Common Sense Media Review
By Marc Saltzman
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Politics represented as a party game, just OK.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Play
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's It About?
With U.S. politics in the forefront of new stories this year, the timing couldn't be better for a humorous game called HAIL TO THE CHIMP -- about a hippo, armadillo, octopus, and others, vying to become the new king of the animal kingdom. This multiplayer party game takes players on campaign stops with these wacky candidates, to compete in 16 silly activities involving clams, who are your constituents, of course!
Is It Any Good?
Examples of these mini-games include "Stuff the Ballot" (gather and drop clams in your party's box; the first player to bank 75 clams wins), "Mud-slingers" (splatter rival standees with mud until they're completely covered), and "Flip-floppers" (flip huge campaign buttons over faster than your opponents). Some are better than others -- "Clam in Every Pot" wasn't as fun as "Photo Op," which involves photo-snapping paparazzi -- but the various game modes, environments, and "teamups" (two animals pairing up for special abilities) offer a lot of game-play here for under $40.
But don't bother playing against the game's computer-controlled opponents as it's a lot more fun when you play against friends. Plus, this game will likely lose a lot of appeal after the November presidential election. It's a decent party game for politically-minded gamers with a sense of humor.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about whether a game about dueling animals is a clever way to tap into the political conversations and debates going on today. But will this game lose its appeal after the November election since it's not directly tied to the '08 race for the White House? Because this game looks like it's for kids, will this turn off politically-minded older gamers?
Game Details
- Platforms : Xbox 360 , PlayStation 3
- Pricing structure :
- Available online? : Not available online
- Publisher : GameCock Media Group
- Release date : June 27, 2008
- Genre : Party
- ESRB rating :
- Last updated : August 25, 2016
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