AbstractWALLACE AND GROMIT is an adventure where you have to liberate the zoo from the evil clutches of the maniacal penguin Feathers. Feathers wants to make diamonds, lots of diamonds, and he will stop at nothing to achieve his dream.
ESRB rating
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Mild Animated Violence |
Full descriptionWallace & Gromit is an arcade platform adventure where the player has to liberate the zoo from the evil clutches of the maniacal Feathers.
The diabolical penguin has incarcerated all the baby animals in order to persuade their parents to do his bidding and manufacture gems from the coal being mined using the incredible diamond-o-matic. Wallace & Gromit have smelled the fishy presence of Feathers and developed an elaborate plan to infiltrate his domain.
Editorial review
Source:
AmazonNick Park's marvelous clay-animation characters Wallace and Gromit translate well to videogaming in
Project Zoo. The villainous penguin Feathers McGraw (from
The Wrong Trousers) has abducted numerous baby animals, and it's up to Gromit to set them free by running, jumping, and using various gadgets around and below the zoo. The player controls the dog-turned-action-hero Gromit, while Wallace follows along, fixing machinery and building quirky gizmos. The five levels look great (though low-lighting situations are murky) and are very large, with a terrific 3-D feel--Gromit can wander almost anywhere he wants, and he climbs ladders, swings on and slides down ropes, and swims. On the downside, the heavy emphasis on timed jumping can get tedious, and the game has an odd tendency to suddenly shift camera angle, which can make jumping even harder. Bonus levels are very tough, but fortunately the player can back out without completing them. Likewise, puzzles are sometimes tough, but not always required to complete the level (plus, there are often hints if you're paying attention). There are also a number of arcade-like diversions that can be skipped then tried on your next pass through the game, which increases the replay value.
Although it can get a little scary, kids who enjoy the films should like the game too, as the characters look and sound familiar (kudos for getting Peter Salis to return as the voice of Wallace), there's a lot of humor taken from the films, and heck, rescuing baby animals is a worthwhile thing to do. For those concerned about violence, it's worth noting that Gromit never has to fight living creatures, just robots. Project Zoo is recommended for those looking for a family game, or for fans of the films. --David Horiuchi
Pros:
- Three-dimensional world that allows you to go almost anywhere you want, swing on and slide down ropes, swim, etc.
- A sense of fun that evokes the movies, and Peter Salis returns as the voice of Wallace
- Fun for kids
Cons:
- Too much timed jumping
- Sudden shifts in camera angle
- Only three save-game slots, and you need an empty one to start a new game
Charge through the game as the resourceful and adventurous Gromit, with Wallace never far behind to offer hilarious if sometimes dubious hints; Race through five enormous action packed levels (with 24 sub levels and mini arcade games) covering eight different 'animal houses' in the zoo; Bursting with inventions designed to challenge the mind and fill every level with fast paced fun including: the Porridge Gun, Coal Flinger, Banana Launcher and Knitting Machine; Build contraptions invented by Wallace to aid your journey such as 'Springy Boots', 'Mine Cart', 'Toboggan' and 'Gyrocopter'; Bamboozle your way past Feather's army of zookeepers, henchmen and mischievous monkeys; Spot the parodies; dozens of scenes containing well known adaptations of movie or game elements to add to the humor; Master tons of special moves from Gromit, including head spins, back flips and the hysterical 'sneaking' moves.
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