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Over the Hedge

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 6, age appropriate for kids over 7; suggested age 7.

  • Is it any good?

    4.0
  • Common Sense says

    Finally -- a movie-based game worth playing.

Why We Rated This on for Ages 7 and Up

The good stuff

  • Educational value:

    Challenges kids to think logically
  • Messages:

    There's a message about sticking up for friends.

What to watch out for

  • Violence & scariness:

    Characters use golf clubs, hockey sticks, ball launchers, and other similar weapons.
  • Sexy stuff:

    Not an issue.
  • Language:

    Some crude humor.
  • Consumerism:

    The woodland creatures love junk food, but the brands aren't real.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Not an issue.

What Parents Need to Know

This review of Over the Hedge was written by Jinny Gudmundsen

Parents need to know that kids play this family-friendly game in the same animated world as the movie. Animals fight with golf clubs, hockey sticks, etc., but no one dies (the defeated just fade away); there's some crude humor, but none of it is too offensive. Kids can play the game in the single-player mode or with a friend in a cooperative mode. The game challenges kids to think logically as they figure out how to navigate through each mission, and there's a positive message about sticking up for friends.

Families Can Talk About

Talk to your kids about the media in their life. We have more tools and tips that can help
  • Families can talk about games based on movies, helping kids understand how games like these can be powerful marketing tools. Why do games like this get made? How does a game help promote a movie -- and vice versa? What's fun about these kinds of games? Does this one live up to your expectations?
Did this review help you decide?

OK for Your Kids to Play?

Do you play it? Review It!

More on Over the Hedge

What’s the Story?

In the OVER THE HEDGE video game, kids have a chance to become the stars of the Over the Hedge movie. Primarily set one year after the movie, the game focuses on a group of undomesticated animal friends who sneak through the hedge that separates the wild from the suburban world, searching for human food and gadgets. They also need to rescue a friend who's trapped by an exterminator.

Kids complete over 30 mission-filled levels to win this game, which has three levels of difficulty. Each mission has clearly delineated primary and secondary goals; completing the primary goals unlocks the next level. Kids can play alone or with a friend in a cooperative mode. Players seamlessly switch between characters, and a second player can come in and out of the game on the fly.

Is It Any Good?

Dialogue is spoken as well as presented with subtitles. Kids can't get lost in the suburban sprawl because the game limits the area for play within each level. It's meaty, too. There are 135 primary goals, and there are three fun Mini games to unlock.

In the end, the game's not as funny as the movie, but it does extend the experience, even providing new characters and locations. Over the Hedge fans will certainly enjoy this game since it provides the same fast-paced action and clever interaction with the human world, while also offering a wide variety of gameplay.

Publisher’s Details

Developer: Activision
Released on: 06/02/2006, Price: $39.99 , not online enabled
ESRB Rating: E10+ for cartoon violence and crude humor

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Our Members Say

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Most Recent Reviews

  1. Kid Reviewer Age 11
    Lives in Ohio
    I rate this title on for age 12 and give it 1.0

  2. Teen Reviewer Age 14
    Lives in Alabama
    I rate this title on for age 0 and give it 5.0

  3. Teen Reviewer Age 17
    Lives in New York
    I rate this title on for age 0 and give it 5.0

  4. Teen Reviewer Age 14
    Lives in Michigan
    I rate this title on for age 0 and give it 5.0

  5. Teen Reviewer Age 16
    Lives in Pennsylvania
    I rate this title on for age 0 and give it 4.0

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