THQ spreads handheld love with Nickelodeon

There's nothing like a THQ/Nickelodeon press release to make a young man feel old. Jimmy Neutron, The Fairly OddParents and Danny Phantom we can just about get away with, but who are we trying to kid when it comes to Zoey 101 and El Tigre? Certainly not the kids.

At least we're in good company with THQ's senior vice president of worldwide marketing, Bob Aniello, who was surely reading whatever his staff put in front of him when he said: "Our Nickelodeon video game portfolio continues to lead the kids market with more than 45 million units sold-in to date. We expect a continued robust Nickelodeon business in 2007."

But before anyone could think too deeply about what a 'robust Nickelodeon business' might mean, the world's hardest-working, squarepants-wearing sponge, SpongeBob Squarepants was revealed as making his second DS/GBA appearance of 2007 in SpongeBob's Atlantis SquarePantis, a game where Bob and friends discover the treasures of Atlantis.

Another returning DS/GBA hero is Aang, of Avatar: The Last Airbender-fame. He'll be defending the greatest Earth Kingdom city against a deadly Fire Nation treat in Avatar: The Burning Earth.

And as group projects go, there's nothing more inclusive than the DS/GBA Nicktoons 2007 (that's a working title, incidentally). Featuring SpongeBob SquarePants, Danny Phantom, and Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius, amongst others, this will see you trying to defeat Professor Calamitous' vast army of evil toys.

There will be new debut tie-in games, too. For example, there's El Tigre (another working title), which sees the 13-year-old Manuel Pablo Gutierrez O'Brien Equihua Rivera (who spins his magical belt buckle to turn into El Tigre) choosing between being good like his superhero father and the villainous behaviour encouraged by his supervillain grandad. This DS-only game will be available during the summer.

If you've just had too much cartoon chaos, there will also be DS games to come based on two of Nickelodeon's live-action series, Zoey 101 and Drake & Josh.

Zoey 101: Field Trip Fiasco sees Britney-sister Jamie Lynn Spears' Zoey lost during a field trip to Red Stone Gulch Canyons. How will she survive without a limo and emergency make-up? Maybe the in-game park ranger will be able to teach her some tricks.

Meanwhile in Drake & Josh: Talent Showdown, you'll have to help the oddly-matched step-brothers avoid sabotage from other contestants, as they perfect their routine to try and win the Teen American talent show.

Both these games will be available this summer, although it's likely THQ will limit their release to North America.