Another day, another world-dominating villain to crush. Spy Fox is back, and this time he must stop Napoleon LeRoach before the cretinous cockroach can unleash a giant robotic dog on the unsuspecting world. The nefarious commander of SMELLY (Society for Meaningless Evil, Larceny, Lying, and Yelling) has hidden the dog at the World's Fair, and every innocent tourist who visits the event helps wind up the dogbot's engine simply by passing through the fair gate's turnstiles.

Combining puzzles, animations, and a loony cast of animal characters straight from a James Bond film, Spy Fox 2: Some Assembly Required equips players with fiendishly clever gadgets and the means to make fake identities for themselves. Thus armed, they can roam the World's Fair, searching for the critical off switch and deactivation codes to shut down the dogbot before it's too late.

Some Assembly Required has the usual virtues of a Spy Fox game: vivid and interesting visuals, great sound, intriguing puzzles, humor, and a lot of creativity. The gadgets are a particular delight, and the emphasis on mechanics will interest players who are keen to understand how things work. Parents will be pleased to see that values such as cooperation and teamwork are stressed, as Spy Fox relies heavily on scientists and other spies to help him complete his mission. Though the game has many animated sequences--which may frustrate task-oriented players---they are more entertaining than most segments in similar games.

Whether you're a fan of Spy Fox or you're just looking to solve some brainteasers that pack a humorous punch, Some Assembly Required will definitely deliver. The Mobile Command Center and Spy Fox gadgets await! Can you save civilization, or will SMELLY carry the day? (Ages 5 to 10) --Alyx Dellamonica