by:	October 03, 2005

Scoob-Doo! Unmasked starts off in a very similar way that the actual cartoon series did, with the familiar theme and everything. The kids of Mystery Inc. can all be found to help solve the game’s mystery. In particular old man Stanton’s special effects creations from his company Monstrous Fright and Magic are running amuck. Stanton believes it is the doing of Fred’s cousin Jed, who is missing so the gang goes out to solve the mystery from there.

The game is done in a pretty campy and simple fashion, straight down to the visuals, and settings. You will get a good variety of locales to traverse, but overall the game is extremely easy. You play as Scooby-Doo, hoping from platform to platform occasionally flailing around to hit a rat, or a ghoul, or a robot. You will also get suits that help you get through certain areas or defeat enemies, such as a Kung-Fu suit. As you go through, the game’s story moves pretty fast, much like the actual cartoon. You look for clues for Velma to check out, and get through to the next parts. Adults shouldn’t even concern themselves with this game, unless you are nostalgic. However, children will definitely love this title, and in fact it is a kind of starting point for children who want to play videogames.

Each area basically has the same set-up for Scooby. You enter an area with tons of platforms to jump on, and things to dodge. Eventually it gets more difficult at the end, and then you go into another area, this time maybe a few ghouls are lurking around. You also will find ingredients lying around that you give to Shaggy, which then makes something out of them all in his porta-kitchen, and then it gives you more life. You also collect Scooby-Snacks, and a substance called mubber, which helps you to get certain tasks done. In fact, the mubber is what helps make the game easier, as lines of it will direct you to where you have to go at the time. I got through this game in two hours, a younger gamer will probably clock in four hours tops on this title. Still, it plays out like an episode of the cartoon and it is at least rewarding to solve the mystery.

Visually the game could have been smoother, but the cel-shaded look makes sense for the kind of game. The areas are all bright and colorful, with some nicely illustrated environmental elements. They aren’t impressive, but they fit with what it is. The sound in the game gets the job done, all the way down to the campy sound effects. The voice casts aren’t the original actors from the original of course, but they still get the job done for the most part. The differences in voices will definitely irritate some older gamers, but as I mentioned before they get the job done, and children will like this game more. The voice star, and standout even is the person who plays Stanton’s voice, none other than Adam West. He performs the voice in a very campy way and it helps add more credibility to the title.

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Scooby-Doo Unmasked! Is the perfect title to rent if you are a younger gamer. You can get through it on a weekend, and have a pretty satisfying and rewarding time playing it. Despite the cheaper price of the game at retail though, I wouldn’t recommend buying this unless you are a collector, or if you as a younger gamer, or you as a parent really want the game.

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