Closing Comments
Scooby-Doo Unmasked is undone by its lack of polish, making it hard to recommend even though there's a lot to like. If you've got a kid who's really into Scooby and can put up with a few frustrations, however, it might still be worth a shot. The 2.5D polygonal graphics are much more solid than the DS Kim Possible -- even though the effects are still often kind of budge' (what the hell are those sparkling things supposed to be in the circus?), you're not as confused by the clutter, and Scooby himself looks a little better than thanks to clearer characteristics on the dog and more interesting animation in and out of costume. Sound isn't anything to get excited about (once again with DS, no voice-over except for some yelps from Scooby) but the music is good and spooky, and the use of simple animated sequences classes up the game. It's still really short, but the levels are big and might be worth a second play-through. And the game's story brings back a bunch of classic Scooby-Doo villains -- it's always good to see that hypnotizing ghost clown is still getting gigs. A little polish to take out the blind jumps and make attacks fun, and this would have been a total sleeper hit. In this case, those meddling kids should have done some more meddling.
6.5 Presentation
The story is given the text-only treatment, and everything feels about par for DS. Still, you can't beat it when Scooby-Doo ducks behind a curtain and comes out in costume.
7.0 Graphics
Mixing 3D graphics and 2D gameplay works well on DS, and except for some ugly colors and low-res textures, the game comes off well. Scooby sure does look the part.
6.5 Sound
No voices, and the effects are all clunks and squashes, but those classic Hanna-Barbera music themes are here and spooky!
6.5 Gameplay
Scooby knows lots of tricks, which makes this game fun. But one trick he should have learned was how to play well with others.
4.0 Lasting Appeal
As a kids' game, it feels about about long enough, and it's fun enough for at least one more run through it. Still, quite short, with no special minigames or bonuses to keep your tail wagging.
6.5
Passable
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