There are games, adult games, and games designed specifically for the under 13 market.  Those games fall into one of two categories: either they have simple point-and-click gameplay that fails to entertain, or they attempt to re-create the joy of a good platformer, a good RPG, or...Dungeons & Dragons?  Knights' Kingdom stands tall with its shining armor in the latter category.  Its gameplay choice may surprise you.

Knights' Kingdom doesn't look like the LEGO toys I remember playing with.  The company has made a lot of revisions over the years, adding new characters and more realistic (less blocky) play-sets to their lineup.  As such the game is not filled with the colorful blocks you may have seen on the PSone.  The castles and outdoor areas look the same as any other Game Boy Advance game – not terribly advanced, but not entirely ugly.

Outside of the characters, Knights' Kingdom is not much of a LEGO game, at least not in the traditional sense.  The story revolves around four knights who must go on a journey to save the Kingdom of Morcia.  Morcia just happens to be their kingdom, hence the name.  Whether or not they can save it, that's up to you.

Once you step into the shoes (or more accurately, armor-covered boots) of these knights, the game strikes the player with an experience not many children have had.  Vivendi's Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance series popularized the isometric hack-n-slash genre, and for the first time it's being targeted to kids.  For the teen gamer in your family, it gives him or her a reason to nab the game from a younger sibling.  For the younger crowd, it gives them a chance to embark on a different kind of adventure.

Knights' Kingdom is not as long, as challenging, or as involved as the games that preceded it.  It does a lot of good things though, especially when you consider the targeted audience.

The first battle is a duel in which the player cannot be killed, but the difficulty is notably high compared to the previous trials.  If you die you'll have to complete the trials all over again (they include brief tasks like stepping on switches, destroying crates, etc. – things that will help kids familiarize themselves with the controls).  I didn't pull my hair out over it, but having to complete them over again was somewhat of an inconvenience.

Once you win the battle, the only difficulty you may encounter is a locked door.  Most enemies are easy to kill and can be done so with one or two attacks.  Boss battles aren't too common in this game, and there aren't any particularly hard objectives that must be completed in order to finish a level.  There may be extra items to find or more enemies to defeat, but they are entirely up to the player.  Skip them if you wish.

Knights are usually seen carrying a sword and shield, and this game wasn't about to change that.  The sword gives you the expected slash attack and three-hit combo; the shield gives you limited blocking ability to survive deadly ranged attacks.  The good guys get a ranged attack, too.  Hold the sword attack button (A) for a few seconds and your sword will glow; release the button to throw a blast of lightning.  Very Zelda-like, don't you think?

Castles are your primary locale in this game.  Locked gates are your primary adversaries.  Enemies will attack as you approach the locked areas, most of which cannot be opened until all of the switches have been stepped on.  To spice up the challenge a little, some of the doors will stay locked until the switches are pressed in the proper order.  The game tells you how to do it, all you have to do is find the hint, all the while battling enemies from afar with your projectile attack.

Easy as it may be, there was something really charming about Knights' Kingdom.  It should be noted for the record that the controls are very good.  No game can survive without good controls.  I guess that's one of the things that really stood out to me – it's a kid's game, but it doesn't play like one.  Sure, it was easy.  Lots of games are.  But the important thing is that the quality is there.  The developers didn't just throw something together and ship it to retailers.  They handcrafted a game that's worthy of being called Baldur's Gate Jr.

Gameplay: 7
Quality controls are the leading reason for this game's success.  Knights' Kingdom combines Baldur's Gate's isometric view with the strafing and projectile attack of Zelda.  You can actually target your opponent and circle around him.  When's the last time a Game Boy Advance game has let you do that?  At the moment I can't think of any.

Graphics: 6.5
Generic as usual.  Tiny characters, plain backgrounds, brief animations...  These days, most GBA games look the same.

Sound: 6.5
Most Game Boy Advance games sound the same, too.

Difficulty: Easy
Developed for kids, Knights' Kingdom is not recommended for anyone over the age of 12.  The challenge is minimal – most gamers reach hardcore status before they reach their teens.  Hardcore gamers will beat it in a day and want something else to play.

Concept: 8
Got a little brother who won't play Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance 2 with you?  Knights' Kingdom is just the game to spark his interest in the genre.  In a nutshell that's what Knights' Kingdom is – Baldur's Gate for your little brother.

Multiplayer: 6.8
Hack-n-slash battles and a lame joust mini-game.  Multiple cartridges are required for multiplayer games.  Not worth the extra expensive, but worth checking out if you have a friend that already has the game.

Overall: 7
LEGO fans, have you been waiting for the Game Boy Advance to take you on a journey with your favorite building blocks?  The environments aren't as LEGO-y as the fans will desire, but on the bright side the gameplay is akin to Baldur's Gate and will entertain you until the end.  The end comes fast though.  Keep that in mind.  The older the kid, the less amount of time he or she will spend playing it.