Disney's Atlantis: The Lost Empire

Disney's Atlantis: The Lost Empire is an action/arcade game in which players relive adventures from the animated movie. The most interesting aspect of the game is that to succeed, you have to make use of all the characters' abilities and switch roles when each one's special skills are needed. Milo is the master decoder; Vinny is the demolition expert; Mole digs; and Audrey can fix anything mechanical. Princess Kida, encountered later in the game, is the jumper and swimmer. Radios are used to switch between characters, and can be found at each level.

Start in Whitmore's Mansion, the trainer level, and collect crystals. Then move on to the Submarine (where you can find a Boomerang and Grenades to use against enemies); the Cove (an underground grotto); Fire, Ice and Volcano levels. These lead to levels where the group meet Atlanteans, enter the heart of Atlantis and its Palace, swim to its secret city, and then engage in the final Balloon chase. There are 14 levels in all. Hazards range from Crabs and Spiders to Yeti, Fireflies, Flopsy (the Atlantean tiger), Shecky (the shark), and the villains Commander Rourke and Helga Sinclair. In addition to the weapons found in the sub, helpful items include Crystals (for extra lives), Medi-Kits, Mole's stone, a Flaregun and Kida's Crystal Blast. Completion of a level wins the level password.

My younger son (11) found the game tricky and the character switching somewhat annoying. His elder brother (13) told me that Disney's Atlantis: The Lost Empire is a good combination of action and puzzles, and that it's necessary to explore each level thoroughly. They both would have liked the ability to save more often, to avoid the repetition needed to complete a level. It's a challenging game most suitable for older kids, probably 10 and up, and especially for those who were big fans of the movie.