Everyone is
familiar with those kooky kamikaze penguins from the movie Madagascar. The
movie featured several zoo animals who became stranded on the island of
Madagascar, after one of their members escaped and was recaptured, resulting
in the removal of all the animals to another zoo. Unfortunately for them, on
the way they became lost at sea and ended up on Madagascar. At the same time
this was going on, a group of rebel penguins was trying to dig its way out of
the zoo to get to Antartica. The “Skipper,” a penguin that organized them
according to military principles, led this group. Madagascar: Operation
Penguin tells their story in further detail.
The story
begins with a tutorial mode that explains Private Penguin’s (that’s you) basic
moves and what items can be collected and used during the game. In the
beginning, Private Penguin can only use a big fish for attacks, but later he
will collect some cool items like a slingshot fruit launcher, a hamburger
paper parachute, a straw blowpipe, and a soda bottle jet pack. All of these
items are introduced humorously, as the penguins mistake the uses of these
human items.
Private
Penguin has various missions he must accomplish, in order to get the escape
tunnels open for use. Each mission is explained in the penguins’ underground
cave. After receiving his instructions, Private Penguin is sent on his way
with the necessary tools. These missions are played as side-scrolling platform
levels, with movement consisting mainly of jumping up on ledges and diving
underwater to retrieve different collectibles. In some levels, the player will
team up with other animals, but this doesn’t really change the basic movement
or level design any. The levels are easy to finish in most cases, as the
collection of items is simple, and avoiding the bad guys is not difficult.
Avoidance on the most part is the best option for enemy encounters, as the
collision detection isn’t very good. Just getting close to hazards and
enemies often results in damage. However, there are plenty of health pick-ups
lying around. If all the lives are gone, then play begins at the start of the
level, where the game has automatically saved.
The game
opens in the zoo, but soon advances to the ship and then on to Madagascar.
Once completed, the mission levels are open for replay, so players can use
their new gadgets to go back and get all of the collectible medals in the
levels. However, while this does offer a slight replay value, it’s not a large
incentive, as having some of the levels designed as mini-games would have
been. For instance, I don’t know why there weren’t any mini-games featuring
Private Penguin’s toboggan slide move; it would have been fun to slide around
on ice in a level or game.
Graphically,
the game is animated pretty well, and the penguins and other animals appear
just as they did in the movie. The levels are bright and colorful, and the
overall affect is appealing to kids. The sound is average, and doesn’t really
offer any neat tunes or sound effects.
Overall,
this game is a fun excursion for kids ages eight-up, who will enjoy playing
the part of the penguin on a military mission. Vicarious Visions did a good
job of sticking with their target audience of younger players. The levels are
interesting, the gadgets are a hoot, and the difficulty is challenging enough,
but at the same time is not frustrating. For replay value, though, the game
needs more variety, as in mini-games or different types of levels besides just
platforming. Still, younger players will enjoy this playful romp with the
penguins.
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Gameplay: 7.5
Playing this game
is fun and keeps the attention throughout. The gadgets are nicely envisioned
and implemented and the game is humorous, which will help to hold attention.
Unfortunately, once finished, there’s not much incentive to come back for
seconds, except to collect more medals in the levels.
Graphics: 8.0
Great graphics –
we liked the look of the game, and it’s absolutely faithful to the series.
Sound: 7.0
The music is
average, but at least not annoying.
Difficulty: Easy
The game isn’t
hard to beat, but offers a decent amount of challenge for young players.
Concept: 7.0
The basic
platforming, which comprises most of the game, is fairly average and run of
the mill. However, the different gadgets, the humor and the ability to replay
the missions all add an extra element to the overall design.
Overall: 7.5
A cute and fun
platformer that is sure to please most kids. With more variety and some
mini-games, this could have been a better game, but as it stands, it’s still a
good outing with those penguins from Madagascar.
