Kim Possible has made her debut on the NDS, her third outing on a handheld system. A2M are again the developers, and the game, while looking different because of the 3D viewpoint and upgraded system, plays pretty much the same as the previous editions. This is mostly a good thing, as the other Kim Possible games were decent platformers compared to many TV licensed products.

This time around, Kim is undercover with the henchmen, trying to find and rescue Wade. Apparently Ron Stoppable is on vacation in Norway, so it’s up to you, KPFan1, to help act as Kim’s coordinator. The first thing Kim has to do is complete a training course for beginner henchmen, to prove she’s capable of the work. This tutorial introduces Kim’s basic moves of jumping, wall-jumping, doing a handspring and hand bar swinging. Her basic fighting moves are also highlighted. Kim’s cool grappling hook is back, and she uses it with her usual style and grace.

Kim has all sorts of fighting moves from her old games, plus new ones, but for some reason they don’t seem to work very well in actual execution, maybe because of bad collision control with the enemies. Contact is hard to make with these guys. For the most part, Kim is better off just avoiding the whole issue. However, her locomotive movement is very well designed, and is actually easier than her previous games. Wall-jumping is much less trouble than in Kim Possible 2. In this edition, Kim won’t be falling off ledges and other high areas just inches away from her destination, a common occurrence that drove us batty before. Kim’s traveling moves are smooth and precise.

Besides the same gadgets, moves and types of levels (yes, Rufus is back for more of his maze-like levels) from the other games, Kim has a new method of traveling she uses to get to Drakken’s cave, a really fun hang-gliding trip across lava fields. She has to power the hangglide by blowing air into her microphone while gliding. This level is the most fun of them all, and was my daughter’s favorite part of the game. Very innovative.

Another new feature is the always-accessible shop where Kim can purchase and swap items like gadgets, powerups and outfits. This is available on the bottom screen on the DS. Still, while the items can be switched out at any time, it’s not useful during a fight, so Kim will need to have her stuff ready before duking it out with someone.

The game is in 3D, and offers a sort of sideways view of Kim as she runs in a cross between a side-scrolling view and an “into the camera” look. The camera will swivel as she turns corners. The look of the game is almost exactly like the TV cartoon, and fans will be happy. A good use of the DS’s capabilities. The sound, though, is pretty run-of-the-mill.

The main thing we noticed about this game is that it’s much shorter than previously, and it’s also easier. The shorter part isn’t a good thing, but the easier aspect is, although some will disagree with me. In Kim Possible 2, probably the best of the series overall in terms of design and coolness, it was just too hard to do some of the jumping and swinging. This made it frustrating for most of the target audience. This time around, getting through the levels is easier, although the fighting can be problematic due to limited lives. However, many of these fights can just be avoided.

Whether being easier to play or not is a good thing depends on the viewpoint. From my 15-year-old daughter’s viewpoint, this Kim Possible was more fun than the others, and she was able to enjoy the game without undue frustration. Although she did die frequently and was subsequently sent back to save points several times, it wasn’t often enough to kill the pleasure of the game. She felt challenged enough to feel a sense of accomplishment when finishing a level.

But, while she is a teen, she’s not the most skillful of game players. This game was perfectly on her playing level, which is probably similar to more experienced 10-and-up players.

The shortness of the game, though, is a problem, mostly because there’s not much replay value in the game. There are no mini-games to play separately from the game, and not much incentive to pick it up again after beating it. She finished the game in a couple of days, for a total of maybe six or seven hours of gameplay, and will probably not pick it up again, even though she thoroughly enjoyed it while playing.

A fun and enjoyable platformer that is easy to pick up and play, and that features one of the better TV cartoon characters in a stylish and elegant manner. The only things holding this game back is the lack of mini-games and the shortness of the whole experience. Best for kids ages 10-up.

Gameplay: 7.5
Playing this game is fun and keeps the attention throughout. Unfortunately, once finished, there’s not much incentive to come back for seconds. Also, the gameplay is too short the first time around.

Graphics: 8.0
Great graphics - we liked the look of the game, and it’s absolutely faithful to the series.

Sound: 7.0
The music is average, but at least not annoying.

Difficulty: Medium
The game isn’t too difficult, but fighting is often hard to do, because of design issues. However, the basic game is easy to beat.

Concept: 7.0
There is nothing much new here, but the para-gliding level is a blast and is different from most platformers.

Overall: 7.5
A cute and fun platformer. The shortness of the game and lack of anything extra besides a few outfits for Kim is what kept it from getting a higher rating. While it lasts, it’s a hoot, but it’s all over much too fast.