Puss in Boots

 Review

Common Sense Media says

Hilarious action game with great motion controls.
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.

Find out more

Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

Find out more

Parents say

Not yet rated

Kids say

Not yet rated

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this Kinect version of Puss in Boots requires players to physically mimic a lot of fighting motions. The sword battles here are all played for laughs and the violence is very cartoony, but enemies will be slashed, kicked, clawed, knocked over walls, smashed over the head with guitars, and more. Be aware that, as Puss, you will also have to woo and serenade female cats, though it's far more silly than sexy. Versions of the game also exist for the Wii and PS3, and while both of those also use motion controls, the movement is contained to one hand, creating a very different and less visceral experience.

  • Puss is seeking to make amends for his past wrongs (he was tricked into stealing from his own town).
  • Puss has a huge ego and considers himself quite the ladies' man (cat?), but he also values his honor. He's stealing, but stealing from bad guys (a la Robin Hood). Ultimately, he just wants to set right the mistakes he's made in the past.
  • The Kinect controls are very intuitive -- you basically perform the types of movements you want Puss to make on screen (jumping, sneaking, balancing, dodging, etc.).
  • There are many sword-fighting sequences. With the Kinect controls, you'll be physically mimicking many of Puss's moves: Swing your arm to slash with your sword, kick to boot a bandit backwards into a trap, scratch in the air to claw at your enemies. One chase sequence has a villain throwing bombs at you.
  • Puss professes his love to every she-cat he comes across. In several funny sequences, you'll have to play guitar to serenade the ladies. Nothing comes off as inappropriate, though.

What's it about?

In PUSS IN BOOTS, the swashbuckling title cat teams up with Humpty Dumpty and another "cat burglar" to steal magic beans from thieves Jack and Jill. His plan is to climb the magic beanstalk and steal golden eggs from the castle in the clouds in order to repay the villagers he was tricked into robbing years earlier. The adventure involves many sword duels, acrobatic jumping sequences, and sneaky stealth missions as the heroes work their way across old-timey Mexico and the American Southwest.


Is it any good?

 

It's easy to appreciate the creativity that went into crafting Puss in Boots, as well as the clever use of the Kinect full-body motion controls. The ways in which you can dispose of enemies during fights are often hilarious, like triggering a giant fish to fall on one or knocking one headfirst into a rain barrel. And performing such feats is made fun and easy when all you need to do is hop to the side to position the bad guy where you want him and then thrust your foot forward to send him tumbling backward into the trap you've set.

But the game is far from all fighting, which is why it ends up being so enjoyable. You need to tiptoe to sneak past enemies -- and freeze in place when needed, like an impromptu game of "Red Light, Green Light." You need to jump and climb with expert timing through plentiful acrobatic sections. You will have to pull off some lightning quick poses in a dance battle that is so funny, you may end up losing just because you're laughing. All in all, the Kinect controls -- used to great advantage here -- make Puss in Boots a very fun ride.


Sign Up Message
Sign up for our weekly newsletter
Each week we send a customized newsletter to our parent and teen subscribers. Parents can customize their settings to receive recommendations and parent tips based on their kids’ ages. Teens receive a version just for them with the latest reviews and top picks for movies, video games, apps, music, books, and more.
Please enter an email address.
Please check your email address for possible typos.
Sorry, you must be 13 or older to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
Sign me up!

What families can talk about

  • Families can talk about the fighting in the game. Does the violence have more of an impact when you are physically performing the fighting moves for the Kinect sensor? Does the combat feel more real that way?

  • You can also discuss the moral questions raised in the story. Is it okay for Puss to steal from people he considers criminals?


This review was written by Christopher Healy
Kid, 12 years old
November 6, 2011
 
Wow
Its fantastic! all I have to say

Flag as inappropriate 

This review was written by Christopher Healy
Platforms:Nintendo Wii, Xbox 360, Nintendo DS
Available online?Not available online
Genre:Action/Adventure
Developer:THQ
Release date:October 25, 2011
Price:$49.99
ESRB rating:E10+ for Cartoon Violence, Comic Mischief

This review was written by Christopher Healy

Contact us to give us more feedback on our learning ratings.

 

Review It

Share your review with others

Hang on! You need to be a member to post your review.
A safe community is important to us. Please observe our guidelines.

Screenshots


Tell us what you think about our new Learning Ratings. We value your feedback.


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.

Great alternatives handpicked by our editors

 

vote now

Will you play Puss in Boots?


Already played it? What do you think?

 

Been There? Tell us about it