Hotel Transylvania

Name: Hotel Transylvania
Item: Hotel Transylvania
Rating: 3
Author: Mark Raby

Game review by

Mark Raby, Common Sense Media

Common Sense says

age 8+

(i)

Adventure game is a good adaptation of the movie.

Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo DS
$29.99
2012

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The parents' guide to what's in this game.

Educational Value

Kids can learn about how to embrace the differences between themselves and others. They can also learn how to apply logical thinking to solve puzzles. The focal point in this game is the storyline, and it tells a genuine, heart-filled love story in the vein of Romeo & Juliet. After the player's character Maven, the daughter of Dracula, falls in love with a human, everyone takes a second look at the hundreds of years of tension between humans and monsters. In the end, kids learn that no matter how different others might be, there's no reason to judge them until you get to know them.

Positive Messages

This game, like the movie on which it is based, is about embracing everyone's differences and accepting other people for who they are. Although the story is about monsters and humans deciding they can get along with one another, the message is universal and could be applied to any two different groups of people.

Positive Role Models & Representations

The hero of the story is a human named Jonathan. He can be looked to as a strong role model because he is willing to accept others for who they are. In addition, all other characters throughout the feel-good story are friendly, if a bit misguided. Overall, though, everyone in the game has a heart of gold and no one is ever portrayed as the "bad guy."

Ease of Play

This game is designed to be accessible for young players. It is not excessively difficult, although players will need to navigate a series of levels and either avoid or defeat numerous creatures that appear throughout the game. For the most part, though, this game is about the unfolding story that progresses as players complete the various levels. The gameplay is therefore rudimentary and not designed to be an incredible challenge to players.

Violence & Scariness

This game is more violent than the Hotel Transylvania movie. Unlike the movie, players need to defeat various monsters that they encounter. Doing so consists only of jumping on top of a variety of zombies, skeletons, and the like to crush or break them apart. Nevertheless, it somewhat goes against the underlying theme of the game, which is tolerance and acceptance of one another.

Language

There are some references to eating other characters, but it's meant to be funny. ("finger sandwiches, made with real fingers")

Consumerism

This is a game based on and released to coincide with the big-screen release of the movie of the same name.

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that Hotel Transylvania is an adventure/platformer game based on the movie of the same name. Players explore a mysterious hotel that is inhabited exclusively by monsters and then realize that the monsters are not as scary or violent as they are always portrayed to be. The story is broken up into various scenes, and players need to complete a series of levels in order to see the story continue to unfold. As players make their way through the hotel and other environment, they will occasionally face obstacles and hazards, including creatures that can hurt them. Players can jump on the creatures to make them disappear.

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What's it about?

In HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA, the story is a more simplified version of the movie of the same name. Players enter a very unique hotel that caters only to monsters like Dracula, Frankenstein's monster, and mummies. However, after a human manages to make his way into the hotel, everyone's world is turned on its head. At first, the human is terrified of the monsters and the vice versa. As the story unfolds, though, players learn that the monsters are not as scary as they may have thought, and realize that no matter how big their differences are it is possible for everyone to get along.

Is it any good?

Hotel Transylvania is a decent video game adaptation of the movie. Players play as Mavis, the daughter of Dracula, as she ventures out into the world beyond her father's hotel and meets a human of her dreams. The game consists of a variety of side-scrolling levels in which players need to solve puzzles and avoid obstacles, hazards, and monsters. Designed to be accessible for young players, the gameplay is not overly challenging. Anyone who enjoys the movie will appreciate the familiar characters and being able to explore the different environments from the hotel, so even though the gameplay is relatively uninspired, fans should be able to enjoy what this game has to offer.

Talk to your kids about ...

Families can talk about the minor level of violence in this game. Is there ever a justification for violence?
Why is it important to accept those who are different than you?
Have you ever had the wrong impression of someone?

Game details

Platforms: Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo DS
Subjects: Math: measurement, patterns, shapes
Skills: Responsibility & Ethics: embracing differences, learning from consequences, respect for others
Thinking & Reasoning: logic, problem solving, solving puzzles
Price: $29.99
Available online? Not available online
Developer: GameMill
Release date: September 25, 2012
Genre: Action/Adventure
ESRB rating: E10+ for Mild Cartoon Violence