Cartoon Network Block Party Review (GBA)

I admit it, I watch Cartoon Network from time to time between my lengthy gaming sessions. My personal favorites, aside from the obvious Adult Swim picks, would have to be Courage the Cowardly Dog and Ed, Edd n' Eddy, both of which offer their own unique sense of humor with weekly stories of derring-do and goofing off. It's a good way to just chill out on a Saturday morning. However, I'm afraid I can't say the same for Majesco Games' latest Cartoon Network offering, Block Party.

This is the second Game Boy Advance game to arrive with the Cartoon Network label, following the lackluster racing game, Speedway. This time around, Majesco's decided to provide their take on the Mario Party legacy, pitting characters from four popular Cartoon Network shows into one game: Courage, the Eddy's, Cow and Chicken, and Johnny Bravo. Where the rest of the characters are (like the Powerpuff Girls and Atomic Betty) is beyond me.

The game places your players on a large game board, loaded with a variety of spaces to land on. Some move you forward, some penalize you, and others take you to a different place to take part in a mini game. There are fourteen offerings in all, ranging from driving around race tracks to finding hidden items to taking part in some shooting and fishing (thankfully not at the same time). You know the drill if party games are your thing.

The problem is Block Party's mini-games aren't enjoyable. Some of them, like the dance sequences, are too easily completed, and others, like finding objects, become a bit ridiculous in terms of what you find. The only unique thing you'll find about these mini games are the actual names of them. When's the last time someone asked you if you were up for a round of "Greased Porkbutts"?

Worse yet, this isn't considered to be a full-on party game because it's lacking in full-on versus play. The game does support up to four players, but you complete your turn and then pass the system to the next player. This might be ideal for something like camping trips, but the lack of being able to compete against people in real time stages hurts the appeal.

The game looks fine, and the animation actually suits the individual characters pretty well. Some of the stages feature things from the cartoons, including the menacing Canker sisters from Ed, Edd n' Eddy who can't wait to taunt you as you pass. However, the sound is lacking. The music isn't that great, the sound effects are rather bland, and there are zero voice samples to be found. Considering that Majesco has mastered the ability to capture digital video and sound in their Game Boy Video cartridges, this is a real shame. It would've been nice to hear Ed's ridiculous giggle after winning (or losing) a round.

Cartoon Network Block Party is best left for those younger players who are looking for an easy, quick game, or for fans of the Cartoon Network shows that insist on seeing who's better between Johnny Bravo and the over-giddy Cow. As for the rest of you, it's advised you pass up this party.

Our Final ScoreBad

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