Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events

That dialogue has been translated well into the film.  Moviegoers won't see it for another four weeks, but gamers can open the door to this weird world by playing the game right now.  What's inside is one of Jim Carrey's most unique roles yet.

The game is broken down into two parts: one good, one bad.  The good part is the story, which was taken directly from the film, which in turn was based on a novel.  You'll smirk, smile and laugh out loud at Count Olaf's (played by Jim Carrey) kooky dialogue.

It's so over-the-top, and includes so many typical scenarios that you'd think it'd be bad.  The way in which the dialogue was written, and the way in which Jim Carrey says his lines – that's what makes the story work.  You go from feeling jaded and disappointed by the trauma these siblings endure, to entertained and immersed in their unfortunate lives.

It's even possible that you'll feel something for Count Olaf, despite the fact that he's old, creepy, and has a master plan to do something evil (a plan that he's too stupid to execute correctly).  Hilarity ensues, and before you know it you can't wait to see how it all turns out.  The story becomes your driving force.  Whether you like the game or not, you will see it through.

It's good to have a driving force like that in an RPG.  Most RPGs are the same, or are at the very least similar.  If the gameplay is comprised of typical menu selection and endless spell-casting, you can't (and probably won't) complain, so long as the story is good.  RPGs are repetitive by nature.  If the battle system isn't unique, only the story can pull it through.

Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events has to deal with the unfortunate fact that it's not an RPG; it's an adventure game with very little adventuring.  You don't get swords or high-tech weaponry (remember: this is based on a kids' book), but you do get to use some very clever tools that the orphans put together.

Collecting the pieces for these inventions is as easy as one, two, three.  Seriously, you could walk through the room and collect all the parts in just a few seconds.  Even the most hard-to-find pieces will not take you more than a few minutes to locate.  This goes for any gamer with experience, young or old.  I could've beaten this game at six no problem.  As an adult it's a cakewalk.

Acquiring all the pieces for an invention opens a menu where you're asked to link them together in the most logical way.  The game gives you hints, but you don't need to pay attention to them.  Ignore the guidelines and shift the pieces around until the flashing white X appears.  Once it does, press the A button and presto – your invention is made.

These inventions are a clever idea in the narrative, but don't make for great gameplay.  The Brilliant Bopper is Klaus's attack weapon.  It's made out of a brook, a spring, a tin of coffee, and a boxing glove.  The broom functions the handle; the spring gives launches the boxing glove forward; and the coffee tin holds everything together.

Violet can't traverse chemicals, but when a toxic area needed crossing, she created her owns stilts using a belt, a tripod, and some old snow shoes.  These are the kinds of things you'd expect a child to come up with in a pinch.  A lot of thought went into each of these inventions.  Only four are listed in the manual (the two mentioned plus Fruit Flinger, a weapon for Violent, and Baby Booster, an device that allows Sunny to jump), but there are many more things to invent.  Any time a barrier stands in your way to success, Violet will get that famous look in her eyes.  The look that says it's time to go on another 30-second scavenger hunt.

The boss battles are a far cry from the boss battles I grew up with.  In this game a boss battle means taking on one of Count Olaf's thugs.  Their attack patterns couldn't be easier to learn if they drew a map.  Wait for them to attack three times.  Then, when the green circle appears underneath them, fling some fruit or hit 'em with the Brilliant Bopper.  Now wait for them to attack four times, then make your move.  Then wait for them to attack five times.  This goes on until the boss runs out of energy, which doesn't take very long at all. 

Standard enemies are so easy they're almost laughable.  Dodge every attack and retaliate.  Bam, they're dead.  Come 'on guys!  Couldn't you give us something a little more exciting than this?  The story is great – why not go all the way and make the game play a little better?

Granted, the developers had to follow the original story's guidelines, and that they did very well.  The problem is that this story doesn't have a whole lot of moments that could be turned into a great video game.  The train sequence was pathetic.  Judging by the trailer I expect this scene to be something special in the film.  On GameCube it's nothing more than a simple mini-game.  No excitement.  No fear that the train will actually hit.

The flaws are clear, and so is the score.  This isn't a game to add to your Christmas list.

However, that does not mean that you should write it off entirely.  It's short and easy, meaning you can beat it very quickly.  That's not appealing at all, but the story is.  If you just can't wait to see how filmmakers adapted this classic novel for the big screen, play this game.  Most every rentailer in the country will have it.  And since it's a lower-profile game, you don't have to worry about it being checked out for weeks at a time.

Gameplay: 6.7
Not nearly as rewarding as the story that inspired it.  Lemony Snicket gives you more than a collection of mini-games.  It’s too bad these non-mini-games involve miniature tasks like taking out weak enemies and fighting weak boss battles.

Don’t get the wrong impression though.  Even with a super-hard difficulty rating, this game would still be a disappointment.  It gets old really fast.  None of the tasks are enticing.  The story is, but the idea of exterminating rats with the Brilliant Bopper – I suppose it sounds good in theory, but then again, so do a lot of game ideas.

Graphics: 6
Faded.  Washed out.  Lack of vibrancy, devoid of detail.  You wouldn’t know it was a GameCube game if the box didn’t say so.

Sound: 8
Hilarious dialogue from Jim Carrey and the orphans.  Musically the game is enchanting, featuring a score that sounds like the work of John Williams. 

Difficulty: Super Easy
This game did it.  It broke the mold.  Now I can finally say I’ve played and reviewed a game that’s not just easy, it’s super easy.

Concept: 7
Great story, great characters, evil uncle.  Bad gameplay, repetitive missions, evil uncle.

Overall: 6.9
Worth perusing for the story.  You could just read the novel, but then you’d miss out on Jim Carrey’s marvelous performance as a wicked uncle.