" Hey, they've got a good looking flame thrower. Do you really need more? "

      Title: Ratchet and Clank by Sony

      Format: Adventure for the PS2

      Reviewing Monkey: Chimpan-A

      The Hype: Tons of weapons, tons of enemies, and all that destruction… Where to begin? How much collateral damage can you cause? I know how much this review can cause, but that's only if you get it wet… or feed it after midnight.

      What This Monkey Thought...

      Graphics: Ratchet and Clank sports some nice crisp graphics. Everything has a nice soft edge to it (much like the game itself). Ratchet's got a good cute furry look going on- big round colorful eyes and all that rot. It's a good thing this is an action platformer…you'll face a wide variety of enemies and environments along your path, and the game does them all up quite well. There's a good bit of clever level design in this game, none of the levels will get you so lost that you don't know where you're going. The weapon designs are relatively amusing, as are some of the weapon effects. Hey, they've got a good looking flame thrower. Do you really need more? 4.5 out of 5

      Playability: This is a platform game. It's quirky, cute, fun, and overall entertaining… but it's a platformer. That means jump puzzles. It also means running, swimming, climbing, and several other things that might be left out of your average platform game. The game breaks down like this: You are Ratchet, a feline handy man. While repairing his ship one day, a small robot suddenly plummets to the ground from out the heavens. Aquiring him, you find that there is a major threat to the safety of the entire galaxy. Evil aliens are hell bent on ripping apart other planets in order to build themselves a new one. For some completely inexplicable reason, you decide to journey out into the cosmos to stop them. The game is mission based, when you arrive on a planet you have certain tasks which you must attend to. Some of these tasks will net you rewards, other tasks will simply aid you in completing the game. Throughout the game, you collect "bolts" which are apparently the universal currency (What the hell? I guess that means robots around here really are made of money…). You'll use these bolts to buy new and exciting weapons. The weapons control fairly well, with a lot of the basic ones falling into the grenade category. Although, for a game that claims to be all about destruction, the environments aren't interactive. What the hell? Gimme some scorch marks, at least!
          When all is said and done though, you'll have a lot of fun with this one. The voice work for your protagonists is above par, with Ratchet and Clank making a terrific duo. They've added in enough extra activities that the platform nature of the game won't bore you. It's quirky, and it's fun. 4 out of 5

      Multiplayer and Replayability: : Unfortunately there is no multiplayer game for this title. It's a shame, there should be something they can do with the weapons in this game. Even a cooperative game would be fun. Beating the game and saving it gives you access to some secret material, which will aid you when you want to play the game through again. That's about it. If you're diligent the first time through, there's not too big a reason to go through again. There are plenty of secret bits to collect, and you'll probably enjoy going through the levels a second time. 3 out of 5

      The Verdict:

Sure you're basically just hopping around and fighting stuff…but hey, you look good doing it! In the end, Ratchet and Clank will qualify as an endearing title. The characters grow on you, and the mission based play keeps things interesting.

      The Good: Run, jump, and throw deadly eggs at your foolish enemies.

      The Bad: Platforming to its core, no multiplayer or destructible environments.

      The Overall Ugly: It's worth a try, even if you're not normally into the genre.

      What it's Worth: Market