When a company produces a licensed game based on a kid's property, usually it falls into one kind of category- platformer. I've seen quite a few platformers based on kids' properties, most of them not really worth a grain of salt. THQ's done something different with this Danny Phantom game, however. Urban Jungle actually steps away from the norm and plays like an old-school shooter, with the screen scrolling from left to right and numerous enemies flying around, ready to be zapped. It's a novel idea, and one that I actually get a kick out of, but it would have been nice for the development team to take better advantage of it instead of just sticking to basics.

The game has you playing young Danny Fenton, who unwittingly opens a door to a paranormal universe. It's through this door that several nasty spirits escape into his hometown, awakening all kinds of chaos and eventually settling in for years of misery. It's up to Danny to transform into his Danny Phantom powers and put a stop to this plague before it covers the whole city in slime.

Danny has a number of power-ups to his credit. He has four different kinds of spirit fire he can use to evaporate ghosts, all of which can be powered up greatly to help him in later levels. I personally get a kick out of the homing blasts, as they can lock in on enemies. This comes in rather handy when you're battling large groups of ghosts or trying to take down the stage boss awaiting you at the end of the level. Danny also has access to three charged-up attacks, including a spiritual vacuum that can suck in enemies. However, you can only access these by switching around on the touch screen, which may be an obstacle to some. That requires you to have some nimble hands to activate them.

The game plays fine, and its difficulty is balanced just right for younger gamers. Those wanting to get an introduction to the game will find the Easy level their speed; those who know their way around a good shooting game can crank up the difficulty and try their luck. The fact the game has an adjustable difficulty is a nice touch, although the game never becomes strenuous to the point that you feel like you're playing a full-blown shooting game. I guess that was the idea, considering the audience that will get into this game.

I just wish more was done on the presentation. The graphics do have their moments of shining through on the DS, like with some small 3-D visual effects and some stage transitioning that looks nifty. Past that, though, the game could've easily been done on the Game Boy Advance. (In fact, a GBA version is on shelves and looks almost identical.) It would have been nice for the development team to try its luck with more advanced graphics, instead of a quickie port job. The music isn't really that great either, growing repetitive after each stage. The game could have used more in sound effects as well.

If you're a Danny Phantom fan (or is that fan-tom?), then Urban Jungle has replayability to spare. Aside from the adjustable difficulty, you can also unlock a fun little boss battling game, where you go shooting through the skies once more. Past that, there's not really any replay value. Those who aren't fans of the show will wonder what all the fuss is about- this title's not nearly as good a shooting game as Majesco's Nanostray release from last year.

Regardless, Urban Jungle does try to do something different, and succeeds on its basics. The game won't convince you that the face of kid-licensed games is changing, but you'll have a giddy old time anyway, especially if you know what you're doing in shooting games. Maybe with a sequel, however, we'll get a game that really looks and sounds the part, and draws deeper from its TV show source. That's not quite a normal request- maybe more like a paranormal one...

Our Final ScoreMediocre

What did you think of this game? Post Your Own Review