Lemony Snicket's orphans find retail home

Get ready for the Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events invasion. The children's book series, second only to Harry Potter in terms of popularity among those not yet old enough to drive, is about to hit pop culture faster than you can say "Hogwarts." The collection of 11 books, penned by Daniel Handler (aka Lemony Snicket) and drawn by Brett Helquist, follows the ordeals of three orphans, Klaus, Violet, and Sunny Baudelaire and their encounters with miser Count Olaf. A film version of the first three books is being released in theatres December 17 and stars Jim Carrey and Meryl Streep.

Besides the film adaptation, Snicket's orphans will also be hitting the small screen. Activision today announced Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events has shipped to retailers and will be available for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube, PC, and Game Boy Advance tomorrow. The PC and Game Boy Advance versions of the game feature unique gameplay and sell for $29.99. The PS2, Xbox, and Activision versions retail for $49.99. All versions are rated "E" for Everyone.

In the game, players will switch between Klaus, Violet, and Sunny as they thwart the attempts of Count Olaf to seize their inheritance. The game, based on the movie, sees players traveling through many of the film's locales, solving puzzles, and battling enemies. Film actors Jim Carrey, Liam Aiken, and Emily Browning lend their vocal talents to the game, and Tim Curry, narrator of the books on tapes, assumes the voice of Lemony Snicket. For more details, peruse our previous coverage.