Tom and Jerry Review

So, you got this far then. Loaded up the Tom and Jerry review I see. I guess your wondering what's it all about then. Hmm, well it's got a mouse in it, and a cat, and the cat is called Tom and the mouse is called Jerry. What more do you want to know?! Oh yeah, Jerry (the mouse just in case you had forgotten) has to save the day against the bad kitty, Tom (Well that's just typical, I always think poor old Tom gets the bum rap. Maybe someone will invent a game where you get to play Tom and kick some rodent ass! Now that would be a game worth playing). Anyway, you've had my intricate description of the game, but just in case you feel that's not enough, who can explain it better than the people who made the darn thing......

Jerry is so excited because Tuffy, his favourite cousin, is coming to town. They always have so much fun together! But jerry looks at his watch and realises Tuffy should have been here an hour ago! What could have happened to him? Knowing how dangerous it can be out there, Jerry gave Tuffy careful instructions on how to get to the house. Jerry knows something must be up. And Tom must be behind it. The search is on and it's up to you, as Jerry, to find your lost cousin before that nasty Tom does!.....

Hmm, exciting stuff kids! Anyway, as you would expect by now this game, and pretty much all of the new Gameboy games, are gameboy colour only. Also as said in just about every other review I've done for the GBC, these games should be optimised for the GBC so should have some quite nice graphics and sound slapped into them. Well Tom and Jerry, doesn't disappoint on that front. So far this is the nicest looking GBC game I have seen. It really makes the game feel as realistic as is possible on the GBC, (well as realistic as playing a mouse can be anyway), so no major points lost there. (I will always keep that one point back in the eternal hope of the great gameboy game, with graphics which just blow you away, and gameplay to boot, (I know it's out there, just waiting to be made)). The game itself is played as you, being Jerry, jumping onto various objects, (such as tables/water jets from fountains etc etc) and avoiding others, (acorns, spikes and such like, all depending on which level you are on) in an attempt to navigate your way through the level, (in a platform/start on the left and get to the right sort of way that is). One thing I will have to say here, (while I remember it), is that, unlike most of the games I seem to play lately, Jerry is actually very responsive to the control pad. Gone are the little characters who will move in one direction and then take forever to stop or change direction, which almost always involves you losing life or falling off some gargantuan object which you just spent the last 20mins trying to climb up, (and more power to it). As you progress further through the levels you get a chance to give yourself a rest from Tom and Jerry, because the tried and tested 'password access point' shows it's dreary head again. The level access in this game works by matching 4 symbols correctly, for example cheese, heart, clock, soda. (I don't know it this is actually a level access code, because I hate having to write the little sods down, you end up with stupid scrappy bits of paper with various hieroglyphics scrawled over them, with never seem to work even when you use them. Enough of the password bitching, (well at least until the next game)).

It's nice to see they added the well known and loved warner bros. style tune into the game, (I'm not even going to try and convey it to you lot in a, do do do da da da type of thing, but you'll know it when you hear it). Apart from that though, the music can get a bit repetitive and on times just too annoying to cope with, so it is nice that you do have the option to run off the music, and still keep the sound on. Although this option is only available before you start the game, so it does seem kind of pointless, as you might have just forgotten just how annoying it can get.

So apart from the usual little annoyances, it's a great game then? I love it, right? Well if your one of those people who just jumps to the scores and maybe quickly skims over the concluding paragraph, you will have guessed not, well not completely anyway. (Actually if your one of those people, you probably won't be reading this bit at all!). If you not one of these people, here's why, and how, Tom and Jerry loses out in the absolutelymustgetasifmylifedependedonit games category.

Well that kind of over-hyped this next section a bit, but basically the problem with Tom and Jerry is it's too darn easy, don't get me wrong, it's ok for the younger players out there, but anyone with a smidgen of gameboy experience shouldn't find this anymore than a breeze. The game has some nice touches in there, and enough different levels to keep you interested, it's just a pity there wasn't a few more of them and maybe a bit harder. Here's a quick example of what I mean. At the end of each level you also have an opportunity to gain additional bonus points by matching your wits against the Tom and Jerry bonus card game, (well that's what is says in the instruction book). This involves you trying to match up 4 sets of picture cards in a pre-set number of tries. The problem here is that you only have to match up four sets, so you would have to be almost brain dead not to always win every time. So as you see, even this section, as with the rest of the game, becomes about as hard as our editors 'soft bits' in an all female strip club (narf! narf! - Oh well. That's my bonus out of the window!).

Overall it's a good game, and whether you're a fan of the Tom and Jerry cartoons or not you'll probably enjoy the game. But in my (some say, highly critical) view, it just lacks that challenging edge and enough levels to make it a truly great game. If you looking for a game to get you into this gameboy lark, or maybe even a birthday prezzy for some little sprog, this game won't do you wrong.