Gamer’s Review: Code Lyoko: Quest for Infinity

In 2004, Cartoon Network’s former programming block Miguzi aired an animated series titled, “Code Lyoko.” It’s about a group of middle school students who enter the virtual world, Lyoko. Their mission is to deactivate a tower under X.A.N.A. An artificial intelligence who wants to dominate Earth. The kids’ escort a girl named, Aelita to the tower. She’s the only one who can stop X.A.N.A. The series became a hit spawning three seasons in 2005-2007. I used to watch Code Lyoko growing up. It remains as one of my all-time favorite shows. Sadly, a horrendous follow-up, “Code Lyoko: Evolution” ruined it. To me, it does not exist. I want a proper fifth season discarding live-action elements in favor of full-on animation.

Anyway, a video game, titled, “Code Lyoko: Quest for Infinity” was released in 2007 (same year BioShock came out) on the Nintendo Wii. It received mixed reviews from critics. The game was ported a year later on the PlayStation 2 and PSP. A promo of Code Lyoko getting a game on the Wii motivated me to buy the console. I was excited to play as my favorite character, Aelita. Along with Quest for Infinity, I also obtained “Super Mario Galaxy” to see what all the hubbub’s about. It was a great game. Nintendo announced their next console Nintendo Switch 2 will be released in stores sometime in 2025. I haven’t owned a Nintendo console since the Wii U, but I wanna share my thoughts on Code Lyoko: Quest for Infinity.

Victory & Defeat Aspects

Victory: Voice Actors reprise their roles from the show, and they all did a decent job for their respective voiceover performances.

Graphics matches the show’s computer animation in the virtual world.

Gameplay/Mechanics

• In the virtual world, you play as Aelita, Ulrich, Odd & Yumi. You can swap in-between The Gang.
• Each character has a unique ability needed to overcome certain obstacles. For example, Odd uses his claws to climb on walls.
• Depending on a selected character, Odd fires laser arrows. Ulrich wields a sword. Yumi throws a pair of Tessen fans. Aelita charges and fires energy balls.
• Pilot the ship, Skidbladnir in the digital sea.
• Earn and spend points upgrading character abilities.
• Fun battles squaring off against XANA’s monsters and William under XANA’s control.
• Revisit previous areas for every nook and cranny.

Music retains the show’s instrumental tracks. Especially, the opening tune, “A World Without Danger.”

Callbacks to previous episodes. For instance, Jim brings up his previous job as a disco dancer from “Straight to Heart.” He’d rather not talk about.

Again, Aelita’s my favorite character. I played as her the most. By the way, I used to have a crush on her growing up.

Jeremie’s laptop features concept art, photos from the show and a music video by the Subdigitals titled, “Planet Net.” The band’s led by Jim’s nephew, Chris. Aelita successfully auditioned as opening act. For those who don’t know, there’s a real album by the fictional band. Gotta love attention to detail on the lore. Too bad MoonScoop never produced additional music videos.

Odd compares a teleporter to a guy with pointy ears. Referencing Nightcrawler/Kurt Wagner from “X-Men.”

Defeat: Main Story’s loosely based on the fourth and final season instead of an original storyline. You can tell the game was rushed.

William should’ve been playable after beating the final mission.

The game can be completed in less than six hours. Absolutely bogus. Super Mario Galaxy had more hours and replay than this piece of crud!

Not enough new monsters. Just two. What about a Kaiju sized monster depicted near the end of Season 4?

Where the actual heck are the vehicles? You can’t pilot a hoverboard, overwing and overbike. This isn’t Season 1 when our heroes go on foot. Consistency matters.

XANA himself isn’t playable as a final boss. What a wasted opportunity.

Unlike the virtual world, you can’t roam around Kadic Academy or head out to the factory. What do you do in the real world? Point and click on the interface. Here’s a list on ideas to make a legit Code Lyoko game.

My Ideas

1. Set after the series finale with zero connection to Code Lyoko Evolution.
2. Main Story centers on Aelita and her friends pulled back in when XANA makes a sinister return. This time multiple XANAS split spreading across the world. Suddenly, they receive a message from another country. It’s another small group operating in its own virtual world.
3. Side Quests in the real world. Aelita interacting with her classmates and teachers as a breather. Go on a date with Jeremy. Girl’s Night Out with Yumi. Play cupid by getting Ulrich & Yumi in a relationship. Helping out school news reporters, Milly & Tamiya on a paper in exchange to promote her work as a DJ. A rhythm based mini-game as a DJ at a school party. Completing a Side Quest unlocks a home video or family photo of Aelita, her parents Frans Hopper and Anthea.
4. It would’ve been nice to explore the school like a cross between “Hogwarts Legacy” & “Persona 5 Royal.” Heck, visit Franz Hopper’s abandoned home.
5. Sneak out to the factory without being spotted by a teacher.
6. Add original sectors within the virtual world.
7. More Cutscenes and Game Models in the real world. Less previous footage and drawings stapled on the game.
8. Aelita can be playable in both the real world and virtual world. She’s the main character of the show. Have a bond with her boyfriend, Jeremie, her bestie, Yumi, allies, Ulrich & Odd. Her friends can also be playable in the both the real world and virtual world. Swap characters needed for specific missions like “Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot” or “Grand Theft Auto V.”
9. Combat’s influenced by “Kingdom Hearts” & Hogwarts Legacy. Combine melee and range attacks.
10. Unleash an ultimate ability if you’re overwhelmed.
11. Visit unique virtual worlds piloting a ship like the aforementioned Kingdom Hearts series.
12. Earn XP completing various things. Spend them on a character’s skill tree.
13. Jeremie & William can be playable after finishing a main mission.
14. Traverse on foot or ride a vehicle.
15. Brand new monsters in different worlds.
16. A glossary detailing characters, monsters, abilities and the show’s lore.

The Final Verdict: D, FOR DEMOTION!

Code Lyoko: Quest for Infinity pales in comparison to the show’s final season. Code Lyoko Evolution became the worst offender imploding a great show from my childhood. Rubbing salt in the wound, MoonScoop went bankrupt after Code Lyoko: Evolution’s first season ended on a cliffhanger. That horrendous series does not exist. If you’re new to Code Lyoko, watch all four seasons.