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  • $19.99
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Daniel X: The Ultimate Power (Nintendo DS, Nintendo DSi)

common sense media says

Alien action game with combat and superpowers.

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What parents need to know

Parents need to know that Daniel X: The Ultimate Power is based on a series of books written by James Patterson.  It features a main character who has the power to create items and his friends, as well as the ability to transform in to various shapes such as a bird or soccer ball to get around the play area. Players will kick and punch waves of enemy aliens while trying to clean up an alien planet of its scum.

Educational value: Not applicable.
Positive messages: While taking out aliens using violence isn’t the most positive approach to things, the characters are trying to save other people throughout. Daniel also relies on his friends for feedback and guidance throughout, showing that not everything can be done alone.
Positive role models: Characters that the player controls and interact with are generally good. Some good-natured ribbing of friends takes place between the main character and his friends, but nothing too negative is spoken.
Ease of play: The game follows a traditional approach where portions of the map are available to explore, and as more talents are unlocked, new areas become available. Controlling the character is very simple and easy to learn, and new moves and powers are explained when unlocked.
Violence: Violence in this game is cartoony and of the fantasy sort. No blood or gore is shown. Characters simply flash and then disappear when defeated. Enemies are alien beings and may resemble humans, and some weapons such as glowing bomb, lasers, and swords are used. There is hand-to-hand combat as well and telekinetic powers.
Sex: Not applicable.
Language: Very mild in terms of content, such as calling someone a "jerk," but some phrases are quite adult in nature.
Consumerism: The game is a brand, based on a character that James Patterson created, so books and graphic novels are the other items that carry this name
Drinking, drugs, & smoking: Not applicable.
Our ratings and reviews are informed by child development guidelines. Learn more.

More on Daniel X: The Ultimate Power

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What's the story?

What's the story?
Daniel is an alien who’s family raised him on Earth as a human, but his real task in life is to hunt down aliens on The List. DANIEL X: THE ULTIMATE POWER picks up with Daniel fighting one alien from his list, only to be defeated and transported to a new alien world. Here he meets up with new characters who live and work on the planet and he helps them to overcome some issues with the hostile aliens who’ve taken over their world.
As Daniel works towards his goal of taking down another alien from The List, he uncovers a magical power source on this new planet which grants him superpowers. Similar to the far superior Metroid series of games, Daniel learns new powers to help him get through smaller openings and to telekinetic blast his way through obstacles that normal attacks won’t budge. With the support of his friends, who he can create from thin air at certain points in the game, Daniel isn’t ever truly alone while saving this new world.

Is it any good?

Is it any good?
 

Initially, the similarity to Metroid was an exciting concept but it didn’t take long for the novelty of the imitation to wear off. Combat is almost purely hand-to-hand, featuring kicks and punches from Daniel while his enemies get to use weapons later in the game. Daniel does wield the power of telekinesis which allows him to grab and throw enemies across the screen. The game consists of traversing locations to  find the right power to help unlock access to a new locale, which can lead to a lot of backtracking through multiple levels.

One great feature is the short puzzle segment that is activated whenever a new power is about to be unlocked. Players must trace increasingly more complex geometric shapes using the stylus, the trick being that you cannot lift the stylus nor can retrace an existing line. These small diversions in the game helped break the monotony of running from room to room and fighting any baddie that gets in the way. As a small bonus, if you have the Nintendo DSi you can take advantage of a mode which prompts you to take a photo of people and pets with the built in camera. The game will then scan the picture and tell you if the person is human or an alien.

Game themes & details

Game Details
Available on: Nintendo DS, Nintendo DSi
Not available online
Genre: Action/Adventure
Developer: THQ
Released on: January 12, 2010
Price: 19.99
ESRB Rating: E10+ for Fantasy violence
Screenshots
This review was written by Jeff Paramchuk
 
 

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