The game is lite on plot in fact, so if you've not read the book or seen the movie, you might not quite understand how the kids and the wardrobe came together in the first place, and there's little odds and ends things that seem to be missing as the story continues on. Keep in mind I only know this because of doing the review for the PS2/XBOX versions as well, which managed to do a better job than this pint-sized blunder.

When the game begins, you start off as Lucy, going thru the Wardrobe for the first time and being introduced to the world. Eventually all 4 kids join the group, and you're able to switch between them simply by clicking the R or L button. Each kid has their own particular ability that makes them useful, and as the game progresses and you defeat wolves, dwarves and other Narnia foes, you'll be able to spend points in upgrading and acquiring new skills. The whole system is very RPG-lite, and would be better served if you didn't have to make your way thru an incredibly non-intuitive menu system on the touch screen.

The touch screen component is a pain in the ass thru the entire game. Not only is the menu poorly labeled (as in, not at all) but you can't access it without the use of the stylus, unless you possess really, really pointy fingernails. Also, you MUST use the touch screen, there is no getting around it. It would have been much better served as a map than a menu screen, but I suppose I should give them credit for trying to utilize the feature, even if its done poorly.

The actual gameplay starts off all right at first, but after the first 10-15 minutes, you've pretty much done all there is to do in the game. Combat is repetitive button tapping at its finest, and the hit detection for both yourself and the enemies is horrid. The world of Narnia is also pretty small, and apparently really devoid of anything interesting to look at. You'll find yourself trudging thru one snow covered area after another, occasionally peppered with a temple like structure or cave. The experience and upgrade features are a decent idea, and remind me a bit of EA's LOTR games, and taking the customization a bit further you can buy weapons and garb for your characters as well. However, these features are not quite enough to mask the massively boring time you'll have in the land of Narnia.

The game looks pretty good though, even if it's not too flashy. The character models are well done, and when you switch out clothing and weapons, those changes will reflect on screen. What there is to see of the environment is rendered fairly well, but there's not enough of a difference from one area to another to really make you take notice of anything.

The in-game music is also pretty well done, even with the less than spectacular DS speakers. The sound effects however, are incredibly annoying and repetitive, so much so that you'll rather play the game in silence than listen to your sword clang off of an enemy ever again.

The real shame in Narnia on the DS is that this could have been a solid action/adventure title for the handheld. The graphics are there, as is some of the sound, and a few decent gameplay elements, but the boring combat system, repetitive scenery, and horrible menu set up really keeps the game from ever becoming more than a mediocre waste of time.