GameCube

Scooby-Doo!: Night of 100 Frights

The best part of the game has to be the sound. The characters are professionally acted (and very well, might I add) and the sound effects are taken straight out of the original Hanna-Barbera cartoon show. Scooby muses quite frequently throughout the game, basically every time an enemy shows up, Scooby yells “Ruh-oh, ruh rombie!!” or whatever monster appears. Also, the game’s audio implements one feature which, above all, makes the game loyal to the TV show- a laugh track. A cheesy, canned laugh track. The laugh track goes off whenever someone tells a bad joke, or during the game when Scooby does something awkward or funny. This feature actually manages to enhance the gameplay and make the game emulate the style of the show.

Scooby-Doo! Night of 100 Frights definitely isn't impressive for its technical merits. Nevertheless, it re-creates the look and feel of the old cartoon series with astonishing accuracy and is also pretty fun.

On the upside, Scooby Doo: Night of 100 Frights has a lot of classic Scooby character packed into it. True, the game doesn't rely upon it like Classic Creep Capers did, but it still packs enough classic TV show monsters and ghouls to keep fans of the show happy. The graphics have seen a next-generation overhaul too and Scooby looks better than he ever has before. All of the colors are vibrant and the color palette matches the show to a tee. What is best about this whole package is the fact that Scooby's animations look as if they came directly from the show. Sure, it would have been nice to have Shaggy along, but the game plays better as a solo adventure.

Scooby-Doo: Night of 100 Frights is a fun platform title that is a bit light in content and certainly not as challenging or innovative as the newer platform games like StarFox. Once you get used to the lack of any camera control you can settle in for a classic Scooby mystery presented in true TV style, complete with cheesy dialog and a cheesier laugh track.

Night of 100 Frights stars the entire Scooby-Doo cast, except for Scrappy (thank goodness). The game opens up with a 3D version of the TV series' credits, theme song included. It's both pointless and cool at the same time, as they could have just shown the original opening video. The story is simple. The gang has been asked to check out the disappearance of Alexander Graham, a scientist who has vanished in his huge mansion. The mansion appears to be haunted and the gang goes to investigate, sans Scooby and Shaggy, of course. They all proceed to get kidnapped, and it's up to Scooby to save the day.

The original gang of crime-busters, Fred, Velma, Daphne, Shaggy, and Scooby, is back. Not with a vengeance, but with a laugh track. The motley crew of snoops has made the transition from the TV to GameCube and with the aid of THQ and developer Heavy Iron (of Evil Dead fame), Scooby-Doo: Night of 100 Frights is not the horrible old license usery of the past. This Scooby-Doo game actually has merit (in a manner of speaking), it doesn't take itself seriously (which is good), and it looks and feels like the show, which is appealing beyond just the nostalgia of it all. Of course, by platformer standards, the end result is nothing particularly special -- there are far better offerings in this genre, and indeed without the license to carry it the game's appeal drains quickly. And yes, it really does have a laugh track.

J'avoue mettre bien amusé sur le jeu pendant environ une bonne heure. Passé ce cap, je me suis rendu compte que la suite n'apportera pas beaucoup de changements et se contentera de proposer sans cesse le même style de séquences de sauts. L'univers de Scooby-Doo est cependant bien respecté ce qui pourra éventuellement en attirer certains.

Not the worst game on the Gamecube, but its definitely not worth a purchase, in fact a rental would be questionable. It seems the game can’t strike a balance. You’ll blow through some levels with such ease you’ll get bored, then you’ll die numerous times trying to navigate a course, guessing what the controls will do. The camera setup is adequate, but on occasion it’ll bite ya as well. I say only rent if you’re a diehard Scooby fan, have young children who are into Scoob, or have absolutely no other fresh titles to select from.