Aqua Teen Hunger Force: Zombie Ninja Pro-Am

Arguably the most popular original show to hit Adult Swim, the Aqua Teen Hunger Force make their video game debut with Aqua Teen Hunger Force: Zombie Ninja Pro-Am from Midway for the PS2. Gameplay wise, the game takes place on a golf course where you, well, play golf. In between shots though, you fight off familiar enemies and race against the alien frat boys. None of these elements are really very fun at all, and in all actuality come off as being more frustrating than anything else. The game's controls are loose and unresponsive, which only amplifies the frustration, and the game itself isn't really very pretty to look at, thanks to a sloppy frame rate. The constantly recycled dialogue gets real annoying after a while, and even though there's cameos aplenty from familiar characters of the show, there isn't really anything here that makes Zombie Ninja Pro-Am worth playing. The best part of the game is the fact that four episodes of the show are instantly available to watch, which is sad considering this is a video game we're talking about. Then again, should we really have expected anything less? The game's overall presentation screams that it's an ultra budget title, and for the tag price you'd be better off spending less on a season set on DVD. This may be worth a brief look for die hard Aqua Teen fans, but even they should proceed with extreme caution.

Aqua Teen Hunger Force: Zombie Ninja Pro-Am (featuring neither ninjas nor zombies) is simply not that bad. Nor is it very good. ATHF:ZNP-A is decidedly mediocre, a blended rating based on several sub-categories. Gameplay features a 9-hole golf range, and 3 levels of cart racing. The former is simple, yet challenging if you want to play a scratch game of golf. As you slowly travel the course to reach the ball, you'll encounter enemies from the cartoon series. It's unavoidable, monotonous and annoying. The racing segments are equally frustrating, as you'll lose whisker-close races before winning by a country mile, when your AI opponent apparently loses a lap for unknown reasons. The entire "mission" can be completed in less than 8 hours.

To make up for sorta lousy gaming, you have a bundle of video extras. Some, like a never-before-seen ATHF episode, are available from the get-go. Others are earned by collecting icons throughout the gameplay. I played this on a 1st gen PS2 and watched through a composite video connection to a flat screen analog tube. The video picture was ripe with jaggies, and I pretty much explained why in the previous sentence.

All told, there's no compelling reason to own this, just rent or borrow to enjoy for what it's worth.

The review by "Big Evil" is pretty much right on. This game just isn't very fun. The golf mechanics are simple but serviceable I suppose, but the controls are mushy. I had written that down to the fact that I played the game on a PS3 and I figured the backward-compatibility was the culprit, but other reviews I've read say the same thing. The combat is weak and repetitive, and not very difficult. It's more of a annoyance in getting to your next shot. The golf cart racing is OK, but no matter how you drive, your opponent always stays just a little ahead or behind, and races always come down to the last leg. Just save a missile till the very end in case you're trailing, and you'll win every time. Not very challenging.

The only saving grace for this title is that the ATHF humor is there in spades, and fans of the show will probably get a kick out of this in spite of the weak gameplay. The game is short, and replayability is zero once you unlock all the cameos and the "broodwich" battle, so you can definitely save your cash and rent this one. You can beat this title in about 5 hours and see it all.

Recommended only as a rental to fans of the show - everyone else, stay clear.