The core of Atlantis' gameplay revolves around switching between the different playable characters. Each one has a different skill (Milo can discover secret passages and Vinny can blow stuff up, for example), and you must know when and where during the levels to use them. You can only switch at certain points, which adds to the challenge, forcing you to think and plan (though its normally more like guess) ahead as to when you will need each of the characters.

However that's not the only tough part of Atlantis. For a game appealing to a younger, less experienced gamer, crowd, Atlantis sure throws you into a lot of situations that you would expect in a more mature title. Things like blind jumps, underwater swimming where you have _just_ enough air, and lack of extra lives (asking to find 25 crystals in some of the levels is like asking to find the Holy Grail, though continues are unlimited) aren't suited for the games audience. While all this isn't going to be a problem for even a casual gamer, kids whose entire Game Boy collection is composed of Mary Kate & Ashley and Blues Clues titles will have a bear of a time trying to progress. Worst is, loose controls and shoddy hit detection mar the experience further.

Visually, Milo and the gang are well represented, and sport some very fluid animation. I was pleasantly surprised at just how well Atlantis looked for a GBC game. This is accompanied by colorful, if not a little dark and hard to see, backgrounds. The darkness could just be attributed to the screen of my GBA and not the actual game, so I won't knock it. Music follows a similar course, as some tunes are obnoxiously annoying, while others are embarrassingly catchy.

In the end, Atlantis is stuck in an unfavorable position. The frustrating controls and difficult gameplay will discourage fans of the movie, but the average gamer has no compelling reason to be drawn to the title. Atlantis does have some very cool elements that if fleshed out would have delivered a better experience, but as it stands it just leaves you wondering, "What if?" By itself Atlantis holds up as an average title, but up against the myriad of other 2D platformers, its clear to see there are better choices.

· · · piku