When a seemingly innocuous school science project to locate cocoons goes hideously wrong, scythe-wielding Death Jr. and his whip-toting pal Pandora accidentally release the nefarious Furi upon an unsuspecting mankind. A curvaceous plant-based minx of pure evil intent on wreaking havoc across the world -- as is the way with evil minxes - Furi promptly employs hordes of un-dead assistance from the local toy cemetery to help carve her path of destruction. All of which, quite unsurprisingly, leaves Death Jr. and his ragtag band of mutants tasked with once again saving us all from the clutches of impending doom.

Arriving on the as a scaled-up port of the PlayStation Portable original, which was first released in late October of 2006, Death Jr. Root of Evil is somewhat of a departure for long-time series developers Backbone Entertainment in that it gives players the opportunity to tackle Furi and her minions with either Death Jr. or Pandora. While the standard-issue and action-intensive platform gameplay is largely unaltered by the addition of a second playable character, Pandora's blend of lethal whip abilities and dry humour does succeed in injecting the game with some welcome variation.

That variation is compounded by character-specific weaponry that reaches beyond the upgradeable melee power delivered by Death's scythe and Pandora's whip. Also open for upgrade via in-game component collection, Death is able to use the likes of Twin Pistols, a Flaming Toilet Paper Launcher, and even C4 Hamsters; while Pandora can access a Flamethrower, a classic Tommy Gun and also deadly Shiny Sparkles, which kill foes by creating a deadly vortex of trashy pop tunes.

Considering the inclusion of exploding hamsters and death-by-pop, it's fair to say that Root of Evil doesn't take itself too seriously, and game progression is pushed along merrily by a steady stream of witty one-liners, throwaway quotes ("My God... it's full of stars!"), and humorous banter during attractively rendered cut-scenes. Indeed, while the in-game visuals may not be a significant step up from the version - and certainly far-removed from current PlayStation 3 and releases - Backbone has done a commendable job of maintaining player interest through clever writing, instant genre familiarity, and a relaxed sense of fun.

Although warm character interplay does ably bypass the game's rather middle-of-the-road graphical performance, it's perhaps more important to stress that any aesthetic shortfalls in Root of Evil are near-forgotten thanks to Backbone's effective use of the Wii's innovative control system. Moreover, rather than deliver a bare bones (excuse the Reaper pun) port of the PSP original, the team has adapted its standard platform mechanic by adding subtle Wii Remote gestures that make the game feel as though it is actually native to Nintendo's home console rather than an adopted member its burgeoning software family.

For example, progressively more complex button and directional gesture combinations are used well to bring a different dimension to frantic close-quarter melee fighting, while the player is also able use the Wii Remote to guide an on-screen aiming reticule when wielding items from the game's selection of ranged weaponry. The only negative comment regarding control is to be indirectly levelled at the 'intelligent' camera, which is supposed to follow the central character whenever armed with their default melee weaponry.

Likely a fractured overspill from the PSP's reliance on a single analogue thumb nubbin, Root of Evil's occasionally twitchy game camera can make jumping chasms, swinging from hooks and poles, and engaging/avoiding the enemy something of an unnecessary chore because the player does not have the advantage of full directional viewing. Indeed, the Nunchuk's 'C' button, which centres the camera behind the character, is the only viewpoint access afforded the player while using melee weapons. The odd thing is, however, that when ranged weaponry is equipped, gesturing with the Wii Remote instantly swings the camera freely, accurately targets enemies, and generally helps to peruse immediate surroundings. Of course, while constantly having ranged items equipped is a viable solution that delivers more complete and constant control along with a clearer screen view, it makes no sense to not have such an ability as default for both forms of weaponry; also, having to switch all the time for scythe/whip-based environmental interactions only serves to tarnish the gameplay.

That being said, apart from the intermittent annoyances associated with the game camera, Root of Evil throws up plenty of level creativity, an oddball sense of style, a vivid colour palette, a good amount of boss diversity, and a pretty satisfying difficulty curve when you consider the 12+ age stamp on the packaging. And, for those disappointed with Backbone's decision to lock character selection throughout the single-player campaign, there's even a split-screen cooperative mode that enables Death Jr. and Pandora to play through the game together while laying the smack down simultaneously.

Ultimately, it may not help dispel the myth that the Wii cannot deliver visual flare and genre muscle - anyone who's ever played Prime 3: Corruption will know that's simply not true - but Death Jr. Root of Evil manages to convincingly sidestep the bargain bucket graveyard thanks to its character appeal, solid platform action, amusing and inventive weaponry, and a control system that largely succeeds in papering over any emergent sense of creeping mediocrity.

73%

By Stevie Smith

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