Pajama Sam in Don't Fear the Dark

"Pleased to meet you, Sam. You can call me Otto."

Pajama Sam was my favorite game when I first got it about 10 years ago, and even today I am still playing it.
Introduction:
Pajama Sam was created by Humongous Entertainment, one of the first companies to make adventure-type games for kids. By "adventure-type games", I am referring to games where you have to explore and think, instead of press buttons really fast. If you've played Myst, you'll know what I mean. Pajama Sam, however, was created so that kids could play and enjoy it, whereas Myst can be almost impossible for adults. Just because it was created to be playable by a younger age group, however, doesn't mean that older people won't enjoy it. As I said, I still play it today, even though the box claims it is for kids ages three through eight. Other games of this nature include the Freddi Fish, Spy Fox, and Putt-Putt series.

Story: 10/10
A young boy named Sam is reading a comic book about his favorite superhero, Pajamaman, defeats the supervillian Darkness and saves the world from eternal night. His mother comes in and tells him that it's time for bed, and that tonight, for the first time, he is going to go to sleep with the lights out. Sam agrees, but becomes scared and decides to defeat Darkness, who, he believes, lives in his closet. So Sam puts on his Pajama Sam costume and bravely ventures into the gigantic Land of Darkness in his closet...

I have no problems with the story, and haven't we all felt scared that some sort of monster was hiding in our closet or under our bed?

Music: 10/10
The music in this game is fine. It has a nice relaxing feel to it, and it never gets annoying. It really sets the feel for the game. I like it, and can't fault it at all.

Sound: 10/10
The voices in this game are quite good, and the other sound effects go quite well. Some may seem a little exaggerated, but it all seems to fit well with the Land of Darkness. Also, the sound effects all make sense; when something falls into the water, you don't hear the sound of two pieces of metal colliding, you hear a splash. It's perfectly fine by me.

Graphics: 10/10
Okay, so Sam's skin is blue; the graphics are not realistic. It doesn't matter to me. The graphics are not meant to be realistic. In a game where an entire realm lies in somebody's closet, realism is not the goal. The visuals create a really good feel to the Land of Darkness; it never seems drab or boring, and you always feel that it is huge and awesome. Many of the areas look really awesome, and the graphics seem to fit well with the rest of the game.

Playability: 10/10
This is a puzzle adventure game. You explore the Land of Darkness, helping people and finding ways to reach new areas. Several things can be picked up, and they are then at your disposal for use later. You really have to use your mind to overcome obstacles; if something's in the way, you need to think, "What will I need to do to get past, and what objects will I need to do it?" It really is rather like Myst, but you can carry several things with you. The controls never get in the way, since you simply have to point at something and click on it. The Land of Darkness, by the way, is gigantic, and it takes quite a while to explore everywhere. In short, perfect.

Replay Value: 10/10
This game has plenty of replay value. Don't think you're done just because you've beaten the game; there are a total of six missions, but you only do three in one play-through. There are eight different complete paths to take, and all are really fun. Plus, there are plenty of fun things to do. Clicking on almost anything in the environment makes something happen, though it is often irrelevant to the story. Still, it's fun to try them! There's also a sock-collecting side-quest. Sam's mom tells him, in the opening scene, to pick up his socks, and, hidden in the Land of Darkness are twenty socks to find. They are in different locations each time, and it is very hard to get all twenty. Collecting the socks is a real challenge, and is the only fun you'll have from picking up socks in your life. There's even an arcade game which is addicting in itself. So, just because you won once, go back and do it again. The replay value seems endless!

Buy or Rent?
BUY!
Like I said, I've been playing this game for ten years, and it still isn't getting old.

CONCLUSION:
Story: 10/10
Music: 10/10
Sound: 10/10
Graphics: 10/10
Playability: 10/10
Replay Value: 10/10
Buy or Rent? Buy
FINAL SCORE:
10/10

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 03/06/06, Updated 03/08/06