Happy Feet (DS)
- Publisher:
- Midway
- Developer:
- Midway
- Release Date:
- 14.11.2006
- Number of players:
- n/a
- Type:
- Adventure
- Extra:
- Platform
- Age:
- Modern Times
We play Happy Feet...
There's no denying that penguins are cute, and thanks to the theatrical release of Happy Feet, we're about to see a lot more of them... including in video games. Yes, the Happy Feet video game is here for the Nintendo DS. This means that you'll be able to take the tale of Bumble and all of his friends along with you as you travel. Unfortunately, while the game is rather impressive early on, Happy Feet quickly falls into a trap of shallow repetition, with the same two gameplay scenarios over and over... and over and over again.
The good news off the top is that the game ties into the movie rather well. The story is told via static storyboards that look quite good. Although it would have been nice to see a full-motion video clip or two from the film, these cinema scenes are as close as you're going to get without paying admission at the theater. There's no voice over to read the text, although most kids should be able to read the text on their own. The penguin models in the cinema scenes are eye-poppingly good, as if pulled from the film.
There are two gameplay sequences in Happy Feet. Yes, just two. They're good the first couple of times around, but then they age rapidly. The first gameplay sequence is a rhythm-based game that bears more than a passing resemblance to Elite Beat Agents, another recently-released DS game. The general idea here is that, as licensed music plays in the background, players must tap dots that appear on touch screen as overlapping circles close in on them. The closer you are to tapping the dot as the circle just overlaps the dot, the better your score. It's difficult to explain on paper, but most players will get the hang of it on their first try. The great news with these sequences is that the music is licensed and pulled straight from the Happy Feet soundtrack. There's a definite disco influence to be heard here, and that's not a bad thing. Some of the tracks are the originals, while others are very well-done covers. The difficulty level is rarely taxing, although there are occasionally a few sections that demand quicker tapping. All the while, on the top screen, players are treated to seeing Mumble do his thing, as he tap dances to the delight of his friends. The penguin models are a bit blockier here, as they're comprised of a modest polygon count, but they animate smoothly.
The second gameplay sequence is a racing sequence, as Mumble slides down some icy slopes on his belly. These racing sequences are more frequent than the musical sequences, and they grow tiresome much more quickly. In order to try and spice things up, developers A2M tried to add different objectives. Some of the racing sequences challenge Mumble to simply reach the goal before time expires, while others require item collection of some sort. There are speed boosts on most tracks, and there are checkpoints on the time-based tracks to allow for more time. These sequences can be slighly tougher than the rhythm sequences, as it's possible to miss a couple of checkpoints and run out of time. It's not an overly frustrating experience, though, and most players will be able to move through these areas with little effort. Visually, the sense of speed is there and there's no real slowdown to talk about. There is some pixelization on some of the tracks from time to time, but other than that, the slopes are pretty much the same from area to area... with just minor changes in terms of obstacles thrown in for good measure.
After that, well... that's it. There's no platforming to speak of. No stealth. Nothing else. We're just looking at these two sequences, ad nauseam. While this may suffice for the youngest of gamers, most others will become bored quickly with Happy Feet. That's not to say that the game is a complete waste of time, but there seems to be so much potential that could have been tapped here-- and we're instead left with what amounts to a two-trick pony... errr... penguin.
Top Game Moment: The game's best moments are easily its rhythm sequences. The inclusion of licensed music and a gameplay engine that is easy to learn makes for a pretty good time, especially considering the general lack of rhythm games out there for the DS at the present time.
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| Mumble gets his groove on, DDR-style | Mumble might be dancin', but Gloria ain't buyin' |
The good news off the top is that the game ties into the movie rather well. The story is told via static storyboards that look quite good. Although it would have been nice to see a full-motion video clip or two from the film, these cinema scenes are as close as you're going to get without paying admission at the theater. There's no voice over to read the text, although most kids should be able to read the text on their own. The penguin models in the cinema scenes are eye-poppingly good, as if pulled from the film.
 |
 |
|
| Mumble's Official Fan Club: The Adelie Amigos | Ummm... if I dance for you, can you point me towards some fish? |
There are two gameplay sequences in Happy Feet. Yes, just two. They're good the first couple of times around, but then they age rapidly. The first gameplay sequence is a rhythm-based game that bears more than a passing resemblance to Elite Beat Agents, another recently-released DS game. The general idea here is that, as licensed music plays in the background, players must tap dots that appear on touch screen as overlapping circles close in on them. The closer you are to tapping the dot as the circle just overlaps the dot, the better your score. It's difficult to explain on paper, but most players will get the hang of it on their first try. The great news with these sequences is that the music is licensed and pulled straight from the Happy Feet soundtrack. There's a definite disco influence to be heard here, and that's not a bad thing. Some of the tracks are the originals, while others are very well-done covers. The difficulty level is rarely taxing, although there are occasionally a few sections that demand quicker tapping. All the while, on the top screen, players are treated to seeing Mumble do his thing, as he tap dances to the delight of his friends. The penguin models are a bit blockier here, as they're comprised of a modest polygon count, but they animate smoothly.
The second gameplay sequence is a racing sequence, as Mumble slides down some icy slopes on his belly. These racing sequences are more frequent than the musical sequences, and they grow tiresome much more quickly. In order to try and spice things up, developers A2M tried to add different objectives. Some of the racing sequences challenge Mumble to simply reach the goal before time expires, while others require item collection of some sort. There are speed boosts on most tracks, and there are checkpoints on the time-based tracks to allow for more time. These sequences can be slighly tougher than the rhythm sequences, as it's possible to miss a couple of checkpoints and run out of time. It's not an overly frustrating experience, though, and most players will be able to move through these areas with little effort. Visually, the sense of speed is there and there's no real slowdown to talk about. There is some pixelization on some of the tracks from time to time, but other than that, the slopes are pretty much the same from area to area... with just minor changes in terms of obstacles thrown in for good measure.
 |
 |
|
| Mumble Happyfeet. Movie star and tap dancer extraordinaire | Yes. This is the Start Screen. Surprised? |
After that, well... that's it. There's no platforming to speak of. No stealth. Nothing else. We're just looking at these two sequences, ad nauseam. While this may suffice for the youngest of gamers, most others will become bored quickly with Happy Feet. That's not to say that the game is a complete waste of time, but there seems to be so much potential that could have been tapped here-- and we're instead left with what amounts to a two-trick pony... errr... penguin.
Top Game Moment: The game's best moments are easily its rhythm sequences. The inclusion of licensed music and a gameplay engine that is easy to learn makes for a pretty good time, especially considering the general lack of rhythm games out there for the DS at the present time.
