Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that there is nothing offensive in this game. It tracks the storyline of the popular animated movie and stresses the importance of individuality. While this title is fun, parents should know that it only includes two types of games, dancing and racing downhill on a penguin's belly. These games increase in difficulty as kids play through the 23 levels. Also of note: this game is available on Sony's PlayStation 2, Nintendo GameCube, Nintendo Wii, Game Boy Advance, Windows PC, and Nintendo DS. In all versions kids control Mumble, but the Nintendo DS version being reviewed here offers the most innovative dance mechanics.
Families can talk about which type of game they prefer -- the dancing or the belly-sliding? And why? Did you mind that there were only two types of games? They might also want to discuss whether it is more important to be an individual or to conform to the opinion of a group. How do you think Mumble felt when he was asked to leave the penguin colony because he danced? Were the penguin elders being fair to Mumble?
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Jinny Gudmundsen
Mumble, the emperor penguin star of the Happy Feet movie, is tapping his little webbed feet throughout the video game world.
HAPPY FEET, the video game, is available on Sony's PlayStation 2, Nintendo GameCube, Nintendo Wii, Game Boy Advance, Windows PC, and Nintendo DS. In all versions kids control Mumble and relive the story of the movie, but the Nintendo DS version offers the most innovative dance mechanics, so we are reviewing that version here.
Unlike his fellow penguins who have a "heart song" to woo a mate, Mumble can't sing. Instead Mumble expresses himself through his tapping "happy feet." The elders of his penguin colony can't accept that he dances instead of sings, and irrationally conclude that his dancing is responsible for their dwindling fish supply. Mumble leaves home on a quest to find the "aliens" that are destroying the food supply.
In Happy Feet, kids relive the movie through a series of pictures and text. Interspersed with the storytelling are 23 missions. The missions take two formats: dancing or belly-sliding.
In the dancing missions, kids help Mumble tap dance by hitting colored dots that appear on the lower touch-sensitive screen. Each dot is accompanied by a larger timing circle that shrinks until it surrounds the colored dot. At the moment when the timing circle touches the outline of the dot, kids try to "tap" the dot with their stylus to earn points. The timing usually corresponds to the beat of a funky song that accompanies each mission.
Mumble's belly-sliding missions are shown from a camera angle of just over Mumble's shoulder. As he slides down mountains of snow and ice, the player controls his navigation with the stylus or by using the multi-directional keypad. The object is to avoid obstacles while trying to navigate through checkpoints and collect items. Some missions measure success in terms of time on the course, while others require you to pick up a certain number of items. The sliding courses get progressively harder and more visually exciting. A harder course requires you to bank at a right angle after sliding through long ramps of ice.
The 23 missions are engaging and fun if you like downhill racing and rhythm challenges. The dancing missions are particularly appealing, and use similar timing mechanics as those found in the highly rated Elite Beat Agents. All the missions can be replayed for a better score, or played with a friend in multi-player mode if both own a copy of the game. If racing and rhythm aren't your child's passion or you're looking for a more comprehensive game, rent or pass on this one.
Fans of this game will also enjoy Elite Beat Agents and Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix.
Rate It!
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Social BehaviorMumble sticks up for what he believes, and eventually saves the penguin colony. |
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CommercialismBased on the Happy Feet movie license. |
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Educational ValueTeaches hand-eye coordination, and ryhthm. |
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