"Though a very fun game, Adventures of Pinocchio may eventually get on your nerves.."

Well, this game's called 'The Adventures of Pinocchio.' That probably doesn't make you want to run out and buy it. The rating of '7' probably isn't going to help either. However, it's not that this game is lackluster, because it really is a fun game. It's just that, after the first 25-30 levels, it starts to become a bit frustrating.

First things first, though. This is a 3D platformer for the Game Boy Mono. I know, that doesn't sound right. 3D on the first game boy? Impossible! Well, it's true, but I'm not talking about some large 3D world that you get to explore. Each of the 100 (!) levels is only as big as one screen. There's not one level that's larger than that. What this means is that each level is like a small puzzle, or just a small platforming challenge. Rather than spend a few minutes a level for 12 levels a la Mario Land, you'll have quick levels that generally take a minute or less, though that's assuming you get through each level on the first try, which is a big assumption. The short levels could have been very annoying and could have seemed too small and empty, but the level design was, for the most part, done well. Some levels are puzzles, making you think about what you'll have to do for a while, and others are about executing an obvious but difficult task. Unfortunately, here's where the problem kicks in. The levels are designed to be tough, but in some cases, tough just becomes frustrating. The last level is a huge example of this, though I don't want to spoil it for you. Expect some levels to be nothing more than jumping through insane amounts of spikes, trying again and again to land a dozen jumps in a row perfectly, to move on. It's these levels that drag down a great game to the rating of 7. It's a real shame, because if those levels had been taken out, you'd be left with 75 great levels and a much better game. On the plus side, if a level's really frustrating you, you can just skip it. Hitting pause and then hitting up/down allows you pick any level you want, and play from there. It's presumably a trick that the programmer used to test levels, and forgot to take out, but it often comes in handy. Still, it'd have been nice to not have the ultra-frustration levels at all.

The graphics in this game are pretty good, considering the obvious limits they had on the GB mono. Most enemies look pretty similar, and sometimes you may have a hard time seeing whether something is on the ground at one end of the screen, or up high at the other, but for the most part, the graphics get the job done. I don't have many complaints in the graphical area, at all.

The controls are very simple, and as far as I can tell, never glitch. That's a great relief, since the one thing that'll drive any game into the ground is bad controls. You can even change around the controls if you want, through the game's setup options, though that would be very weird (not sure why you'd want to switch around which arrows move where, o_O). Nonetheless, the simplicity of just moving and jumping is all that this game really needs. It's good to see that there was no attempt to overcomplexify anything.

So, I'd suggest trying this game out, if you can find it. If not, though, no big deal. While fun, this isn't the best game in the world. I'm just amazed that somebody managed to do a 3D GB mono game. I wouldn't have believed it if I didn't play it myself.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 07/16/06