We played Nicktoons & The Dice of Destiny, an action RPG featuring characters from Nickelodeon cartoons. The publisher is GameMill Entertainment, known for similar "children's" games – the "Hot Wheels"; "Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer"; "Nickelodeon Kart Racers" series and so on. The developers are the Brazilian studio Petit Fabrik and Fair Play Labs. The game is available on PlayStation 5, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, and PC, and we played the PlayStation version.
At the beginning, after a short cutscene – in this case, after a brief cartoon, we choose a character (or characters) to start the game. Available are SpongeBob SquarePants; Leonardo from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles; Sandy Cheeks (also from SpongeBob cartoons); Timmy Turner from The Fairly OddParents; Susie Carmichael from Rugrats; Danny Phantom from Danny Phantom cartoons; Jimmy Neutron from Jimmy Neutron feature films; and Jenny Wakeman from My Life as a Teenage Robot cartoons. The characters are divided into classes (wizard, barbarian, knight..). From the character selection, it is evident that this is a nostalgic game with characters from cartoons that were quite popular some time ago, and now some of them are not. I can conclude this from the fact that my nine-year-old daughter only recognized characters from the SpongeBob cartoon. Logically, she chose SpongeBob for the game, while I chose Leonardo from the Ninja Turtles. It is also possible to play in co-op mode with up to 4 players. The story begins with Timmy Turner’s wish for his board game "Creatures and Chasms" to come to life. However, the wish goes awry – it also brings along characters from various Nickelodeon franchises - the previously mentioned characters we select at the beginning. Their goal is then to find and collect magical dice that can reverse the wish and return each character to their own world. The action is set in fantasy versions of well-known Nickelodeon worlds, with fun twists. Each world is filled with puzzles and side quests. Some of the worlds are Bikini Bottomshire, Ghost Zone, Fire Nation, Old York Sewers.
In each of the worlds, we fight against numerous enemies, some stronger and some classically too weak, for which a single button press is enough to defeat them. Of course, there is also the option to play each level on "hard" mode, which I haven't tried with my daughter, but I have tried it myself and it is noticeably harder than easy and normal mode. The controls are simple, there is no jumping, just movement and destroying opponents. The fights are fast and they happen in real-time – there are no cutscenes or changes in the environment when the fight starts, but the battle occurs "on the go," in the style of Diablo and similar games. By defeating opponents, we gain HP, which unlocks new powers and upgrades weapons, just like in every classic fantasy RPG. Just like in other RPGs, there are also shops where you buy armor, weapons, skins, and more. The progression and leveling system is not overly complicated; it is essentially very basic, but it is designed in a fun and very accessible way. There are also coins in the game, the in-game currency you collect by destroying boxes and various objects throughout the worlds. Each level is designed like a simple maze – we have to discover where a certain item is located and take it, which usually doesn't take too much time. Bosses in the game are classic Nickelodeon villains, like Plankton, Ember, Angelica, Jorgen, and the final boss is Vicky from "Fairly OddParents." Boss fights are, considering this is a game for children aged 10, quite challenging even on normal difficulty. However, one of the best things about this game is the cooperative play for up to 4 players, making it easier to defeat opponents. It takes several hours to complete the entire game. The Platinum trophy for trophy hunters shouldn't be too difficult, although there is also a trophy for completing all levels on "hard" difficulty.
The game is very fun and offers a nostalgic feeling of cartoons combined with modern RPG game mechanics like Diablo or Final Fantasy. Thus, fans of RPGs as well as fans of old Nickelodeon cartoons can enjoy this game. Children will find the game entertaining because it has many cutscenes that are like cartoons, featuring humorous side characters from Nickelodeon cartoons. Although the game gives an impression of superficiality and repetitiveness, and has unfulfilled potential for something that could have been one of the best games of its kind, it is still fun and a good introductory game for young players who enjoy the RPG genre. Nostalgia and good execution of classic cartoon characters are what make this game good. You can, like me, play co-op with your child and spend hours and hours on it.
A copy of the game for review purposes was provided by the publisher GameMill Entertainment
