In Sneakers , young gamers-in-training assume the role of Apollo, a mouse who scurries about Paris with his “gang” to rid the area of troublesome rats and search for his young friend Tiki.

Though the streets of Paris could make for some immense free-roaming environments, Sneakers makes no bones about its target audience. Rather than overwhelming young players who might otherwise get lost, the game uses an on-rails system in which character movements are chosen at specific locations. Come to an intersection, and you’ll have two to four options of the direction you can travel next. Press the corresponding direction, and away you scamper.

Although probably too linear and limiting for older players, Sneakers packs enough meandering paths that the otherwise A-to-B navigation will seem open enough for the younger crew. It also includes enough puzzle elements, an instantly classic soundtrack and more than its fair share of graphical charm, that it’s perhaps the best children’s game on Xbox to date.

Gameplay
The “point and click” movement in Sneakers would seem to rank the game among the most on-rails of titles, yet the multiple routes at your disposal will require young gamers to sweep entire levels’ worth of clickable paths to locate and fend off all opposing rats. It is also imperative that they explore environmental objects (a pop can, umbrella, coffee mug, etc.) while moving along these paths. Otherwise, they will miss the rats hiding in and among these objects.

The game’s multiple yet predetermined paths criss-cross through each level, placing some importance on remembering which path takes you where and which landmark marks the entrance to a boss battle. Given that each level is timed (20 minutes, with additional time earned as individual rats are located), remembering a path or landmark is even more crucial, though the time limit is generous enough that most kids will have no problem progressing through the game.

That is, of course, unless they’re inexperienced with puzzles. Sneakers features several puzzles in each level, whether it’s climbing a cupboard and moving the box on top to reveal a hole, or using three of your buddies to position a piece cardboard so you can climb on top of a table. Though not the world’s most challenging puzzles, this certainly adds some variety to the gameplay and makes it slightly more intriguing.

Controlling your characters to do tasks like moving cardboard is accomplished via a popup menu that asks you to select one or more mice to do the chore at hand. Select the mouse you want, and the action is carried out via cutscene. Invariably, the specific mouse or mice you choose has no effect on the outcome, but the inclusion of this option will likely add a feeling of “personalization” for younger gamers.

Combat, on the other hand, provides a good introduction to gaming strategy and is affected by the mouse you send into battle. When it’s time to engage the enemy, Apollo can pull up a diagram of the area and command certain mice in his gang to attack specific rats in battle.

Because each mouse has different stamina and power, you’ll need to watch each one’s energy to make sure he/she doesn’t pass on to the great cheese ball in the sky. If that’s the case, it’s lights out for that mouse, though the game will continue without him. Fortunately Apollo has three lives, so miscalculations with him will be forgiven.

Graphics
Sneakers was one of the first Xbox games to receive attention for “fur shading,” a graphical effect that gives the illusion of fuzzy textures. Each of the mice in Apollo’s gang (which grows in number as the game progresses) utilizes this feature, with their entire bodies textured like peach fuzz to great effect. This will probably be the only time you’ll ever find yourself thinking mice look cute.

Although the idle animations are limited, the animations for walking, running and jumping are sufficient, despite their lack of variation from mouse to mouse. Movement is complemented by particle effects that give the illusion of dust clouds, which add to the Saturday-morning feel of the whole game and spice up the otherwise standard animations.

The indoor and outdoor environments in Sneakers both do a fantastic job of providing a sense of scale, which is often lacking in games in which you play a pint-sized hero. Walk through a colorful bedroom, and you’ll immediately feel dwarfed by the alarm clock under the bed and the teddy bear nearby (which actually takes two mice to tip on its back). Scamper through the back alleys of Paris, and you’ll find yourself running on highly textured sidewalks around skyscraper-sized cafe tables.

The detail in each of the large environments is likely possible because the game’s on-rails system controls what the player sees at all times. Again, Sneakers is focused more on point-and-click fun than free-roaming exploration, so the engine doesn’t need to process every window, poster or doorframe on every building. This also helps in the framerate department, with suffers absolutely no drops, regardless of the number of rats with which you’re doing battle.

Sound
Because it caters to a younger demographic, Sneakers uses sound effects that come straight from the annals of late-80s cartoons. Coming to a sudden halt results in a quietly tasteful screeching sound. Jumping from table to table creates a subtle “whoosh.” Trying to scurry around opposing mice sets off a paddling sound that seems pulled directly from Scooby Doo. While extremely limited in number, the sounds in Sneakers are pulled off with classic effect.

These sounds, though, are somewhat sporadic, making it quite fortunate (for parents as well as kids) that the soundtrack never grows old during the course of 20-minute or longer levels. Each level has its own flavor of music, whether it includes accordion undertones or midi-like tunes, but each feels immediately familiar and classic.

Think back, way back, to the Charlie Brown holiday specials we grew up with, and you’ll have a good idea of the music throughout Sneakers . Although the soundtrack for each level loops over and over, the three-minute long tracks vary enough in instruments, tempo and style that each song stays fresh throughout.

Replayability
In the great Mario tradition, Sneakers is the type of title that will draw young gamers again and again to revisit their favorite levels. Additionally, some may be compelled to replay individual levels or the entire game to bolster their rating/score, which increases as the time remaining at the end of each level increases, or as they gather more candy, or as they suffer less damage in battle.

Unlike the great Halo tradition, however, Sneakers is a one-player game with a marginal story, meaning that gamers much over the age of 11 won’t play the title after beating it, if they even get that far. It’s not that the game isn’t entertaining; in fact, it’s quite the opposite. It’s just that Sneakers is designed for young gamers who’ve seen their older siblings or parents playing the Xbox and want to play a game designed for them.

Sneakers is not without its faults, but those faults are generally based on an adult playing it for reviewing purposes. Younger gamers should have a blast with this game, making make it one of the top choices for anyone looking for a holiday gift for their pre-teen Xboxer.