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Tommy, Chuckie and the gang are back for another big bash on the Game Boy. It may not have been long since their last outing but they're so popular that I'm sure you can handle another imagination-fuelled trip into the heads of a bunch of three year olds. This time round our little heroes have discovered a time machine (hence the title) and are heading through all the ages including prehistoric (complete with dinosaurs), ancient Egypt and even the Wild, Wild West (I couldn't find Will Smith there though).

It's going under the guise of a platformer but the truth is that this is way more than your normal hop, skip and jumping game. Time Travelers includes a wide variety of interesting sub-games to keep things from becoming boring.

Each level will typically see you trying to collect a set number of items before letting you play a mini-game. On the first level, for example, you get to play a toy-grabbing game where you control a mechanical arm and try to grab goodies as they roll by on a conveyor belt. Further levels will see you playing Rugrat racing and shooting games. These little games set Rugrats: Time Travelers apart from your average run-of-the-mill platformer.

The other thing that makes it special is the graphics. The big, bright, Rugrats-inspired colours are so good that you'll think somebody's swapped your Game Boy's innards for a SNES. Every time you start a level you get the brightly coloured Rugrats start screen and 'taa-daa' sound... it's like watching the cartoon start! Wooooow!

In the game itself, the Rugrats have never looked better. They're lovingly animated, well designed and animated and the levels enjoy some really colourful backgrounds. However, the real visual treats are the mini-games which look better than Cat Deeley in a catsuit. When you play the grabbing game you see a big close-up of Chuckie's face for example. His eyes even follow the grabber around the screen. It may sound like a small thing but it's this kind of attention to detail that creates the cartoon-like atmosphere of the game.

So it's got the looks and the sound but there's got to be a catch somewhere hasn't there? Sadly, the answer is yes! Like the cartoon, Rugrats: Time Travelers is designed for very young gamers. It's mind-searingly simple to play to the point where it hardly feels like a real game at all. You could have your brain removed and replaced with a rotting cabbage and still waltz through it as if you'd been playing nothing else for your entire life!

That's not to say that this is an easy game (although you can complete the first level just by walking right, jumping once and walking back to the left). You generally have a set number of items to pick up within a time limit (around six minutes). Every time you get hit you lose an item and have to go and pick it up again. It's tricky, fiddly and incredibly irritating - but it isn't exactly difficult. There are only ten levels which would be a reasonable amount if the game offered a real challenge (instead of just taxing your ability not to scream!).

The game is a fairly repetitive experience and even the inclusion of all the sub-games can't change the fact that this is incredibly basic at heart. Which is a shame because it looks mint! It's just a pity that, with all its beautiful visuals, top sound and nice ideas it doesn't offer more of a varied challenge, so the more experienced gamers can enjoy it as much as those who are just picking up a Game Boy Color for the first time.

If you've got a younger brother or sister and you want to get them into gaming then you can't really do better than Rugrats: Time Travelers. Make sure they get a copy for Christmas and they'll be suckered by the cartoon-like quality of the graphics and the simplistic gameplay is a perfect introduction to videogames. Before you know it, they'll be building up a Pokemon collection and walking your way with a determined look and a link-up cable.

If that isn't the case then Time Travelers is really a ten pence mixed bag of sweets. It may be sweet for a short while but it's all sugar gloss and everything tastes the same. Eventually you'll tire of the taste and want something with more meat on its bones!

Yeah! This is the kind of game that really keeps me playing. It's got very simple gameplay, but the graphics are so gorgeous, and the sound effects so satisfying, that you just can't help getting addicted to it!

THQ have done an excellent job at turning the Rugrats adventures into excellent Game Boy Color games, and Rugrats: Time Travelers continues that tradition.

As Mark said, if you want something that's going t tax your brain then this isn't really the game for you. But for non-stop cartoon action - this is the bee's knees!

Graphics 100%
Top of the class.

Sound 80%
Just like the cartoon.

Playability 60%
Far too bland and repetitive.

Lastability 40%
Mr. Potato Head could finish it!

Overall 72%
Looks just like the cartoon.