‘Voodoo Vince’ charms kids

Who knew?

Thanks to two recently released kids’ games, the age-old score is settled: “Voodoo” is, in fact, stronger than the “Power of Juju.”

Sure, “Voodoo Vince” and “Tak and the Power of Juju” are both enjoyable, original titles, but it’s the details that make “Vince” stand out.

When Madame Charmaine is kidnapped by the evil Kosmo the Inscrutable, his goons accidentally bring our hero Vince, the third-best voodoo doll in her shop, to life. Of course, Vince is reluctant to help, leading to a lot of sarcasm and sass from the little burlap-clad creature as he stumbles around, solving puzzles and fighting monsters that bring him closer to finding his master.

Even with the standard adventure game setup, the way Vince fights his foes is unique. Because he is a voodoo doll, Vince’s superpowers are triggered by inflicting damage on himself. Put Vince under a falling safe and his enemies get smooshed. Collect enough beads to recharge your voodoo power meter, then bring on an alien attack, and so on. If only this worked in real life.

The environment Vince scampers around in looks a lot like New Orleans after having one too many of those Hurricane drinks. It’s visual gumbo -- the colors are bright and saturated, and there aren’t any right angles to be found. Snappy jazz music adds to the whole Big Easy feel. The only thing missing is the humidity.

But this ain’t your daddy’s N’awlins, no sir. Creepy little zombie bugs, frogs and armadillos abound, even before you get to face the final bosses at the end of each level. And the zombie dust has caused the streets of the city to buckle and crack, creating a plethora of fog-filled bottomless pits.

Controlling the little twerp is smooth and easy. Misjudge that jump across one of said pits? No worries; push the left trigger and float down safely. And even after you die three times, your progress is saved in the hard drive and you can pick up right where you left off.

Vince also has an eclectic selection of vehicles to use on his quest, such as a laundry basket, a fan boat and even Vermin the Rat.

Great distraction

“Tak and the Power of Juju” is similar, yet different. Again, you’re a reluctant hero, drafted to help save your people -- this time from the evil Tlaloc, who has turned most of your fellow villagers into sheep. You roam the jungles as the rambunctious Tak, an assistant to the local shaman Jibolba, collecting items and fighting pesky little nerbils. The controls are almost identical to “Vince’s,” but, unfortunately, without the cool floating feature. But the puzzles are a highlight of this game. Poor little Tak must figure out a way to get one of the sheep up to a ledge to operate a treadmill to raise a curtain. Luckily, there are big apes hanging out by banana trees. When the ape reaches up to get a snack, he pulls down the branch. When he lets go, whatever was on the palm leaves goes a-flying. Get it?

The jungles are lush and green, and the movies that help tell the story are well-animated and art-directed, adding to this great distraction for young ones.

Pocket full of quarters...

Quick reviews from around the gaming world:

To make the perfect WWE wrestling game, you’ll need to take parts from all three of the newest versions and mush ‘em together. Take the graphics and in-ring gameplay of “WrestleMania XIX” (GameCube, $49.99). Add the wide selection of almost every type of match thought up (including the devilishly decadent “bra and panties” bout) from “Smackdown! Here Comes the Pain” (PlayStation2, $49.99). Then blend in the character selection and out-of-the-ring graphics of “Raw 2: Ruthless Aggression” (Xbox, $49.99). Because such a mix doesn’t exist, settle for “WrestleMania” or “Smackdown” and avoid “Raw.” When the wrestlers attack each other on that title, their punches magically pass through their opponent before inflicting damage. Not a good thing.

*

Games

“Voodoo Vince”

Good: A visual feast. Imaginative situations.

Bad: Some jumps hard to judge.

Details: Xbox platform; $39.99. Rating: T (mild violence).

“Tak and the Power of Juju”

Good: Cute animation; good kid stuff.

Bad: Might get boring for serious gamers.

Details: PlayStation2, Game Cube; $39.99.

Rating: E (everyone).

Pete Metzger can be reached at pete.metzger@latimes.com