Over at Verdict's Chicago headquarters we got a GBA game to review. Being a handheld videogame junkie myself, I thought it would fun to take a look at. The title we got was a movie tie-in (naturally), and it is Disney's Herbie Fully Loaded. Now there are two things to bear in mind with GBA games versus your normal console epics: 1. They are usually shorter and easier, designed to be played on the fly in transit or by young video gamers and 2. The graphics are limited by the format's hardware. For a GBA game the graphics on this Herbie game are fine and dandy - we get to see Herbie fully realized as a video game character (sadly no Lindsay Lohan except in cut scenes between game levels). It's a ... surprise!... racing game where you control Herbie through a circuit of 3-D racing environments laced with special power-ups (stars) that give everyone's favorite Love Bug temporary powers (like super speed, shooting tires, or jumps). The game is made for ages six and up, so the controls are easy enough to learn - "A" button is gas, "B" button is brake, control pad is steering, and the shoulder triggers launch the special powers when you get them. It's fun, it's easy, and it's Herbie. Nothing too elaborate or taxing for serious gamers who will find it just a racing game based on a Disney character. Kids will eat it up, as will older gamers who like things simple and straight-forward (like me). Teenage girls may also find it fun to pretend they are Lindsay driving Herbie.

There are several game modes including story where you have to finish first in a race to continue, free racing where you can practice on tracks you unlock in story mode, and finally championship mode which can only be unlocked by advancing four levels in story mode. The game manual says you can program in cheat codes, but I found no need to. Herbie is an easy car to drive, and the tracks are pretty simple to navigate. The scenery is nice, it changes slightly with each new level. The power-ups get more and more crucial as you advance, but as long as you keep the pedal or "A" button down the entire race -- odds are you'll come out on top. Great game for a movie tie-in, and perfect for novices.