With the rise of the Nintendo DS has been the increased number of point and click games, a genre that in the past could only be found on the PC. The DS’ bottom touch screen make these types of games a no-brainer for the system, but what happens when you take the old school Lucas Arts adventure gameplay, add a dose of platforming, some run-and-gunning, and a film noir detective tale? Insecticide happens, but the real question is, is it worth playing? Find out after the jump.

Insecticide takes place in the distant future, after humans, in their infinite wisdom and love for genetics, enabled bugs to evolve and become the prominent lifeforms, while reducing their own genetic codes to inferior hominids. You take on the role of Chrys Liszt, a novice on the local detective agency, who gets involved in a seemingly run-of-the-mill case that turns into something much bigger.

As stated before, there are two distinctively different halves to Insecticide, which are divided by missions. Every mission is either “Action” or “Investigative,” with the game often switching between the two every level. The action stages are your typical action-platformer fare. You must give chase to a criminal insect, while killing all the pests that get in your way. To do this you start out with your standard, infinite ammo pistol, known as The Pollinator in Insecticide, and as the game progresses you will find newer and more deadly weapons, such as a shotgun and a laser cannon. The controls are tight, which is good, because there are a few tricky platforming elements (tightrope walking anybody?). The game does feel a little dumbed down, as there are frequent automatic checkpoints throughout every level, which you are spawned back at if you happen to die with no real consequence for dying.

The detective stages are both the high points and the most annoying parts of the game simultaneously. In each mission you have a different objective, from collecting a set number of evidence from a crime scene to defusing a hostage situation. To accomplish your goals, you walk around like the action levels, but you can more closely inspect certain parts of the area, where you can collect items, discover clues, and question suspects. Often times you must combine inventory items and/or use them on your surroundings to achieve your end goal. While this is the most rewarding aspect of the game, certain times it can quickly become an exercise in frustration, as you can very easily overlook what you are supposed to do to advance even if you are aware of what you need to do.

The graphics are decent for a DS game, although nothing to write home about, and it should be noted that the PC version will obviously look nicer. The art is somewhat reminiscent of Psychonauts, which has caused some to suspect that Tim Schafer was involved in the project, but he had no hand in it. Another difference between the PC and DS versions is that the PC game will feature full voice acting, while the DS only has voices in the animated cutscenes. The rest of the sound effects are nothing special, just the standard squishes and splats you would expect in a game revolving around insects.

While Insecticide may not perfect either the adventure or action genre, it gives a solid performance for both. If you’re not expecting cutting-edge graphics, and have a longing for the Lucas Arts days of old, Insecticide will be worth your while.