POSTED 27/9/11


MYSTERY CASE FILES: THE MALGRAVE INCIDENT

Nintendo
Wii

Poor Mr Roarke. Fantasy Island just isn’t what it used to be. The tourism trade’s carked it and stumpy Russian faux-lesbian girlie popster sidekicks Tatu have vamoosed for pastures more provident. Roarke’s reduced to murmuring “De dinghy, boss! De dinghy!” all to himself – yep, planes needs bucks.

It’s a sad state of affairs, and also completely irrelevant here, for the only thing Fantasy Island had in common with this latest Mystery Case Files is that it was an island, and involved fantasy. Uh...

So, Roarke is Winston Malgrave, a reclusive industrialist who tasks you with harvesting pinkish powder that can allegedly cure everything from the common cold to Channel Nine’s programming. Never underestimate the power of mauve glitter (or nebulous mystery plots).

You accomplish this via several ‘spot the stuff’ episodes – or as we prefer, ‘Where’s Wally’s shit?’ - spread out amidst a rudimentary point and click adventure. Yep, hidden objects are the go, and these bits are fun for the patient, as you hunt shopping lists of bric-a-brac within charmingly painted scenes. Some are dastardly hidden, others are so duh-inducingly obvious you’ll smack yourself for missing them for so long. The game gets its riddle on, too. You may be hunting pipe thinking Sherlock Holmes, when what you’re after is something more suited to zombie thwacking (zombies sold separately).

The adventure bits aren’t flash, but are necessary to unlock more hidden stuff action. Generally MCF:TMI is Nullaborishly linear, and despite the odd dive into the obtuse pool, puzzles rarely prove taxing. It’s perfect sit-down-with-the-anklesnappers and play fodder, as the search and click element really lends itself to group exploration – so thankfully there’s multiplayer support.

If your particular fantasy involves Cluedo, Alfred Hitchcock and/or Miss Marple then this is your kinda island. You kinky thing, you...

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