LGTDP's cartoonish presentation is a spot-on match to the show, and the level of consistency between the settings and characters found between the two is impressive. Don't expect to be blown away by the visuals, though they certainly match the tone and look of the cartoon better than some past game tie-ins have. Cutscenes between missions are done in a moving panel comic format that doesn't quite do the characters and their personalities justice. Fortunately, the strong voice work featured throughout the game picks up some of the slack.

Some foes have vulnerabilities to specific defenses, while others are simply tough bastards. Most of the six towers you have at your disposal are pretty standard fare. There are cheaper turrets that throw snowballs and shoot lasers, pricier ordinance emplacements that launch fiery cherry bombs and fireworks missiles, and more exotic towers that shoot cat pee and freeze enemies. You can unlock two more bizarre weapons by playing through extra challenge levels. In some cases, the levels themselves can be used to your advantage. The crane at the junkyard in Kenny's backyard that can be used to drop trashed cars on opponents, the sewage-spewing sewer pipe at the sixth-grade hangout douses friend and foe in nasty fluid, and the anti-Mongolian secret sauce dumped from the great wall are just a few examples.

Playing through the campaign on your own or with three other friends unlocks lots of extras that South Park fans will get a kick out of. There are lots of short video clips from different episodes to watch that introduce certain characters and events. More importantly, you'll unlock other kid characters from the series to play as in online play and the challenge maps. LGTDP is definitely at the top of the pile of South Park games. It's a good mix of tower defense and real-time strategy that stays true to the source material and offers an over-the-top dose of humor. A slightly unforgiving difficulty curve and the curious decision to leave out some classic South Park support characters keep it from being a profane masterpiece. That said, this is one game South Park lovers can truly appreciate.

By Nathan Meunier
CCC Staff Contributor