I know that nowadays every children's movie requires a tie-in game, but honestly, who thought of this Christmas turkey?

Everything looks nice and plays smoothly, basically a point-and-click portrayal of the classic story with occasional mini-games and hidden objects..

But completing the game took less time than watching the film, and none of the mini-games worth playing a second time.

On the Nintendo DS there are extras like an advent calendar, carol songsheets, Victorian recipes and the original Dickens book to read on-screen, but seasonal trimmings don't make a feast.

David Knights