There have been a lot of contenders in the race to build a better Pokemon, but none have quite managed to catch the fire of Nintendo’s juggernaut license. One of the most well-known virtual fighting pet offshoots has been Neopets, and now PSP owners can take a journey into this strange world of sword slashing, smiley doggies, strange bunny pets, and a variety of other weird and usually absurdly happy looking animal characters.

Hey You, Neopet!

Despite that fact that the game bares the embarrassingly stupid name, Neopets Petpet Adventure: the Wand of Wishing, it actually plays out in much the same way as Untold Legends. In fact, the game even seems to be using the same excellent 3D engine. It’s not quite an action adventure for the little gamers, since the combat is often frustratingly challenging, but it seems a safe bet that younger gamers will gravitate to Neopets.

A familiar mix of arcade action and moderate role-playing depth, Petpet Adventure is better than most games based on kid’s licenses. The game starts off with you selecting the type of animal your character will be—a dog/fox creature, a strange one-eyed cat, a crocodile-like critter, and something that looks like a large mouse, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. Some are better brawlers, while others are more adept at spellcasting.

Pets with pets… and swords

Once you’ve selected your furry counterpart, the rest of the game is full of hacking, slashing, spell casting, and virtual pet corralling. Yes, your Neopet can get pets of his own. Lure the little critters with food, catch them, and they’ll give you special attributes like increased stats. You’ll also meet an array of different characters through the game, from townsfolk to shopkeepers and trainers. The civilians you meet will often have quests for you to complete, and exploring the sizable landscape is also rewarding since treasure chests are hidden all over.

Combat is a simple one-button affair, while other buttons block and use items. You can equip a huge array of magic items, spells, weapons, and potions to your Neopet, and the creatures can build up their stats through arena training. One nice element of the arena is that you can battle other humans, or computer controlled monsters. If you win, you’ll earn medals that can be used to increase your abilities.

Neo-adventuring extravaganza

Neopets is a surprisingly good-looking game, certainly on par with Untold Legends, and better looking than many other PSP titles. The terrain is lush and detailed, the characters look overly cute and cartoonish, although the constant, never wavering grin on your critter’s face actually manages to get disturbing after a while.

While it’s hard to recommend this strange adventure to hardcore gamers, Neopets Petpet Adventure manages to take familiar action and role-playing elements, wrap it around a bizarrely cute exterior, and end up with a very playable quest.