Centipede: Infestation

Review

Common Sense Media says

Arcade shooter in which you take down waves of mutated bugs.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
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What parents need to know

Parents need to know that Centipede: Infestation is an upgraded version of the old arcade game where the point is to shoot and kill giant mutated bugs in an apocalyptic setting. The game is very cartoonish in appearance, but the bugs' attacks create a frenetic feel as players attempt to score as many points as they possibly in each level to unlock items such as gallery art, musical tracks, and game clips.  

  • Positive messages0
    While there is a hint of a story, it is never really fleshed out. The game is about scoring the most points (either in a single-player or two-player setting) by shooting giant bugs.
  • Positive role models0
    In this third person shooter, you control a guy who is trying to kill hundreds of mutated bugs.
  • Ease of play3
    This is a point-and-shoot game on the Wii, using the Wii-mote to point or aim and the nunchuk to control movement. The game uses a top-down viewpoint so bugs can come from many different angles. Players move around a teenage boy named Max and use the control pad to select different weapon (up to four can be keyed into the direction buttons) for different effects. Instead of merely moving back and forth, Max can move in any direction within the level's playing field. Move, shoot and then repeat. The controls are easy, but mastering the technique may take some practice. There are two difficulty settings, with "normal" being forgiving whereas "hard" is not (Max can't withstand attacks in normal, but can't in hard).
  • Violence3
    Players use different guns (like rapid-fire lasers, pulsed wave guns, and flamethrowers), to kill wave after wave of big, mutated bugs, including ants, centipedes, spiders, beetles and more. Unlocked gun turrets are all used when the bugs start to swarm. Players will hear a bit of a squishy sound when bugs are killed, they usually fall back and fall apart and sometimes there is greenish goo that appears upon their death. When the lead character, Max, is hit, he flashes red and his health bar diminishes. If Max is hit enough times, it is game over. Everything is presented with an animated cartoon feel.
  • Sex0
    Not applicable.
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What's it about?

CENIPEDE: INFESTATION centers on an orphaned teen, Max, who is wandering a post-apocalyptic wasteland, and using his speed with a variety of weapons to hold off an invasion of giant, mutated bugs that attack ferociously and frantically. Along the way, he encounters a young girl who has seeds to grow vegetation on the planet and another teen-aged boy (who is actually Max's brother) who relies on strength, not weapon speed, to dispatch the insect horde. While there is a story, it takes a distant backseat to the action, which is arcade-like and focuses on scoring the most points per level by annihilating as many bugs as possible (including the big centipedes at the end of each level) as fast as possible without taking damage.

Is it any good?

 

Centipede: Infestation is a reflexive game with minor undertones of strategy. It is a far cry from the original Centipede game, and somewhat repetitious in the action it offers. On a positive note, the levels and environments change and create their own challenge, and there are enough power-ups to allow players to think through the levels and record high scores. There is definitely homage paid to the original, but Centipede Infestation, while mildly entertaining, just doesn't capture that same magic.

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This review was written by Michael Lafferty

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This review was written by Michael Lafferty
Topics:magic and fantasy
Platforms:Nintendo Wii, Nintendo 3DS
Available online?Not available online
Genre:Arcade
Developer:Atari
Release date:October 25, 2011
Price:$29.99
ESRB rating:E10+ for Animated blood, fantasy violence
This review was written by Michael Lafferty

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ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
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BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
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