 | 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. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
- Nintendo Wii, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Nintendo DS, Nintendo DSi, Windows, PSP
- Price: $49.99
- Genre: Action/Adventure
Common Sense Media says
Fun movie-based action game has constant but mild violence.
Parents say
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this action adventure game is associated with the movie Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, and, peripherally, the children’s book upon which the film is based. It features frequent but mild cartoon violence. Players use gadgets like a heat ray gun to melt pesky snowmen, a spring-loaded boxing glove to punch hamburgers, and a cheese slicer to dice up aggressive gummy bears, all while avoiding environmental perils such as pools of hot chili and falling steaks. The player’s character turns red and falls down when he takes damage.
What's it about?
Based on the movie of the same name (which, in turn, is based on a popular kids book), CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS is an action adventure game for children that has players dealing with the repercussions of an invention that makes enormous food fall from the sky. Armed with a diverse array of gadgets, including the Hot Enougher (a heat ray gun), the Bigacious Pow (a spring-loaded boxing glove), and the Chopper-er (a big cheese slicer), players take on enemies such as snow men and gummy bears as they dash through food cluttered environments. They’ll also need to clean up some of the massive chow littering the city by, say, mashing raviolis to bits with the Forkamajigger (a big fork) and using the Upsucker Plus (a big vacuum) to spray coffee on sugar cubes and melt them. Two players are accommodated via a jump-in co-op mode.
Is it any good?
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs’ unique plot clearly provided the game’s developers with plenty of fodder for interesting play scenarios, and they’ve done a decent job turning them into a fun interactive experience that’s accessible to the film’s target audience. Players get to use the huge food in innovative ways, such as zipping up strings of spaghetti, employing jelly cakes as trampolines, and climbing up walls coated in sticky honey. And upgrading gadgets by searching out and destroying foodpods (giant strawberries, balls of ice cream, and cheese puffs), which are often hidden in clever places just off screen, is surprisingly compelling.
The game spends little time developing our nerdy, likeable hero, who may have had a valuable lesson to teach kids about
taking responsibility for one’s actions had the story been fleshed out
a little more. Also, the game’s 20 or so missions begin to feel a bit repetitive midway through, but it’s doubtful most kids will even notice, what with all of the fun food shenanigans.
Online interaction: Not an issue.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about ambition. Is it important for you to try to make a mark on the world? Would you be satisfied living a normal, relatively quiet life? What do you think you’d like to do to make yourself known? Have you considered that, regardless of your accomplishments, there would likely be those who disapproved and openly criticized you? How do you think you'd respond to living in the limelight?
What made you choose this game? Was it because you had read the book or seen the movie? Did the game live up to your expectations? Do you think it is good to make games based on other media?
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AGE
This Game Is Fun And A Little Bit Hard
It Took Me A Long Time To Find This Game In Stores So I Bought It On Amazon*. This Game Is Fun And It Should Be Rated 10+.
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AGE
lol this game looks so funny and cool to play i will send out my bro to get the game!!!!!
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Kid, 12 years old
May 23, 2010
AGE
Boring and fun
The graphics and the game are both similar to NIcktoons Unite. I'd say give it a 2/5 because it was pretty fun and I enjoyed the movie Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. Not my worst game yet but pretty awful. Easy except for the ending, when you get to the top, the enemies are harder and the game is more difficult. But the puzzles are pretty easy to work out.
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| Platforms: | Nintendo Wii, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Nintendo DS, Nintendo DSi, Windows, PSP |
| Available online? | Not available online |
| Genre: | Action/Adventure |
| Developer: | UbiSoft |
| Release date: | September 18, 2009 |
| Price: | $49.99 |
| ESRB rating: | E for Comic Mischief, Mild Cartoon Violence |
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