Lemony Snicket's: A Series of Unfortunate Events (GBA) (Lemony Snicket's: A Series of Unfortunate Events (GBA))

Member Name: thole09

Product:	Lemony Snicket's: A Series of Unfortunate Events (GBA)
Date:	17/05/09 (2 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Graphics

Disadvantages: Some gameplay

"Lemony Snicket's: A Series of Unfortunate Events" is a video game released for the Gameboy Advance console in 2004 by Activision. It is a platform game based on the film of the same name. In the United States, the game received a rating of "E" by the ESRB panel which deemed it suitable for all ages.

The gameplay of this title follows the actions of three young children; Violet, Klaus and Sunny. They will report to Olaf who tells them of a chore or quest which needs doing, and the player sets off to complete this using the trio. The characters are guided as a group but can be rotated to bring a certain character into a "primary" position. Violet is able to invent objects using gathered items and climb ladders, Klaus carries a water pump and Sunny can crawl through small areas and chew through collapsible objects. The game can become repetitive in that each mission begins and ends in the same way with speaking to Olaf but I did find the objectives to be unique and original each time my party was assigned a task. There is some difficulty by the way of machine invention. First, objects must be gathered and then combined in a specific pattern to create the intended item.

The graphics are presented from a side perspective which focuses on the player's trio. The background images tend to be darker night time scenes but they are well drawn and feature a wide use of cool colours. These scenes are complimented by the character designs which are each large and showcase finer facial details. I also noticed the character's attire which appears to have been animated to flow which each movement. The soundtrack is also of a good standard with higher quality, extended musical compositions and atmospheric sound effects including rain following the player throughout.

Overall, Lemony Snicket is a game which would likely appeal directly to fans of the film. It is somewhat generic in its gameplay so may not reach a wider audience. Personally, I did enjoy playing this game but this appeal soon expired after the completion of a handful of quests.

Summary: Thumbs in the middle