The ozone layer is in deep jeopardy. Some nefarious criminal mastermind has launched a giant aerosol can – which also serves as a space station – into orbit that is spraying away Earth’s protective layer.

When the world is in need, who are you going to call? Spy Fox, of course.

The suave, debonair, occasionally verbose to the point of arrogant, secret agent is back in another adventure, this one entitled “Operation Ozone.” Humongous Entertainment (a division of Infogrames) is responsible for the hybrid CD, which means it can be played on either a PC or Macintosh.

The correlation between this product and character, and the James Bond product line is instantly recognizable. Spy Fox wears a tux, his boss’ secretary is named Monkey Penny (in 007 films and books, her name is Moneypenny) and the archfiend in this adventure is Poodles Galore. In “Goldfinger,” one of the femme fatales had the last name of Galore. Ok, Spy Fox may sound a little like Maxwell Smart, from the “Get Smart” television series, but that was also a take-off on the Bond saga.

The game features some returning characters, like Bea Bear, as well as some wacky new ones. The game, which is geared for players ranging from age 7 and up, has different pathways players can take to get to the solution.

Perhaps one way to test the quality of the game is to get an assessment from a younger game player.

Jessica, age 12, sat down with the product. She has played the other Spy Fox games, so she did have a background in the genre.

“This was better than the other Spy Fox adventures,” she said. “Not a lot, but it was better. It was fun. You get a car, and you get to go places instead of staying in one place all the time. You can visit the desert, a lake, the jungle and a factory. You can even bowl a game.

“It has pretty good graphics. It looks like a Saturday morning cartoon. The sound is just like other Spy Fox games.

“It’s not that hard – at least it wasn’t for me. But probably would be pretty hard for younger kids, like 7-year olds.

“ ‘Operation Ozone’ has some difficult parts, but not a lot. The hardest part was getting some of the stuff you need to solve the mystery. Overall, it’s a pretty good game.”

The game, which has been tested for its educational value (hidden deep within the fun), is a solid product, featuring some wit that parents will pick up, but that kids may not quite understand. Consider the puns to be of the snicker or groan variety.

Install: Easy.
How easy is easy? This game requires no hard drive space.

Gameplay: 8.
Multiple paths to a solution give players options that enhance replayability. The game moves smoothly through all phases of the adventure, but can be saved along the way.

Graphics: 7.5.
The two-dimensional graphics are bright and colorful, and while the animation isn’t flawlessly smooth, it is emblematic of what is seen on television.

Sound: 7.5
Clever songs, witty conversations and solid special effect sounds make it a soundtrack that doesn’t wear on the nerves, but boosts the game

Difficulty: 7.
This game shouldn’t be too hard for kids in the age range to work their way through. Though there are distractions along the way, it isn’t a game that requires strong reflexive play. This game asks that players think through the puzzles to the solution.

Concept: 7.5
This line of products continues to delight and poke a little fun at the 007-spy genre.

Multiplayer: N/A.

Overall: 7.5.
Spy Fox “Operation Ozone” is good fun, with solid graphical elements, a good audio track, and a nice array of puzzles and side games to keep kids intrigued for hours. While the line of games may be a little formulated, it is a formula that works well, and should give parents – who have seen these games before – the assurance that their children are getting a quality product. If, as a parent with younger kids, you haven’t seen this line, this is a good game to start with. Spy Fox may overcome the obstacles to solve the mystery, but his programs are winners in more ways than one.