Kim Possible can do anything, or so Disney says on their Kim Possible website.  Despite positive reviews, two GBA games based on the cartoon series went largely unnoticed in terms of sales. However, Disney’s latest title in the series, Kim Possible: Kimmunicator, has the advantage of being released on the relatively new Nintendo DS.

Players assume the role of KPfan1, and must assist Kim Possible in rescuing her boy-genius companion, Wade, before recurring villains Drakken and Shego can force him into programming a supercomputer for their evil plan.  That is as deep as the plot gets, which is to be expected, considering the target demographic.  Many characters from the cartoon series make appearances, including Kim’s sidekick, Ron Possible, who chimes in from time to time while on vacation in Norway, and Rufus, Kim’s naked mole rat pet.

The game is split into two parts: explaining how Kim finds out about Wade’s abduction, and hunting down Drakken to rescue Wade.  It begins with Kim infiltrating an evil organization to determine her companion’s whereabouts.  She is forced to perform a series of tests to ensure she is fit to enter the evil organization, which basically provides players with a tutorial on how to use Kim’s moves, and how to avoid and fight enemies.

Kim’s moves are fun, but fighting is a chore. Enemies are difficult to hit and take numerous blows to defeat.  Because Kim can only take three hits before losing a life, I found myself dying pretty regularly.  To top it off, enemies are uninspired and even ridiculous at times: imagine an evil empire of toasters, vending machines, and fat “henchmen” who attack you with giant q-tips.  The best method in dealing with enemies is to either jump on their head about half a dozen times until they die, or to simply avoid them by cart wheeling past.  By tapping forward twice, Kim will begin cart wheeling forward for as long as the player holds the directional button.  When released, Kim will be launched over large chasms or past bothersome enemies.

Fortunately, the monotony of avoiding regular fights is broken up by boss battles.  The boss battles tend to be a little easier, though they still pose a moderate challenge.  I believe the game developers took notice of the cumbersome hand-to-hand fighting featured throughout the game and decided to have boss battles focus on hitting levers or switches.  I found these battles to be a healthy exercise in brains over brawn.

The level design in Kimmunicator is well done, with many nooks and crevices to explore.  Along with enemies and items scattered throughout each level, spare computer parts litter nearly every square inch of the game, which are used to purchase new items in the menu.  These items include healing kits, various weapons, and tools for Kim to use on her mission.  While there is an overabundance of computer parts scattered throughout the game, I found myself spending large amounts on healing kits.

The menu can be accessed via the touch-screen, which allows for quick access.  Players can navigate through the menu while the game is in progress, adding an element of urgency when players need to buy a healing kit in a hurry before dying.  The menu sections include a store in which Kim can purchase new items, as well as a level select menu and an outfit selection.   It is a convenient feature to be able to travel back to any of the previously completed levels, especially when in need of spare computer parts.  Also, new outfits for Kim are hidden throughout the game, which sometimes forces players to go back to a previous level once new items are obtained.

While most of the levels are exercises in avoiding enemies and reaching the exit, there are several instances of gameplay variation to break up the monotony.  Certain areas of the game require the use of Rufus, Kim’s naked mole rat pet.  He is used to crawl into ducts and chew through wires, disabling traps and opening doors for Kim.  While this may not sound at all interesting, the combination of seeing a naked mole rat and listening to his bizarre musical accompaniment makes for a different kind of experience.  The ducts are usually mazes that require Rufus to jump and climb up walls to reach the dastardly wires.

The other innovative gameplay elements make use of the DS touch-screen and microphone.  Kim comes across doors that must be unlocked with her comb/lock pick.  To successfully pick the lock, the DS stylus must be used to trace a narrow circuit path displayed on the touch screen without straying off the circuit, all within a time limit.  Straying from the circuit path will result in having to start over.  This requires a steady hand, and definitely adds to the fun of the game.  Another innovation is the use of the microphone.  In a later level, Kim must descend into a secret base with the aid of a parachute.  While she descends, she must avoid obstacles as well as the walls of the cavern she is descending into.  To stay afloat, players must blow air into the microphone, being careful not to blow too hard and causing her to hit the ceiling of the cavern.  While players can pause the game to catch their breath, the level is truly nerve-wracking in that a careful balance of letting Kim fall and lifting her back up with a gust of air must be maintained.  If players don’t breathe hard enough, she hits the ground; if they breathe too hard, she hits the ceiling.  This was an imaginative use of the microphone that I would like to see somehow implemented in future DS games.

The touch-screen is also used in other ways in Kimmunicator.  When players turn the game on, they are prompted with a security clearance screen.  The only way to pass the security clearance is for a player to plant their thumb directly on the touch pad while the game “reads” their thumbprint for approval.  Fortunately, it does not keep tabs on thumbprints, and anyone can access the game.  This is still a very unique and interesting use of the touch-screen, which I appreciated.

Kimmunicator looks and feels like the cartoon.  I imagine this is what the developers were trying for.  While I did enjoy the cutscenes, which were tailored to look like the cartoon, the game itself leaves much to be desired.  It is a 2D platformer with a 3D look.  I believe this works against the game, as the 3D touches are rough around the edges, making each polygon painfully visible.  The game would be better served with a strictly 2D look, as seen in the cartoon and in the cutscenes.  The music similarly hurts the game more than it helps.  While it definitely fits in with the theme of the cartoon (a hip teen spy), it sounds like it was added as an afterthought, with cheesy electronic breakbeats repeating over and over in the background.  To make matters worse, the same boring songs are used repeatedly in several levels.

Overall: 5.5/10

Kim Possible: Kimmunicator is a game made for children, but has interesting elements I believe any gamer can appreciate.  The use of the touch screen is exciting and the intermittent lock-picking and Rufus portions of the game also work to break up the monotony.  However, it has some major problems which make for a bad overall experience, including the horrible fighting system, the so-so visuals, and the grating music.  I would recommend this game to kids who watch the cartoon, but would caution their parents that this game is difficult; the world of Kim Possible is surprisingly replete with numerous violent deaths.