Migrating from the pastures of the PSP, Konami and Backbone Entertainment will soon be unleashing the son of Death on the Nintendo DS in Death Jr. and the Science Fair of Doom. The game is set in Death Jr.’s high school where the various experiments of the otherworldly students have run amuck.

With an art style that can only be described as Tim Burton meets Rankin and Bass, Science Fair is a blend of 2.5D and 3D platforming. Action takes place primarily on the lower screen, with the d-pad and left trigger controlling his movement and jumping respectively. Attacks are performed with taps and swipes on the stylus and can be chained together to pull off special moves and combos for more powerful results. The game also includes the ability to play as Pandora, DJ’s smitten Goth Girl. You’ll often need to switch between both characters in parts of the game to solve cleverly crafted puzzles.

Graphically the game looks very respectable. The quirky art style has remained intact, and while the FMVs from the PSP games are absent, the still panel cut scenes still feature fantastic art. The levels transition seamlessly from the 2.5D sidescrolling levels into full 3D areas. Bosses are varied and creative, with great gothic twists on classic science fair themes.

Also included are two local wireless mini-games for multi-player sessions, but the co-op modes of the PSP Root of Evil are unfortunately absent. Still, for platformer fans, there is plenty to look forward to when Science Fair of Doom is released later this month. Check back with AMN for a full review in the coming weeks.