I've never seen Codename: Kids Next Door on the Cartoon Network, nor had I even heard of it when the game turned up for review. Resigned to a dull but mercifully short experience, I was pleasantly surprised with just how great a conversion Operation V.I.D.E.O.G.A.M.E. actually is!

There exists around the world a secret network of kids, working to free children everywhere from the cruelties of childhood - too much homework, having to brush your teeth every five minutes, being forced to eat platefuls of green vegetables and more! The introductory cut scene is both very amusing and perfect for introducing the concept and starting the story. Our five heroes, going by the codenames of Numbah 1 through to Numbah 5, are relaxing in their massive treehouse hideout when the alert sounds - it seems as though there's been a big jailbreak from the maximum security prison and all of the KND's old foes are once more at large. With all the other units enjoying a day out at the beach ("See, I told you we should've gone to the beach!" protests Numbah 5), it's down to this team to gather the villains back together, under the watchful guidance of Numbah 86.

However, before they can react, the Toiletnator arrives, determine to block the toilets and fill the treehouse with sewage before the kids can escape! And so the game begins, with a very brief tutorial level that manages to make a spectacularly bad impression - don't worry though, once you're past this, the game actually gets good!

Starting off with Numbah 1, it's off to Gramma Stuffum's doughnut factory, where she plans to fill doughnuts with hideous ingredients like broccoli, and distribute them around the world! Numbah 1's levels are actually the least interesting, as he can't punch or kick, instead using guns like the G.U.M.Z.O.O.K.A., which launches candy based missiles to knock over opponents. Even so, the level starts slowly but before long you're challenged with some quite tricky platform jumping sections, after which you end up in a huge circular vent, complete with platforms rotating around the edge and a massive fan at the bottom. Using the fan's air stream, you can jump super high and must leap your way up the vent to the switch at the top, collecting parts for the G.U.M.Z.O.O.K.A. (yes, all these acronyms do stand for something suitably amusing!) and rainbow teddies along the way.

After working your way through a network of batter vats and tunnels, you arrive for the final confrontation with Gramma Stuffum, which is a nicely done boss confrontation where you must first use a nearby machine to remove the shield of Stuffum's robotic contraption before shooting away to damage it. Each boss encounter is formulaic to a degree, but in a good way and the difficulty is pitched just right to be challenging but not impossible for children. Indeed, the whole game is pretty easy for a hardcore adult gamer such as myself, but it's aimed at kids and will definitely keep them going for a good while - expect to be asked for help on a few tricky occasions!

There's also a very pleasing amount of level variety (despite a couple of locations being reused) and you get to play as all five of the KND team. Numbah 2's levels take place in Space Invaders style flying levels, complete with a curved scrolling backdrop below, which changes as you progress, from towns and forests to canyons and the sea. These levels are a little tedious, but the action is non-stop and they don't last too long, so they serve as a nice break from the platform-based antics of the main game. They're well done and there's a good touch that you have a super weapon that you charge up by hitting enemy projectiles while having your shield active - which itself has limited energy that builds back up in a few seconds once exhausted. There are boss encounters for these levels too and towards the end of the game you even end up in outer space as you head for the moon!

Numbah 4 and Numbah 5 are the more versatile platform characters to play with, as they can double jump, punch and kick. Numbah 5's first level sees her traversing the massive treehouse, which has been taken over by The Common Cold and is now plastered in bright green snot! There are a number of tricky sections to get through here, with electrified floors and robot guards, then there's another challenging section where you must flick switches while avoiding a series of rotating disco floodlights. Numbah 4's mission is tough too - Count Spankula (guess what he enjoys doing!) has turned the rest of the gang into spank-happy vampires and as you face off against each of your team mates you must spank them on the rear to snap them out of it - something easier said than done!

