Codename: Kids Next Door - Operation: V.I.D.E.O.G.A.M.E.

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kids next door mission

 

operation:

v.i.d.e.o.g.a.m.e.

 

villains

in

detention

escape

outpost

growing

amalgamation

mega

enormously

Note: This review contains spoilers for Codename: Kids Next Door.

As a kid, I grew up watching a lot of Cartoon Network, and so the long-running Fridays block was something I would forward to at the end of every week. One of the many shows that premiered on that block was Codename: Kids Next Door (KND), which I will admit was one of a number of shows that I used to watch religiously for the longest time. Despite this, I was somehow unaware of various merchandising endeavors, one of which was a console game appropriately named Codename: Kids Next Door - Operation: V.I.D.E.O.G.A.M.E. (Operation: V.I.D.E.O.G.A.M.E.), though around the time it came out I had not formally taken up gaming as a hobby. While on a classic Cartoon Network nostalgia trip, this game was one that I actively sought out, opting for the Xbox version due to current aftermarket prices. Though I generally enjoyed it, I decided to revisit it while on another nostalgia trip and still found it to be an enjoyable, if not flawless, experience.

While Numbuhs 3 and 4 of Sector V play a game in the Treehouse, Numbuh 1 tries to start up a VR training simulator that Numbuh 2 created. Unbeknownst to him, what he thinks is a simulator is actually a real attack by the Toiletnator. Once the Toiletnator is quickly disposed of, Sector V gets a call from Numbuh 86, who tells them that all the villains that were imprisoned at Mon base on the dark side of the moon have broken out. Since all other Kids Next Door operatives are collectively on a beach vacation, she assigns Sector V to round up all the villains, starting with Gramma Stuffum at the local donut shop.

The storyline feels in line with that of a KND plot, almost like an extended episode of the show, though paced in a way that works well for the video game medium. Since Numbuh 5’s older sister Cree appears as a villain and Numbuh 1’s girlfriend Lizzy gets mentioned, it can be safe to assume that the plot of the game takes place at a much later point in the series’ run, which can make this game a little more difficult to penetrate for people who were not actively following the show at the time. That said, ending aside, the game also makes sure to not contradict the show’s running plot threads at the time, building up the titular Amalgamation as the final boss rather than main antagonist Father.

Perhaps fittingly for the show, the gameplay takes the form of a third-person shooter, trading off between playing as Numbuhs 1-5 between levels. Each character also has their own playstyle, with Numbuh 2’s levels being relegated to aerial shooters aboard the C.O.O.L.-B.U.S. Most characters have a starting weapon, though you can collect Spare Parts to create a new 2x4 weapon, or a strictly better version of the one you start off with, which you can then swap between at any time with the d-pad. In a nice touch, upon unlocking your new weapon, there is an info screen telling you what the weapon is called and what it stands for, all done in the same style as the show, which can then be replayed at any time in the Secrets menu from the title screen. Fitting with the show, health pick-ups take the form of candy, while other sweets (depending on the character) fill up a Powuh Meter to enable the use of a Powuh Move (R trigger + X).

Numbuh 5's gameplay, for instance, has more of a stealth focus.
(Screenshots for this game are extremely difficult to come by.)

While some Secrets can be unlocked by playing through the game, one major collectible in the game is Rainbow Monkeys, which are required to unlock additional Secrets and 100% each level. Additional Soopah Secrets can be unlocked by completing hidden tasks in each level that can be more difficult to pull off, though knowing what these hidden tasks are can require the use of a guide to figure out. Some Secrets include concept art ands the ability to toggle which weapon is the default for each character, though some of the bigger ones include playing as villains in Arenas or model viewers, as well as a handful that are essentially cheat codes that can break the game, including Unlimited Health/Powuh, Stealth and Possession. Stealth allows you to sneak past enemies by pressing Black to temporarily become invisible, while Possession allows you to take control of an enemy while locking onto them and pressing Black, though holding Black undoes the possession. Rather notably, undoing the possession also instantly kills the possessed enemy, which even extends to bosses, allowing you to effectively one-shot most of them with ease. Other Secrets include alternate costumes that don’t have an effect on gameplay, with the alternate skins for Numbuh 2 actually being skins for the C.O.O.L.-B.U.S.

