Bilbo Baggins is famous for surprising any ally or friend who would make the mistake of underestimating his small frame. Likewise, The Hobbit is surprising in its quality and breadth, having turned out to be one of the best adventure games available on GameCube. It doesn’t challenge Zelda for the grand crown, but this is a game that certainly will not disappoint anyone who has ever wanted to play as Bilbo through his many adventures.

The game’s story closely follows that of Tolkien’s book, with much of the plot recitation occurring during storybook sequences that simply show an illustrated copy of the book being read aloud by the narrator’s voice. At key points, CG movies portray the action, and these tend to be nicely done. There is also some character interaction through real-time cut-scenes, all of which are fully voiced by authentic British actors. The missions themselves happen between major events in the story and fill in some of the details of what Bilbo actually goes through in each part of his quest.

Each of the dozen levels is named after the chapter in the book upon which it is based. All of the major destinations are represented, including Hobbiton, the Misty Mountains, Mirkwood Forest, Lake Town, and the Lonely Mountain. Every single one is so unbelievably large and complex that it’s probably better to call them mini-worlds. The environments have a colorful and detailed look to them and are the best single aspect of the game’s graphics. Each level is full of things to do and see and collect, and most of them also have a hefty portion of platforms for Bilbo to cross.

There is, in fact, so much platforming that The Hobbit is probably more comparable to a game like Banjo-Kazooie (or Banjo-Tooie, with its monstrous levels) than a more traditional adventure game like The Legend of Zelda. There is plenty of stuff to collect, but the majority of it is optional. Only key items are required to find, and thanks to little crystals pointing the path to your next objective, having to explore blindly is not a problem. If you were to go straight for the required items though, you would miss out on many of the game’s most challenging and interesting areas. There are tons of nooks and crannies to explore, and sometimes they can be extremely difficult to reach. Unfortunately, the rewards for being completely thorough are pretty mundane, but no more than a piece of heart in Zelda.

In contrast to the devious platforming challenges, combat in The Hobbit is very simple. Some fights are definitely tough, but mainly because they throw a dozen enemies out to gang up on poor Bilbo. Our hero has in his arsenal a trusty walking stick, the famous Elvish sword “Sting”, and a bag of rocks for throwing. The rocks are, unsurprisingly, practically useless without one of the elemental power-ups placed in strategic locations. But what’s odd is that the walking stick is actually a much better weapon than Sting, in terms of range and strategic prowess (its jump attack knocks back all nearby enemies), and it doesn’t seem to do any less damage either. Regardless, fighting with either melee weapon is mostly a matter of pressing the button quickly and jumping out of danger when necessary. More moves or weapons would have given this part of the gameplay enough depth to last the full experience, but as it is, the combat becomes uninteresting long before the quest is over.

That is not the case for puzzles, mainly because they are used sparingly. There are more frequent puzzles towards the end of the game though, including a whole level that is like one giant puzzle with several smaller ones contained within. The puzzles don’t break any new ground, but they do a good job of imitating those found in other adventure games, including scaled-down tributes to everything from Myst to Majora’s Mask.

The Hobbit is particularly successful in its offer to play in Bilbo’s designated profession. In other words, there are several chances to do some serious burgling. This game eschews standard stealth aides like radar, but you also don’t have to worry about wall-mounted cameras or infrared sensors. Sneaking around is a pretty simple matter of taking cover and moving when the enemy’s back is turned, but with multiple NPCs running around with keen eyes, this simple method can be plenty tense. The stealth gameplay is changed significantly once Bilbo finds the One Ring, which lets him turn invisible. The mechanic is balanced with a meter that has to be recharged after using the ring, and also by an increase in the number and vigilance of the characters looking for you. The ring doesn’t factor into combat very much, because Bilbo can’t attack while wearing it, and most fighting enemies can see through the effect anyway.

All of this variety in gameplay and the fortitude of each style ensure that The Hobbit never becomes boring over the course of its rather lengthy adventure. Like the book it is based upon, the game struggles to establish itself as being truly epic, but there is no doubt that it is satisfying and fun to play. Whether you’re a long-time fan or just someone curious about the roots of The Lord of the Rings, this game is a faithful and entirely enjoyable way to experience the travels of that other famous hobbit.