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Pick. Fist-fighting,
weapon-wielding skeletons, pirate zombies, annoying imps, and
haunted furniture are just some of the "ghoulies"
Cooper, the boy-hero of Grabbed By the Ghoulies for the XBox, has
to contend with after an evil Baron captures his girlfriend and
holds her prisoner in a very haunted mansion. This video game is absolutely
hilarious—and it's accessible to younger, perhaps less
experienced, gamers as well. Ideal for the whole family, this
humorous, graphically-rich beat-'em-up game is entertaining,
gently challenging for kids, and hilarious fun.
The
first XBox game by the very talented RARE (remember the fabulous
Donkey Kong Country?), Grabbed By the Ghoulies stars an
unexpected and endearing hero, Cooper, who ventures into
Ghoulhaven Hall with his girlfriend, Amber. As soon as they enter,
Amber is kidnapped ("grabbed") by ghoulies and the
thrilling adventure begins. During
his journeys through Ghoulhaven Hall, the boathouse, lighthouse
quarters, and other fun venues, Cooper comes face-to-face with a
fun set of characters—both enemies and allies—including the
likes of Crivens the butler, Ma Soupswill the cook, and the
ghoulies—from the lowly imp to the giant hunchback, with plenty
of skeletons, imps, vampire chickens, and zombies in between. Each
type of ghouly has its own set of weaknesses. Zombies can be
vanquished with holy water, for example, and mummies can only be
destroyed with fire. The Grim Reaper is a particularly
nerve-wracking and challenging enemy as he glides through rooms
chasing Cooper.
The
controls of the game are relatively easy to pick up. The left
control stick moves Cooper, while the right one enables Cooper to
attack. The A button is used to confirm choices, advance text, and
to pick up destructible weapons, such as chairs and coat hangers,
for use in battles. When particularly spooky ghoulies catch Cooper
by surprise, players must quickly repeat the letter button
patterns shown onscreen (A, B, X, and Y in various combinations)
in order to avoid the loss of 10 health points. The trigger
buttons on the gamepad allow players to change camera angles.
In
each fabulous room, a bonus book is hidden somewhere—it might be
in some tight corner, hiding in a box, or even inside a ghouly.
Bonus challenges are earned for every five bonus books collected.
If players do well in these challenges, they earn a bronze,
silver, gold, or platinum medal. Each room and area holds its own
special challenge—players might need to beat all the drunken
pirate zombies in the room before running out of health points,
for example, by direct attack (punches and kicks), throwing
bottles and hamburgers at them from a distance, or bonking them
over the head with a leg of ham. Another room's challenge might be
to destroy at least 30 spiders only using weapons. If players
mistakenly punch or kick, the fearsome Grim Reaper appears. A
little white glove hovers over items, such as barrels and anchors,
players can pick up and use to destroy both enemies and furniture.
Sometimes traitor ghoulies lend a helping hand, although they'll
turn on Cooper if they aren't busy, and a variety of power-ups aid
Cooper on his mission to save Amber. Turbo Cooper offers a chance
to speed the hero up, and "mini-me's" (miniature
Coopers) do some work for Cooper as he attempts to complete a
challenge. Invincibility and invisibility are other time-limited
power-ups, while "power-downs" include energy sappers,
reverse controls, and slow-motion actions. Players meet up with
bosses like the resilient hunchback who is protective of his
"handsome" face. He turns his back to Cooper, cowering
with his face covered, and players will need to find a way to make
him angry in order to get in some good punches and kicks. Haunted
doors attack with their super-powerful doorknobs, and
Jessie-and-Clyde monsters deliver scares that slow Cooper down and
make him more vulnerable to attacks.
Although
the ultimate path of the game is linear, each room is highly
interactive. Players explore every nook and cranny, if possible.
The story is told through comic strips and chapters, and it's
filled with humor the whole family will enjoy. Cooper exclaims
(through a grunt and text), "You're Notre looking so
well" after he has beaten the hunchback, for example, and the
Baron delivers his evil laughs ("mwa ha haa!")
throughout the adventure as well as a mistaken speech about father
and son before correcting himself near the end of the game.
Grabbed
by the Ghoulies offers a fantastic time for children and their
parents. Less experienced gamers can take advantage of a brew
option that gives them extra health points if required. More
experienced gamers might be better off renting the game, simply
because it might not last too long, but the game absolutely fills
a gap—video games that are manageable for kids without being too
simplistic are hard to find. Very satisfying
game! If your family doesn't already own an XBox, this game could
easily become your motivation to get one.
Why
do we recommend this game? Grabbed By the Ghoulies
contains progressively challenging missions along a linear path,
and at the same time offers kids a chance to explore each area in
a highly interactive fashion, making the game manageable for
children. A helpful and kid-friendly option offers less
experienced gamers the choice of using extra health points in
order to more easily complete challenges, so the chances of the
game frustrating kids are low. Although older gamers might find
the game repetitious and perhaps too easy to master, most families
will find Grabbed by the Ghoulies contains just the right
mix of options and level of challenge to be both fun and
satisfying.
Rated E for Everyone (ages
6-up).
For more information, user
reviews, or to buy: Grabbed By The Ghoulies
| For XBox |
By: Microsoft Studios |
Ages: 8-up |
Published: 2003 |
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