Stuart Little 2 - GBA

The Michael J Fox-sized mouse comes to the Game Boy Advance for the first time, and believe us when we tell you there’s nothing teeny-tiny about this game, except the cartridge containing it. Stuart Little 2 for GBA is a bigger, longer adventure than the previous handheld (Game Boy Color) release, The Journey Home, replete with ten challenging solo levels and a couple of two-player games, facilitated by a pair of consoles and a GBA link cable.

In solo mode, you have two mysteries to solve from the outset. Stuart’s new best friend, Margalo, has gone missing, and so has Mrs Little’s wedding ring. Luckily, you don’t have to go too far out of your way to figure out what’s going on, as the two mysteries are interlinked. As a player, what you have to appreciate is the challenge is everything, and no self-respecting platform/racing game is going to let you saunter through it without putting up some level of resistance. It’s a big world when you’re little by name and little by nature, but Stuart’s smart and brave enough to overcome the many obstacles that come his way. Start out on ‘Easy’ difficulty and help is literally at hand to guide you through the levels: a white glove will point you in the right direction as you endeavour to dodge dragonflies, falling apples, paper planes and the like. Whether you’re flying through the air in a self-made aeroplane, driving home from school in a tiny car, or avoiding the bad guys in the back alley by fleet of foot, there are plenty of objects, people and creatures determined to make it as difficult as possible for you.

And that’s what puts Stuart Little 2 ahead of similarly-themed GBA titles: it’s a challenge that gamers, young or old, look for. Other delights that make us grin like nutters are the sound effects and voices, lifted straight from the film, and the way that, for example, Stuart’s tail trails him like a paper streamer when speeding along on his skateboard - the animation really is top-notch.

Stuart Little 2 is one of that rare breed – a worthy sequel, and that goes for both the film and the Game Boy Advance incarnation. Investigate. more