We take a look at the Kids' games on the system.
The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy
Initial impressions of The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy are surprisingly rather favourable. It's an instantly enjoyable combination of Power Stone and Guardian Heroes elements, with a generous garnish of Itchy and Skratchy cartoon-style ultra-violence. In short, it's the kind of multiplayer comic book-style carnage we rarely see on console in an age where roaming beat 'em ups seem to be exclusively reserved for in-game musclebound gangsta types to settle their rap-based differences.
Gameplay is extremely straightforward and is all the better for it - players are dumped into the cartoon surroundings and the objective is simple: to smack the living daylights out of the opposition until they have been pummelled into complete and utter submission. Making matters easier (or more difficult, depending on your opponents' skill level) is the inclusion of treasure chests that yield a vast range of bonus weaponry. Swords, clubs, guns and even flamethrowers appear at random and boost your offensive prowess. Levels are crammed with items that can be picked up and thrown at your foes, or else used to smack them over the head. Mojo energy orbs also issue forth from the chests, allowing you to build up a reserve of special power that is used to perform brutal combo strikes on your foes - essential in finishing off an otherwise defeated adversary.