I was psyched to see a Powerpuff Girls game coming to Steam. I mean, when does that ever happen? I love Cartoon Network and their various shows. Video game adaptations of these series are usually bad, and this title is certainly not excluded from this general rule (to an extent), but its always nice to see games like this around on Steam.
Many will complain about the game’s graphical style, myself included. The “modern” Powerpuff Girls are not as cool as the classic, although this is coming from someone who loved the series as a kid, so I may just be a bit (okay, a lot more than that) biased. This is where the “classic” style comes into play. The option to switch between the modern and classic art style is a fantastic feature, especially for those that used to watch the series back then. The nostalgia!
However, the graphic-switching mechanic does not come without its flaws. Specifically, when using the classic style, the backgrounds remain in the modern style, so there’s a bit of a clash there. It’s not too bad, but it does take some getting used to. Also, the game’s cutscenes could have been a lot better. They aren’t fully animated. The characters may have their proper voices, but they lack the animation to show them speaking in the first place.
The gameplay is rather simple, which I guess I should have expected from a game like this, but it’s not so simple as to be outright boring, or even repetitive. It’s anything but. You’ll find yourself flying around various areas, exploring each room for goodies (think Castlevania), and smashing enemies while leveling up various skills. It’s not too complex (I would have preferred at least a little more complexity), but it is solid nonetheless.
The game also comes with a nice soundtrack and some rather smooth controls. I used a controller (as I do with just about every game like this) and was not disappointed. The controls were responsive and very easy to pick up.
The Powerpuff Girls: Defenders of Townsville is a great game. Although it may not be as loved by newcomers to the series, it still manages to earn my recommendation.
cublikefoot 