Xiaolin Showdown
Xiaolin Showdown is basically a "gotta have them all" show where the good guys traverse the globe to keep powerful items (called Shen Gong Wu) out of the hands of the bad guys. Featuring four kids as its main characters their personalities stand out among their stereotypes. Omi gets the most attention with his ignorant personality and dry sense of humor. Raimundo is a strong-headed Brazilian, Kimiko is a Japanese girl obsessed with her stylish nature, and Clay is the rowdy American cowboy of the bunch. Together they team up with their oft predictable personalities to take down Jack Spicer and his cronies.
Even though the show follows the same pattern in each episode the writing helped give it a personality and really made it stand out. In that regard the game is sorely lacking because it retains none of the charm and wit that makes the series as good as it is. Of course, the fact that the rest of the game is just as uninspired doesn't help matters either.
Gameplay:
If you're going to attempt to publish or develop a game in a genre that is already saturated then you have to do it as good, or better than those that came before you. Over the past decade or so we have seen a boom in the party game genre. Whether it's Mario and company fighting it out in Smash Brothers, the zany cast of Power Stone, or even Shrek's swampy mates, there has been a lot of games vying for the top four player party slot. Xiaolin Showdown draws its inspiration from each of these titles while trying to slap a different coat of paint on everything but unfortunately it doesn't work.
When you fire up Xiaolin Showdown you're basically forced to pick between the Adventure and Showdown Modes. They are virtually the same games but Adventure offers a "story" (I use the word loosely) while Showdown is basically just a themed battle for a specific Shen Gong Wu. While playing through the Adventure Mode you'll still encounter Showdowns along the way so there's really not much point unless you really wanted to play a certain type of Showdown with some buddies.
The fact that both of these modes is essentially the same in terms of gameplay is unfortunately this game's undoing. If the control and gameplay elements were good then this wouldn't be a problem but sadly they aren't. Once you pick your character and equip a Shen Gon Wu item you enter a four player brawl to fight off evil forces and collect more items, money, and power-ups.
When going at it by yourself the game really becomes an exercise in frustration. It is true that you have three AI teammates but when each of them damages you while you're trying to fight the bad guy; what's the point? Every time I got in close to the enemy and was beating the snot out of them one of my bumbling boob partners would throw a barrel and hit me with it. Not only did this cause me to take a beating but it also stunned me and allowed the enemy to attack me. Granted you don't really take damage due to the fact that there is no health meter but that's beside the point. The best strategy that I found was to let my fellow idiots do all the work and just swoop in to collect the goodies when the time was right.
While you're fighting with frustratingly moronic AI you're also battling with boredom. You see no matter which character you play as they each have the same combos and effectiveness. They get more powerful as you level up but each of them is essentially the same. The real differences in combat come from the Shen Gong Wu.
Before each match you get to select which item you want to use. While you're fighting a simple press of the button brings it up and allows you to use it. There is a decent selection of weaponry to use and doing so is key to winning the battle. Ironically the same issues in battle still apply because whatever Shen Gong Wu you use hits your friends and as well as your enemies. This also means that you can be pummeled by your buddies while you're trying to fight an enemy or boss. It's an effect that I could understand if it was implemented in Showdown Mode since everybody is fighting each other for Shen Gong Wu but in Adventure Mode it's little more than a frustratingly poor decision.
Each battle takes place in a very small environment as well. In fact I'd say that the combat arena is almost so small that it's to the point that it causes problems. Add to this a problematic camera that gets caught on objects and edges and you've got an annoying experience. At least there are arrows to indicate which way the enemies are but you can't exactly see what's on the other side of the camera.
Xiaolin Showdown is one of those games that not even fans of the show should bother checking out. It contains none of the things that made the show great and because a frustrating and boring exercise after a short while. I like the idea of the Shen Gong Wu and there could be some good times if you have a buddy along for the ride but even so this is a sub-par party style game with poorly implemented ideas.
Graphics:
Xiaolin Showdown is presented with a cel-shaded style that reflects the show to some degree but leaves much to be desired. Character models are fine for the most part though they lack finer detail found in bigger titles. The animation is decent but a little stiff at times. It's really the environments that detract from the visual appeal of this game thanks to the lack of interactivity. Like many party games before it you can pick up a couple of random items in your environment but apart from that there is nothing going on in any of these stages. Couple this with the cumbersome camera and you have a game that looks almost as clumsy as it plays.
Audio:
Nearly the entire cast of the show makes an appearance in this game with Wayne Knight (Dojo) being the only one that is absent. While I am naturally inclined to appreciate the fact that the original voice actors are present in this title that quality is marred by repetition and overall poor development. Voices are often cut off or overlapped on top of other sound effects, phrases, and music. There really is nothing to get excited about when it comes to turning the speakers on for this game so don't bother cranking it up.
Conclusion:
After seeing the show I was actually looking forward to taking Xiaolin Showdown for a spin. Unfortunately I was let down in almost every department. The gameplay suffers from poor AI, a faulty camera, repetition, and a complete lack of difficulty. The graphics and audio do nothing for the title either with substandard production and occasional technical glitches. Even if you are a diehard Xiaolin Showdown fan (and I mean you sleep in Omi pajamas) I wouldn't bother with this game. There are so many better entries into the party brawler genre that taking a step back with this one would just be a shame.