Sphinx and the Cursed Mummy

"Keep your head on a swivel, this game came out of nowhere..."

This is one of those Sleeper Hit titles that seems to be another mediocre generic title with a new setting. But it isn't. This game has similar fighting to Maximo vs. The Army of Zin, and seems also similar to Star Fox Adventures in the vast amount of items you will come across. There is also a whole other character to play as.

Gameplay - 9/10
This game is a near perfect mix of sword based combat, on par and almost an equivalent to the best sword based combat title out there; The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. Sphinx, the cat-like warrior and apprentice to Imhotep, brandishes the Sword of Osiris, along with a multitude of other weapons to get the job done. King Tut, and later as the cursed mummy, plays out a little different. While he is the mummy, he's dead, so he can't be hurt or killed. This leaves you free to light him on fire, electrify him, or flatten him between two stone slabs so he can fit through metal bars. It's an absolute blast to screw around with the mummy and inflict torture upon him. Unfortunately, his levels are a little too rare. But it isn't that much of a problem.

Graphics - 10/10
The levels are drop-dead gorgeous. The characters are beautifully animated, and they all retain a rather comical and goofy appearance, even though many are serious and evil. The environments are incredibly nice to look at. The water you will come across looks so good, you might need to go and grab a glass of it for yourself. The levels are nicely detailed, and so the enemies have similar trait appearances to that of the humans. This game makes great use of it's Egyptian theme, and you will recognize many characters and Gods you may have heard of.

Sound - 8/10
The sounds are nice. The sword makes great slashing sounds when it is swung or if you connect with an enemy. The music is probably what you would expect it to sound like. Seems to coincide greatly with the theme of the game, but isn't all that extraordinary. There is one fatal flaw with this though. THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO VOICE ACTING WHATSOEVER, with the slight exception of the grunts and noises made by Sphinx or Tut if they are attacked or fall.This becomes rather annoying, because you wont want to read the rather small text, and there is a lot of it.

Story - 8/10
The story is rather interesting. Sphinx, along with Horus, who you learn more about later, are sent off by Imhotep to recover some of Osiris's equipment, in order to help them get to the evil ruler's palace. After you play the first King Tut level, you learn about Tut's roll in the story. The conversations can be incredibly funny sometimes, as can some of the characters themselves.

Control - 9/10
The control is similar to Star Fox. Press B to attack, A to jump, and Y is the typical action button. You can assign other items, like a shield or blowpipe, to the L, R and X buttons. The basic movements, like climbing, swimming or ledge dangling all handle rather well. The one downside comes with trying to use the C-stick to rotate the camera. Sometimes, you will really need to see and your range of vision will be hampered. Other times, you use the C-stick to ''move special items'' and are unable to rotate the stick to see. But it isn't that much of a problem.

Overall - 9/10
All in all, this is a fun action platformer that you really shouldn't be passed up. It's a pretty long game, and just a blast to play. Tons of side quests and mini-games to earn extra money are available, and you'll want to beat them all.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 12/27/03