If you grew up during the golden era of Cartoon Network, your brain is probably permanently stained with the chaotic, cynical, and surprisingly dark humor of Maxwell Atoms. It was a weird time. We had a show about a dim-witted boy and a cynical, borderline-evil girl who literally enslaved the Grim Reaper after winning a game of limbo. It shouldn't have worked. But it did. And naturally, in 2006, Midway decided to take that fever dream and turn it into a video game.
The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy game isn't just a licensed cash-in. Honestly, most licensed games from that era were pretty terrible. They were rushed, buggy, and felt like a slap in the face to fans. But this one? It was basically Power Stone meets Super Smash Bros. with a heavy dose of nightmare fuel.
It’s easy to forget how experimental games were back then. We didn't have the "live service" obsession yet. Developers were just trying to figure out how to make a 3D brawler that didn't feel like clunky garbage. Midway, the legends behind Mortal Kombat, actually put some effort into this. They understood that if you’re making a game about a kid who keeps a pet giant hamster and a girl who can intimidate the literal personification of Death, the gameplay needs to be just as unhinged.
It’s Not Just a Smash Clone (Sorta)
People always try to compare every mascot brawler to Smash Bros. It’s a lazy comparison. While The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy game does involve four players hitting each other in an arena, the "feel" is totally different. It’s a 3D arena fighter. You aren't just trying to knock people off a platform; you are trying to deplete their health bars while dodging stage hazards that are actively trying to kill you.
The combat is fast. Maybe too fast? It’s twitchy.
You’ve got your light attacks, your heavy attacks, and your "Mojo" meter. If you’ve ever played Power Stone on the Dreamcast, you’ll recognize the DNA here immediately. You pick up weapons—everything from scythes to vacuum cleaners—and you just go to town. The stages are the real stars, though. One minute you’re in Endsville, and the next you’re being chased by a giant pumpkin monster in a graveyard. It’s chaotic. It’s loud. It’s exactly what the show felt like.
What's really wild is the roster. You have the obvious ones like Billy, Mandy, and Grim. But then they threw in Hoss Delgado, Eris (the Goddess of Chaos herself), and even Fred Fredburger. Yes, the green guy who just says "Yes" and likes nachos. Playing as Fred Fredburger while trying to beat the soul out of Irwin is an experience you just don't get in modern gaming anymore.
✨ Don't miss: Ben 10 Ultimate Cosmic Destruction: Why This Game Still Hits Different
The Story Mode is a Fever Dream
Most fighting games have a "Story Mode" that is basically just a series of fights with a bit of text in between. The console versions of this game—specifically on PS2, GameCube, and Wii—actually tried to tell a narrative. The premise is simple: someone has broken into Grim’s trunk and released a horde of Mojo Balls, causing everyone to go into a blind, murderous rage.
It’s basic. But the cutscenes? They were actually voiced by the original cast. Richard Steven Horvitz (Billy), Grey DeLisle (Mandy), and Greg Eagles (Grim) all returned.
Having the actual voice actors makes a massive difference. You can feel the chemistry. It doesn't feel like a corporate product; it feels like an extended, interactive episode of the show. The humor is still there. It’s still mean-spirited in that specific way that only Billy and Mandy could pull off. Mandy is still terrifying. Billy is still an idiot. Grim is still miserable. It’s perfect.
The game also features some pretty deep lore cuts for fans. You visit the Underworld, the Pumpkin Patch, and even the "Hall of Vengeance." If you were a kid watching this on Friday nights, seeing these locations in 3D was a huge deal. The Wii version even added some motion controls, which were... fine. They were 2006 motion controls. You shake the remote to do a special move. It was the law at the time.
Why the Portability of the DS Version Sucked
We need to talk about the handheld versions. Specifically the DS and GBA ports.
They were different games entirely. The DS version tried to be a 2.5D brawler, and honestly, it just didn't have the soul of the console versions. The graphics were crunchy. The gameplay felt stiff. It’s one of those classic examples of "Handheld Downgrade Syndrome" that plagued the mid-2000s.
