Tornado Outbreak

Review

Common Sense Media says

Exciting to be animated twister, but chaos is massive.
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 Tornado Outbreak's hyper-kinetic action allows kids to revel in the fun of destroying property. Kids take on the role of a destructive windstorm and tear up one town after another. They will throw people and animals to unseen fates as well. The hero of the game is an outer space Wind Warrior, who [SPOILER ALERT] has been deceived into believing the destruction he causes is all in the name of a good cause. Through most of the game, he thinks he must tear up buildings and farms in order to unearth the evil Fire Flyers that are hiding there and plan to destroy the Earth. He discovers in the end that he was being manipulated and fights back against the true evil ones. The heroes moral dilemma can actually be quite thought-provoking.

  • Positive messages0
    Despite the good intentions of the hero, rampant destruction is played for fun in the game, and that is likely to be the main takeaway for younger kids. There can be some real benefit, though, in older children analyzing the hero's motivations. The heroes moral dilemma can actually be quite thought-provoking. In a less redeemable aspect, trailer parks and poor southern neighborhoods are depicted in a stereotypically "trashy" way in the game.
  • Positive role models0
    The hero causes unbelievable destruction throughout the course of the game, but he does so because he has been duped into believing what he is doing is helpful. He also states his remorse about the damage he's done and then tries to help the displaced humans rebuild.
  • Ease of play4
    The controls are very instinctive and the difficulty increases as just the right rate.
  • Violence3
    In the guise of a whipping tornado, the hero tears through trailer parks, amusement parks, roadside attractions, small villages, army installations, and other doomed areas, destroying everything in its path. Cars explode, trees are ripped up, houses crunched, and people and animals get thrown, screaming, into the air. The sounds of roaring winds and crunching wood and metal are near constant throughout.
  • Sex1
    A tornado too small to lift a person can rip off his clothes, but the cartoonish characters always have more clothes underneath. One of the recurring "townspeople" that can get tossed around is a very round woman in a halter top.
  • Language0
    Not an issue.
  • Consumerism0
    Not an issue.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking0
    Not an issue.
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What's it about?

In TORNADO OUTBREAK, intergalactic Wind Warriors are enlisted to become tornados on Earth and tear up landscapes in order to find lost power orbs and the evil Fire Flyers who hid them. The eager young commander of the squad has misgivings about the destruction he is causing ("The humans didn't ask for this," he says), and wants to help rebuild the Earth once their elemental war is over. Still, he carries out his orders, [SPOILER ALERT] only to discover that he was being deceived all along and was actually carrying out the plans of the evildoers. He fights back for ultimate victory.

Is it any good?

 

Tornado Outbreak, while not as creatively original as the Katamari games, has similiarly addictive gameplay. On each mission, you start off as a small dust devil, and as you suck up larger and larger items, your size increases until you're able to destroy barns, monuments, and even skyscrapers. It's guilty fun. There's a time element, as well as a rule about Wind Warriors' vulnerability to sunlight, which requires you to only travel within shaded areas and adds another level of challenge. The story is probably more complex than you'd need for gameplay that is essentially, "How much stuff can you break in the time limit?" But it's got the kinds of plot twists and character depth that you'd never expect from such a game, which succeeds in making the whole experience far more interesting.

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What families can talk about

  • The concept of collateral damage is brought to the foreground by some of the cutscenes in the game. The hero feels remorse for the people he hurts, but also believes it was all done in the name of the greater good. This opens up various moral dilemmas for families to discuss, including the "I was just following orders" defense. It's heavy stuff, but,  the game brings it up.

  • Families can also talk about the depiction of trailer parks and
    impoverished towns in the game. Can these stereotypes be hurtful?

This review was written by Christopher Healy
Kid, 12 years old
March 27, 2011
AGE
6
 
I don't know WHAT the reviewer of this game was even talking about! There are no screams, AND the violence is EXTREMELY CARTOONISH!!!
Was this review useful?
Helped me decide (3) | Had useful details (4) | Read my mind (2)
Flag as inappropriate 
Parent of 6 and 8 year old
July 14, 2010
AGE
5
 
My 6 yo likes it.
This is what my six year olds birthday gift was. He has no trouble playing it. He has had it about a week so far he has really enjoyed it.
Was this review useful?
Helped me decide (1) | Had useful details (2) | Read my mind (4)
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This review was written by Christopher Healy
Platforms:Nintendo Wii, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3
Available online?Not available online
Genre:Action/Adventure
Developer:Konami
Release date:October 13, 2009
Price:$39.99
ESRB rating:E10+ for Cartoon Violence
This review was written by Christopher Healy

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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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