Platform games have been with us since the days of the 10p arcade, and for all the sophisticated graphics of the new consoles, the basics remain unchanged. Some games, such as the brilliant recent Super Mario outing on the DS, positively revel in the nostalgia factor; others, such as LocoRoco and this title from Sega, are an attempt to move the platform idiom forward. And this game looks brilliant.

Rolling around the 3-D environments as a monkey in a ball (choose from four characters, each with a distinct personality), it’s hard not to appreciate the time and effort that must have gone into creating the superbly rendered backgrounds. Even on the PSP, the worlds positively shine. If only the same effort had been put into the gameplay. The characters are so difficult to guide and control here that you will either miss your target completely or fall off the world and have to start the whole task again. As any gamer knows, frustration is part of the joy of gaming, but this level of unresponsiveness is something not even the training mini-games on the title can prepare you for.

Put that together with poor level signposting and you have an unengaging experience. A brave failure, but a failure nonetheless.

NIGEL KENDALL