Xbox

Scooby Doo!: Mystery Mayhem

If you're a Scooby Doo fan or are just looking for a fun game to pass the time with, Scooby Doo: Mystery Mayhem should definitely be on your list!

Scooby-Doo! Mystery Mayhem isn’t going to set the mature mind ablaze with advanced control sets and Ninja Gaiden-like difficulty levels, it’s not intended to do so. What Mystery Mayhem brings to the kiddie table is an easy to pick up and play title with a great translation of the licensed characters from the Saturday morning cartoon world. If your kid is still checking out G-rated movies and is only allowed to dabble in the Everyone titles, then Scooby-Doo! Mystery Mayhem is worth a serious look. This title could have gotten my complete blessing with a few minor tweaks, with the most important being a co-op mode. Single player mode only notwithstanding, Mystery Mayhem is easily worth its weight in Scooby Snacks.

Aside from a few personal problems with the style of this game, I really have very few complaints about it. Any Scooby-Doo fan would do well to at least rent this game, as would all the fans of Luigi's Mansion who are clamoring for a sequel.

It's a quirky twist and makes for an okay, if lightweight, action game. It doesn't look all that spectacular and the action does get samey, but it's by far the coolest Scooby game yet. That's not saying a lot though...

When you break it down, Scooby Doo MM is a great game for the original fans of the series. Not only is the game easy to pick up so the casual person can learn in no time, but it’s also like you’re getting a bunch of new episodes without actually having to watch them on the cartoon channel. The game feels and sounds just like the old TV shows! Common video games fans, however, won’t be as impressed. If you hate games where you are always fetching items and backtracking locations over and over again then you won’t like this title either. All you have to do is take away the Scooby Doo license and then Mystery Mayhem here becomes nothing more then a mundane adventure game.

A game that certainly recreates the authentic look and sound of classic Scooby Doo, that suffers from not knowing what it wants to be. It has the potential to be a really great game franchise for the developer, the building blocks have all been laid, but the gameplay and execution this time around, keep it from succeeding. Die-hard fans might want to play through it, but everyone else should approach with Scooby and Shaggy like caution.

There are all of five levels in Mystery Mayhem, which can be breezed through in an afternoon, and it's hard to imagine wanting to play through the game multiple times. Ardent adult Scooby-Doo fans would probably have their nostalgia best served by some Scooby-Doo DVDs, which are prominently advertised in the back of the game's manual, along with Scooby-Doo action figures and Scooby-Doo cereal. Parents whose kids have Scooby-Doo hot on the brain from the movie can safely rent this one, or not, without worry of missing much.

Mystery Mayhem offers little reward and challenge is non-existent. Scooby-Doo is another victim of dumbing down games for kids. Just because it's for a younger audience doesn't mean you have to take away all control and make the game incredibly boring, easy, and repetitive. Scooby-Doo Mystery Mayhem is suitable as a rental for young kids or avid fans of the series, but will offer little enjoyment to anyone else.

The problem with this game isn't the same one that most cartoon-licensed product struggle with. Instead of stripping away all that is witty and/or interesting about the source material, this Scooby Doo game is everything that an episode is: by the numbers mystery solving, wacky locations, and even a laugh track. The big problem is that the license just isn't great source material for a game too bland from most players' tastes.

Avec un gameplay d'une fadeur extrême (oui je sais que ça peut sembler paradoxal comme idée mais je fais ce que je veux) et un humour qui non seulement tombe à plat mais finit même par exaspérer, ce nouveau Scooby-Doo n'a pas grand-chose pour lui. Vu son petit prix, on y pensera éventuellement pour de jeunes joueurs pas trop difficiles. Mais bon, c'est pas parce qu'on est petit qu'on peut jouer comme les grands.

Scooby-Doobie-Doo, where are you? In a crappy video game, that's where. Honestly, I just don't know where to start with this title, as it lacks of any compelling features make it a bit difficult to write about.

There isn?t much to the combat, just like there isn?t much to the rest of the game. If you?re an adult ? or over the age of eight, really ? Mystery Mayhem won?t provide enough to keep you interested. Now I don?t want to say that all kids only like really simple, easy games, but I?m sure there are many youngsters who find most mainstream games too hard, and complex. In any case, all those who don?t still wear Superman Underoos (or would it be better to say, those who shouldn?t) would be strongly advised to stay away from this game. Also, big fans of the show might be able look past its many flaws for its wonderful presentation. But unless your mommy tucks you into your Scooby-Doo bed sheets at night, you probably won?t be entirely satisfied.