Set to debut on TV this Columbus Day Weekend, the anticipated special episode in Nickelodeon's Danny Phantom series, subtitled Urban Jungle, has been generating quite a lot of buzz amongst the show's fans. Providing a tiny sneak peek at what to expect from the special episode airing in just a few days, THQ has released Danny Phantom: Urban Jungle for both the GBA and Nintendo DS, a fast-action, side-scrolling shooter that actually turns in a solid performance for both handhelds.

Urban Jungle marks the rise of Undergrowth, a powerful new eco-ghost that has laid siege to Amity Park with its thorny vegetation. Unable to defeat Undergrowth at first, Danny Phantom ventures to the Ghost Zone for help, and in doing so he meets an all-new character, a yeti-like ghost by the name of Frostbite, who teaches Danny new ice powers to use in slaying Undergrowth and once again saving the day in Amity Park.

The game plays out like any standard side-scrolling shooter, with a twist here and there to jazz things up. In the DS version, the action takes place on the top screen, while the in-game menu items are located on the bottom. The controls are straightforward and instantly accessible as you fly Danny around the screen, blasting away at ghosts, collecting power-ups and dodging obstacles and enemy projectiles with deft presses of the d-pad and A button. At the beginning of each world, you can equip Danny with your choice of three Phantom Powers, including special elemental attacks like Ghostly Ice and Ghostly Fire, as well as various ghost capturing devices, such as a fishing rod and vacuum, and during play these three chosen powers can be used by tapping on the appropriate icons on the touch screen (or by using the Left shoulder to cycle and the B button to use the selected power). Unique to the DS version, collected hearts and Ghost Power items are stored in boxes on the bottom screen for on-the-fly access whenever you need to refill health or Phantom Power and weapon power-ups are stored in the bottom screen for future swapping, as opposed to the GBA version, which has all power-ups taking immediate effect and that's it. As another special DS twist, two stages have you piloting the Fenton Flyer from a behind-the-ship view as the ship flies away from the screen down a corridor. Like the GBA, these are nice changes of pace from the standard shooting stages, but it's a shame there aren't more of them.

In homage to the cult-classic shooter Ikaruga, Urban Jungle also makes use of a polarity system to add strategy and challenge. Enemy projectiles come in two colors, either red or blue, and by pressing the Right shoulder you can toggle your polarity back and forth from red to blue. By matching the correct polarity color to incoming fire, you can absorb the blasts to defend against taking damage while simultaneously refilling your Phantom Power meter. This polarity mechanic becomes vital to surviving the patterned-based attacks of the array of tough bosses, a dastardly group that fans will instantly recognize, including the Lunch Lady, Fright Night, Ember, Skulker, Vlad Plasimus and more.

Fun gameplay aside, Urban Jungle slips up with regard to lasting appeal, although on the DS there is clearly more bang for the buck. The dozen or so main stages only require two hours to breeze through, maybe a bit more if played on the hardest difficulty setting. Some side content and unlockable goodies are available, such as a Boss Battle Mode that unlocks a special extra scene once completed, and a Ghost Gallery that keeps track of all the ghosts you've captured throughout the game, which compels you to go back to catch the entire collection - but neither of these extend the lifespan more than another hour or so. Exclusive to the DS, however, is wireless co-op play for you and a friend to team up in, which is a real plus. It's unfortunate that the multiplayer only supports multi-card play, though, because for a game of this type it would've been nice to have single-card download play as an option.

Like with the GBA version, there isn't anything particularly fancy going on regarding the graphical components, however on the DS, Urban Jungle definitely has more visual flair. The artwork, animations, color palette, attack effects, environments and character designs all ring true with complete authenticity to the TV series and with the DS's more robust hardware capabilities in tow, every visual element on display seems much more vibrant. The background environments are actually rendered in 3D in this version, containing more interactivity and hazards to swoop around as well. Even the menus and story cut-scenes show far more attention to detail. The audio, consisting of basic MIDI action tunes and arcadey sound effects, are virtually the same across both versions, and sadly, though none of it is of poor quality, there just isn't anything particularly thrilling or memorable to hear.

Danny Phantom: Urban Jungle for the DS has higher value and comes in a prettier graphical package than its GBA counterpart. Couple that with the fast-paced and finely tuned shooter gameplay that, again, plays just a smidge better than what the GBA has to offer, and the end result is a wholly solid portable shooter that is sure to satisfy Danny Phantom fans itching to experience the new Urban Jungle plotline right in the palm of their hands.

Reviewed by Matt Litten for AceGamez (All Rights Reserved).