Dexter's Lab: Mandark's Lab

Dexter’s Laboratory: Mandark’s Lab? is a game created by bam! entertainment! and based on the hugely popular cartoon series by Genndy Tartakovsky.  You’ll play the part of Dexter, boy genius, as he attempts to take back his laboratory from the clutches of Mandark.  Mandark broke into Dexter’s lab Mission Impossible-style and changed all his access codes and voice recognition fail-safes to lock Dexter out of his own lab.  Naturally, this does not sit well with the 2-foot tall kid-scientist so regaining control of his lab is priority #1.

You’ll work your way through 7 different mini-games until your eventual standoff with Mandark himself.  The mini-games are mildly entertaining and anyone who enjoys the cartoon will surely find something to like with this game.  Challenges consist of dance-offs that are similar to the Parappa or Gitaroo-Man dynamics but nowhere near as entertaining or original.  Another sequence puts Dexter in a FPS-ish scenario where you are equipped with a ‘cootie-spray’ that you must fend off cooties with.  There is also a Soap Box Derby mini-game that while lacking in depth or innovation does successfully convey a fair sense of enjoyment.  The coolest addition to the game however has to be the Dexter Dodgeball level, which allows you to bean random people with foam balls.

The graphics in this game are unsurprisingly bad; the character models look as if they consist of no more then ten or twenty polygons apiece.  Dexter and company look only vaguely similar to their cartoon counterparts.  Trotting around the infamous house of Dexter from his perspective is an interesting experience but the atmospheric 3D renderings are bland and uninspired.  The graphical limitations of the PSX don’t help the situation but even with the technical restrictions of the platform this game is still visually inadequate.  Between every set of levels you will be treated to a quick clip of Dexter in cartoon format and these cut scenes are wholly original and not simply taken from a previously released episode.

Voice-overs are done by professional voice-actors instead of the original voice talent found in the show.  Dexter, Dee Dee, and Mandark all sound close to their cartoon versions but its still disappointing that the original voice actors could not lend their expertise to the game.  Music consists of cute little scores that are reminiscent of the cartoon but they do little to add to the enjoyment of the experience.

There are 4 different areas in Dexter’s Laboratory with 2 mini-games per area.  Each area will have a distinct objective that can only be reached by successfully completing the mini-games.  The areas include Dexter’s house and 3 different parts of Dexter’s lab. You’ll be able to move Dexter around with the D-pad and on your way to different mini-games you’ll be able to talk to Dee Dee and interface with different objects lying around by hitting the X button.

Completing the game will unlock the mini-games as playable stages in the bonus challenge mode, one or two people can play each game at a time.  The ability to play through the mini-games with a human opponent lengthens the life span of the game considerably, which is a good thing since you’ll blow through the entire single-player adventure in less then 2 hours.  You’ll also be able to unlock illustrations that can be viewed from the main menu as you progress through the game.

All in all this is a mildly entertaining game that most people, particularly fans of the cartoon, will find worthy of a rental.  The shoddy graphics along with the disappointing 2-hour lifespan relegates this title to rental-only status.  The addition of the two-player modes can potentially provide hours more of entertainment but unless you have someone around who is willing to spend their time playing this cartoonish, derivative game your out of luck.  The cut scenes are fun to watch and some of the mini-games can be pretty enjoyable but overall this is a quick-and-dirty game that was pushed out the door in an attempt to capitalize on the success of the cartoon on which the it is based.

Gameplay: 6.1
Gameplay changes depending on the mini-game that your playing but control remains simple and easy throughout.  Moving around in an area consists of using the directional pad to move in the desired direction with the X button assigned to interacting with people and objects.

Graphics: 4.3
Visually Dexter’s Laboratory is overly simple and bland.  The cut scenes are top-notch animations penciled by Genndy Tartakovsky himself though and drudging through the lackluster main game is worth it just so you can watch the next cartoon clip.

Sound: 5.4
Sound effects and music are nothing spectacular and voice acting is a level or two below the quality of the cartoon itself.  Listening to Dexter drone on about scientific calculations can become rather annoying and Dee Dee will often repeat the same thing repeatedly, rarely having anything helpful to add the situation.

Difficulty: Easy
This game is clearly directed towards youngsters and that becomes most apparent in the difficulty category, even a toddler would have no trouble beating this game in a matter of hours.

Concept: 5.5
Let me just distill the story of the game for you: Mandark attempts to take over Dexter’s lab, Dexter figures out a way to spoil his plans.  The end.

Multiplayer: 6.3
The two-player mini-games can be pretty fun and surprisingly addictive but the simple gameplay dynamics and low level of depth limits its length of enjoyment.

 Overall: 5.8
Dexter fans will find something to like with this game but unless your down with the multi-player component of the game then a over-night rental should more than suffice.