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Aliens in the Attic

(2009, Video Games - Action/Adventure, Rated E10+, Play it on: PlayStation 2, Windows, Nintendo DS, Nintendo Wii)

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 9, age appropriate for kids over 10; suggested age 10.

  • Is it any good?

    3.0

  • Common Sense says

    Movie-based game has mildly humorous mayhem.

In this game kids can:   battle others, be creative, improve hand-eye coordination, kill non-humans (without blood), play multiplayer games, play with others, solve puzzles, whack cartoon characters

Why We Rated This on for Ages 10 and Up

The good stuff

  • Ease of play:

    Easy controls, except for when the double-jump button doesn't work. Then, it's challenging because there is a lot of platform puzzling and it becomes difficult to jump up onto the platforms. The game has frequent check-points which is good, but it ramps up in difficulty too quickly.

  • Educational value:

    Not an issue.

  • Messages:

    This game sends some mixed messages. One positive message is that is is good to work together with others to try to achieve a goal (for these aliens, that is trying to get the Sizematron to work). On the negative side, you are playing as huge-egoed aliens who want to rule the universe.
 

What to watch out for

  • Role models:

    You are playing as aliens who are trying to take over Earth. Even though they are power-hungry, the aliens  work well together to accomplish goals.

  • Violence:

    You play from the perspective of the aliens and use fantasy violence. You can scratch, punch, stun, throw grenades, and fire guns. There is no blood. When you fall into a fiery canyon, you'll moan and there will be stars around your head from boinking it. Then you begin again from the last checkpoint. You never really die.

  • Sex:

    Not an issue.

  • Language:

    Not an issue.

  • Consumerism:

    This video game is based on the movie of the same name.

  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Not an issue.
 

What Parents Need to Know

This review of Aliens in the Attic was written by Harold Goldberg

Parents need to know that  this action/adventure game is based on the Aliens in the Attic movie. It contains some mild fantasy violence as each of the four aliens has its own special attack. Kids play from the perspective of the aliens trying to take over Earth. Some kids may be frustrated at the precision you need to jumpoff of one platform to make it to another platform and the unpredictable controls.

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 whether you wanted to play this game because you saw the movie, because of marketing related to the movie, or because you just like alien games?
  • Did you find the controls to be weak or just right?
Did this review help you decide?
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More on Aliens in the Attic

What’s the Story?

Once again, the aliens are coming. In ALIENS IN THE ATTIC, the video game based on the movie of the same name, the Pearson family heads to Michigan and a seemingly terrific vacation house. But the house is occupied by aliens, crusty, gremlin-sized curmudgeons who want to, you guessed it, take over the world. In this platformer, you’ll play as four aliens trying to get the Sizematron to work so they can grow as big as the humans they seek to dominate. Close

Is It Any Good?

With one to four players, you play through 15 levels based on the movie’s plot, sometimes filled with mildly humorous mayhem. The game suffers from being short, something not uncommon with movie-based games from smaller publishers. Also, in the Wii version, pressing the ‘A’ button twice to jump high doesn’t always work. And the game's difficulty ramps up too quickly.

Although the camera and graphics are nicely tuned, the fact that the double jump doesn’t work well is frustrating. Depending on which alien you choose, you can stun a human, use sharp fingernails to slash, create grenades, or use your teeth. When playing on the Wii, shaking the Wii remote lets you pull off these attacks quickly. Overall, though, Aliens in the Attic has spotty gameplay. Try it before you buy it to make sure it’s for you.

Close

Publisher’s Details

Released on 8/4/2009, price $39.99, not online enabled
ESRB rating: E10+ (for Fantasy Violence)

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Most Recent Reviews

  1. Kid Reviewer Age 11
    Sanjay407
    Lives in Florida
    I rate this title on for age 2 and give it 5.0
    My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence
    • Excessive consumerism

    • My highlights are:
    • Positive messages
    • Good role models
    • Safety isn't an issue
    • Easy to play

    Flag as inappropriate

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