Donald Duck: Goin' Quackers - GameCube

The game gives players instructions as they progress through the levels. When you come to something new, Donald's nephews explain what's going on. While not having to read an instruction book is nice, the game explains so many simple concepts from the beginning that this feature hinders more than it helps. For instance, gift boxes contain power-ups. Power-ups are good. You should get them.

The quality of the game's graphics varies greatly throughout. For example, some of the buildings show great detail, while in another area it can be difficult to tell whether you're facing a cliff or a thorny plant. Also, while Donald is superbly animated, the game's many textures look grainy compared to those of other PS2 titles.

The sound, on the other hand, is spot on. The sound effects are pleasantly cartoonlike, even though the voices are annoying, especially Donald's. Experienced gamers will blow through this one, assuming they want to, but younger gamers will find the game sufficiently challenging and fun. Gamers young and old, however, will agree that there's nothing to like about Donald's new voice. --Todd Mowatt

(This review refers to the PlayStation2 version of the game.)

Pros: Platform-style Disney game Cartoonlike sound effects Cons: Too similar to the Crash Bandicoot series Obtrusive help feature Annoying game voices