Based on the new Disney movie of the same name, Lilo and Stitch comes off as a low quality platformer that lacks any semblance of originality or production value. Basically a cookie cutter game rushed to the market to coincide with the movie release, the game's storyline very closely mirrors that of the movie. This allows for the gratuitous use of clips to aid in the development of the story. Having already seen the movie, I already knew all the characters and their respective roles. Those who have not been afforded that luxury may find themselves wondering what in the world is going on. Although the insert that comes with the game helps to understand the basic story, the cinematic clips that are used throughout the game are at times so ambiguous that the player might find themselves compelled to watch the movie just to figure out what all of the clips were about.

There are three missions that Lilo and Stitch must finish to win the game. Each mission has 4 tracks, two played as Lilo and two played as Stitch. Each mission requires them to collect 16 objects: first it's photos, then vinyl records, and then tracking devices. Often, in order to access a track, either Lilo or Stitch must defeat a large stone monster who is guarding the track's entrance. Not once does the strategy for any of the levels, or any of the bosses ever change. After each mission is a "bonus" track which does not require collecting any objects. The story "culminates" with Stitch trying to escape the bounty hunters who are after him. The final level, however, isn't much different from the others, and I was stunned to see the credits come up, realizing that I had finished the game.

The graphics, as expected for a PS1 game, are a far cry from ground breaking. In fact, the movie clips showcase just how bad the graphics in the game are. Witness Stitch, a generally round and cuddly creature in the clips, suddenly become an odd rectangular pointy individual running on the screen. Nonetheless, some of the tracks can be visually appealing, especially the ones played as Lilo. Unfortunately, just like Crash the gameplay is strictly linear and the characters are unable to interact with anything except what is on the path. Also disappointing is the lack of fun or interesting moves, such as the back-flips in Mario. Every jump is the same, which makes for a pretty lackluster experience. The high point of controlling the characters is Stitch's ability to kill creatures by spinning into them, and turning into a rolling ball of fury. Lilo's only ability is to cast a special voodoo spell, but only after collecting a spoon, which is pretty hard to come by. Ultimately, the game is more fun to play as Stitch as Lilo is handicapped by her lack of a decent attack.

The main problems with the game are the poor controls and collision detection, which makes the platform jumping an extremely frustrating experience. The subject matter and repetitiveness of the game indicate that this game is geared towards young children. However, because of the control issues, the characters in the game have a strong propensity to fall off of logs into the water, or to plummet into ravines. Afterward, the game will return the character to the very edge of where he or she fell, therefore ensuring another fall as soon as humanly possible. The characters only
have 3 health points per life, and if you run out of them you will be returned to where you last collected a camera (i.e. the last save point). These characters die so readily that you will find yourself repeating certain areas of the track more often than you would like. So if you're good enough to play this game, you will quickly tire of its simplicity and repetitiveness. And if you're thinking of getting this game for your kid, be prepared for a very frustrated child on your hands. Or be prepared to play the game for them. Ultimately, if you can get by without watching the clips from the movie, do yourself a favour and find a Crash Bandicoot game in a bargain bin somewhere.

- Liv Lawyer

(July 13, 2002)