Finally, we have sweet, carefree Numbah 3, whose love for animals makes her perfect for collecting up all the hamsters that have escaped from the generator room and are scattered all around the massive treehouse (it really is HUGE!) She can glide using her long sleeves, and the level begins with you gliding down a very high section of the treehouse, collecting hamsters and rainbow teddies along the way, before having to chase hamsters around all over the place - and they're nippy little blighters too! Thankfully you get a freeze gun halfway through the level, which makes catching them a lot easier!

Every level has a different slant to it - Numbah 1's second foray sees him working his way through the neighbourhood at night, shooting bug zapper lights to expand their range, then baiting Spankula's minions into the light to make them vulnerable to his weapons. Numbah 5's second mission is to invade the galleon of Stickybeard (the candy-hoarding pirate) and this is simplified stealth, where it pays to take your time and punch the pirates in the back, taking them down in a single hit! Numbah 3 heads over to the neighbourhood at night, but this time it's with the goal of saving a bunch of fireflies (those bug zappers that helped you before are now your enemies!) and again her gliding ability is brought into the gameplay, although this level isn't quite as much fun as the hamster catching. The point is, there is far more variety to the gameplay than you might expect; each character has been very well translated into the game and given unique aspects to their abilities. Although the game isn't huge, coming in at 14 levels, it'll take the kids a good number of hours to play through.

There's also some replayability too - each level has rainbow teddies scattered liberally around and you must collect 100 to unlock all available secrets on the level (and even then there's still the occasional sooper secret to discover!) Heading to the Top Secret section and there's a lot of stuff on offer - concept art, trading cards, a video for how to play the trading card game, cut scenes to re-watch, alternative costumes for the kids, cheats such as invisibility, invincibility and infinite powuh (the energy bar used for pulling off super shots or super attacks), and even the chance to go into a virtual reality simulator and take control of the main baddies and their minions. Again, there's far more than you'd think would have been put into a title aimed at children.

As for the visual side of things, Codename: KND looks brilliant! A 3D cartoon style is used to produce a range of bright, colourful and imaginative levels, ranging from the treehouse and doughnut factory to the pirate ship, some underground caves, the local neighbourhood and even outer space. Everything looks just right; the kids are suitably cartoony, the enemies look comical and they're all well animated; indeed, this game is a pleasure to look at and while the simplistic cartoon style isn't pushing the hardware, it achieves its aim perfectly. The cheery visuals are backed up by even better sound - every effect is comical and fitting, be it the cry of an enemy or the blast of a gun, while the music is dramatic and orchestral, cheekily spoofing James Bond in its style and it's the kind of thing that wouldn't be out of place in a film like Spy Kids or Agent Cody Banks. Finally, the voice acting for the kids and their various nemeses (yes, that's the plural of nemesis!) is superb, it's laugh out loud funny and perfectly delivered throughout, be it in the game or during the very professionally produced and well directed cut scenes that join the levels together to form a fun story and make the experience almost like an interactive KND movie.

The only thing that lets the game down is a pretty awful camera - it doesn't ruin the gameplay, as you learn to live with it, but it can be very temperamental and it's a real pain at times. Thankfully the checkpoints are frequent and there's little opportunity to fall to your death, but on occasion it's hard to judge jumps and this can frustrate. Also, I should reiterate that despite the high score I've given, this is one for the kids only - unless you're a huge fan of the show, adults won't find much of interest here and while I certainly found the game entertaining, I wouldn't have played very far in if I wasn't reviewing it.

Codename: Kids Next Door: Operation V.I.D.E.O.G.A.M.E. is a triumphant conversion that any child who's a fan of the cartoon will absolutely adore - if you know a youngster who likes the show, you really can't go wrong. It looks lovely, is as well written and imaginative as the cartoon obviously is, and features a good balance of challenge and gameplay variety to keep children interested and entertained. Indeed, if you're looking for something suitable for the younger ones to find under the Christmas tree, then look no further!

Reviewed by Geoff Holland for AceGamez (All Rights Reserved).