Kung Fu Panda: Legendary Warriors
By Erin Bell,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Lackluster brawler hard on the wrists and light on story.
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What’s It About?
Set after the events of the Kung Fu Panda movie (and video game of the same name), KUNG FU PANDA: LEGENDARY WARRIOR continues the story of the unlikely hero Po and his friends, a gang of honorable kung fu warriors known as the Furious Five. When the villain Tai Lung captures members of the Five in order to steal their chi and increase his own power, players must save them by brawling their way through waves of henchmen from Lung's gang and others.
In the Wii story mode , players can control either Po, Monkey, Tigress, or Shifu as a single-player or multiplayer co-op adventure. Unlocking Master and Legendary modes allows players to go through the story again with a stronger character. Progressing through story mode unlocks additional characters (up to 16) in Versus mode, where players are pitted against each other in Super Smash Bros.-style dust-ups.
Is It Any Good?
The game is a more polished effort than the first Kung Fu Panda game on the Wii, but that's not exactly saying much. The gameplay is completely centered on fighting waves of bad guys, interrupted only by the occasional mini-game and a few lines of dialogue to move the paper-thin story ahead. Players shake the Wii remote and Nunchuk to perform various kicks, punches and special attacks, but the controls are so simplified and repetitive that combat quickly becomes tedious, and the constant vigorous shaking required will take a toll on both the equipment and the player's wrists.
Exotic music, humorous narrative by a darn good Jack Black sound-alike, and a fun if unsophisticated multiplayer mode are the highlights of this otherwise unremarkable brawler.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the concept of "chi" ("or Qi") and its significance in Asian cultures. Do you prefer actually waving the Wii remote around in fighting games, or would you prefer the more traditional approach of pressing buttons?
Game Details
- Platforms: Nintendo Wii , Nintendo DS
- Available online?: Not available online
- Publisher: Activision
- Release date: November 4, 2008
- Genre: Action/Adventure
- Topics: Sports and Martial Arts
- ESRB rating: E10+ for Cartoon Violence
- Last updated: November 4, 2015
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