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Astro Boy: The Video Game

(2009, Video Games - Side-scroller, Rated E10+, Play it on: PlayStation 2, Nintendo DS, PSP, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo Wii)

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 8, age appropriate for kids over 11; suggested age 10.

  • Is it any good?

    4.0

  • Common Sense says

    Fantasy violence permeates movie-based side-scrolling game.

In this game kids can:   battle others, become a hero, improve hand-eye coordination, kill non-humans (without blood), play in a virtual world, play with others, whack cartoon characters

Why We Rated This iffy for Ages 10–11

The good stuff

  • Ease of play:

    The game's controls and interface are simple and intuitive but have plenty of depth.

  • Educational value:

    This is a fast-reflex, side-scrolling action game and requires solid hand/eye coordination and some sense of spatial relations.

  • Messages:

    Astro Boy's mission in the game is to save the city from an army of evil military robots and the fictional nation's president who controls them. Astro, an android "boy" rejected by his father, must find community and identity as a mechanical superhero, and these darker themes pop up within the game.

  • Role models:

    Though a robot, Astro Boy has human emotions and memories. He's an outcast who develops an identity as a hero. He presents a model for finding individual strengths and using them positively.
 

What to watch out for

  • Violence:

    The game emphasizes combat in which the hero destroys opponents with lasers, cannons, fists, bullets and assorted attacks. The enemies, like the hero, are robots, and presented as distinctly non-human foes. One weapon is called a "Butt Cannon" because it protrudes from that region of the robot. Defeated enemies disappear in a burst of light. In the "Arena Mode" you are trying to destroy as many robots as you can in a limited amount of time.

  • Sex:

    Not an issue.

  • Language:

    Not an issue.

  • Consumerism:

    The game is directly tied to the release of the feature film of the same name.

  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Not an issue.
 

What Parents Need to Know

This review of Astro Boy: The Video Game was written by Alex Porter

Parents need to know that Astro Boy: The Video Game, is rated E10+ because it contains a lot of fantasy violence. Robots, some very human in appearance and behavior, engage in destructive combat blowing each other apart. Astro Boy's weapons include hand cannons, a "drill attack," and a "butt machine gun," in which guns pop out of his bottom. Also, the game's themes and action could frighten younger kids.

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 the story. Astro Boy has a wealth of special powers, but contains human memories and emotions. He's an outcast and rejected by his father/creator and finds a home among the robots. Are there people and situations in the real world that parallel this story?
  • Astro Boy: The Video Game has similar rejection story themes to Pinocchio, Iron Giant and Wall-E. Familes can talk about those themes.
  • The style of game (2-D sidescroller) is relatively old fashioned. Does the absence of 3-D graphics and gameplay make a difference?
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More on Astro Boy: The Video Game

What’s the Story?

ASTRO BOY: THE VIDEO GAME follows the story of the feature, animated film which is an updated version of a classic, Japanese cartoon hero. Astro Boy is created by scientist, Dr. Tenma as a substitue for his dead son. Tenma soon decides the robot boy is no replacement for a real boy and banishes him from the city, a floating metropolis, to earth. There he befriends other outcast robots and re-fashions himself as a hero. Ultimately, Astro must save his father's city from the evil President Stone and his mechanized army. The game uses classic, side scrolling action in 2-D, though the characters and environments are presented with three dimensional look. The fast paced gameplay takes place in the air, with Astro flying and blasting aircraft, and on the ground. Players deploy punches, arm cannons, machine guns, lasers, and a drill attack to defeat mechanical foes. Each weapon and skill upgrades as players progress through the game. There's also a cooperative mode where two players can team up and an Arena Mode to take out as many robots as you can in a limited time.

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Is It Any Good?

The controls are simple, and the gameplay fun and challenging. For older players weaned on 2-D side-scrollers such as Gradius, Mega Man, Contra, the gameplay will scratch a nostalgic itch, and younger gamers will enjoy the fast, sometimes chaotic action. Appropriate difficulty levels make the game easy enough to dip into, but extremlely challenging for advanced players. Cooperative gameplay is particularly satisfying, as players buddy up to defeat an onslaught of robot foes.

 

Astro Boy: The Video Game is not especially innovative or graphically impressive title. Still, for fans of the franchise and the style of gameplay or those looking for a simple, well-designed and fun experience, this is a worthwhile game.  

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Publisher’s Details

Released on 10/20/2009, price $29.99-$39.99, not online enabled
ESRB rating: E10+ (for Fantasy Violence)

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