Let’s face it, most games connected with the release of a major motion picture just aren’t as good as what we see in the theaters. Some games do manage to bring something new and exciting to consoles or handhelds while others simply rush out games that leave gamers with a bad aftertaste. Unfortunately, there are also movie tie-in games that show a lot of promise but just feel like a rushed experience. Journey to the Center of the Earth for the Nintendo DS isn’t a bad movie-licensed game and there are times when it shows its true potential but it is limited by many features that hold it back.

Based on the plot of the movie itself, the story tells the tale of a Trevor Anderson, a university professor played by The Mummy star Brendan Fraser in the movie, is in search of his long-lost brother who was researching a volcano in Iceland. Going along for the ride is Trevor’s young nephew, Sean, as well as an experienced guide named Hannah. Together, the three go on a journey that takes them to the depths of the planet’s darkest corners where unknown creatures dwell along with those creatures thought to be extinct but instead are alive and well. Will they find Trevor’s lost brother or will they get lost in the deep crevices of the Earth’s core?

Played as a platform game with touch screen mini-games, Journey allows you to switch between the three characters. Of course, all three characters have their own unique abilities they bring to the game and put into good use. For example, Hannah is an experienced spelunker and can throw a mean rope to cross a chasm. Sean might be young but he can climb with the best of them and is able to cross areas where the surface is unstable. Trevor, being the tallest and strongest of the three, is able to push heavy objects out of the way as well as put his excavation skills to good use. The good news is that the game puts their skills into good use throughout the game even if it’s to a repetitive degree.

Impressively enough, Journey to the Center of the Earth, looks and plays like a decent GameCube game and it even puts the touch screen to good use during gameplay. Certain actions require the use of a Stylus such as the times Sean has to climb a rock wall. You guide his hands to reach stable surfaces before you lose your grip. You can dig for minerals in certain spots by tapping on the touch screen using a hammer tool to discover anything from gold nuggets to fossilized dinosaur bones. Your kit also includes a brush to dust off your findings and little picks in order not to damage your find. Just about the only weak touch screen action is Hannah’s rope throwing ability that requires you spin her arm in a circle.

The game’s platform gaming feel is the weakest element of the game since you’ll be clueless as to where to go most of the time. Yes, there’s a compass but it seldom points you the right way so most of the time you’ll be stumbling through the caverns wondering when you’re going to reach a checkpoint. You’ll find a number of dangerous critters along the way, most of them easy to dispatch with the heel of your boot, or machete blade or (in Trevor’s case) explosives. Battles feel a bit awkward even though your characters are able to upgrade their fighting abilities.

The good news is that there are some fun interactive moments that give you a break from blindly trying to reach the next checkpoint. There are times when you will freefall and thus give you the ability to control your character as he or she makes the drop while avoiding rocks and other objects along the way. Then there are times when you’ll be sliding downward on an object as if you were snowboarding down a mountain. You’ll also be sailing in one level while attempting to avoid a sea monster or running to avoid a hungry tyrannosaurus and objects that try to get in your way. There’s even a mine cart level that’s actually pretty fun … although it feels out of place in the story.

Control-wise, the game handles exploring, jumping and swimming fairly well. There are a few camera issues that get in the way of the action but the majority of the times you’ll find that your character is smart enough to grab on to a ledge if you miscalculate a jump or change your mind about jumping to a certain surface. The touch screen controls are also nicely responsive and thus makes the mini-games rather amusing. In a way, Journey as a game is almost impressive albeit flawed in certain spots. There are a few rich rewards the game has to offer (rafting and climbing are fun) and an equal amount of misery (exploration and digging for fossils).

Visually, Journey to the Center of the Earth looks like an Ok-looking GameCube game and that’s actually pretty good. Occasionally, the game really pulls off some nice explosions effects and the water doesn’t look half bad at all. Even the cut scenes stand out nicely, with the character models looking somewhat like the movie actors. The soundtrack is also good with the sound effects doing a good job of making you feel like you’re in a cavern. There are no sound clips from the movie so just about the only thing you’ll hear is grunts and the horrible screams the characters make when they fall to their deaths.

Journey to the Center of the Earth for the Nintendo DS is a good effort that just falls short where it counts. What it does get right is the use of the touch screen as well as the levels that implement them during your journey.  However, the rest of the game does platform jumping badly enough that the overall adventure suffers for it.

Gameplay: 6.0
The fun touch-screen mini-games do a good job of breaking up the confusing exploration and platform jumping parts in the game. Switching between the characters is handled good as well, although Trevor hardly contributes anything beyond tossing explosives.

Graphics: 7.0
On the graphics front, the game looks mighty good on the DS and there are moments when the visuals won’t fail to impress. The cut scenes look rather good, especially the opening intro with Trevor looking a bit like Brendan Fraser.

Sound: 6.5
The music is not bad at all despite the fact that it loops and the sound effects are actually good. There is no voice acting but there are screams that range from creepy to downright hilarious.

Difficulty: Medium
The platform action can get a bit tricky at times and most of this is due to the weak camera. Combat is broken so the real challenges come from the touch screen mini-games.

Concept: 6.0
At the time of this writing, it’s too early to tell if the summer movie is any good but from the interesting developments that occur in the game there’s no shortage of thrills. While exploration is confusing at times, it’s the touch screen action that steals the show. Plus, there’s a fun mini-game in the Extras menu.

Overall: 6.0
Journey to the Center of the Earth is a flawed Nintendo DS game that could have been a lot better and thus far more impressive. There are some thrilling moments in the game and the touch screen action is responsive enough to do justice to your Stylus yet the rest of the game will frustrate rather than entertain.