GENRE
	Torus Games
	DEVELOPER
	Activision
	PUBLISHER
	1
	NUMBER OF PLAYERS
	no
	CONNECTIVITY
	no
	BUY NOW AT

Any cartoon on television which shows even a hint of popularity will almost always lead to a videogame based on it. Jackie Chan Adventures is no different there, and since Jackie Chan is already famous, I was expecting this game sooner.

The story in the game is similar to the cartoon in that Jackie must travel the world to find artifacts before the criminal organization known as Dark Hand gets them. In Legend of the Dark Hand, the artifacts are ancient scrolls that hold knowledge of forgotten fighting styles.

visuals

There are essentially two great things about Jackie Chan Adventures. The first is the background scenes. Each level is unique in its layouts, with great colors and drawings that look straight out of the cartoon show. They're not the best graphics ever on the GBA, but it gives the desired effect by looking just like the cartoon. The items that are lying around each level add to the environment. In the first level, there are Chinese lanterns and wind chimes to punch, boxes and brooms to pick up to use, and bushes and mailboxes that can be kicked to oblivion.

The second is Jackie Chan. His animations are smooth, and just simply amazing. I particularly like his standing and his running movements. In the training room, I spent quite a while just watching Jackie do all of his moves. Some of them seemed a bit choppy, but most were fluid.

Those familiar with the show will recognize the enemies. Pretty much all of them are there. Finn, Ratso, and Chow have been multiplied to become the countless number of goons, along with the Shadowkhan. Other appearances are made by Hack Foo, Valmont, Shendu, and a few other demons. Jade, Uncle, and Captain Black show up as well, but they are limited to still shots of them and a bit of dialogue.

audio

All I can say about the music is that it is tolerable. There isn't much variety, and it seems to repeat itself quite quickly. The sound effects aren't impressive either.

gameplay

This is a mixed bag. There are about as many good points as bad. On the plus side, the controls work very well, and it is easy to get the hang of Jackie's basic moves. As the game continues, Jackie learns more attacks, and you learn a new button combination. Some can be tricky to master, but getting these moves throughout the game breaks up a bit of the tedium.

Keep in mind this is a button mashing game. You could get away with hitting one button nonstop through an entire level, since the regular enemies are easy enough. To do really well, all of the moves need to be used. You also get a score for each level, so the more complex moves Jackie makes, and the less he gets hit, the more points you will rack up.

The additional weapons are also a nice touch. As I mentioned above, there are objects that can be picked up and thrown, or swung around. Each level has plenty of weapons, and some that can only be found in a particular level. These don't last, though. After several uses, they fade away and Jackie is stuck using his fists again.

Now for the downside. The level designs are good, but there seems to be too many pits. Most of the levels have places where you can fall off if you step in the wrong direction. The jumping ability adds to this problem. It feels more like floating than jumping, and if you don't keep track of Jackie's movements while in the air, he might just fall off the edge and will lose a life.

Anyone who has played Final Fight One, or remember such arcade classics like The Simpsons and Teenage Muntant Ninja Turtles, will be familiar with the layout of the game. Jackie walks through a level, and at some point up to four goons show up on the screen. These guys have to be defeated before Jackie can continue on. This is repeated several dozen times until Jackie meets up with the level boss. To some players, this will get boring fast, but others will enjoy it to the end. The variety of levels is nice but since there aren't any transition scenes, it feels like a bunch of random locations slapped together.

multiplayer

Oh, I wish. A multiplayer team-up would have greatly improved the replay value of the game.

overall

I enjoyed playing Jackie Chan Adventures, but it also helps that I enjoy Jackie Chan movies, and also watch the cartoon show. Any other Jackie Chan fans will also have fun playing their favorite action star. Final Fight gamers might even like it, but the lack of multiplayer will disappoint them.

Jackie Chan Adventures is a game that will be loved by the fans, and tolerated by everyone else. Anyone who's not sure might want to give it a rent. Since the only replay value comes in the difficulty settings, one rent could be enough. For me, the game was definitely worth it.

Action/10