There are three things I have come to except in life. The first is that no matter how great the Saints look at the beginning of the season, they will end up blowing it all and doing nothing. The second is that no matter how many times I 'give him a chance', Dr. Phil is annoying. The third is that every other month a Rugrats game will come out. This isn't a complaint, since most of the Rugrats games are pretty good - but every once in awhile you get one that stinks worse than Tommy's diaper bin. Rugrats: Royal Ransom is just such a game.

Although the graphics do a good job at capturing the look and feel of the show, it's still a pretty weak package. Everything has a very 'cute' look to it that really got under my skin. In the past I've played my fair share if 'cute' games, but there was just something about this title that irked me. Furthering my irritation, the frame rate was terrible - something that shouldn't happen in a game with as few graphical details as this one. Even fans of the show are likely to find the presentation less than appealing.

The sound effects remain true to the other Rugrats games. All of the actors from the show make a vocal appearance during cut scenes. Although a few of the in-game vocal quips can become annoying, I really enjoyed Angelica's taunts to the babies during each level. The music is good and sounds like something from an episode, although it's likely that only fans of the show will appreciate the similarity.

A few months ago I reviewed another Rugrats game for the GameBoy Advance called Castle Capers. For all intents and purposes, Rugrats: Royal Ransom is an extension of the same game. In fact, it's almost exactly the same game - only built for the 'bigger' consoles.

After Stu Pickles unveils his newest experimental toy, The Play Palace 3000, it is left unattended by the grownups in the backyard. The Play Palace doesn't appeal to anyone except Angelica, who fancies herself as the Queen of the castle. Since the babies refuse to play with her, she decides to steal their prize possessions and hide them in the Palace. The only way the babies can get their things back is if they play with her in the castle. This sets the babies on a quest through the Play Palace's eight virtual worlds in order to reclaim their toys.

Royal Ransom is designed with a younger audience in mind. The single player mode is little more than a scavenger hunt for the stolen items. Along the way, the babies can collect Reptar Funny Money, which can be exchanged at the Palace's ATM to unlock mini-games. These are usually two-player variations on parts from the single-player games, such as racing moon buggies, flying magic carpets, chasing monkeys and knocking them unconscious with bananas. I actually found the mini-games to be more enjoyable than the single-player levels, which tend to get monotonous after the first few sections. Axing the single-player game and developing a Mario Party-like game would have been a much more enjoyable way to go. Four player support would have also been a welcome addition.

Again, since this game is designed for a younger audience, most veteran players will find that it's a tad too easy. The difficulty levels start with Baby Easy and end with Reptar Tough. The level of difference between each of these modes is noticeable and should allow for a nice challenge.

Keeping with the game's theme, the controls are very easy to pick up and intuitive. The left analog stick controls your Rugrat while the right stick adjusts the camera. Piloting all the different vehicles is just as simple and doesn't throw in some foreign mechanic like other games have been known to do.

Of the Rugrats games I have played (and believe me, my library is teeming with them), Rugrats: Royal Ransom is at the bottom of the list. While it does an excellent job of gearing itself towards a younger audience, the game lacks that simple fun factor that the other games possessed. The mini-games are a blast and should keep kids (or anyone who realizes the reason games exist - to be fun) entertained for awhile. I mean, who doesn't like throwing bananas at monkeys?