PlayStation 2

Xiaolin Showdown

After seeing the show I was actually looking forward to taking Xiaolin Showdown for a spin. Unfortunately I was let down in almost every department. The gameplay suffers from poor AI, a faulty camera, repetition, and a complete lack of difficulty. The graphics and audio do nothing for the title either with substandard production and occasional technical glitches. Even if you are a diehard Xiaolin Showdown fan (and I mean you sleep in Omi pajamas) I wouldn't bother with this game. There are so many better entries into the party brawler genre that taking a step back with this one would just be a shame.

There's something really condescending about Xiaolin Showdown. Whenever a new objective appears, the game comes to a screeching halt, and even if you've seen this type of objective a dozen times before, the game still explains what you're supposed to do, in painstaking detail, every single time. Additionally, it seems to be impossible to run out of health in Xiaolin Showdown, a suspicion that's backed up by the fact that there are no meters of any kind onscreen as you play. The game's disrespect for the intelligence of the player and its stale gameplay are sufficient reasons to avoid what is essentially a cynical marketing product.