It starts with a hippo on a tightrope, and it just gets sillier from there. Based on the Dreamworks movie by the same name, Madagascar 3 (rated E for Everyone) is nothing at which to shake a skinny giraffe leg. The game follows everyone’s favorite escaped zoo animals as they continue trying to get back to the Central Park Zoo. Marty the zebra, Alex the lion, Gloria the hippo, Melman the giraffe, several crazy-smart penguins, and one just plain crazy lemur have joined up with a struggling all-animal circus in the hopes that the circus will take them home to New York City.
Gameplay
Players will play as Marty, Alex, Gloria, or Melman as they run, climb, bounce, swim, and balance through four European cities: Rome, Pisa, Paris, and London. In each city, players will complete various missions set to them by the penguins and King Julian, the delightfully off-kilter lemur king. Retrieving odd objects for the penguins, sampling new foods for King Julian, avoiding capture by DuBois and her animal control squad, racing through the streets in supply run sprints, and completing publicity stunts for the circus are just a few of the things players can expect to encounter. After completing all the missions in each city, the characters team up to put on a circus for the people, which is only fair since the animals regularly terrify the townspeople during the missions. After the circus is over, the group packs up and moves on to the next city.
Along the way, there are various extras that players can collect. Each character has 15 special bobs in each city: gold stars for Alex, red roses for Gloria, targets for Marty, and thermometers for the hypochondriac Melman. In addition, if players can find Mort, the hyperactive lemur servant of King Julian, he’s worth a few bonus points. Little details in each city- such as comments by the city folk, signs in the shop windows, and one-liners by the characters themselves- are the subtle nods to the adults stuck watching their kids play the game that we’ve come to expect from Dreamworks.
Visuals
Visually, the detail in each city is impressive for a kids’ game- no cookie-cutter buildings or streets here. Each city truly feels like a different place, and as each mission takes place in a different part of the city, the scenery never gets dull. However, the graphics themselves aren’t that great, and there are numerous places where characters seem to pass through supposedly solid walls or platforms. The camera controls were also a bit wonky on the Wii, and several times I wasn’t able to spin the camera around to get the view I wanted or needed. However, the derezzing and camera issues weren’t enough to seriously interfere with game play, and might not even be noticed by younger gamers.
Technical Issues
That said, this game isn’t likely to go over well with the under 6 crowd, as there is minimal guidance in each level. A map with a slightly confusing legend and character-specific balloon animals suspended in the sky are the only hints players will get about where they need to go next. It also isn’t likely to entertain experienced gamers due to the simplistic game play. However, these faults are forgivable in that it’s a kids game- it’s not meant to entertain or impress the Call of Duty crowd.
Conclusion
For clever dialogue, nice visuals, accessible game play, and the sheer fact that it is not a carbon copy of the movie, I rate this game a 7 out of 10. The audience for the game is limited, and the technical issues should have been addressed prior to release, but in the end it’s a kids’ game, and a solidly enjoyable one at that.
Final rating: 7 out of 10.
