For any youngster who's a Garfield fan, this side-scrolling platform game packs sweet graphics of the ever-hungry and spunky cartoon cat who, this time, is stuck in a nightmare. To find his way out of the 16-level dream world, Garfield must proceed forward, left to right across the DS screen, dodging dangers such as falling columns and spiked traps, jumping on fiendish ghosts and giant spiders to collect life-extending coins, maneuvering over moving platforms, and eating as many donuts and slices of pizza he can grab.

Sound familiar? Games like this introduce a new generation to what the early and great Mario Bros. games introduced so long ago to today's adults. And while Garfield may not be as creative and complex or as daringly difficult as those classic Marios, this is pretty decent and easy-to-control gaming for young kids. Plenty of hidden doors and mini games detour from the straight-forward sleepwalking worlds of obstacles and enemies Garfield must get past to survive, and doing well in those diversions ups his health and endurance.

Along the way, there are adequate hints and occasional checkpoints that save your progress should you fall victim to something bad in the various worlds-from medieval casteldom to frozen tundra. But more than the gameplay, which is pretty standard platforming and after a while a bit repetitious, there's Garfield himself. Complete with his usual 'tude, he's well done and fun.