Ace Ventura

One of 7th Level's most obscure releases before fading into obscurity, Ace Ventura is a decent cartoon adventure starring the wacky cartoon series of the same name which was popularized by a Jim Carrey movie.

Despite featuring some hilarious voice acting and excellent animation, Ace Ventura is ultimately little more than an average adventure game that's disappointingly short and easy. GameSpot has the lowdown on this one:

"Dude, pull my finger. Did that make you laugh? Then you're probably going to like Ace Ventura.

Borrowing from the Ace Ventura cartoon series, the game features all the same gags, mannerisms, and obnoxiousness from the world's famous pet detective - the kind of stuff that's so stupid, you have no choice but to laugh. And it's the humor that keeps the game afloat. The gameplay you've seen a dozen times before. Once again, Ace is on the case, this time traveling the earth looking for a lost creature. Masters of click-and-solve games will be able to finish the entire game in no time flat. In fact, a lot of it is so simple, you'll figure out that the game is partly designed for young children.

The objects and scenes have that bright, bulky Fisher Price quality. And if you ever actually get stuck, a special button on Ace's watch delivers audio clues that take out most of the guesswork. There's even a setting that lets parents edit out some of Ace's choice phrases, although even without the parent setting on, Ace's language barely goes beyond third-grade bathroom humor.

The various puzzle-filled scenes are sporadically broken up by arcade-lite action. Slightly challenging tasks like swimming through the murky waters of the deep, avoiding trash and oil slicks, and getting in a basic laser fight are a nice way to mix things up. Although Ace Ventura doesn't claim to break new ground, it possesses one nice feature that all developers of endlessly-clicking adventure games should take note of. When you click on an object that you don't need, Ace pipes up with such witty things as "Yeaaaahhhh righht!" and "not enough upper body strength." That alone saves hours out of wandering around, which is usually nothing more than absolutely frustrating.

All told, it's Ace's lowbrow humor that makes this a fun game to play. As in a lot of adventure games, long, drawn-out stories are told in between each level. But refreshingly, the scenes are actually entertaining - a good thing, since there's no way to skip them. You'll likely cruise through this title with ease, but you'll have plenty of fun getting there."

The humor, albeit sophomoric in some places, and hilarious animations make the game well worth the huge download, although expert adventure gamers will find the game disappointingly easy. Two thumbs up!

Review By HOTUD