So where does the kicking of butts come in? Well, Hans is very fond of using his boots to get his own way, be it in convincing a bully to change his ways, scaring livestock out of his path, or randomly kicking objects around him to get them to give up their stashes of coins (yes, apparently the streets of Copenhagen are quite literally paved with gold. Or at least copper and silver). The abuse of his surroundings aside, puzzles in HCA are pretty straightforward. They tend to be of the go-and-fetch variety, with these errands rewarding Hans with various things, whether it's a bit of copper coin or some important plot item. There is no option to combine inventory objects, so inventory puzzles merely involve applying items to outside objects. There are a few other types of puzzles, including a few simplistic logic puzzles and a handful of stealth sections. Adventure game purists fear not, however, as these simply require avoiding the patterns of some skulking trolls, with no real difficulty involved, and only the loss of a few coins if you fail. Overall, the puzzles posed little difficulty to me (and I'm anything but an adventure game prodigy), the only real snag being what amounted to a pixel hunt. With the overall lack of dialogue, the simplicity of the game, and relative lack of locations, most people should be able to complete the game in a day or two, covering 5 or 6 hours of playing time.

HCA features a familiar point-and-click control scheme, but there are a few other possible options. It is also possible to direct Hans with the keyboard, either in a character-relative or a camera-relative manner. With this method, Hans will turn or incline his head to look at items of interest, and an indicator icon will appear showing the action he can take. This works well enough, except that Hans needs to be standing in a certain small area for the possible action to become available. With the mouse method, item hotspots are visible from a distance, although the hotspots are still fairly small. The downside to the point-and-click method is that the game's pathfinding is atrocious, and Hans will constantly bump into random objects as he tries to reach his destination and come to an abrupt stop instead of redirecting himself around them. There is another method that involves holding the left mouse button, and moving the mouse to direct Hans. This could be preferable to some, since it offers better precision in moving Hans, but personally I prefer not to keep my mouse finger depressed at all times. The best way, I found, was to use the mouse to scour an area for possible hotspots, then to use the keys to move close to an area of interest. Unfortunately, the traditional WASD key setup is not available, and keys are not reassignable, so using the more awkward direction keys method is necessary.

Where HCA really shines is in its excellent presentation. Backgrounds are done in high quality pre-rendered 3D, with some impressive Victorian-style backdrops. Characters are also good, but are more cartoony and caricatured, and the stylistic design is slightly at odds with the almost realistic scenery. Still, both of are of a very high standard, and work together well enough. Voice acting is generally positive, if rather stereotyped. Poor folk tend to be of the cheeky Cockney chimneysweep (think Oliver Twist) variety, or that of a rough north England coalminer. The richer people have upper-class English voices that people instinctively associate with the nobility. And there I was thinking Copenhagen was in Denmark... Music is also good, in a Romantic classical vein. I noticed a couple of Grieg compositions — Morning Mood and In the Hall of the Mountain King — in the mix. Overall the soundtrack is nicely understated, never dominating the action, making for a pleasant and appropriate background atmosphere.

While HCA obviously uses themes that are aimed at children, that's not to say that this is just a kids' game. While it's hardly an earthy, gritty, adult-themed drama, it's not quite as basic as children's games tend to be. A child probably wouldn't have any difficulty playing it, but an adult shouldn't be turned off buying it either, particularly if you have fond memories of growing up hearing Andersen's tales.

So is this game worth your money? HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN: The Ugly Prince Duckling is enjoyable enough for the several hours it lasts, and overall it offers a nice playing experience. However, there also isn't a whole lot about it that jumps out and screams "PLAY ME!" It certainly isn't a bad game, but the puzzles are no great challenge, the characters are rather flat, and the controls are imprecise. If you're looking for a deep and difficult epic, then, you'd best steer clear. But if you're a fan of Andersen's tales, and want to see what can be made of them, by all means give it a try. And if you're content with a pleasant (and pretty) few hours of easy gaming, and don't go in expecting anything revolutionary or spectacular, HCA could suit you just fine. Like Andersen's fairy tales, it's short and sweet, and meant to appeal to the child in us all.