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Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs

(2009, Video Games - Action/Adventure, Rated E, Play it on: Nintendo DS, Nintendo Wii, PlayStation 3, PSP, Windows, Xbox 360, Nintendo DSi)

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 5, age appropriate for kids over 9; suggested age 7.

  • Is it any good?

    4.0

  • Common Sense says

    Fun movie-based action game has constant but mild violence.

In this game kids can:   battle others, become a hero, kill non-humans (without blood), play multiplayer games, use logic to win, whack cartoon characters

Why We Rated This iffy for Ages 7–9

The good stuff

  • Ease of play:

    The game’s controls are intuitive and its objectives are obvious. Experienced gamers will be at home immediately. Kids who haven’t spent much time with games yet should be able to learn the ropes in minutes.

  • Online interaction:

    Not an issue.

  • Messages:

    Like the movie, this game is about a young scientist who has to be accountable for a machine of his own creation that is wreaking havoc on the world. Unfortunately, the game spends very little time developing characters or plot, which means the theme of responsibility is somewhat lost amid the action.

  • Role models:

    Our hero is a mild mannered scientist who simply wants to do something important and make his mark on the world. When his actions turn out to have consequences he didn't intend, he takes responsibility and does his best to fix the situation.
 

What to watch out for

  • Violence & scariness:

    Players go up against a variety of non-human creatures, including gummy bears that ram them and snowmen that throw muddy snowballs. They also have to watch out for environmental perils, including pools of hot chili and steaks that fall from the sky. The player’s character flashes red when taking damage and falls down when his health is gone. Players have a variety of gadgets with which to defend themselves, including a gun with a spring-loaded boxing glove, a cheese slicer, and a heat ray that melts frozen creatures.

  • Language:

    Not an issue.

  • Consumerism:

    This game is a tie-in product for the recently released children’s movie of the same name.
 

What Parents Need to Know

This review of Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs was written by Chad Sapieha

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.

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 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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More on Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs

What’s the Story?

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. Close

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.

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Publisher’s Details

Released on 9/18/2009, price $49.99, not online enabled
ESRB rating: E (for Comic Mischief, Mild Cartoon Violence)

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Most Recent Reviews

  1. Teen Reviewer Age 14
    true-love
    I rate this title on for age 10 and give it 3.0
    • My highlights are:
    • Easy to play

    lol this game looks so funny and cool to play i will send out my bro to get the game!!!!!

    This review...

    Helped me decide | Had useful details | Read my mind
    Flag as inappropriate
  2. Parent Reviewer
    Candylover789
    I rate this title iffy for age 4 and give it 5.0
    • My highlights are:
    • Easy to play

    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.com. This Game Is Fun And It Should Be Rated 10+.

    This review...

    Helped me decide | Had useful details | Read my mind
    Flag as inappropriate
  3. Kid Reviewer Age 11
    wale
    I rate this title on for age 4 and give it 5.0
    • My highlights are:
    • Educational
    • Positive messages
    • Good role models
    • Safety isn't an issue
    • Easy to play

    Flag as inappropriate

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