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Worms: A Space Oddity
(2008, Video Games - Strategy, Rated E10+)
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Is it age appropriate?
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Not age appropriate for kids under 9, age appropriate for kids over 10; suggested age 10. -
Is it any good?
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Common Sense says
Venerable strategy series gets the Wii treatment
Why We Rated This 
for Ages 10 and Up
The good stuff
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Educational value:
What to watch out for
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Violence:
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Sex:
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Language:
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Consumerism:
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Drinking, drugs, & smoking:
What Parents Need to Know
This review of Worms: A Space Oddity was written by Chad Sapieha
Parents need to know that this game is the latest in the long-running Worms franchise, which features small worms firing rockets and throwing grenades at one another in fully destroyable two-dimensional environments. The violence is pretty much non-stop, but it's directed entirely at worms, is highly cartoonish, and lacks even a hint of blood or gore. The edge is further removed thanks to some genuinely funny, all-ages quips spouted by the worms before and after attacks. This is most appropriate for tweens, who could have a fun time playing in groups of up to four players in the same room.
Families Can Talk About
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- Families can talk about the delicate relationship between violence and humor. Is the game funny despite its violence because its characters and settings are clearly unrealistic and cartoonlike? Would the game have been less funny and more unsettling had the characters been humans instead of worms? Families can also discuss the multi-player experience. Do you find that Worms games, which allow plenty of free time between turns, are more conducive to socializing with friends than games in which all participants must constantly focus on the action? When you play a Worms game with friends, is your goal to win, or simply to have a good time?
More on Worms: A Space Oddity
What’s the Story?
No matter how many times we karate chop them, blow them up with deranged lambs, or nudge them off cliffs, the worms just keep coming back. WORMS: A SPACE ODDITY, roughly the gazillionth game in the Worms franchise, might be the annelids' first outing on the Wii, but it will nonetheless feel very familiar to anyone with previous experience playing these 2-D, turn-based strategy games.
Same formula as always: Players command small groups of creepy crawlies as they wiggle their way across the screen to destroy their equally legless enemies. The differences this time out are the sci-fi settings and the fact that you get to use the Wii's motion sensitive and infrared controls to issue commands.
CloseIs It Any Good?
Worms: A Space Oddity has an uneasy relationship with Nintendo's slender white controller. Tossing weapons like grenades by first pressing the B-button to control strength and then flicking your wrist in a throwing motion proves both more intuitive and precise than the series' traditional hold-down-a-button-and-let-go-at-just-the-right-time method. But using the same thumb to control both movement (via the d-pad) and jumping (the A-button directly underneath) is a little awkward, especially for those with small hands. Overall, it's an improvement in the way you interact with your worms, but it will take time for franchise fans to grow accustomed to the new controls.
Once players figure out the controls, it's pretty much business as usual. As always, you can customize your worms' names, appearance, and voices (there are several hilarious new personality types, including a mock-grave narrator), construct your own maps, and choose whether to play the single-player campaign or local multi-player matches. We recommend multi-player; four-player Worms games have always been -- and remain -- a terrific social gaming experience. Aside from a few new space-y weapons, like the UFO air strike and the Atom Pack explosive charge, the only legitimately fresh content is found in a handful of mini-games. One of these challenges sees players using the Wii remote's motion-sensitive functionality to pilot a little rocket ship through a rocky cavern, while another involves sorting and placing shapes to create an object. Fairly fun stuff, but, like the rest of the game, not particularly ground-breaking. It's probably not worth $50 if you have any of the more recent console-based Worms titles, but worth a look if you're new to the series and on the prowl for a simple and casual multi-player game.
ClosePublisher’s Details
Released on 03/17/2008, price $49.99, not online enabled
ESRB rating: E10+ (for Mild Cartoon Violence, Mild Suggestive Themes)
ESRB rating: E10+ (for Mild Cartoon Violence, Mild Suggestive Themes)
Our Members Say
Most Recent Reviews
- I rate this title on for age 10 and give itMy concerns are:
- Inappropriate sexual content
- Safety is an issue
- My highlights are:
- Educational
it is perfect for kids please dwonload it fast
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Ratings at a Glance
| 100% | of parents say it's educational |
| 100% | of parents feel the site is not safe |
| 100% | of parents say the sexual behavior isn't age appropriate |
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