The latest game that my kids have been playing is Happy Feet Two from Warner Brothers Games, a musical, adventure for all the family. The gorgeous graphics portray the whimsical world of Antarctica beautifully, and the penguin characters are really cute and their dance movements are fun. It is visually really impressive and very true to the movie.
New dangers are threatening the Penguin Nation and everyone has to work and dance together to save the penguins from extinction. Players use dance moves to collect other penguins into their group, stun their enemies with their moves and manipulate their environment to solve puzzles. The first level walks you through all the elements of the game, practising the moves needed as you collect notes. The dance moves are great and had the kids giggling...especially the way the penguins jumped up onto the steps! As you progress you use spins, jumps and other moves to bash through rocks and move items around. Much of the game is based on hitting rhythms using the buttons on the controller. There is also some racing as the penguin slides across ice and 'flies' through the air.
Playing as Mumble you get to recruit other penguins to join your adventure, tap to the beat and get into the rhythm. It is a beat bumping, feet thumping, move busting game featuring original music. You get to unlock new songs as you progress through the game.
Happy Feet Two can be played on 3D which is as yet not a feature we can test, although my husband keeps trying to convince me that we need a 3D TV. So at some point (if he gets his way) I might be embarking on 3D gaming! It is definitely the future of entertainment.
So far the game doesn't have much of a storyline. However, Kizzy seems quite happy dancing her way through the levels collecting notes and recruiting various penguins into her troop! The game controls well making it easy to walk through the environment so younger children can definitely have a go and make the penguins dance, spin and slide, which they will enjoy. It is quite cute and the penguins are fuzzy little fellas who boogie for fun but I hope the gameplay becomes a bit more involved with more challenging puzzles in later levels because I can see pressing buttons on the beat and sliding on the ice may wear a bit thin.
Fans of Happy Feet will enjoy this game, which is available in all formats. We were sent it for our XBox 360 which retails at £34.99. I would have loved a Kinect compatible feature which would have worked well with the dancing element of the game and got the kids up and dancing with Mumble rather than just controlling him by pressing buttons. It is for 1 or 2 players with a 2 player co-op mode where you can work together.
Overall, I like that this game is suitable for the very youngest gamer. The first level is easy enough for them to handle and enjoy, especially as you can make the penguins dance around freely. The music is fun and the scenery is lovely. Parents and kids alike will enjoy this game. However, I think the game play seems a little limited so it may not keep the more hardcore gamers entertained for too long. It's definitely a family game played for fun and laughs!
