Most rats
spend their lives eating garbage. Remy, an ambitious anti-rodent who dreams of
becoming a great chef, has spent his life trying to do the opposite. He sees
food as a work of art – a rare and cherished item that should be chosen wisely
and savored with every bite.
At the same
time, most garbage boys spend their lives disposing of trash. Linguini, a
clumsy (but controllable) employee at a famous restaurant, is perfectly
content picking up after his co-workers. Things change when, by a chance
meeting that only Pixar and director/writer Brad Bird could envision, Remy
discovers that he has the ability to manipulate Linguini’s actions.
Ratatouille’s full-of-laughs story was publicly unveiled on June 16 during
one-time-only sneak previews held at select theaters across the country. The
endearing characters, unexpected events and eye-popping visuals led to loud
cheers upon the closing credits at one local showing – the kind of enthusiasm
that is usually reserved for big-name sequels like Star Wars and The Lord of
the Rings. But Pixar is no average studio, earning fans that will go see
anything they produce because we know that we will enjoy everything
they produce.
There are
also those who will buy every game based on a Pixar movie because it’s safe to
assume they’ll get something good. As with last year’s Cars, Ratatouille will
be released for every game platform available. Console gamers can look forward
to a 3D adventure that follows the events and locations of the film, hopefully
in the way the Toy Story games did back in the 90s. The handheld editions
should be similar, but there is one version that differs from the bunch: the
mobile phone edition. Developed as a frantic top-down strategy game,
Ratatouille mobile uses the movie’s premise to its advantage. The game begins
as soon as Remy starts to direct Linguini’s appendages. For players, that
means you’ll be in control of Linguini as he scrambles around a crowded
kitchen.
There are
three tasks tied to Ratatouille’s single-objective missions: (1) pick up the
orders, (2) study the ingredients list, and (3) grab the necessary ingredients
and throw them together. Orders are dropped off by the waiter, who stops by at
specific, pre-determined intervals but is never actually seen in the game.
Both the dropped-off orders and the orders-in-progress (the ones you’re
snatching ingredients for) have individual timers that are used to gauge your
performance. They can also be used as a strategic advantage – if your hands
are pretty full, work on the orders-in-progress and leave the rest until just
before their timers are up. That way the dropped-off orders will receive a new
timer as soon as they’re processed.
Orders
contain ingredients like meat, eggs, seafood, cheese, and dessert / ice cream
cone, which are located in the fridge at the top right corner of the kitchen.
The bottom right corner offers fruit, vegetables, bread, pasta, and an
all-purpose bottle that seems to work as several different ingredients. The
bottom middle contains the toaster needed to prepare bread, while the
kitchen’s actual middle is where the two cutting boards (needed to slice
fruits and vegetables) are located. Just left of the fridge is the stove –
where you’ll cook eggs, meat, pasta, and seafood, none of which can be served
raw.
All that you
do in this game – every task and tactic previously described – is handled with
your mobile phone’s four arrow keys and the central “OK / select” button. To
grab, cook, slice, and combine ingredients, simply push one of the arrow keys
toward the counter, fridge, stove, or veggie bin, which will then be
highlighted. Push the OK key and Linguini will run over to complete the task.
He can carry two items at a time, one for each hand (push the left arrow key
for his left hand, and the right arrow key for the other).
The
non-threatening, anyone-can-do-it gameplay is perfect for a mobile phone – and
proves to pack more of an entertaining punch than you’d expect. Remember how
strangely fun Nintendo’s Game & Watch Gallery titles were on the Game Boy
Color? Or how addictive the three-second mini-games were in Wario Ware?
Ratatouille does the same thing but on a mobile phone.
If it were
any more varied, the game would be begging for a Game Boy Advance or Nintendo
DS iteration. But what you’ve read is what you get. One kitchen, one set of
recipes, and less than 30 minutes worth of challenges. There are as many as
three co-workers to avoid (they can’t see Remy or they’ll freak), but the game
aids you there by announcing, “We can’t go there now, they will see me,” every
time you try to move to a guarded location.
As a mobile
game with a mobile game price, you couldn’t have expected much more. But while
the thought of playing a game on my cell phone usually makes me cringe,
Ratatouille is one I want to go back to. Anyone who can embrace the simplistic
and appreciate the inspired is likely to feel the same way.
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Gameplay: 7.8
Ratatouille’s
four-key setup makes it easy to play one-handed without failure. The controls
are reliable and the gameplay is very enjoyable, but is also very short and
without much variety. Regardless, you can’t go wrong with this one. It makes
time-killing a part of the day you may actually look forward to.
Graphics:
7.0
Sharp cartoon
images set above the movie’s soon-to-be-famous kitchen scenes. Ratatouille is
impressively quick for a mobile phone game, jumping across table, toaster,
fridge, and veggie selections faster than what you get from most Game Boy
Advance titles.
Sound: 5.0
One quirky theme
plays repeatedly on the menu screen. Brief blips and other sounds are
triggered during the game.
Difficulty: Easy
Given
Ratatouille’s target audience (kids, adults, and everyone in between), this
mobile adaptation was not expected to offer the most potent challenge. And it
doesn’t.
Concept: 7.5
Using the film’s
driving point as its foundation for inspiration, Ratatouille is a game of
speed and strategy.
Overall: 7.7
Designed as a
fast-paced strategy game that anyone can play, Ratatouille challenges players
to grab orders, snatch ingredients, and prepare requested delicacies without
the knowledge of your confused and/or arrogant co-workers. It’s much too short
to be considered a full-fledged game, but as a mobile phone quickie,
Ratatouille is tons of fun.
