RELEASED to coincide with their cinematic debut The Incredibles hit the game shop shelves with a mighty KABOOOM!

Those people at Disney Pixar have worked their magic again with what is promised to be their most successful CGI movie to date. The trailers we've seen so far more than live up to expectations but how does the game version compare?

Initial impressions are that this is a polished release. Voices are provided by Samuel L Jackson and the rest of the original cast. Amazing graphics that almost mimic the movie itself make for a sensory delight.

And the locations within the game are both detailed and varied. Along your way the adventure takes you from cityscapes through to jungles and even secret lava laboratories. Each and every one is a treat to the eye.

It's with the actual game play, however, that things start to go wrong. Put aside the pin sharp visuals and The Incredibles is just a straight forward 3D platformer. Think early Crash Bandicoot crossed with the first PS2 Spiderman release and you get the idea.

Not that this alone is a bad thing. You get to play as each of the members of The Incredibles family, each with their own individual attacks, which does add variety to the game.

But it's with those old classic problems of collision detection and camera angles that the game falters.

Fans of the movie might be able to overlook formulaic level design but losing life after life because the camera couldn't catch up with the action just becomes infuriating.

Game purists will not find anything new in this release. It's a pity because had the developers not been bound by a movie tie-in release date they might have been able to iron out these problems.

Still, the game's developers will probably have little to worry about. With the undoubted popularity the movie will achieve The Incredibles the game will still be top of many eight-year-olds 'I want' list this Christmas.

5/10

Review by Paul Currie