Scooby Doo: Mystery Mayhem is certainly an alright platform game at its core, though the slow beginnings and flawed mechanics should keep most gamers well enough away.
Through five episodes, you guide Scooby and Shaggy across platforms. Simple enough. But, for much of the game's first level, while it is making that all-important first impression, you can't even attack your enemies. Doesn't that sound like fun? Of course not, which is why the "Tomb of Doom" should have been given to you at the beginning of the game, not the end of the first level. Until then, you're stuck hiding behind pillars using a very primitive stealth technique, and running head first through the level at full speed, hoping there will be some Scooby Snacks up ahead to refill your "courage".
On the presentation front, Mystery Mayhem has lame graphics mixed with some halfway decent sound. The only impressive thing the game has going for it visually is the fluid animation exhibited by Scooby and Shaggy. The character designs and environment layouts, meanwhile, suffer from extreme blandness, a symptom that is all too common in today's cookie cutter licensed handheld games. The sounds of the game can be a bit tinny, but for the most part, remain true to the show – there's even a laugh track included, which I found to be a nice touch.
The biggest problem with Scooby Doo: Mystery Mayhem is not that it is a "bad" game, but that it starts out at a miserably slow pace, and by the time you wade through the crap to get to the good stuff, the "good" stuff ends up just being that of another slightly above-average platform game. Fans of the show will probably be able to see past the shortcomings, everyone else would do well to leave this caper unsolved.
-George
Create an Account
Member Login
