Today I learned, thanks to the fun factoids on the back of my this cereal box, that Cosmic Brownies were named after the cosmic bowling fad—and not, in fact, after the deadly sprinkled Fudgenaut asteroid that killed the dinosaurs (they’re like dogs and can’t have chocolate).

Well, while my world has been turned upside-down like ten struck pins, I can at least sooth my addled mind with a bowl of Cosmic Brownies Cereal. Though this sequel to Oatmeal Cream Pies Cereal isn’t fully hitting stores until May, I was lucky enough to get an early sample, so I can advise you whether to buy it, or whether to just cram a real Cosmic Brownie into your Slap Chop.

Alright, chop-chop, y’all.

Don’t get me wrong, Cosmic Brownies Cereal isn’t bad, by any means. But considering the concentrated decadence of its namesake snack—the potency of which calls to mind Godzilla swallowing a torpedo—Lil Deb’s out-of-this-world breakfast interpretation feels tepidly terrestrial.

Imagine if Cookie Crisp and Cocoa Puffs had a kid, but this kid triumphed over its parents’ greatest, corny weaknesses by being birthed with a denser and less intrusive base grain. Y’know, typical realistic metaphor, but it’s true. Combining Sonny’s sweet cocoa powder with some of Cookie Crisp’s vanilla–butterish notes and an impressive (albeit palate-piercing) crunch, Cosmic Brownies Cereal is a just-fine chocolate cereal that does a really good job of not doing anything unique.

I can’t really say I expected much more than this—fudge is a tough taste to cereal-ize—but Cosmic Brownies Cereal could’ve been light-years closer to greatness if it just imitated Oatmeal Cream Pies Cereal a little closer. Now, OCP Cereal isn’t groundbreakingly authentic either, but its lush powdered-sugar coating gives it a pillowy mouthfeel and a more memorable flavor burst. If Cosmic Brownies Cereal simply got the same dusted treatment, it could elevate the stuff closer to the legendary level of Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheerios.

I certainly recommend milk for Cosmic Brownies Cereal. It makes the crunch a little less painful for high-velocity breakfast inhalers such as myself, somewhat making up for powdered sugar’s absence.

In the end, though, I can’t help but want more for the legacy of a snack as iconic as these segmented batter bricks. Cosmic Brownies Cereal may have gorgeous box art, but that’s about its strongest suit. With a ho-hum chocolate taste and not enough sprinkled eye candy, this cereal is way less memorable than Oatmeal Cream Pies Cereal—which at least brought some molasses uniqueness, even if it wasn’t a flawless facsimile, either.

If you really like chocolate cereal or framing your boxes, Cosmic Brownies Cereal might be worth a try, but ultimately I think Chocolate Eggo is a better new chocolate cereal for your money. Now the only question is whether Little Debbie will try again with a third cereal. I mean, a chocolate and caramel-flavored toasted rice clusters Star Crunch Cereal is ripe for the pickin’, and maybe then we can do proper justice to the Convenience Store Caked Favorites division of the Intergalactic Federation of Cereals.

The Bowl: Cosmic Brownies Cereal

The Breakdown: At the intersection of Cocoa Puffs, Cookie Crisp, and a milder base grain, Cosmic Brownies Cereal is alright, but lacks the astral depth to do due diligence to its indulgent source material.

The Bottom Line: 6 lovable nuts out of 10