Publisher: Warner Brothers Interactive Entertainment
Developer: Torus Games
Genre: Adventure
Release date: Available now

I’m of the belief that licensed titles are rarely worth playing, even when I really love the property on which the game was based. I would therefore expect that maxim to hold even truer when the underlying work, for instance, Scooby Doo, was something that I never liked at all. Imagine my surprise, then, when I found that Scooby Doo! First Frights is actually one of the better games I’ve played this year.

Like any given episode of the show, the essence of the plot is a mysterious phantom with an unlikely motive. Fred, Velma, Daphne, Shaggy, and Scooby work together to uncover the mystery behind a Phantom haunting high school talent show rehearsals. The team splits into pairs and uses their unique talents to meet the challenges they face.

Each character has his or her own style of attacking enemies, as well as some ability to access areas that the other characters can’t. Players can switch between the two characters on screen at any time in order to solve puzzles or simply to change things up. In addition to just getting through the level, players collect Scooby Snacks, trophies, and hidden costumes that can be worn by the characters to change their attack styles as well as their look. Furthermore, special levels incorporate a different style of play entirely, like a “chase” mode whereby the player has to hurdle obstacles and collect items while running from the Phantom.

Although the look of the game is even more cartoonish than the original show, the style of the dialogue and plot mimic the cartoon perfectly, right down to the canned laughter. These conventions, as applied in the game, give the game a sort of nostalgic sense of parody that is both campy and endearing. The game also uses a good mix of cutscenes and in-game dialogue, so that the gameplay isn’t constantly interrupted, nor are opportunities for story development and humor sacrificed. Scooby also sports a good mix of action and puzzle solving, that keeps things exciting without getting repetitive.

The graphics, although cartoonish, are pretty smooth. You can break or beat Scooby snacks out of just about everything in the environment, and the well designed levels keep the landscape changing. One strange glitch I noticed was that, at times, your off-screen partner simply teleports next to you rather than running to catch up, but given the frustration inherent in controlling one character while AI attempts to control the other, this “glitch” seems more like a blessing. The music and sound-effects are perfect for the style of the game, and the voice acting is spot on.

While surely not the most challenging game, Scooby Doo! First Frights is a fun, well-balanced game. Scooby has a great sense of humor about itself, and incorporates the best parts of old licensed games like the original Simpsons, while adding plot development, smoother gameplay, and puzzle solving. For once, I enjoyed the game better than the underlying show, and for that, this game deserves a lot of praise.

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Our Recommendation: