved. This was another instance where the developers could've put in powerful characters to fight one-on-one but they failed to capitalize. There also were plenty of opportunities for Kim and Shego to fight one another.
Graphics
From the far-away perspective, the character designs look great. The two characters (especially Kim) have very fluid animations with each and every thing they do, from simple running animations to powerful jump-kicks. It's a small facet of the game, but I felt that it really lifted the overall fun of this game.
However, the 3D character models, during the short cutscenes, are fugly. Their facial expressions for dialogue are accurate and funny, but I just felt the developers could've done a better job with these scenes.
Control
After a short learning curve, this game runs smooth. In my case it took several minutes to fully get down the controls for swinging around on the grappling hook. After that, platforming was a breeze.
Dodging was a little inconsistent. Sometimes the character will do a handstand to spring forward or backward and then do a quick tumble jump, other times the character will only tumble jump. I messed up a few times due to this.
Sound/Music
All the voice actors, as far as I know, are here, putting forth a great effort. I wish there were a lot more cutscenes since most of the dialogue was very funny, but I am not too disappointed.
The soundtrack for this game is terrible. As I started the first level, I felt as though the music presented a very good atmosphere for the game. However, I started hearing that “beeping” sound for Kim's communicator. “So, uh, what do I do? I've got a call. Hit Select button?” It turns out that sound is a sample that is part of the mix for almost every single track and plays about once every eight to ten seconds. It's overly used and gets overly annoying after about two minutes. I certainly hope that in future titles they leave this sample out of their tracks. I had to turn the music completely off.
Replay
Despite long levels, the game still felt a little short. But, there's plenty of unlockables that can be obtained throughout the game, including concept art and new costumes, to keep you occupied at least for a little while. The costumes are sometimes difficult to get, as they are part of items that are usually well hidden throughout each level. I had to play through the game a few times before I could find everything. Those developers are sneaky.
Overall
If you're a fan of the show, just buy this already. It's got almost everything you could possibly want out of it.
If you're not a fan of the show, at least rent the game. It's a solid, entertaining platform game.
Extra
One of the key developers of God of War and God of War II, Derek Daniels, praised Kim Possible: What's the Switch? for its fluid gameplay design and character animations. He only found out about it because of a gameplay video I uploaded to YouTube. So hey, there's one ringing endorsement right there!
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
C_A
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Member: Celestial Avenger
Reviews written: 15
Trusted by: 9 members
About Me:
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