Stuart Little 2

As the Intro boasts, this game boasts being Stuart's biggest adventure. If that is the case, we're all in trouble. While a big fan of the movie(s), this title leaves me feeling empty and not involved with the series-- as the game wants you to feel. I wanted to help Stuart... I really, really did!!

In Stuart Little 2, your mission is to gather jewelry stolen by the evil Falcon. In the vein of more recent games like Lilo and Stitch, you ramble along terrains (indoors and out) collecting items both useful and/or necessary. You move along in a kitchen, family room, Central Park, sewer system (lots of.... "fun") among other lands; in your efforts to collect the jewels. Along the way, you are pestered by spiders, toys and other creepy crawlies that want to stop you-- or just plain get in the way, which was often the case. 

You can jump, super-jump (with a constipated grunting noise), throw objects, crawl, climb thin verticals and "monkey-bar" the underside of objects. To assist (thank goodness) with his lousy throwing ability, you can hold down the L2 & R2 buttons. That will give you a view from Stuart's perspective; including a cross-hair type visual aid. It is still hard to use, as you have to consider gravity and distance when you throw. In a sudden attack, forget it. Take your hit and don't curse out loud. 

The camera control and field of view perspective is very troublesome. While walking around, you are often struck by a baddie that appears from nowhere-- because the view does not allow you to see enough of the action. This happens when Stuart is walking towards you. The way around it is to constantly make sure you are looking from behind Stuart, but that is not always simple and convenient. Just another stoppage in play while you use the L1 or R1 button to turn your camera view. 

There are minor puzzles to solve along the way, as well as some nice clips from the movie. The sounds were OK, but it's a shame they couldn't get Michael J. Fox to do the voice for Stuart in the game. Stuart's new friend is more annoying than friendly. A poultry offering, Margalo pops around to assist you, but doesn't really help much. She does offer a useful tutorial if needed. There are scenes from the movies that can be viewed. Tinkerbell serves as the gateway to other levels. You can choose to visit Tinkerbell and save the game at that point. 

Jumping, running and sliding your way through this game offers no real satisfaction. It was frustrating to play, and a chore to pick up the controller for replays. The game controls were as frustrating as Toy Story, which ranks as one of my most disappointing ventures into movie gaming. I think the game was rushed, as so many movie titles are. It's a commercial offering and not much more. Let's hope if Stuart comes back for a third adventure, it offers more fun and creativity than this version presented. 

Gameplay: 6.5
Walking or running in one direction works just fine, but if you turn or need to go at something with an angle, look out. The controls will drive you insane. It takes a lot of nudging and small steps to line up a big jump, and I rarely made them on the first try. The evil bugs and obstacles can pop out of nowhere depending on Stuart's current perspective. Throwing objects as weapons is a disaster at times. The cross-hair range finder option is too tricky to use-- quickly. By the time you get your sights moving towards the target, you can count on being hit at least once. 

Graphics: 6 
Very poor graphics considering this is an animated character, which are usually easy to convert for a game format. The environments are blocky and look unfinished. No attention given to reflections and other touches some games offer. 

Sound: 7.5
The music was nice, but the event noises were clumsy and inappropriate. Stuart's voice acting was tired and unconvincing. Did I mention the music was nice? 

Difficulty: Hard
This game was hard, but not in a good way. Kids will be frustrated trying to navigate Stuart through jumps and throwing attacks. Even a seasoned gamer like myself will experience problems trying to get him where he needs to go. 

Concept: 5
Nothing original or special about this game. It offers no real treats and instead delivers the same tired,  "run along and gather things" concept that's been done better-- many times. If you must use the same style as a ton of games in the past, you have to offer something special about it. This one does not. 

Overall: 6.5
Not the most miserable game I have played, but there isn't much there for replay value. There isn't one feature or experience "good enough" to redeem the rest of the gaming experience. The graphics are uninspiring, the sounds are weak and worst of all-- the controls make it a CHORE to play. Games should be fun, and challenging. This is not much fun, and challenging in a bad way. I would rate the game lower if not for some decent character animations and decent music. Otherwise, this game doesn't have enough technical "pep" to be a decent Game Boy title.