One that does have an effect on gameplay, however, is an alternate skin for Numbuh 1 that turns him into Numbuh 86. While it could have just been a simple costume change, the developers went so far as to give Numbuh 86 her own dialogue and even give other characters that Numbuh 1 would normally interact with in his levels special dialogue to reflect this change. There are still some hiccups, however, in that some dialogue doesn’t quite match up with the subtitles, plus there is an oversight in Operation: C.A.V.I.T.Y. C.A.V.E. where you still hear Numbuh 1’s voice in places, but despite this, one can’t help but still appreciate the extra mile they took to make the player feel like they are actually playing as Numbuh 86.

One thing to mention is that one level, Operation S.P.A.N.K.-H.A.P.P.Y., revisits the plot of S3E34 “Operation: L.O.C.K.D.O.W.N.”, in which Count Spankulot turns four of the KND into Spank-Happy Vampires. This time, however, whereas Numbuh 5 was the savior in the episode, this game notably introduces an original Vampire form for her, with the savior role going to Numbuh 4 in the level. Though this was likely done to give Numbuh 5 her own Vampire alt costume, it’s still worth bringing up, along with the fact that one of the unlockable Secrets is concept art for said costume.

While the gameplay is generally good and fits with the tone of the series, there are some issues that impacted the experience. Though I was able to adjust somewhat to the game being stuck with an inverted camera, though not completely, the fixed camera angles in some sections made one particular platforming section in Operation: D.O.N.U.T.T.Y. unnecessarily difficult, even though I was able to do it increasingly more efficiently across multiple playthroughs. The characters also have a generally slow walking speed, which isn’t too bad, but it can get a mildly frustrating when trying to get through levels as fast as possible, especially since there’s no way to sprint or otherwise increase your speed. Additionally, each level has an abbreviated name just like in the show, however unlike the title of the game, there is no indication as to what each of them stand, but this is more of a minor nitpick than anything.

This section is made more difficult by the camera angles.

The translation of the original show’s art style to 3D is largely successful, with the environments and other objects, as well as the bodies of the characters, looking just like the show. The faces, on the other hand, are rendered in 2D for most characters, which works as a way to maintain the art style without looking off, though the execution is mixed since it’s very noticeable when a face is mirrored once the range of a character’s camera angle changes. It’s also worth mentioning that the cutscenes and gameplay dialogue lack subtitles, with in-game character interactions rendered through fully-voiced text boxes. There are, however, occasional framerate drops with these text boxes, though this is very inconsistent.

One thing that does translate well, however, is the voice acting, featuring the same voice cast as the show. As such, the dialogue feels very in-character and a lot of it can actually be pretty funny, such as when Numbuh 4 continuously berates the Toiletnator. Additionally, some of the music made for the game is actually pretty good and often fits the tone of the player character and the levels they are in. That said, one track in particular that’s first heard in Operation: B.O.O.G.I.F.I.C.A.T.I.O.N., often labeled as “Disco”, stands out as a particular banger, with the same track also being used in some action cutscenes and the Arena Secrets.

One track from this level goes harder than it has any right to.

Rather notably, Operation: V.I.D.E.O.G.A.M.E. heavily promotes the (very short-lived) Codename: Kids Next Door Trading Card Game from Wizards of the Coast (WotC), which debuted around the same time that the game launched. This even extends to some unlockable Secrets being digital versions of cards from the game, based on a character featured in the level they are unlocked from. One Secret is even a video that explains how to play the game, albeit poorly, to entice you to buy the product. Interestingly, said video shows that the Advanced Rules can involve the use of stickers, something that WotC would controversially reintroduce into Magic: The Gathering nearly two decades later. As an added bonus, new Xbox and GameCube copies, but not PS2 for some reason, included an exclusive “Amalgamation” card (mysteriously misspelled as "Amalgamatiom" on the box art) based on its namesake enemy in the game, that is unless you lived in PAL territories. This card was not included in the used Xbox copy that I bought, plus the card itself, and copies of the game that include said card, can be a little difficult to come by, though fortunately a digital copy can be unlocked in the game.

The card in question.

Codename: Kids Next Door - Operation: V.I.D.E.O.G.A.M.E. is a pretty decent platformer on its own, however it’s very likely to not appeal to non-KND fans, as the story makes a number of casual references to events in the show at the time. For fans of KND, however, this one is worth checking out if you can find a copy for a decent price, if not for the gameplay and story then for the historical value if nothing else. 

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