Avatar: The Last Airbender

Rating ESRB: Everyone Genre action Publisher THQ External Links Oficial Avatar: The Last Airbender Website

Avatar: The Last Airbender is one of the latest anime-influenced cartoons to hit it big - apparently, big enough for the game to strike multi-platform gaming gold, appearing on virtually every console you can think of. I can't really say if the cartoon is deserved of this esteemed honor; I've personally never watched it. However, it is probably safe to say that the cartoon has probably amassed more artistic respect than this game will.

Not to say this game is terrible, or even really lacking in any dramatic fashion. In fact, fans of the television show may be in for a pleasant surprise. Since when has a game based on a Nickelodeon TV show been any good? Older gamers might remember the horrid selection of Ren & Stimpy games that came out in the early 90s. THQ, however, have managed to overcome this stigma and put out an enjoyable, if not entirely worthwhile product.

In Avatar: The Last Airbender, you control Aang as he travels around the world with his buddies, essentially beating the life out of anything that breathes. The gameplay itself is pretty shallow; you only have one main attack, and that is to take Aang's cane and club your enemies to death with it. In order to liven things up a little bit, THQ added a few RPG elements to the recipe, not unlike Activision's popular X-Men Legends series. These elements allow you to find new weapons to equip and a few techniques to master as you progress. However, it just seems like a way to dress up the fact that you can only play as one character at a time, and this character's main goal in life is to swing his crap-beating stick like his poor anime-inspired life depends on it.

Many gamers out there are fortunate enough to have friends. Beat-em-up games have always thrived on their cooperative play modes - something that Avatar sadly lacks. It is a glaring omission, because this game could have been a blast if there was a 2-4 player mode. Controlling Aang and his friends would have been an Avatar fanboy's paradise, I'm sure.

The graphics are faithful to the cartoon, using cel-shaded models that closely resemble the character designs of the show. The game doesn't really take advantage of the Xbox's extra horsepower, but the game is not ugly by any means. It also has a gorgeous intro that is sadly the only piece of FMV in the game. It would've been great if the developers had thrown in a few more scenes from the TV show, but I suppose that's nitpicking.

The music in the game is passable, and nothing of real particular note is scored. However, the game truly shines with some stellar voice acting, presumably using the same actors from the cartoon. Of particular note is the character Sokka, whose wit and sarcastic tone brings a very lighthearted and humorous feel to the game. The enjoyable voice acting is certainly a welcome feature, as even in this day and age, running into a game of Resident Evil-caliber acting is common.

Fans of the series will likely find enough charm here to check out Avatar: The Last Airbender. Be warned, though: the replay value after beating this one is nonexistent, and even true fans might want to stick with a rental here. Then again, if the last shows you saw on Nickelodeon were Clarissa Explains It All and Rocko's Modern Life, and you think the term "Avatar" is just a synonym for your MMORPG character, you might want to steer clear anyway.