GameCube

Avatar: The Last Airbender

Older gamers will be able to figure their way around the harder boss battles if they are so inclined while the younger ones may get frustrated and move on.

Older, more competently skilled gamers aren't likely to find enough depth or challenge here to interest them for very long and the lack of multiplayer in any capacity is a tremendous disappointment. However, for the game's younger target audience there is a fun, easy going action-RPG and light-hearted storyline waiting to be discovered in Avatar: The Last Airbender, and one that lasts at least a good six to eight hours with plenty of optional side quests, mini-games and unlockable content.

The plot in this game, unfortunately, follows the same story as in the GBA and DS versions, so if you've played any of the versions of this game, you'll already know the story behind the game. The environments are different though, and the objectives are not fulfilled the same way, so the game is an engaging experience anyway. Add to that the fact that the console version is a fairly lengthy game, although not as long as most RPGs, and you've got a game that is worth a look for fans of Avatar. My one complaint would be that THQ could easily have utilized cooperative multiplayer in this game as they have in such games as Tak: The Great Juju Challenge and Nicktoons: Battle for Volcano Island, but that is a minor gripe. Overall, if you are a fan of Avatar, seriously consider getting this game.

As far as kid's games are concerned, the console version of Avatar is a pleasant surprise in terms of genre. Instead of settling for a simple action adventure, the game's developers decided to go for a full out hack-and-slash action-RPG, something not often seen in kid's games. The result is an occasionally fun title that might appeal to fans of the show, but a large number of flaws keep it from greatness. The end result is a children's game with a number of interesting elements and a surprisingly deep character development system. Unfortunately, a large number of problems and a relatively short length make it hard to justify this as more than a rental.

Sadly, Avatar: The Last Airbender falls into a trap that many games of its type do – it's already been done by another, more successful, less licensed title. If you liked Diablo or D&D Heroes, Avatar has that special kind of gameplay you're sure to love, for as short as it lasts. On the other hand, if you're simply a fan of the show, Avatar lacks that certain witty charisma of the series, lending itself to little more than an uninspired hack-and-slash that just happens to use characters and settings from the television show. Luckily, Avatar: The Last Airbender has a certain level of accessibility and simplicity that the six- and seven-year boys getting this game during the holidays shouldn't be that disappointed.

As licensed games go, Avatar holds up decently beyond the obvious tie-in attraction. Essentially an action game with some light RPG elements, it almost seems like it's trying to attract more than the casual gamer without making things too complicated for younger fans.

The bottom line is that diehard Avatar fans will probably be disappointed with the superficial storyline that lacks the charm of the original show, and newcomers will have trouble finding interest in the loosely tied-together missions.

Avatar: The Last Airbender isn't so much a bad game as it is one that's disappointing because it fails to capitalize on its many interesting concepts. Even though it's geared toward kids, the game is so watered down that even they won't find it challenging. The RPG elements are underdeveloped and the fighting quickly becomes tedious due to its simplicity. The failure to include co-op multiplayer support of any kind doesn't help either. Just being able to play with one friend, much less three, would have made the whole experience more fun. Toss in some unfriendly design choices and lots of backtracking, and you're left with a game that's just not that much fun to play.

Avatar: The Last Airbender is a game that was made for a younger gamer audience, and that is fine in itself. If the developers took a little more time and fleshed out the game more it would have been so much better, especially since Aang can fly in the television show but can’t in the game. If you are a fan of the show and have little ones at home they will get plenty of enjoyment out of it, otherwise it will be best to skip this game.

Bien que cette adaptation du dessin animé se destine aux plus jeunes joueurs, les développeurs ont eu la bonne idée de ne pas chercher la facilité en s'essayant à une sorte de hack'n slash. Le côté RPG est suffisamment accessible pour ne pas rebuter les enfants, de même que le niveau de difficulté qui permet d'avancer sans trop d'efforts. Dommage que l'action soit aussi approximative et les quêtes aussi conventionnelles, car on s'ennuie un peu trop rapidement.

Avatar: The Last Airbender gets a passing grade, but unlike the fun and entertaining television show, the game falls well short of greatness. As a straightforward beat-'em-up, the title seems to have the right formula, including solid control and a surprisingly intuitive character upgrade system. It even includes a strong selection of levels and characters. But the game rarely represents the Nickelodeon show well, sometimes lacking satisfying collision detection during combat, featuring sparse voice work and facial animation, and omitting a multiplayer mode altogether. In the show, the Avatar's primary power is that he can fly. He's an Airbender and he can take to the skies. In the game, he rarely leaves the ground.

This is a hardest type of game to review, where its substandard qualities are hidden inside the most mediocre and unremarkable package. Exceptionally good games are fun to play and review, and likewise exceptionally bad games are fun to play (read: laugh at) and review. But this game falls squarely in the lower end of the middle, carving an unspectacular niche in the tree of licensed titles.