When there are mysteries to solve and chilling ghost stories to investigate, you can always count on a loveable yet cowardly pooch named Scooby-Doo to lend a helping paw to his human friends that formed Mystery Inc. Having been the hero in Saturday morning cartoons, motion pictures (both live action and animated) and a helpful character in his own video games on the main consoles, Scooby-Doo! Unmasked is Scooby’s first Nintendo DS game. Sadly, even a box full of Scooby Snacks just doesn’t make this a game worthy of our favorite cartoon dog.

Unmasked finds Scooby and the gang (composed of owner Shaggy, Fred, Velma and Daphne) as they decide to pay Fred’s cousin Jed a surprise visit where he works. When they get there, however, they discover that Jed has gone missing. As it turns out, Jed works for a studio that specializes in making ultra realistic monster suits to be used in film productions - a special effect that requires the use of a soy-based substance that can take any form known as Mubber. Mister Stanton, the studio head and creator of Mubber, accuses Jed of running off with the Mubber formula to sell to a rival studio. Prepared to prove Stanton wrong, the group searches for clues of Jed’s whereabouts but leaves the hard stuff to none other than Scooby-Doo. 

The game looks a lot like the console versions but right away you’ll notice the big difference. For one thing, the console game’s freedom to roam around the environments is gone. You can no longer sniff around the screen within a single area. Instead you’ll find that the game leads you across the screen like an old-school platform game with the exception that Scooby and everything around him is 3-D. While you’re free to take a different path it all leads to the same place.  Scooby can jump with the best of them and can even perform a sliding attack and finally a spinning attack.

In classic platform game style, there are items to collect such as Scooby Snacks, Clues (which Velma helps piece together), Mubber and Trap Pieces (used by Fred to catch monsters). You’ll even find all the usual platform elements such as lifts and, well, platforms to jump on to get to the other side. What separates the game from other platform games, though, is Scooby’s ability to transform Mubber into four different costumes. You start off with the Scientist costume (complete with wild mad scientist hair) that allows Scooby to pass through barriers made of Mubber. This opens up a mini-game that requires the use of the touch screen and the Stylus. The game is simple:  Using the Stylus you move a Collector Particle around the screen as you attempt to collect colorful Mubber particles while avoiding bouncing anti-Mubber molecules. It’s not exactly original but it does offer a break from the platforming parts.

The other three costumes are used more often in the game. There’s Kung Fu costume that allows Scooby to kick wooden planks blocking his path as well as fight off the game’s few enemies. The Bat costume transforms the pooch into a superhero with batwings you can use to glide across distant platforms or float above fans. Finally there’s the Archer costume that transforms Scooby into Robin Hood complete with a bow and bathroom plungers for arrows. With the Archer costume you can hit enemies from afar but also solve puzzles that require you to hit a series of targets used to open new platform areas. You can swap into any costume quickly using the touch screen.

The problem with Unmasked is that even for a kids title there’s a lot of handholding and very little in terms of level variety. You’ll play through the Monstrous Fright and Magic studios pretty easily and the Chinatown mission (dubbed in true Scooby-Doo! fashion as “Shuddery Showdown in Chinatown”) is really just a bite-sized version of the console game’s level. Even the youngest gamers will find it easy to zip through this game, although there are levels that will have you falling to your doggy death.  

Graphically speaking, Unmasked is actually an Ok-looking game when it comes to displaying the characters. Scooby looks good in action and you’ll instantly know Fred the second you spot him in the game’s environment. The locales look like they do in the console games only there’s less detail to them. You’ll find crates to bash but not as many as the console version. There are some really good effects, though, especially when it comes to the gas zombie spit at you.

The game’s sound, though, lacks the good voice acting found in the game’s other versions. While we’re treated to text dialogue it just isn’t the same. You will hear from Scooby and it’s mostly his funny laugh and an assortment of comical noises he makes that comes straight from the cartoon. The sound effects work nicely as well but what really wins points is the game’s soundtrack that doesn’t get on your nerves. What happened to Scooby’s main theme song, though? Leaving that out is like an Indiana Jones movie without the familiar John Williams’ theme music.

Scooby-Doo! Unmasked for the Nintendo DS might not be the best portable Scooby game but it’s a pretty good attempt. For those willing to put up with its lead-you-by-the-hand gameplay, there’s a good story and some fun missions along the way but for those looking for the ultimate platform game there are better games available for the DS as we speak. Sorry, Scooby, but this one isn’t worthy of a Scooby Snack.

Gameplay: 6.0
The controls are solid enough for a portable version of an 'Ok' console game but the ability to explore has been dropped for a more linear game that forces you on a single path. Scooby has enough moves to get him through the platform game action but the four costumes add a change of pace to the gameplay. There are some puzzles to solve that involve the touch screen as well.

Graphics: 6.5
The graphics are translated a bit roughly but you’ll be able to make out all the familiar characters during cutscenes and gameplay. The environments are rendered colorfully and some of the game’s effects feel right at home on the Nintendo DS.

Sound: 5.5
Sadly the voice acting from the console version has been dropped but Scooby certainly makes some funny sounds particularly when he finds Scooby Snacks. The game’s sound effects are decent enough, though, and the game’s score fits the game’s theme perfectly.

Difficulty: Easy/Medium
There are some areas where Scooby will really have trouble passing through and some platforms can be hard to reach in the game’s earlier missions. The enemies are fairly easy to defeat but you’ll be thankful for Scooby’s Kung Fu and bat costume.

Concept: 6.5
Being able to play as our favorite cartoon pooch is great and there are some decent levels here worth playing. The costumes offer some variety to the platform jumping but the star of the show is clearly the touch screen mini-games.

Overall: 6.2
As loveable as Scooby is even he isn’t able to rise above a linear platform game that, while a nice attempt, just makes for an average Nintendo DS adventure. This is really too bad, really, since Scooby-Doo! Unmasked does make use of the touch screen and adds a story that feels straight out of the cartoon itself but with very little room to explore the fun runs out quickly.