The latest kids’ animated movie brings with it the inevitable video game tie-in. Is Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa a leader of the pack or a runt of the litter? We tested out the DS and Xbox versions to find out.
Nintendo DS version
A light-hearted and fairly basic game which will appeal to kids and fans of the movie.
The 3D platforming action and associated mini games are unlikely to hold your attention for long periods of time or have you rushing back to your DS for another burst of Madagascar whenever you can.
But younger players and casual gamers will like it a lot because it’s fun and very easy to play.
Your quest is to save the African savannah by guiding the four main characters – lion, zebra, hippo and giraffe – through various levels. You must collect items, overcome obstacles and complete challenges as you go.
The design of the levels is quite linear in a get from point A to point B kind of way, but there is some basic combat involved in defeating enemies which get in your way.
One strength of the game is that the environments and animations of the characters look very good. There is some nice music and sound effects too.
The controls are very simple, which should stop young ones getting frustrated.
Most movie tie-in games suffer from being uninspired, predictable and lacking in any substance. They tend to be very generic, very samey and they almost all seem to be very simplistic and standard platform affairs. Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa does not buck this trend and does not bring anything new to the genre. A bit more creativity and originality wouldn’t go amiss when converting movies into games.
However, for younger players wanting to play as their favourite characters from the Madagascar movies, this title is sure to appeal. It is after all a kids’ movie and it is fitting that this is very much a kids’ game.
Verdict: 6 out of 10
Xbox 360 version
Kids’ computer games are always likely to be too simple for the experienced game player - so it’s vital the graphics and sound are spot-on to make up for this.
Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa does not disappoint in these departments. The characters Alex the Lion, Marty the Zebra, Melman the Giraffe and Gloria the Hippo look as they do in the film, and the backgrounds and logos are very detailed.
But the voice-overs provided by Ben Stiller, Chris Rock and David Schwimmer are nowhere to be heard in the game – which is a shame.
Although this is mostly a platform game, you do a lot more than jump from one platform to another. You are shifted from activity to activity at break-neck speed, meaning you never get bored.
For example, one fun activity includes herding wild lions, another is simply called Musical Chairs – while Hot Potatoes, keeping various fruits and vegetables in the air, is one of the game’s highlights.
One particularly nice touch in a following level is the ability to curve your shots when throwing objects.
Overall, this is a bright, lively and fun game. The gameplay may be simple, but the variety of objectives keeps the game flowing at a fast and furious pace.
Verdict: 7 out of 10
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