 Review By: Siou Choy |
Developer: | Helixe |
| Publisher: | THQ | |
| Genre: | Action | |
| ESRB: | Everyone | |
| # Of Players: | 1 | |
| Online Play: | N/A | |
| Accessories: | N/A | |
| Buy Now: |   |
If you’ve checked out my review for the GameCube version, you already know my thoughts on this franchise, and the use of CGI in cinema in general, so there’s really no need to repeat myself here. That disclaimer aside, what we have here is more of the same old, same old. Once again, you find yourself sucked into the grim milieu of Ratatouille, trapped and sinking inexorably in the quicksand horror-world of Disney/Pixar (scary lettering purely for effect). As "Remy" the rat, you make your way through a side-scrolling hell, chasing fevered vermin dreams of becoming a chef (yep, that’s right, a rat chef. DISNEY/PIXAR, a name to strike terror in those over 12) and bringing Chez Gusteau to its former glory.
Let’s boil this down to the bare essentials, and fire up the sauté. The game basically consists of you, the gamer, moving Remy, the CGI rat, around the screen in search of one ingredient per level. Once you successfully locate said ingredient, you get to move on to the next level, where you will proceed to engage in the exact same activity, the only difference being which particular ingredient the rat is seeking this time around. After the rat runs this maze enough times to satisfy the sadistic experimenter (or developer, as the case may be), you finally get to move on to the cooking portion. Interestingly enough (and relatively speaking), the cooking portion here proved to be more fun and challenging than its counterpart on the GameCube, though I’m not quite sure what that’s saying.
That said, finding the ingredients (so that you can get to the cooking stage and ostensibly enjoy yourself) actually proved to be somewhat difficult, at least on occasion. This was particularly true when said ingredient turned out to be hidden in some sub-level, requiring you (as the rat) to search for some sort of tool, which would enable you to break various items, just so that you can search for the damn ingredients in the first place!
There are also a few too many rat traps scattered about throughout each level. You’d think the plague was still going on in Europe, there’s so many of the things laying around. I’m trying to be nice here, but (confidential buddy-buddy whisper, just between us:) it’s almost as if the developers couldn’t think of any other obstacles for you to encounter in the game.
Cooking essentially consists of monitoring several pots which you have cooking on a stove. First of all, you have to maintain the temperature of each pot so it doesn’t boil over. Secondly, and quite naturally, you also have to add ingredients into each pot until they’re ready. Once all the ingredients are present and accounted for and the pot reaches the proper temperature, you get to garnish the dish. Garnishing is done by pressing the directional pad to match the on screen buttons, ala Shenmue.
For a Game Boy Advance game based on a CGI kids’ movie from (shudder) Disney/Pixar, the graphics are cute enough, and levels are brightly lit, excepting those taking place in the sewers or underground – hey, wait a minute! You’re supposed to be a rat, where did you think this would take place? I guess those levels set in the restaurant are brightly lit, anyway…
The music in Ratatouille is catchy enough, with a half-assed European café feel vaguely reminiscent of an old episode of Allo Allo (sorry, no picture of the fallen madonna with the big…uh…to be found here). The fact that this is a GBA game means that there aren’t any voices provided by the cast of the movie this time around, but otherwise, we’re talking a clearcut case of six in one, half a dozen in the other. Ultimately, the choice to get the GC or GBA version for that screaming six-year old Pixar addict is down to you, and personal preference. I have given you my blessing - go forth, and sin no more.
Bottom Line:
Ratatouille is cute and catchy enough, when in the right mindset (I leave it to the reader’s imagination as to how to get there), and is probably going to satisfy those who enjoyed the movie. It’s easy and simple to play, making it ideal for the intended audience. Anyone of age to reason need not apply.
| Pros: | Cons: | Final Score: |
|---|---|---|
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| 6.0 |
Posted: 2007-08-15 21:09:22 PST