Two things
happen the first time you play Shrek SuperSlam for GameCube: (1) you marvel at
the Shrek-inspired locales and (2) you laugh hysterically at the well-written
comedy. Shrek’s newest adventure was designed for multiplay but does not
ignore its past. In fact it likes its past very much, holding onto the basics
(controls, camera angles, etc.) and adds a plethora of slammin’ features
that’ll give the kids an ogre-sized good time.
Shrek
SuperSlam’s playable characters include more the usual suspects. Shrek,
Donkey, Fiona, Gingerbread Man – they’re all on board. It wouldn’t be Shrek
without ’em. There are several other characters as well, including but not
limited to the knight in shining armor, Prince Charming and a wannabe hero who
looks a lot like Robin Hood. These characters are unique, not only in
appearance but also in attacks, and vary slightly in the way they’re
controlled. Moves are easy to learn and execute, a must for a movie-based game
geared at kids.
Punching,
bashing, throwing and slamming, Shrek’s multiplayer foray is a game that
harkens back to the golden days of fighting games. Fiona, with her
Trinity-inspired moves (think The Matrix), and Donkey, who spins a perfect
circle, kicking his feet at anyone who dares come near him as he lands his
jumps.
Shrek is the
big and burly character of the bunch. Prince Charming has fancy sword moves
that resemble characters from Soul Calibur, as do the moves of the knight in
shining armor. Gingerbread Man has a special attack that sends dozens of candy
cane drops across the screen, knocking back opponents and in many cases
tossing them out of the screen (a la Super Smash Bros.).
Slams are
the main combative way to score. Life meters do not exist in Shrek’s fairytale
world. You’ll increase your Slam meter by attacking your opponents with
everything you’ve got: pumpkins, slabs of meat, broken chairs, pool tables,
etc., anything you can get your hands on. Practically everything you see can
become a weapon just as long as it’s loose enough to be picked up. Weight does
not matter. If a table seems to be too big on its own, break it with an attack
or by throwing an enemy into it and you’ll have two projectiles available.
The game
frequently turns into a throwing fest, but that’s not the only way to fill the
Slam meter. Every punch, kick and throw dished out increases your Slam meter,
just as every painful hit received increases the meter.
The Slam
meter turns red when it’s full, letting you know it’s time to strike. Hold
down the B button and watch the magic: Shrek farts, Donkey charges with his
head, Pinocchio uses his nose, etc. Each character’s special Slam moves
relates to his/her personality and what happens in the movies.
Once again a
Shrek game has captured the essence of the movie’s hilarious scenarios by
featuring its own scenes that were created exclusively for the game. You’ll
see more of the COPS parody, "KNIGHTS." Gingerbread Man gets pimped out and
shows off his gingerbread house, MTV Cribs-style! Check out his SUV’s license
plate: "2 Sweet."
Donkey, on
the other hand, continues to come up with just the right thing to say at just
the right time. I give an immense amount of credit to everyone responsible for
crafting these sequences – the writers, artists, programmers, and even the
voice actors, who impersonate the Shrek cast very well.
This
should’ve helped ease the wait for Shrek 3, but it had the opposite effect. To
give you an idea of how far off Shrek 3 is, we’ll be playing PlayStation 3 and
Nintendo Revolution games before it hits theatres (it’s tentatively slated for
a 2007 release).
The short
story mode leaves you wanting more. DreamWorks could easily take these
hilarious sequences and turn them into animated shorts to show before their
other animated movies. There’s no doubt that millions of kids would be more
likely to go see Madagascar 2 (assuming a sequel is on the way) if Shrek was
somehow incorporated.
In addition
to the story mode are more than 200 Mega Challenge mini-games for you to
conquer. Protect or destroy ice sculptures, score the most slams, hold onto
Pinocchio’s head the longest – do whatever the game tells you to do, nothing
more.
Though less
rewarding and more repetitive than Shrek’s last adventure, Shrek SuperSlam is
mostly a slammin’ good time. The gameplay is pure beat-’em-up, though the
game’s structure was designed to be like a fighter. Opponents do not swarm in
repeatedly – you have a set limit and that’s it. Beat them and win, or win by
completing whatever objective is listed, depending on the mode you’re playing.
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Gameplay: 7.5
A brawler for
four. Shrek SuperSlam takes your favorite Shrek characters, the best Shrek
environments and combines the two for a fun game of punching, kicking, and
excessive button-mashing. It’s repetitive, no brawler can escape that. Despite
this you’ll still have the desire to come back. The gameplay is very rewarding
in that respect. At the end of any game’s lifespan that’s what matters most –
that you wanted to play it longer than the duration of its single-player
modes, which you most certainly will.
Graphics: 7.5
Sharp images,
nice character renders and pretty environment explosions make up the bulk of
Shrek SuperSlam’s visual platter.
Sound: 9.0
Kevin Manthei has
composed a soundtrack that sounds like it belongs to (but does not copy) the
Shrek films. It matches the fairytale environment of the series while
expanding on the mythical creatures and its make-believe world. A score that
can make you think of all those things is more than a soundtrack – it’s a
musical evolution.
Difficulty: Easy
Not your toughest
game. The AI is either clueless or pretends to be cheap (the game is too easy
to actually be cheap). You’ll die a couple times for sure – I certainly did.
But there’s a big difference between having to try again a few times and a
task, objective or other gameplay requirement that’s challenging. There’s no
strategy involved when some battles can be won by pressing the same button
repeatedly until the time runs out, and others are won by scoring one slam
and avoiding your opponents until the time runs out.
Concept: 8.0
Shrek 2-caliber
humor all the way. No new gameplay elements are introduced, but the story
can’t be overlooked. The sequences are brief but will have you laughing for
hours. Just thinking about them after you’ve seen them will make you
laugh.
Multiplayer: 7.8
Slap-happy fun
for everyone. Plug in four controllers, pick your favorite animal, ogre or
fairytale character and you’re ready for the best multiplayer mode to come out
of the Shrek franchise. Four characters, one Shrek-inspired level, and enough
power-ups to bash your friends for hours.
Overall: 7.6
I don’t usually
give my “must-buy” seal of approval to games that score below an 8.5.
Repetition aside, however, there’s no reason why kids won’t be all over this
one. Shrek SuperSlam is slap-happy fun for everyone. It’s got qualities of
Super Smash Bros., has Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat-inspired attacks, and
has some of the most hilarious sequences ever to grace a video game. The
multiplayer mode is a guaranteed way to make the addiction last long after
single-player levels are complete. The flaws are certainly there, but this is
one of those rare cases where repetition – as bad as it is – is outweighed by
the fun.
