Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that this game, based on the Ratatouille movie, is best for ages 7-13. Violent content is pretty minimal: Kids will see the same gun-toting Grandma from the beginning the movie, but when the chefs chase Remy out of the kitchen, they simply pick him up by the tail before he wiggles out of their grasp.
Families can talk about the story line of this game and how it differs from the movie. How was the rat able to use things in the human world in different ways from the way they were intended? What do you think about Remy's secretive relationship with Linguini? How is it different to see the world through the eyes of a rat?
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Jinny Gudmundsen
Ratatouille has become the darling of the 2007 summer movie offerings. RATATOUILLE, the video game based on the movie, is a children's game that does justice to this beguiling license.
This is a story about Remy, a rat who dreams of becoming a famous chef, and his tenuous relationship with Linguini, a clueless novice cook who works in a famous French kitchen. By directing Linguini's cooking, Remy rules the kitchen and whips up some fabulous cuisine.
In the Ratatouille console game (available on the Nintendo's Wii and Gamecube, Microsoft's Xbox 360, Sony's PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 2, Windows PC, and Macs), THQ showcases the charm of the movie characters and the unique perspective of looking at a human world through the eyes of a rat. The result is a top-notch kids' video game.
The game presents six beautifully drawn environments that are jam-packed with intriguing interactive objects. As Remy, you explore these environments to discover ways for a rat to move from the floor to the rafters as you take on over 20 missions. The gameplay asks you to be inventive as you scurry around as a rat. Everyday human objects become transportation steppingstones for a rat. A little paper cocktail umbrella can be your means of gliding from one side of the room to another. Likewise, if you knock a spool of string off a counter, you can use it as a tightrope to get down and back up. And opened sardine cans make great trampolines for little rodents.
Another plus in the game is that the animations are adorable and fun. You control whether Remy walks or dashes; and if he is in the latter mode and you make him turn suddenly, you have the option of controlling his slide -- a process that is exciting and hilarious to watch. Observing Remy delicately balance on strings and railings is equally charming as his little furry body sashays.
But what really moved this game from standard fare into excellence is the variety of gameplay. While, at its core, this is a platform puzzle game, it's so much more than that. There are special cooking games, wild rides down sewer pipes, and logic games about matching control buttons. There are chase games where Chef Skinner is right on your tail, and sneak missions where you have to find colanders and other objects to hide under. And balancing on beach balls is a great way to make it past a roach infestation.
For families with kids of different ages, the game can be played on five levels of difficulty (you have to unlock the Very Easy and the Nightmare levels). Also, there are several mini-games for two players to enjoy. And four players can compete for best score in Championship Mode. Another nice built-in feature for kids is the ability to use Remy's Scent Vision, which provides you a path to solving the mission.
If your family liked the Ratatouille movie, they will adore this console game. While the story line is a little different, the characters and environments are the same and equally enchanting.
Kids who enjoy this game might also want to check out these other movie-based video games: Over the Hedge and Cars.
Platform Notes
Game Boy Advance
Instead of being a platform game, the GBA version is a side-scrolling, top-down puzzler.
Nintendo DS
The DS version offers 15 levels of gameplay and uses both the touch screen and the microphone. Multi-player gameplay for the cooking games is available via download with only one cartridge necessary.
Nintendo Wii
In the Wii version of Ratatouille, and the controls were spot-on. They were responsive and intuitive. Sprinkled throughout the experience are minigames that make special use of the Wii remote controller. For example, if you are caught, you can \"shake\" loose. Need to make soup? No problem -- you can peel vegetables by swinging the remote in a circle, and chop them by moving it up and down in a slicing motion.
Reviewed: 07/17/2007
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Social BehaviorRemy tries to help his fellow rats, and also maintain a friendship with humans. |
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CommercialismThis is part of a movie franchise. |
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Educational ValueKids will exercise good logical thinking skill when they play the game. |
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