Atomic BettyAtomic Betty is a Game Boy Advance title that is based on the cartoon which aired about the same time as this game's release in 2005. She is a 12 year old girl who leads a double life. She attends school, hangs out with friends, and does all the normal stuff a kid her age would, but she's also an interplanetary agent of the Galactic Guardians. Their mission is to keep peace in outer space, as well as uphold the law. This is a game intended for a young demographic, but I'm going to rate it as I would any other game. Now, let's get on to the actual review...
Graphics 7 / 10 -- The graphics are probably the best thing this game has going for it. By no means are they stellar (heh, that pun wasn't intentional), but they do fit the game well. It tries to mimic the art style of the show it's based on, and does a pretty good job of it. The bright colors and light-hearted style are perfect for the audience intended. The cut-scenes seem to use actual images from the series which is a nice touch, although the still frames with text underneath does feel a tad bit lacking. The sprite and environment animations are smooth, and everything used from the series is presented clearly. Although the visuals are styled well, I feel the system is capable of more, earning the Graphics a 7/10.
Sound 6 / 10 -- This is the next best thing this game has to offer. The title screen actually plays the theme song from the show, and surprisingly it doesn't sound half-bad. Other than that, the music is mostly generic. It uses tracks from the series in most of the levels, but none of them are really anything to write home about. They do at least set the mood as intended, but that's the bare minimum of what should be expected. A few of the boss battle tracks are pleasantly catchy though, which is something I liked. The sound effects are pretty standard, offering exactly what you'd expect for landing a hit or the explosion of a robot being destroyed. And outside of the title screen's song, the game features no voice acting at all, which is normal for the GBA. Overall, the Sound gets a 6/10.
Addictiveness 4 / 10 -- This game has absolutely zero replay value. It's a fun (albeit short) experience the first time through, but that's about all there is to it. The game switches between playing as Betty with her school friends, and playing as her with the fellow Galactic Guardian members. Each member in both groups has a skill unique to them, which is implemented in the level design. Being required to use each character for the objectives only they can accomplish is a nice concept, and it will keep kids engaged intellectually. In between each level is also a shooter mini-game, where you must pilot Betty's ship to her current destination avoiding asteroids and other obstacles along the way. As I said, the experience is a fun one, but the lack of any replay value whatsoever brings the Addictiveness to a 4/10.
Story 4 / 10 -- There's not much to say here without spoilers, other than the story is very very basic. It follows the exact same theme of the show, and even worse, the way things play out basically just repeat in every single chapter. Penelope (Betty's rival) or one of the main villains comes up with some half-baked scheme to take her down, and she always ends up saving the day against the odds. I understand this was designed to be for a much younger audience, but even then it just felt like something that was copy and pasted over and over again. The lack of any originality to the Story gets a 4/10.
Depth 3 / 10 -- This is probably the most lacking area of the game in general. On the upside, the game does feature a handful of mini-games to complete along the way, all of which are necessary to progress. A couple favorites of mine included the shooter mini-game I mentioned before, as well as a Frogger clone where you control Betty's robot friend X-5. On the downside, the game can be finished in under 2 hours easily. There aren't any extras or collectibles to get along the way, or any incentive at all to do a second play through. The extremely short Depth this game possesses gives it a 3/10.
Difficulty 3 / 10 -- Following the norm for games based on children's entertainment, this game is extremely easy. There are an unlimited number of continues, and any time you do lose (as unlikely as that would be) you can always just start the level or boss fight over from it's beginning. All of the combat with Betty is simply mashing one button, and even the boss fights just require you to dodge the attacks and then hit back. The puzzles are designed for someone with the mind of an 8 year old (which in this case isn't actually an insult). The single challenge this game offers is that Betty is the only one capable of combat, meaning the space levels must be approached the right way or else her comrades will fall. Even this is made easy since there's no rush and characters can be swapped on the fly. For how easy this game turned out to be, the Difficulty gets a 3/10.
Overall 4.5 / 10 -- This is a decent game that doesn't really stand out in any way. Young kids or big time fans of the series will probably enjoy the short ride, but even then there's not enough here to have them come back for seconds. All in all, this is something most everyone should overlook, as there's plenty of other games that do better in everything this game has to offer.
Hope you enjoyed the review :)
Graphics
7 Sound
6 Addictive
4 Depth
3 Story
4 Difficulty
3
User Notice 
