When I think of an action/adventure game, I think of animals defying gravity by jumping 30 feet into the air; enormous worlds that are filled with collectible stars, coins and gems; mind-bending puzzles; and of course, the occasional turtle with wings. Action/adventures have become so unoriginal that it makes me wonder why anyone would even bother developing a new one when it's likely going to end up playing the same as the rest of 'em. Fortunately, there is one developer out there who dared to be different. That developer is THQ, makers of the superb Monsters, Inc. game for the Game Boy Advance.

Your mission is simple, or so it would seem. Randall, the evil monster who terrorizes Boo, has shredded her door and scattered all of the pieces. Now it's up to you, Sulley, to find each and every piece of Boo's door, put it back together and take her home. Finding the pieces to her door isn't too difficult, but it's going to take more than a stomp on the head to get past the CDA (Child Detection Agency). Unleash Sulley's true power if you want to succeed -- his roar! Use it to scare away the CDA or any monster trying to prevent you from successfully completing your mission. Some CDA agents are not affected by Sulley's roar though, so it's important to collect every canister you can find. The canisters contain Boo's laughter, which is must more powerful than any monster's roar. Not only does it remove any CDA agent blocking your path, but it also temporarily paralyzes every other enemy in the room. Additionally, blue candy power-ups found throughout each stage increase the power of Sulley's roar, allowing him to knock down his enemies. You still should move fast though, because the enemies get up very quickly.

In Monsters, Inc., no one ever dies, not even the enemy. You more or less just scare your enemies away, so you'll spend the majority of the game trying to sneak past them. Parents should be pleased, as well as the people who did the study that supposedly proved that Kirby 64 is a "violent" game because the enemies are sucked into his mouth. I don't agree with the study, but the point is, Monsters, Inc. does not have any questionable content. So if your four-year-old wants it, don't say no.

Of course, if your 14-year-old wants it, you shouldn't say no either. Monsters, Inc. is a really good game. Note that this review is written by the same guy who hates 90% of the action/adventure games out there: me. I won't name names because I am pretty certain that some gamers will disagree with me, so I'll put it this way -- next to Klonoa: Empire of Dreams and Super Mario Advance, this is the best action/adventure on the Game Boy Advance. Despite what you may think, this is not a kiddie game, but rather a great game that is suitable for kids.

Gameplay: 8
In Resident Evil, you run away from frightening monsters. In Monsters, Inc., you're the frightening monster, so your enemies run away from you! It's nice to be on the opposite side of things for a change. But that isn't the only good thing about Monsters, Inc. Actually, I have no complaints worth mentioning, except its length. But come 'on, have you ever played an action/adventure for the GBA that couldn't be completed in a day? I rest my case. Most kids won't be able to beat in a day though, and even if they did, they'd still want to come back for more. This is definitely one of the most enjoyable GBA games of the year.

Graphics: 7.9 
Monsters, Inc. isn't a next-gen game by any means, but as a side-scrolling adventure game on a 2D system, it looks terrific. The backgrounds are repetitive, but the characters are vibrant and very detailed. Sulley is extremely well animated, moving with much more fluidity than the average GBA game. Even the fur moves when he jumps! Just like the movie, Monsters, Inc. is eye-pleasing entertainment for the whole family.

Sound: 7
Monsters, Inc.'s music surprised me. The GBA does not have a sound processor powerful enough to do the movie's soundtrack justice, but overall the music is quite good and suits the game's playful atmosphere.

Difficulty: 6.5
Monsters, Inc. is fairly easy until you get to the final stages of the game, then things really start to heat up. At that point, your little brother may be asking for some help. Gladly do so and you won't regret it because you'll finally have an excuse to play this excellent game. On the outside it looks like just another kiddie game, but on the inside it's an addictive game that plays better than most of the action/adventures available for the GBA.

Concept: 8 
The movie was brilliant, no doubt about that. This game takes that brilliance and transforms it into a unique and entertaining experience that will surely please everyone, especially kids and adults.

Overall: 7.9
I've been fortunate enough to play a ton of GBA games this year and none of them, not Castlevania or Mario Kart: Super Circuit, is as unique and original as Monsters, Inc. Castlevania and Mario Kart are great games and all, but they're rehashes of games that I played more than ten years ago! Monsters, Inc. is different. I just wish it was as long as those rehashes I mentioned.