I'm sure many of you are wondering why any self respecting adult like me would ever think about purchasing a child's game for their 3DS collection, and then actually playing through the entire thing.
When I first saw the new movie Frozen in theaters, I loved it. It's a great family film with some dark overtones and a great message. The characters are well developed and you can really connect with them. As a result, I was curious to see if a licensed game was released to coincide with the film, as has been the norm for most family flicks in the past.
I was shocked to see that Disney actually gave the OK to produce this game. Knowing Disney normally makes stellar movie games, I was really intrigued to see what they would do with this. I searched high and low for a copy of this game, only to buy the last copy available at my local GameStop after searching numerous Walmarts, Targets, and even a Toys R Us. After swallowing my pride and whipping out my Power Up Rewards card, I placed this game in my 3DS the moment I returned home, still giddy with wonder.
When the game opens, you are greeted with a very nice sounding version of the song "In Summer" straight from the picture's soundtrack. On top of a great 3D effect and relatively nice graphics, this is the only part of the game in which I was genuinely impressed.
The game is a standard 2.5-3D side-scroller in which you play as the snowman from the film, Olaf. There are numerous items to collect such as carrots, snowflakes, hot chocolate cups, and icicles, along with 3 "hidden" flowers in each level. You can play the game by either collecting every single item or just by getting to the end.
If you play by simply running to the end of the level, you will complete the game in less than an hour. I personally do not recommend that as each level is generally the same idea over and over again. The game can easily make you fall asleep from boredom unless you try to make it interesting by collecting the items.
Each level is essentially the same, with the exception of certain levels. The gameplay reminds me of a mobile game and not a $30 cutting edge 3DS handheld game. After every 5 levels you get a "cut scene". Now, "cut scene" is in parenthesis because it is merely a picture slideshow poorly depicting either a scene from the movie, or whatever might be happening in the game.
Typically before each "cut scene" you will FINALLY have a change in gameplay. It's not a drastic change, but the game is so monotonous that it will feel like a breath of fresh air to you. You are either chased by the reindeer, Sven, from the movie or the honestly terrifying ice monster created by Elsa (this explains why Olaf wants to get to Anna instead. Elsa is trying to kill him! And in regards to the monster, that thing is terrifying enough I have nightmares. That thing alone should have given it at least an E 10+ rating!). The racing stages differentiate the game, but not by much. The majority of the game is still the same. Collect the items, finish the level.
However in the later levels, you see the "puzzle solving" that the box describes. The only way you will solve these puzzles is if you're playing the game by collecting everything. You need to maneuver Olaf by using his special attacks (literally throwing his head at items and enemies) or by rolling into a giant snowball and breaking big blocks of ice to get to flowers or items. There are at least two levels where I tried for at least 30 minutes to collect everything and I eventually just gave up. That is where the game can get increasingly frustrating and you will know these levels when you see them.
That about sums up the entire game. Overall, the game isn't bad, but it isn't good either. It is a generic side scroller that lacks creativity and variation. It is not a game that one should spend $30 on for their Nintendo 3DS or DS, but instead belongs on the App Store and Google Play Store for about $3.
Final score: 3/5
When I first saw the new movie Frozen in theaters, I loved it. It's a great family film with some dark overtones and a great message. The characters are well developed and you can really connect with them. As a result, I was curious to see if a licensed game was released to coincide with the film, as has been the norm for most family flicks in the past.
I was shocked to see that Disney actually gave the OK to produce this game. Knowing Disney normally makes stellar movie games, I was really intrigued to see what they would do with this. I searched high and low for a copy of this game, only to buy the last copy available at my local GameStop after searching numerous Walmarts, Targets, and even a Toys R Us. After swallowing my pride and whipping out my Power Up Rewards card, I placed this game in my 3DS the moment I returned home, still giddy with wonder.
When the game opens, you are greeted with a very nice sounding version of the song "In Summer" straight from the picture's soundtrack. On top of a great 3D effect and relatively nice graphics, this is the only part of the game in which I was genuinely impressed.
The game is a standard 2.5-3D side-scroller in which you play as the snowman from the film, Olaf. There are numerous items to collect such as carrots, snowflakes, hot chocolate cups, and icicles, along with 3 "hidden" flowers in each level. You can play the game by either collecting every single item or just by getting to the end.
If you play by simply running to the end of the level, you will complete the game in less than an hour. I personally do not recommend that as each level is generally the same idea over and over again. The game can easily make you fall asleep from boredom unless you try to make it interesting by collecting the items.
Each level is essentially the same, with the exception of certain levels. The gameplay reminds me of a mobile game and not a $30 cutting edge 3DS handheld game. After every 5 levels you get a "cut scene". Now, "cut scene" is in parenthesis because it is merely a picture slideshow poorly depicting either a scene from the movie, or whatever might be happening in the game.
Typically before each "cut scene" you will FINALLY have a change in gameplay. It's not a drastic change, but the game is so monotonous that it will feel like a breath of fresh air to you. You are either chased by the reindeer, Sven, from the movie or the honestly terrifying ice monster created by Elsa (this explains why Olaf wants to get to Anna instead. Elsa is trying to kill him! And in regards to the monster, that thing is terrifying enough I have nightmares. That thing alone should have given it at least an E 10+ rating!). The racing stages differentiate the game, but not by much. The majority of the game is still the same. Collect the items, finish the level.
However in the later levels, you see the "puzzle solving" that the box describes. The only way you will solve these puzzles is if you're playing the game by collecting everything. You need to maneuver Olaf by using his special attacks (literally throwing his head at items and enemies) or by rolling into a giant snowball and breaking big blocks of ice to get to flowers or items. There are at least two levels where I tried for at least 30 minutes to collect everything and I eventually just gave up. That is where the game can get increasingly frustrating and you will know these levels when you see them.
That about sums up the entire game. Overall, the game isn't bad, but it isn't good either. It is a generic side scroller that lacks creativity and variation. It is not a game that one should spend $30 on for their Nintendo 3DS or DS, but instead belongs on the App Store and Google Play Store for about $3.
Final score: 3/5
