Jimmy Neutron: Jet Fusion
Score: 88% ESRB: Everyone Publisher: THQ Developer: Krome Studios Media: DVD/1 Players: 1 Genre: Platformer
Graphics & Sound: Jimmy Neutron has made his way to another game -- and this one, Jimmy Neutron: Jet Fusion, is at the same level as the rest of the Jimmy Neutron line. The in-game graphics aren't all that bad. They can be a bit blocky at times (especially when compared to the movie-quality CG found in the cut-scenes), but all in all it isn't that bad. The 3D worlds are full of detail and interact with the characters rather well (especially when walking around in some bushes in the jungles). But there's nothing that really tries to push the system's limits. The music is fairly upbeat and does a good job of piping up at just the right moments. I especially like the standard Jimmy Neutron music that blares when Jimmy has had a Brain Blast (even though he doesn't call them that in the game) and comes up with a new invention. The voices themselves are great -- but as far as the lip sync is concerned -- it is basically on par with the graphics. There's nothing novel or wonderful in this department, just what you've seen in most other games.
Gameplay: Jimmy Neutron is just like any other kid...well any other kid that is a genius. Jimmy Neutron: Jet Fusion puts you (as Jimmy) in Retroville on a mission to free the action hero Jet Fusion. Why you? Well because it is your fault he is trapped, but Jet doesn't know that. Retroville has undergone a horrific change because one of Jimmy's inventions has gone awry (yes, again). After attempting to make a holographic projector for a book report, a glitch in the system causes all of the settings and creatures from the book to come alive and take over Jimmy's hometown. Now you and your faithful robotic dog, Goddard, must go through an Asian village, the deepest jungle and many more locations in order to collect the three golden idols and stop the evil Dr. Calamitous from completing his master plan (even though the evil doctor never completes anything anyway). As you travel through the levels you will end up facing your friends in battle (who have also been transformed by the ill-fated-invention). You will end up facing Sheen as the Ultra Ninja Lord and Ms. Fowl as a Goddess of Fire, as well as Cindy (the Leviathan Queen - sort of fitting isn't it) and then finally Calamitous' most fiendish invention yet -- the Calamibot. Along the way you will also pick up various items that will help Jimmy either build new weapons or inventions (that actually work - well, for the most part) in order to get past otherwise impossible obstacles. Other items you need to be on the look out for are Navchips, which allow you to move on to the next level); Purple Flurp, basically the health; and White candies (collect these to unlock images in the gallery). You can also find several other goodies that will either help Jimmy along on his adventure or open up some unlockable at the main menu.
Difficulty: Until I ran into the first boss, I didn't really find Jimmy Neutron: Jet Fusion to be all that difficult. Besides the misjudging of distances or just not aiming in the right direction, I didn't find myself having a lot of trouble going through the levels. The game does take a lot of patience in order to make any headway, because you will find yourself making stupid errors more times than running into a bad guy you just can't beat. Basically most enemies can be defeated by just a couple of shots (with the right weapon, that is), so if you are a fast enough draw, you shouldn't run into to many snags. There were a couple of times when there didn't seem to be any obvious answer to a puzzle -- and when I found a way past those obstacles, I felt that there wasn't enough information given to lead me anywhere near the right direction.
Game Mechanics: The control scheme of Jimmy Neutron: Jet Fusion follows the basic layout found in most platformers. The left analog stick controls the movement while the right controls the camera. The X button lets you jump while the Square and Circle Buttons activate the primary and secondary fire. The triangle button allows you to move items around in order to reach certain areas, while both the R1 and L1 buttons switch between the weapons that Jimmy has built. The R2 button makes Goddard play dead (if he has enough batteries) while the L2 activates a magnetic shield for a limited time. Jet Fusion is a good, all around platformer bringing all of the classic ideas that made this genre what it is today. Overall it is a little easy, but it is also geared to the younger gamer, so this can be easily overlooked. Even if you feel like the game is a breeze, you will probably find it to still be a good, fun game to play. If you don't want to buy it, then it definitely deserves a rental.
-J.R. Nip, GameVortex Communications AKA Chris Meyer
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