 | 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. |
Pirates Vs. Ninjas Dodgeball
- Nintendo Wii, Xbox 360
- Price: $29.99
- Genre: Sports
Common Sense Media says
Agressive, knockout dodgeball with zany characters falters.
Parents say
Kids say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this game has cartoon violence with some animated blood shown, that some of the pirate characters use alcohol and tobacco, and that there is flirting.
What's it about?
Zombies have always been popular in horror-based games. Recently, you've seen them in more casual games like Plants vs. Zombies. Now, they appear in a dodgeball game called PIRATES VS. NINJAS DODGEBALL. It's a game which pits the yo-ho-ho-ers against zombies (as well as ninjas, mushroom men, and vampires) in a story, that's, well, confusing. Essentially, the ninjas, zombies, and mushroom men are threatening the pirates' existence. As to why they all end up playing dodgeball is never explained.
When playing dodgeball, the controls are fairly straightforward. You move in the direction of your opponent. Once a blue halo surrounds them, you flick your Wii remote to throw the ball at a zombie, ninja, or robot. You sometimes can approach your enemy and whack at them with your sword via a flick of the Wiimote as well. And you can catch a ball aimed at you or dive out of the way. If you dare, you can play via multiplayer, with up to four friends. There is no online capability, though. You can go at it in two ways: traditional dodgeball or 'dodgebrawl' which allows you to move anywhere on the court, as well as punch, slash, and use powerups.
Is it any good?
All of this sounds pretty cool -- in theory. In practice, the game will frustrate many because the controls and camera angles need work. The script tries to be funny, but isn't. It also has grammatical and punctuation errors and needs editing. While the game appears in 3D, you have no sense of depth due to the birdseye view you're given of the game.
Additionally, the controls need some serious work. Sometimes, you press 'A' to catch a ball and it doesn't work. The alacrity with which you throw a ball doesn't seem to matter, either. In the Wii version, if you flick the remote slowly or quickly, you get the same result as far as velocity goes. And sometimes, your console-controlled teammate will throw a ball at you! With six more months of effort this could have been a compelling game: it has the beginnings of fairly unique characterization, story, and game design. As it stands now, however, it's maddening, frustrating, and disappointing.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about which of the characters you like
best. Which ones move more quickly and which is slowest? If you had the chance to
play dodgeball with pirates, ninjas, mushroom men, vampires, or zombies, which
would it be and why?
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AGE
great
my parents think the blood is unnessery but my parents play it with me every once in a while my brother plays with me all the time
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| Platforms: | Nintendo Wii, Xbox 360 |
| Available online? | Not available online |
| Genre: | Sports |
| Developer: | Southpeak Interactive |
| Release date: | May 13, 2009 |
| Price: | $29.99 |
| ESRB rating: | E10+ for Animated Blood, Cartoon Violence, Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol, Use of Tobacco |
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