Bolt – NDS – Review

Every once in a while, there is a
game based on a licensed property that turns you on your head, not only offering
more insight on the franchise and standing on its own merits as a fun and
engaging experience outside of the subject matter on which it’s based.

Bolt for the Nintendo DS is not that
game.

Based on the recently released
Disney animated feature film, Bolt is an action game for the Nintendo DS. The
game is pretty much completely devoid of any fun elements, being an extremely
easy and generic 3D platformer that offers no innovation on the genre, and
completely expecting to ride on the coattails of the film upon which it’s based.
Even if you’re a fan of the film, it would be in your best interest to skip
Bolt.

In Bolt, you play as both the
titular hero dog (and TV star) and his friend Penny as they embark on a quest to
rescue Penny’s father and save the world from an evil super-villain named
Calico. While the film deals with Bolt’s experience in the real world, the game
instead puts you within the universe of Bolt’s TV show, imbuing him with special
abilities and super-er,-dog abilities.

The game is pretty standard action
fare. The Bolt sequences have you using the dog’s special abilities, like his
sonic bark, for combat, while his laser vision and strength will come into play
when solving the game’s simplistic puzzles. When playing as Penny, you’ll employ
the use of her wheel bar to defeat enemies as well as get around, scale
buildings and use her zip line to get around ledges.

The first major demerit against the
game is the challenge level, or lack thereof. Even though the game is
technically a platformer, it’s impossible to fall off of a ledge or even jump
off of one unless it is connected to another one and your jump is lined
up perfectly. You basically run from one point to another, fighting enemies (which
is largely an optional exercise) and collecting special items. It’s pretty
difficult to die in this game, regardless of your skill level, and should be
completed in less than five hours.

There are a few mini-games that are
somewhat entertaining, including one where you play as Rhino, a hamster in a
ball, and navigate through a series of Monkey Ball-inspired mazes, as well as a
pattern-based hacking mini-game that each occasionally come up through the
game’s story, but these are half-baked diversions that don’t really improve the
experience overall.

Graphically, the game is decent,
with some smooth animations and a faster-than-usual framerate. However, it
doesn’t really stand out compared to other DS titles and a lot of the
environments are pretty repetitive and bland.

There is not much to be said about
the sound in the game. The music is boring and repetitive and the sound effects
are pretty rare and not impressive at all, and there is absolutely no voice
acting, pretty rare for a licensed game in this day and age.

Another disappointing attempt to
cash in on a recently released film, Bolt is simply no fun, whether you’re a fan
of the film or not.

Review Scoring Details for Bolt

Gameplay: 4.0
Very linear, boring and ridiculously easy, Bolt is a 3D platformer that
brings nothing new to the table.

Graphics: 7.0
The action moves pretty smoothly with no lag or slowdown, but doesn’t look
too terribly outstanding

Sound: 4.0
Some weird moments of audio cut-out and lame music, as well as no voice
acting whatsoever.

Difficulty: Very Easy

Concept: 4.0
A very shallow attempt at cashing in on a recently released movie.

Overall: 4.0
Repetitive, short, and dirt simple, Bolt won’t likely be very fun for
anyone.