Based on the Cartoon Network’s Pet Alien series, this fun but frivolous little game is designed along the lines of the classic top-view action/puzzler genre--collecting the good stuff, breaking down the barriers, avoiding or manipulating the bad guys and heading for the portal to beam up to the next level.

Players start with five differently-skilled cartoonish alien characters, though usually just two work together on any one level of the alien spaceship that has abducted them. To progress, players must switch between alien pets at the right time and use their talents--from bashing blocks to flying to pushing heavy things - to gather gems, find keycards, sidestep nasty robots, avoid mines that’ll blow them into oblivion (and restart the level), and eventually escape.

You could say this game’s about teamwork- the big alien Gumpers bashing blockades so speedy alien Dinko can race on the treadmill to collect needed gems, that sort of thinking. Progressing through the 3D-graphic environments is challenging for younger players but not all that hard otherwise, especially with the help of numerous hints. The split-second decision-making does get increasingly daunting the farther you go, but overall the game requires more persistence than smarts - and that may be the biggest lesson learned here.

Besides the 80-plus levels, five mini-games that unlock with mounting successes offer a little more content. Examples: the unfortunately named "Burp & Fart" minigame is really more about mimicking drumming patterns and "Hop & Top" is a basic which-cup’s-the-ball-in play, but none are more compelling than the main game.

Overall, learning the ropes of Alien Pet’s levels is reminiscent of Pavlov’s dog maze experiments—trial-and-error edu-tainment. Not a bad game, just not a great game.

Note: The ESRB has rated this game E for "everyone" and notes some crude humor and mild cartoon violence.