Disney Tangled

 Review

Common Sense Media says

Clunky game adaptation features co-op play, sword fighting.
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
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Parents say

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Kids say

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that Disney Tangled is based on the film of the same name and that many children will likely want to play it simply because of its recognizable title and characters. It features some mild cartoon violence of the whack-a-bad-guy variety; no one is seriously hurt or killed, but the objects doing the whacking are usually swords.

  • The story concerns Rapunzel and Flynn’s adventures together. Cooperation is a primary theme; Flynn protects Rapunzel from bad guys and clears paths with his sword while the princess lets Flynn use her long hair as a makeshift rope and can pull obstacles out of the way. They can also hold hands to travel together as one. Teamwork plays an even more important role when other players join the game.
  • Rapunzel is good natured, but a little flighty and perhaps too reliant on her companion for protection. Flynn, meanwhile, performs typical male hero duties, including sword fighting and clearing physical obstacles. However, the spirit of cooperation they portray is admirable.
  • The controls are very simple to get the hang of, particularly if you use only the Wii remote rather than the remote-plus-nunchuk scheme. Young kids should be able to play with success as long as they can read.
  • Enemy soldiers attempt to whack the game’s heroes with their swords. As Rapunzel, players can hit enemy soldiers with a frying pan to knock them down. As Flynn, players use a sword to bash enemies to the ground, where they fall asleep and disappear. There is no indication of serious injury or death.
  • Not applicable.
  • Not applicable.
  • This is an adaption of the Disney film. Many kids will covet it based solely on its name and recognizable characters.
  • One level takes place largely inside an inn in which kegs line the walls and patrons drink from large beer steins.

What's it about?

Inspired by the new film of the same name, DISNEY TANGLED puts players in control of two players at once: a princess with long magical hair named Rapunzel and her companion Flynn. They adventure in search of the mysterious lights she has watched float through skies from the balcony of the tower in which she lived. Players can use the princess's long golden tresses in a wide variety of ways, from healing and growing flowers to a makeshift rope that Flynn can climb to a means of pulling heavy objects. Flynn, meanwhile, uses his upgradable sword to defend the pair from enemy soldiers and hack away at obstacles such as dead bushes. Solo players have the ability to switch between Rapunzel and Flynn on a whim, but up to four players can play cooperatively at the same time, with two taking on the roles of the heroes and two others helping them by waggling their remotes to break environmental objects and defeat enemies.


Is it any good?

 

Disney Tangled isn’t a particularly enchanting interactive experience. Play scenarios are repetitive and level design is unimaginative. Older kids will likely find it grows dull and monotonous within the first couple of levels. Younger kids may have fun with it, but only because it features characters with which they are familiar. Even they may grow bored and frustrated as they deal with Flynn and Rapunzel’s often dim artificial intelligence (suggestion: make liberal use of the protagonists’ ability to hold each other’s hands to ensure they don’t, say, accidentally fall off ledges).

What’s more, production values are pretty dismal. From blocky character models to drab environmental designs, the game’s visuals are decidedly previous generation. The actors do a fine job of reprising their roles in the narrative scenes between levels, but they repeat themselves perpetually during play. Long story short, this is a flimsy game adaptation.


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What families can talk about

  • Families can talk about gender roles in games. Do you think Rapunzel and Flynn represent traditional “stranded princess” and “male rescuer” archetypes? Why or why not?

  • Families can also discuss the game’s use of swords in combat. No one gets hurt, but does that make fighting with swords okay for a game with such a young intended audience? Could it give some children the impression that one can swing at others with a blade without hurting them?


This review was written by Chad Sapieha
Kid, 12 years old
November 26, 2010
 
its good for older kids and younger kids
i loooooooooove it!!!!!!!!!!

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Teen, 14 years old
November 27, 2010
 
great game
this is a pretty good game. I think younger kids (8, 9) will really get into it. There is some violence in it, but nothing to mature for younger ones.

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Kid, 12 years old
November 26, 2010
 
i really like this

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This review was written by Chad Sapieha
Platforms:Nintendo Wii, Nintendo DS, Nintendo DSi
Available online?Not available online
Genre:Action/Adventure
Developer:Disney Interactive
Release date:November 23, 2010
Price:$29.99-39.99
ESRB rating:E for Cartoon Violence

This review was written by Chad Sapieha

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About our rating system
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.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.

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