Review: Atlantis: The Lost Empire (GBA)

Atlantis The Lost Empire is the latest blockbuster from family favourites Disney and as expected the necessary film tie-in arrives on the Game Boy Advance with a lesser version on the Game Boy Colour.

For those who have managed to successfully avoid the cartoon epic Gamestyle will provide a brief outline. The plot is based around a mysterious ancient civilization and their island that was guarded by mythical monsters and legend has it controlled by a mighty crystal. This all-powerful crystal can provide great power but in the wrong hands could cause great damage. The hero Milo is told by Professor Whitmore that his grandfather discovered Atlantis but its up to you to finish the journey. By using the submarine Ulysses and a mysterious book you embark on a journey in search of Atlantis: The Lost Empire. Along encountering huge sea-creatures, fiery volcanoes, mutiny, and even a beautiful princess, nice touch. With the film being primarily aimed at families and the younger generation, it comes as no surprise that the handheld version is tailored to meet the demands that market.

The game is split into a series of levels; in total there are ten - a common amount in Game Boy Advance games presently. These take you through the story as depicted in the film, from the submarine to the Caves of Atlantis and Atlantis itself. There are another eight bonus levels accessed through exploration and collecting hidden objects. The levels can be categorised into two types, those which are puzzle orientated and those where you are competing against the clock. In fact the first three all involve the clock, the tasks required are to stop the boiler room overheating, save the crew and escape to the Aqua Evac before the submarine blows up. I find nothing wrong with competing against the clock as it adds a sense of urgency to the whole proceeding but relying on the same formula time and again is disappointing.

The puzzles won't be taking either and are of a Resident Evil level of difficulty, again no doubt with the younger generation in mind. The developers have tried to add a bit more depth through the inclusion of crystals scattered around the levels that increase your number of lives. Yet these are available in such huge quantities that you never feel obliged or the need to go exploring for them, you will still do a great deal of running and jumping however. Other objects such as the Kings Stones and Bonus Letters all reveal secrets and surprises. There are some bonus mini-games, no doubt included to offer some sort of replay value but overall they fail. I wouldn't expect the depth to match the mini-games included in Final Fantasy or Zelda but at least the developer acknowledged something needed to be done.

The game looks average and the story is told by a series of moving slides in a cartoon style to drive the story along. These are well done enough but like the graphics used by the game, nothing is ever memorable or stunning. The sound however is above average and includes some good spanking tunes. Still anyone who has just seen the film will enjoy reliving and taking part in what they have just viewed. This is the main appeal of such a product. The game is similar to many other games based on movies, a straightforward conversion that is at heart a 2D platformer.

Little development time may be to blame but I often wonder why many choose to go down this route, target audience? Time? Talent? License limitations? You can be thankful that this game does include a save feature, something missing on several Game Boy Advance titles we've seen recently. Although in form of a password save this should not present a problem if you have a pen and paper handy. As mentioned I found the game to be aimed at a younger generation hence the simplistic nature of the title. Within fifteen minutes I had managed to complete the first three levels, this may reek of a title with little length but given to a ten year old, things may prove to be a little bit different.

Overall Atlantis: The Lost Empire is a straightforward tie-in and for fans of the film will be enjoyable fare. Anyone who meets this category can add another point to the score but for the rest of us, the key word is average.

Rating: 5 / 10

Words by Jason Julier