The legacy of Cartoon Network, and I'm talking about checkerboard logo Cartoon Network, has
entertained thousands of cartoon fans like myself from the time Ted Turner bought the
channel in 1992 to the delight of Hanna Barbera fans across America, to the inception of the
ever-popular Adult Swim.
Who could forget Yogi Bear cartoons, Space Ghost Coast to Coast, and The Powerpuff Girls?
One boy genius about as tall as a tree stump comes to mind, the kid with a secret laboratory
in his basement, Dexter.
Created by Muscovite Genndy Tartakovsky, the show served as a springboard for cartoon tycoons
like Craig McCracken and Seth MacFarlane, and with its backup cartoons like Dial M For
Monkey and The Justice Friends, the show is indelibly printed onto the part of my brain
every time I feel dat nostalgia.
Of course, with just about any successful cartoon franchise ever since the days of the
NES, the theme of Dexter's laBORatory has become the target for gamemakers as well.
And what better way to channel your inner boy or girl genius than by playing the computer
or a human opponent in the King's game itself?
It was a fine idea for developers Virtucraft and publishers BAM!
Entertainment to develop such a game in Dexter's Laboratory: Chess Challenge for the Game Boy
Advance, released at about the time the show's popularity was peaking in 2002.
Just as about any chess game would operate, Chess Challenge takes the most popular board
game in the world and switches the traditional pieces from medieval styled shapes to the
most popular characters in the show and is stuffed with animations a la Battle Chess.
Except this time, they are a lot funnier and cooler.
Each time you make a capture, a different animation will play for each and every possible
outcome.
Your player character will also make a wisecrack at the other, and it's great to relive old
rivalries from the show like Dexter versus his archnemesis, Mandark.
Dexter's chess pieces, for example, comes with Dexter as the king, old Dexter as bishop,
and lab monkeys as pawns.
His annoying, free-spirited sister Dee Dee is flanked by her equally annoying and free
spirited friends as rooks and bishops, and dare I say ponies as the knights.
Bronies, I hope you're happy.
Piece movement is easy to watch and moves quickly and smoothly, and the chessboard lights
up accordingly whether you are trying to move your piece to a legal position.
If not, the move simply doesn't happen.
The time between moves by your opponent do not take more than a few seconds to make either,
which adds to the overall smoothness factor.
Along with the regular tournament mode, the puzzles are worth checking out too, and may
be even more fun to play than tournament.
Each puzzle is a scenario where you must complete a checkmate with one move.
The challenges start off with three pieces and work all the way up to a nearly full board,
and it's a great feeling when you know you've made the right move.
The only qualms I have with Dexter's Laboratory: Chess Challenge is the fact that there is
only one camera angle for tournament mode, which might make wayward moves easier.
I would also prefer a file save as opposed to passwords, since 2002 is probably far enough
into the future for battery save.
With classic animation that tickles the fancy of classic Cartoon Network kids everywhere,
Dexter's Laboratory Chess Challenge is a worthy addition to your collection and will take
you back to the days where you wished Computer was just a few stories below your bunk bed.