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Monsters and Aliens battle it out in Activision’s latest title. The game, based on the upcoming Monsters vs. Aliens feature film, is developed by Amaze Entertainment for the Nintendo DS. The general plot and gameplay is fairly similar to its console cousins though the game was obviously adapted for the handheld.
Monsters vs. Aliens follows the movie’s plot. Essentially, an evil alien named Gallaxhar has a sinister plan to take over Earth and has enrolled many robots on his side to accomplish his goal. It’s up to the exiled monsters (including the recently captured Ginormica who grew to 50 feet tall on her wedding day) to fight off these aliens and defend Earth from this evil villain. The plot is light-hearted but it’s often satisfying, especially for children, to simply see monsters and aliens battle it out.
You can play through the game’s levels with one of the movie’s five monsters: The Missing Link, B.O.B., Ginormica, Dr. Cockroach and Insectosaurus. The Missing Link is a half-fish, half-ape combo who provides the basic combat and acrobatic skills for the team. B.O.B.’s gooey nature allows him to swallow and spit out enemies and slip through cracks undetected. Ginormica’s nearly 50-feet frame provides a lot of the sheer strength for the game and the ability to lift insane objects. Insectosaurus is a massive 350-foot monster that provides brute force while Dr. Cockroach provides the brains of the operation.
The missions are tailored to the character’s special abilities. The Missing Link and Ginormica’s levels are most similar to typical sidescrolling levels as you go around fighting monsters, jumping around obstacles, and looking for items, though Ginormica can also use rollerskating to avoid enemies. B.O.B.’s levels are less straightforward since he can also cling to background walls and ceilings as an attempt to avoid enemies. His trademark swallow and spit move is present if you can’t avoid combat. Insectosaurus’ levels are isometric 3D based levels where you’re moving around taking on equally large enemies and destroying buildings. Dr. Cockroach doesn’t have any levels per se but rather a touchscreen-based minigame in which you rotate puzzle pieces.
In terms of controls, you’ll largely be using the face buttons for most of the game’s moves. B.O.B., Ginormica and Insectosaurus all have a move assigned to the touch screen but you can also execute that move using one of the face buttons. Additionally, you can use the touchscreen to morph B.O.B. into certain shapes during his levels. The microphone even comes into play as an alternate way to pull off one of The Missing Link’s moves (though you can also use the face button).
Graphically, the game is about par for a kids licensed movie title. The 3D characters look similar to their movie counterparts thanks to solid models though you’ll only see a couple of enemies onscreen at any on time. The environments are okay but bland except for B.O.B’s levels since the camera can move around and show more of the level. Insectosaurus’ levels are populated by a fair number of 3D (but simple) buildings, which sometimes look impressive. The game isn’t near the top of its class in either 2D or 3D on the DS but doesn’t look bad. The game’s audio is very well done thanks to the great soundtrack. It sounds like something you’d hear in older sci-fi and monster movies and fits in perfectly with the light-hearted feel and plot of the game.
Overall, Monsters vs. Aliens is a solid videogame adaptation from the movie. Compared to the console versions, the Nintendo DS version is a bit more monotonous since most of the levels are sidescrolling levels of some variety. There are certainly better sidescrollers on the DS, but young gamers who are fans of the movie will enjoy pitting their monsters against aliens in this uncomplicated game. -- Adam Nunez, PGNx Media
---- Mar 25, 2009
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