Two weeks after the film's release, and Arthur and the Invisibles has already begun disappearing from movie theatres. Making under $10 million in the first two weeks, a poor return for the movie's $86 million budget. Even with the bad news, Atari was trying to make good on the license with several video games. Sadly, the Nintendo DS version adds to the losses.

Instead of taking the usual platformer route, the DS version relies on completing mini-games in a rapid-fire format, ala Wario Ware. Players complete the mini-games using the stylus and touch screen as a timer ticks away on the bottom of the screen. Examples of these games include yanking a beard down on a clothesline to spring onto the king's face, shaking around cute little Mui Muis (think fireflies meshed with mothballs) until they light up and other quickie games.

Gamers also get to play a Tamagotchi-like game where they tend to their own pet Mui Mui. Over the course of each stage, people acquire extra items, such as backdrops and food, to provide comfort for their cherished pet. This would be an ideal addition to the game if it weren't for the fact that the Mui Mui themselves don't differ in personality and behavior.

The game looks decent on the DS, and even comes with an impressive intro featuring small video clips from the movie. However, it can't escape from the nasty grip of monotony. Many of these games repeat and get old. The music becomes grating as well, with bits and pieces taken from the film that gets tired after three games. Yes, THREE.

This Arthur and the Invisibles game might find an audience with kids and fans of the film, but not for long. A few of the mini-games can be fun (especially the bug-squashing stages). As for breeding a Mui Mui, it never becomes a worthwhile activity. With just a little more effort in the mini-game design, this Arthur and the Invisibles game would have been worth a look.

Final Score: 4 (out of 10)

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