Ratatouille (Nintendo DS) - Review by Andrew

Introduction

PIXAR games go back as far as the original GameBoy with the first feature length animation, Toy Story, gaining remarkably positive reviews over a decade ago. The output since then has been mixed at best and not only have we seen movie tie-ins but also titles that extend the license such as Toy Story Racer and The Continuing Adventures of Finding Nemo. Ratatouille, for those who don't know, centers on a French rat Remy, who is obsessed with cooking. After befriending an accident prone kitchen aid, who is completely void of all cooking skills, the adventure begins. Having already seen the movie, it's undoubtedly one of PIXAR's best but will the game reflect this?

Gameplay

The gameplay in Ratatouille is essentially split into two different categories: a Story Mode and a Cooking Mode although the latter also features in the story mode. Selecting Story Mode takes you on a 3D adventure through most of the locations which appear in the movie: an old lady's house, the rooftops, the sewers and finally Gusteu's Restaurant, where the majority of the action actually takes place. This is all mission based so you may, for example, have to collect 10 ingredients or 5 pieces of pie, which may be spread over more than one area. Fortunately though this isn't all trial and error and as long as you are close to the object you can utilize Remy's incredible sense of smell. This is activated with a simple button press and, after some sniffing, he'll point you in the right direction. Unfortunately you'll still have no idea whether it's up or down but at least you'll be traveling in the right direction. In addition to your 'must collect' items, you'll also have the on-going challenge of locating 'star icons' but after amassing 100 you'll be given an extra life.

While the majority of the 3D levels follow the exploration framework there are some that are slightly different. The first of these takes place in the kitchen and involves a more stealth like approach to the proceedings. As usual you will have to collect items but now you will be under surveillance shown by a meter in the top corner of the screen. Once it reaches the half way point it's advisable to seek some cover. The is reasonably easy as not only can you simply hide under one of the tables but you'll also find that some cups can also be used as cover. This sends the meter back down again but the 'against the clock' element adds a great deal of excitement to the section. Another, slightly different challenge involves you balancing on top of a ball as you negotiate the sewers, which is great fun but makes you wonder why on earth wasn't more of this included?

Finally, there are the cooking levels, which are also available as a Multi-player Mode. This involves you not only preparing the ingredients but also cooking and presenting the dishes. Initially you are presented with a variety of meat and vegetables to cut, slice and dice before you even begin to cook. Once you've done this it's off to heat things up. A nice touch here is the fact that you'll have more than a single item going at once meaning you'll need to move around the cooker adding ingredients, stirring food and also blowing into the microphone to cool some dishes down. Your final task is to present the food in a manner that pleases the guests and, if you have done everything right, it should be onto the next level. As an added challenge this is also against the clock and you'll be surprised just how quickly seven minutes counts down when you are cooking.

Controls

While the control system is very responsive you are given the choice to either opt for the more traditional control system or use the touch screen. A word of advice though: stick with this for the platforming and leave the stylus to do the cooking. You won't regret it.

Graphics

The 3D engine is really quite impressive and mirrors the style of the movie perfectly. It can feel a little limiting at times especially on the almost 'fixed path' rooftop section but elsewhere, such as in the kitchen, the whole thing feels more open and you have the ability to explore shelves, table tops and even the very top of door frames. Elsewhere the game takes on a more stylized retro look and the cooking sections have a very simple but pleasing aesthetic, which I'm told is taken from the movies end credits. To top it all off there are also a number of images lifted directly from the movie which link the various levels together and tell the story perfectly.

Sound

The music throughout is very Parisian Bistro (if you've ever been to one you'll know exactly what I mean) which actually quickens in pace in some of the stealth sequences. Elsewhere it's simply sound effects, but with absolutely no speech from the main players.

Dual screen

You'll have to use both the touch-screen and the microphone in order to cook your dishes which is far more difficult than you'd imagine. It s though, much more user friendly than the GBA version which relies on traditional controls to achieve the same goal.

Final comments

While Ratatouille initially appears to be just another run of the mill platformer (albeit one of the better examples of the genre) it is lifted significantly thanks to the inclusion of the cooking sections. This is essentially two games in one and any developer who even attempts to do something different with a movie tie-in has to be applauded. Unfortunately much of the platforming sections are a little too formulaic for their own good, a little more variety would have raised the score much higher. Even so, it's very entertaining. If you loved the film then this is a perfect accompaniment.

Pro: Nice 3D Engine, Cooking is Fun.
Con: No Variety in Platforming Sections.
Final score: 7.1

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