Revered by males of all ages, and seemingly despised by women everywhere, The Three Stooges is undeniably one of the most recognized names in comedy. Thanks to Cinemaware, you can now play out some of their most memorable skits of all time on the Game Boy Advance. This game, in fact, is not an all-new product, since it originally appeared on numerous computer systems as well as the NES, so some gamers may already be familiar with the game, which has been virtually unchanged.
In a nutshell, Larry, Curly, and Moe are on a quest to save a local orphanage from bank foreclosure and must round up $5,000 in 30 days. To do so, you'll play a series of minigames to raise cash, all while trying to stay out of the way of an evil banker. These games range from replaying the infamous clam chowder scene to guiding the Stooges down the halls of a hospital, picking up missing medical supplies along the way. In total, there are four different minigames to choose from, as well as a trivia game. By today's standards, these games are very rudimentary and after running through them once or twice, they are easily mastered. Experienced or determined gamers may find themselves saving the orphanage after 30 minutes or so. Given that, there isn't much replay value in the game, other than the nostalgia factor.
Granted, fans of the Three Stooges or classic Cinemaware games will be pleased to see this game reappear after so many years, especially with the graphical upgrade allowed by newer hardware. Gamers who are unfamiliar with the history behind the game may find the level of gameplay too shallow to fathom, and the novelty of having Larry, Curly, and Moe at your fingertips will wear thin very soon. In the end, The Three Stooges looks and sounds good, but it just doesn't offer the depth that most gamers are looking for.
