Geronimo Stilton in The Kingdom of Fantasy (PSP)

By Reardon Jones

Geronimo Stilton, a best selling childrens book franchise has turned digital with PSP game 'The Kingdom of Fantasy'.

Geronimo Stilton is a cute little talking mouse, who works as a journalist and editor for the newspaper 'The Rodents Gazette' in the minute town of New Mouse City.

The original stories published by Edizioni Piemme of Milan, has been a favourite for kids aged 8 - 16 since the beginning of the new millenium.

Now, one would be forgiven for thinking that with its story book approach the game is only suitable for kids. In a cross between Basil the Great Mouse detective and The Wind in The Willows, The Kingdom of Fantasy is a terrific game for parents and kids alike.

There are few puzzles that are quite tricky, especially for kids. We even had a few riddles that stumped us.

With the shows and books targeted at 8 – 16 years olds, we do find it difficult to see many 14- 16 year olds wanting to play this game.

The basic plot line sees Geronimo Stilton hard at work on his computer. A loud crash and a beam of light begin the adventures of The Kingdom of Fantasy as Geronimo is transported into a fantasy kingdom.

Quickly meeting a talkative frog/author named Scribblehopper, they are sent on a journey to rescue Blossom, the Queen of the fairies.

You get the gist of the game, the same old damsel in distress, unlikely hero to the rescue kind of game.

Geronimo, who is looked upon as a knight, is forced to do tasks and solve puzzles to gain information and resources to save the Queen. These come in the form of riddles, jigsaws puzzles, quizzes and many more challenging side adventures.

Similar to the way Kingdom of Hearts is set out, there are many mini Kingdoms within the larger fantasy Kingdom you need to work your way through. Lands that are controlled by Mermaids, Witches, Dragons, Pixies and Giants (Just to name a few).

Throughout the course of the journey you come across some of the well know Characters in the Geronimo Stilton World. The game combines elements from both book and television series brilliantly.

Using the Analogue stick on the PSP you navigate the worlds and solve the puzzles with minimal interaction. No need to mash the controls in this game.

The cut-scenes and interactions between characters reads like a book, so in this instance, the impatient gamers out there will find themselves hitting X a lot.

An annoyance with The Kingdom of Fantasy is when you fail to solve a puzzle, you lose currency. This can be a problem, as you need to purchase some specific items to progress forward.

As a whole the challenges are of a good pace and difficulty, and as mentioned, some younger kids will struggle without the assistance of an adult. But hey, it will bring Mum and Dad into the gaming fold.

While not exactly educational, Geronimo Stilton is far from boring.

Game: Geronimo Stilton in The Kingdom of Fantasy
System: Sony PSP
Developer/Co-Developer: Virtual Toys
Publisher: SCEE

Rating: 80%

(Ratings Key/Explanation)