Rocket Power: Beach Bandits

"Kiddie Game? You Becha!"

Ok, before I begin, I am NOT bashing this game for no apparent reason AND I did NOT buy this game. My sister did! (Yeah, you might think that's a bunch of bull, but it's no bull. If you don't believe me, I don't have to prove myself to you!) The only reason why I played this game is because I had NO money at that time and I was bored beyond reason at that time also....
On with the review!

Gameplay : 8/10
An RPG-style game play with lots of modes of transportation around the city. The game actually tells you where to go next so there's usually no problems with figuring out what to do. But, if you wanted to, an average gamer can complete this game in one or two days, averaging about 30+ hours of game play. If you were to give this to a kid and let him/her play it (as it was intended), the game (for the kid) can be either insanely hard or insanely easy IF that kid doesn't play much video games. Pretty average level of difficulty, with levels getting a little harder each time.

Story : 8/10
The story? It's a pretty solid story, with a really ''kiddie'' ending. And since I stink at telling stories, I'll just copy it, straight from the instruction booklet :

Riiiinnngg! School is out for the summer and Team Rocket Power gets set for another fantastic season of sun, fun, and adventure. This should be the best summer vacation yet!

With the sun beaming down, the gang jumps on their skateboards and cruises down to the Shore Shack. But when they get to the beach, it's a disaster!

There are killer sets rolling in, but all the sand has disappeared! The beach is a barren field of jagged rocks.

A local town official announces that the annual Ocean Shores Surf Classic has been postponed. As the stunned crowd falls silent, he introduces a stranger to the crowd. The mysterious man is Eric Golem, the chairman of Ocean Shore's newest addition, Golem Industries, that is setting up in the area around Ocean Shores.

The town official adds that Mr. Golem has kindly donated a large sum of money and the assistance of his company to solve the disappearing sand problem. Golem promises that the people have nothing to fear, and the crowd erupts with cheers as the sun gleams off Golem's broad grin.

Everyone else seems to relax, but Team Rocket Power smells a rat. Looking under the Pier, they find a weird robot up to no good. As soon as the robot realized it has been seen, it ran off, beeping. Clearly visible on its side is the logo of the Golem Corporation - what is his link to the missing sand?

Can you help Team Rocket Power find their stolen beach? Without sand, Ocean Shores will
soon be out of business for good. Ray and Tito will be out of a job, and the summer will be ruined.

Find the Beach Bandits, before it's too late!

Value : 2/10
Value?!?!? What value? This game should ONLY be played once AND ONLY if you are really bored. Nothing much after you beat the game, other than the multiplayer stuff.

Audio/Video : 3/10
Ugh... The music is repetitive, and so are the sound effects. Only ONCE in a while, will you get a pretty decent track in the game.

Replayability : 2/10
NONE! Unless you count the multiplayer, which only holds you interest for about an hour or two when you first play it.

To buy or to rent? : 3/10
Definitely Don't buy, and if you've rented EVERYTHING at Blockbuster other than this, it's worth ONE rent. Other than that, don't go near this game! (Not worth your money!)

Final Rating : 4/10
EXACT RATING : 4 1/3 out of 10
A game that's should not be played unless you are bored, this game is also too ''kiddie'' in my opinion. BTW - The Gamecube is the only system I own, so if I ''bash'' this game as some may call it, I'm also ''bashing'' myself! And besides, there are some pretty good reasons why, so these opinions WEREN'T BIASED!

Reviewer's Score: 4/10, Originally Posted: 12/22/02, Updated 12/22/02