by Matt Maerowitz

Created on: June 05, 2008   Last Updated: June 08, 2008

Game Review: 3/5
In Mr. Smoozles Goes Nutso, you play as Ed, a cat who is trying to escape Mr. Smoozles, another cat who is on a rampage and is trying to gun you down! Along the way Ed will run into his friends who have been trapped and will need to be freed. In order to save his friends, Ed will have to avoid getting shot by Mr. Smoozles or the Goragons, the aliens that have invaded the planet.

The game is laid out like a science-fiction comic where aliens invade the planet and infect someone to make him turn into an evil zombie. In this case, Mr. Smoozles is the one who has been brainwashed to kill innocent creatures. If you like comics, you will really appreciate the storyline of this game. In fact, some of the walls of the rooms encountered in the game contain comic strips which were humorous and added to the entertainment value while playing.

Every step of the game is like a quest in and of itself in the search for clues and items towards success. Items get used to open doors, unlock passageways, or reveal something vital in the game necessary for the progression of your adventure. Do not slip up! Neglecting just one item can prevent you from going any further into the game and you will have to make sure you go back and capture anything you missed. Sometimes a description of an item will be given when the item is picked up or simply when going near an area. Other times you may have to use your own wit and creativity to figure out how an item can be employed. I would not recommend this game for people who are easily frustrated because sometimes you will have to retrace your steps or think carefully just to make sure you can successfully progress into the next stage of the game. However, one nice feature of the game is that you can save your progress whenever you want so you can exit and enter the game where you left off.

While the game itself is incredibly complex, the complexity lies in the diversity of stages, items, and clues that are involved in the game. The graphics are a different story. The game uses two-dimensional graphics where the player has a birds-eye view of your character (Ed) and his surroundings. While many people may enjoy these more retro graphics, I found it frustrating that Ed could only navigate by moving up or down and side to side.

Although I like certain aspects of this game, I would not purchase this game. I tend to prefer games packed with action and wish that Ed was equipped with some way to attack Mr. Smoozles or the robots that were out to blast him to smithereens. Instead, Ed must walk around and search for items which is a much more passive way to accomplish the same objective.

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