Just out of the blue, they decide to release an Animaniacs game for the major consoles. The cartoon, to my knowledge, is no longer running and most young kids won't have seen it, to even begin to understand what Animaniacs is all about. Of course, ask any teenager who used to watch the series when they were younger and I'm sure you'll get a heart filled response. The Animaniacs are three siblings - Wakko being the youngest lad, Yakko being the oldest and most comical of the bunch and Dot, the sweet and innocent (yeah right) little girl. They supposedly work for big names in the movie industry, like Steven Spielberg and so the cartoon series was based around making films. Animaniacs: The Great Edgar Hunt stays true to that concept, with plenty of movie references. Hell, even my favourites Pinky and the Brain are here in the game, just like they were in the series - as a sidetrack, to offer you some comical mini games!

Probably the best thing about this game and what struck me from the start is the fantastic sound. Great music to fit every scene and loads of cartoon-type sound effects are present. Attention to detail shows through, especially when you walk slow, applying small pressure to the analogue control stick and a Pink Panther type sound slowly represents your creeping footsteps. When you approach the edge off a cliff and you're about to fall off it, you can expect to hear a clown-like drum roll, which not only adds another credible point to the sound department but lets you know that you're about to fall! As well as the above, the original Animaniacs voice talent is here to make FMVs as comical as ever, with jokes spoken in that sarcastic way kids love, which will actually amuse older audiences too.

It's the great characterisation and sound that allows kids, regardless of if they have heard of Animaniacs or not, to get right into the swing of things - and to fully enjoy what's on offer. My two young sisters have never heard of Animanics and the younger of the two keeps on calling them Mickey Mouse! Both of them really enjoy playing the game though, which shows that it does a great job of entertaining kids.

However, at a few points adult help will be required. Kids can play large chunks on their own but sometimes the game will dump them into a situation without a hint of where to go. If the kids cannot solve where to go next, then it's up to an older member of the family to pull them out of that frustration creek! So then I had to come in and help them find some grass skirt to help them get onto the second level. Even I struggled with the game, but that's mainly because of the really unfriendly camera, which doesn't like to be panned around in even the most open of spaces. Eventually though, they were back on track and entertained for another hour or so before I had to assist again!

While playing along my sisters, I noticed some annoyances that bother me as a gamer but didn't seem to annoy my sisters in the slightest. As I mentioned, I wasn't too impressed with the camera and the gameplay is a little basic for anyone other than kids, although simple gameplay is the key to a good kids' game at the end of the day. You can eventually play as all three Animanics, all of which have their own differences, but they all platform along more or less the same, meaning that kids can pick their favourite and stick with them for most of the game. They have a few options to take out enemies, such as hitting them with a hammer or a frying pan, spinning around with the blunt weapon, or even dropping from above. They all have nice high jumps too, so no long or high jumps frustrate the little ones. I was impressed with what my little siblings call 'magic doors' - once you have opened the door you can teleport back there by going through another door. This makes travelling between places easy and picks up the pace a little bit, a nice touch on the part of the developer.

Graphically the game isn't as impressive as the sound department. The cel-shading is good enough for the kids but a little too blurry for everyone else. Environmental objects like tall cliffs look good from afar but close up you can see fundamental flaws, like blocky edges. Saying this, the characters are well rendered, which goes for all the characters you meet along your travels too.

While Animaniacs: The Great Edgar Hunt isn't going to really appeal to children over twelve, I know for a fact that kids under that age are going to love it. The Pinky and the Brain mini games are hilarious and break up the action, and while the story is almost none existent there is an overall goal to find all the Edgars and really that's all a small mind needs to be burdened with. Another added bonus is that this game is released at a budget price! Despite the flaws that would certainly annoy the Brain, all the Pinkies amongst us will find this title to be an enjoyable slice of cartoon fun.

Reviewed by Dexter Pearson for AceGamez (All Rights Reserved).