Madagascar Kartz

Review

Common Sense Media says

Amiable movie tie-in racer offers chaotic fun and laughs.
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

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What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this amusing racing game provides a relatively harmless way for young fans of the Madagascar movies (or Shrek or Monsters vs. Aliens) to enjoy playing with some favorite film characters. The humor in the game is far less coarse than that in the movies and the cartoonish violence -- which comes in the form of outrageous booby traps for opponents -- never rises to the level of even the mildest Tom & Jerry skit.

  • Positive messages0
    There aren't many messages to speak of in the game, but Gloria the hippo frequently makes remarks about her own large size (e.g., "throwing my weight around"). As in the movies, her character seems based almost entirely around being heavy.The penguins slap each other in the face when they lose, but it is meant to be funny.
  • Positive role models0
    As in many racing game, the driving on display is not exactly safe. Racers are encouraged to sabotage opponents to get ahead.
  • Ease of play4
    Play control is relatively simple on all systems, but exceptionally so on the Wii version, where steering is handled with mere tilts of the remote.
  • Violence & scariness1
    Racers can impede one another's vehicles in cartoony ways, such as tossing beehives or spiders at them, leaving bombs on the road, or sending a giant shark chomping its way along the course. The team of penguins that drive one of the karts will sometimes slap one another across the face when they lose a race.
  • Language0
    Racers occasionally goad and taunt one another, but not in any really  malicious ways.
  • Consumerism2
    Aside from the obvious tie to the Madagascar movies, characters and setting from other Dreamworks films (Shrek and Monsters vs. Aliens) are also featured. The Wii version can be bought along with a custom Madagascar steering wheel for the controller to fit into. The controller comes with Madagascar logo decals for decorating.
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What's it about?

MADAGASCAR KARTZ is a racing game in the tradition of Mario Kart. Cartoon animals from the movie Madagascar race each other in suped-up vehicles through landscapes such as a tropical beach, an African savanna, a volcano, and a New York zoo. Along the way, racers can use silly power-ups to either get ahead or sabotage their opponents. Some power-ups include a giant protective crate that surrounds the players car and a disco ball that causes opposing drivers to dance and makes steering more difficult for them. You can unlock the bonus characters from the Shrek and Monsters vs. Aliens
movies.

Is it any good?

 

Anyone who has played the Mario Kart games will know exactly what they're in for with Madagascar Kartz as well. Fans of one will enjoy the other. Madagascar Kartz benefits from appealing graphics, easy-to-use controls, and some creatively humorous power-ups. On the negative side, the number of racers -- and worse, the number of courses -- feels far too small. Racing games are built on replay value and without more variety, this one may soon lose its luster with many kids. Like many racing game, Madagascar Kartz works best in multiplayer and will serve best as a party game for groups.

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What families can talk about

  • Families can talk about good sportsmanship. Is it ever okay to taunt or tease an opponent?

  • How are traps and cheats in a game like this different from cheating in a game or race in real life?

This review was written by Christopher Healy
Parent of 8 year old
July 31, 2010
AGE
7
 
Good to learn about video games
As a first game my 7yo took a little while to learn how to steer. But if every driver on the road was as good as she is after a few tries, we'd all be safer.
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Helped me decide (10) | Had useful details (11) | Read my mind (17)
Flag as inappropriate 
Parent of 6 and 9 year old
November 2, 2009
AGE
5
 
A fun game for 5 and up
Really enjoying playing this with my son and daughter they are 5 and 7 years old and like the characters more than Mario Kart. The penguins are our favorite.
Was this review useful?
Helped me decide (12) | Had useful details (9) | Read my mind (9)
Flag as inappropriate 
See all user reviews
This review was written by Christopher Healy
Platforms:Nintendo Wii, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Nintendo DS, Nintendo DSi
Available online?Not available online
Genre:Racing
Developer:Activision
Release date:October 27, 2009
Price:$19.99–$39.99
ESRB rating:E for Comic Mischief
This review was written by Christopher Healy

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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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