Inspector Gadget

Go Go Platform-Hopping Action! A Policeman's lot is not a happy one, or so the saying goes. Avalanches of paperwork, cumbersome headgear and the constant threat of being asked the time by weird old ladies are just a few of the perils faced daily by the noble Plod. It seems, however – if Inspector Gadget on the Game Boy Color is anything to go by – that the British Bobby's Yank cousins have a somewhat tougher time of it. Apparently, super-villain Dr Claw is breeding man-eating cacti at a secret island factory, so it's top cap Gadget's job to stop everyone from becoming plant food!

The game itself is pretty standard fare: a run-of-the-mill side-scrolling platformer, with little in the way of original gameplay. This is more than made up for though, by the great graphics. All of the environments are extremely detailed and pretty darned gorgeous, and the central characters (Gadget, Penny and Brains) are fantastically well animated.

Go Go Gadget Game Boy!

To succeed in Inspector Gadget, you must use all three characters' special skills. Gadget is the strongest, equipped with a mallet in his hat with which to strike his foes. Penny is the computer whiz, can swim underwater and is handy for solving puzzles at the end of each level. Brain the dog is the most useful character, as he is able to leap great distances.

So, if it looks great, the levels are detailed, and it's faithful to the cartoon, it's a great game, right? Well... yes. And no.

The main problem with this game is that there seem to be loads of blind leaps of faith needed, which, when they go wrong – and in the later levels, that's a lot – are darned annoying. Another problem is collision detection. For most attacks, you've got to practically line the sprites up with a set-square to get a successful strike in. The end result is a game which is tough mainly due to irritating level design, rather than complex gameplay, which is a shame.

Inspector Gadget is the world's first bionic policeman, and he is totally devoted to his job. Doctor Claw, the mastermind of the organization known as M.A.D., is Gadget's biggest enemy. Now, Dr. Claw has kidnapped Gadget's niece, Penny! It's up to Gadget to rescue her if he doesn't get captured himself.

This is a side-scrolling action game that is very much like the cartoon show. Gadget has all of his gadgets and (unfortunately) he is still really clumsy, but he always makes it through somehow - with a little help from Penny and Brain!

The popular cartoon sleuth of the past has returned. This time around, he's on the Super NES. It seems that the vile M.A.D. organization has started up again, and Dr. Claw has kidnapped Penny.

Like the show, Inspector Gadget has a broad variety of robotic enhancements to get him out of trouble. The sinister agents of M.A.D. are everywhere, and the Inspector must follow clues to take him to where Penny is being held. It won't be easy, though.

Inspector Gadget is a great action cart, and being a fan of the show, I found myself having a lot of fun with it. It plays well, looks like the actual cartoon, and requires a lot of technique. Hudson seems to have done a great job on this one. I recommend it.