Franklin's Great Adventures

The Good
Every graphic in the game is lively, pleasant and crisp. The animated character sprites look as smooth as they did in the cartoon, so it feels like you're playing one long episode straight from the Nelvana show. The variety of characters ranging from Badger to Fox to Mr. Marmot, really populate the main area of the game.

Both the levels and the mini-games are decently challenging with lots of opportunities to earn apples and beat the best time. Controls are clearly explained before the start of each mini-game and if you mess it up, you'll have unlimited chances to win them. Controls feel tight and responsive making navigation across the levels as smooth as it is to walk through a forest in real life.

The Bad
Gameplay is great, but it isn't perfect. Taking a single hit from an enemy or hazard and having to restart from a certain point can be a bit annoying. The game is slowed down by the amount of time it takes for the camera to pan between Franklin and one of his friends from a distance as well as showing what the buttons activate. The game also lacks a difficulty level, which leaves younger players with a slight disadvantage.

There are a few things missing from the game like achievements, optional sidequests and references to some episodes of the TV series, which may have given the game longer lasting playability. It would have also been interesting to have more characters not limited to just Franklin, Bear and Beaver. Still you get what there is in the game.

The Bottom Line
This is one title that truly captured the feel and scenery of the animated series and came on a handheld system for everyone to enjoy, especially in the countryside to emulate where the franchise takes place. Before we got the dreaded CGI series of Franklin, we had little gems like this game to treasure. If you're the kind of person who likes platforming and relaxing games with little to no frustration, this little cartridge of a game deserves its place in your collection to be played to your heart's content. A commendable game at that.