If anything nice can be said about the GBA version of Arthur and the Invisibles, it's that the game tries to present a good amount of variety in the types of missions you'll go on. Nearly every mission has you tackling a different task, whether it be solving environmental puzzles with the standard team, flying on a mosquito as Arthur while you shoot "tears of death" at other mosquitoes, or hitting a scrolling series of button sequences. Unfortunately, even though there is variety to the types of missions, there isn't much variety within the actual missions themselves. In fact, levels seem to play out in a continuous loop; you'll come up against the same obstacles laid out in the exact same fashion and enemies waiting for you in the exact same places that you passed just minutes before. And while it's entirely possible that the developers are subliminally urging us to abandon our heathen ways lest we eternally live out a Sisyphean afterlife, it's probably more along the lines of lazy, uninspired level design--or the recognition that a GBA version of this game probably shouldn't have been made. Within these levels, you'll be able to free mul-muls and collect runes, which are used to unlock "bonus" content. However, collecting all the mul-muls in any given stage simply lets you play a level you already have access to. And even more worthless, collecting all of the runes decodes a secret message that may as well declare you the king of Zimbabwe, for all the sense it makes or value it imparts.
Arthur's presentation is equally underwhelming. Backgrounds aren't particularly varied or interesting to look at, and the color palette is pretty bland with its ubiquitous earthy tones. Likewise, the audio just loops two or three tunes, and the other sound effects are just good enough to get the job done. Considering that the presentation went a long way in improving the other versions of this game, it's a bit surprising to see the utterly unremarkable quality on display here.
If you enjoyed Arthur and the Invisibles and are looking for more, do yourself a favor and pick up any other version of the game than this one. You'll receive a lot more game for your investment, and perhaps more importantly, you might actually enjoy playing the game you get. Also, it's a rude disservice to fans to price this vastly inferior version at the same point as the other versions--except for the PC version, which is actually $10 cheaper. And if the GBA version is your only option, just go watch the movie three more times, or save your cash for when it comes out on DVD.
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Where to buy
Arthur and the Invisibles (Game Boy Advance):
$14.99
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Amazon.com
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$14.99 | Yes |
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