🔗 Read more: Why Batman Arkham City Still Matters More Than Any Other Superhero Game
If you want the real experience, you have to play the console versions. The GameCube version is widely considered the "best" one because it runs the smoothest, but the PS2 version is the one most people remember. There’s something about that era of 480p graphics that just fits the art style of the show. It’s jagged and weird, much like the character designs themselves.
The Technical Weirdness of the Mojo Meter
One thing that genuinely separates The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy game from other brawlers is the Mojo system. It’s not just a "Super" move.
When you fill your meter, you enter "Mojo Meltdown" mode. The screen gets all distorted, and you become incredibly powerful for a short burst. But here’s the kicker: if you trigger it at the same time as another player, you enter a "Mojo Battle," which is basically a quick-time event (QTE) mash-fest.
In a modern context, QTEs are usually hated. But in a local multiplayer setting with three friends on a couch? It was high-stakes. It was the "button-mashing" equivalent of a Western standoff. If you lost that QTE, you were basically toast. It added a layer of psychological warfare to the game that kept it from being just a simple button-masher.
The Legacy of a Forgotten Brawler
Why don't we talk about this game more?
Part of it is the timing. It came out right at the end of the PS2/GameCube lifecycle. The PS3 and Xbox 360 were already taking over the conversation. Another part is that Midway, the publisher, eventually went bankrupt. The rights to these games are often caught in a legal limbo between the defunct publisher and the IP holders (Warner Bros./Cartoon Network).
💡 You might also like: Will My Computer Play It? What People Get Wrong About System Requirements
But looking back, this was one of the last great "weird" licensed games.
Today, every licensed game is either a massive open-world RPG or a mobile gacha game. There’s no middle ground. We don't get these mid-budget, experimental arena fighters anymore. Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl tried to bring it back recently, and MultiVersus is obviously the big player now, but they feel very "sanitized." They feel like they were designed by a committee to be "competitive."
The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy game didn't care about balance. It didn't care about "frame data" or "tier lists." It just wanted to be a chaotic mess where you could hit a clown with a scythe.
What You Should Do If You Want to Play It Today
If you’re feeling nostalgic and want to revisit this relic, you have a few options.
- Check the Used Markets: If you still have a working Wii or GameCube, you can find copies on eBay. Warning: prices for GameCube games have skyrocketed lately, so prepare to pay a "nostalgia tax."
- Emulation is Your Friend: If you have a decent PC, Dolphin (for GameCube/Wii) or PCSX2 (for PS2) will run this game beautifully. In fact, upscaling the resolution to 4K makes the cel-shaded art style look incredibly crisp. It almost looks like a modern indie game.
- Mission Mode: Don't just play the story. The game has a "Mission Mode" with 45 different challenges. Some of them are genuinely difficult and require you to use specific characters in ways you wouldn't expect. It’s the best way to unlock the hidden characters like Jack O'Lantern.
Honestly, the game holds up better than you’d expect. The controls are responsive, the art style is timeless, and the humor is still sharp. It’s a snapshot of a time when Cartoon Network was at its peak and video game developers weren't afraid to get a little weird.
If you’re tired of the hyper-polished, microtransaction-filled games of today, go back and play this. It’s a reminder that sometimes, all you need is a scythe, a few friends, and a complete lack of common sense.
Next Steps for the Retro Gamer
If you want to dive back into the Underworld, start by grabbing the GameCube version of the game. It offers the most stable framerate, which is crucial for a fast-paced brawler. Once you’ve cleared the main story, head straight into the Mission Mode to unlock the full roster. This is where the game’s depth actually shines through, forcing you to master characters you’d otherwise ignore. Don't skip the "Battle" mode options—messing with the item spawn rates can turn a standard match into a pure, chaotic warzone that rivals the best moments of the show.