Hannah Montana (DS) (Nintendo DS)

Fans of the popular Disney TV show Hannah Montana with a Nintendo DS will be thrilled -- it's game time. But get ready to do a lot of reading as you solve mysteries with cartoon Miley and other show regulars. Just like the show, Miley lives a double life as a teen girl in school in Malibu, California, and a secret pop star known as Hannah Montana. The game offers three interactive mysteries set in five locations found around Malibu, including Miley's house, her school, the shopping mall, the beach, and the stadium where Hannah Montana performs. All three mysteries start with someone threatening to reveal Miley's secret identity as Hannah Montana. HANNAH MONTANA plays like an interactive short story, with lots of reading accompanied by some fun interactive twists.

Although initially intriguing, Hannah Montana gets old before the game is over. While there are three mysteries to solve, by the time you are in the middle of second one, the gameplay seems repetitive because there are no new game elements. This game would have been better if the developers had introduced new gadgets, new locations, and more Mini games within each mystery.

Even so, fans of the show will enjoy this game because it stays true to the brand. The cartoon versions of the cast catch the visual and verbal nuances of the actors, and the look and feel of the Malibu world transfer well to this 3-D video game world.

Available on: Nintendo DS
Not available online
Genre: Girl
Developer: Disney Interactive
Released on: October 12, 2006
Price: 30
ESRB Rating: E