Last year, Crash Bandicoot returned with one of his better sequels: Mind Over Mutant. It wasn’t a groundbreaking action/adventure by any means. In fact, it borrowed every mechanic from other successful games, most of which came directly from Super Mario Galaxy, which had been released a year earlier.

Now that we’re in 2009, you might think that the Galaxy-cloning has come to an end. Not quite. Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs is a delightful, kid-friendly, graphically rich adventure with a fair amount of variety. But while that variety – along with a tolerable camera system, refined controls and a great soundtrack – makes for one entertaining kid’s game, Dawn of the Dinosaurs isn’t shy about where it gets its source material. You’ll see the plumber influence long before the first bouncing mushroom comes into play.

The beginning portion is about what you’d expect, albeit with attractive visuals that are reminiscent of the ice world in the original Banjo-Kazooie (but look much better). After being dragged through a generic tutorial mission, the game starts its roller coaster ride of gameplay twists and turns.

First, Diego is on the chase for what could be a quick meal – if he were quick enough to catch it, that is. This stage is essentially a two-minute racing game, as you are constantly moving forward and can power slide by pressing the shoulder buttons. No, it doesn’t make much sense that Diego – who has four legs, not four wheels – can power slide. But the ground is snowy and icy, so who knows? If you jump out of a power slide, you’ll get a boost that will help Diego avoid slamming into the nearest rock formation (this game’s version of a racetrack wall).

Not too long after Diego finishes his chase, the tables will be turned and Sid will be the one on the run – from a T-Rex! Her name is Momma, and she doesn’t like it when you bother her kids. Plus, she has some of the largest teeth of any creature in the world and appears to be very hungry. So she will chase you…and you will run.

During this chase sequence, Sid is constantly running toward the screen. The level looks like it was designed on a wheel, with the environment almost rolling in and out as Sid attempts to escape. Cracks in the ground and other hazards can make his job tough, and if Sid empties his health meter, he’ll have to start the chase all over again. (Something tells me if he had known this up front he would have made sure he won the first time.)

These chase games are only the beginning. Dawn of the Dinosaurs also offers a game type called Rolling Ball Mode, which – you knew this was coming – is similar to Super Monkey Ball and a certain mini-game from a certain Galaxy. The mini-game involves the rolling of eggs, which must be guided along a path that’s very linear but also very dangerous. Thin bridges and geyser-lifted platforms are just two of the hazards you’ll have to move around. Some of those hazards can be avoided altogether, but only if you’re willing to forgo an abundance of extra cherries.

Cherries are the currency of choice for Ice Age. The animals wanted to use coins but ran into some problems when they realized that they don’t grow on trees. Oh, and that mankind hadn’t created them yet. So they started using cherries – which, funnily enough, do grow on trees – creating a marketplace for minor upgrades (increase your health meter), lousy upgrades (increase the size – but not the actual worth – of cherries), and unlockable bonuses (in-game movies, music tracks, etc.).

Back to the main quest, Dawn of the Dinosaurs also includes a fun side-scrolling mini-game that is by all accounts Mario with squirrels. You can attack enemies the normal way (by punching and kicking), but some require that you jump on top of them. Yeah, just like a Goomba.

Later, when the jungle first arrives, players will get to slide down trees, vines and the neck of a very long dinosaur in somewhat of a roller coaster/sliding mini-game. There’s also a small bit of upside down climbing involved, which is vaguely reminiscent of Deadly Creatures.

In between these quick distractions, Dawn of the Dinosaurs is a polished, by-the-books action/adventure. There are shooter elements (throw fruit, fire a water cannon, etc.), platformer elements (lots of jumping and climbing), and a few surprises along the way.

This amounts to a kid’s game that is definitely worth purchasing for your little ones – assuming they like the Ice Age films. The action/adventure segments are a bit slow at times, so this is not necessarily a game that diehard action/adventure fans will fall in love with. But kids aren’t likely to have experienced this kind of item-collecting, level-exploring gameplay as often as the average 20- or 30-year-old. For kids, the balance and variety should be just right.

Gameplay: 8
If an action/adventure is going to copy other games, the results had better be entertaining. Thankfully they are; the varied gameplay styles and frequent gameplay shifts will keep players engaged till the end.

Graphics: 8
Not realistic (or on par with the film) but still very well done. The characters and environments look great. On top of that, the picture quality of the CG clips (taken from the movie) are almost as good as a Blu-ray disc. The frame rate might be slightly off but the images practically lift off the screen, which might not be too impressive when compared to an actual Blu-ray movie. But when compared to the video compression of other games, it's downright jaw-dropping.

Sound: 7.9
The music is repetitive but generally compelling. The voice-overs aren't too great though.

Difficulty: Easy
Might be challenging for a six-year-old. Might.

Concept: 6
Lots of variety, but let's face it: we've seen all of these play mechanics countless times before. Many of them were first seen more than a decade ago.

Multiplayer: 5
Some kids may find temporary amusement with these mini-games, which include throwing mud balls and participating in slow and sluggish races. Most players, however, will be bored out of their minds.

Overall: 8
A family-friendly, kid-targeted action/adventure that's packed with variety. Ice Age fans will love playing every stage.