Where the Wild Things Are (Nintendo DS) - Review by Andrew

Introduction

When I was (a great deal) younger Where the Wild Things Are just happened to be one of my favourite books. I can't recall who actually bought if for me but the incredible story of a boy who travels to far and wild places in his imagination, with some of the most original illustrations I had ever seen, has stayed with me ever since. You can imagine my delight then when it was announced that it was to be made into a film and directed by the great Spike Jonze. I haven't actually seen the film yet but I'm eager to see just what developers WayForward have managed to do with the game.

Gameplay

For those who don't know what the story is all about, you play Max, who finds himself in the land of the wild things having sailed there after being banished to his room by his mother. Obviously, this is all in his imagination but this has allowed the developers to do just about anything they want. Unfortunately, all they've managed to conjure up is a fairly 'run of the mill' platformer where your only real objective is to get to the finish and collect Scepter Crowns although this is not essential to complete the level. Along the way you'll encounter a number of simple problems, most of which can be solved by calling upon one of the Wild Things (all of whom posses very different skills) or by simply recalling where you are in the level. Sadly, that's it and as there's no multiplayer, the only replay value you are likely to get is by trawling around the levels attempting to seek out every last Crown Token but given just how dull the platforming is, you probably won't want to.

Controls

All standard stuff really and no doubt kept simple with the younger gamer in mind, except for one simple thing. Instead of assigning a separate control to each button, the developers have instead decided to use both the X and Y to roar and pick up items. This will cause you more than a few problems, until you get used to it, and you will occasionally carry out the wrong action losing valuable seconds. Something, which is very apparent in the many race sections.

Graphics

It's been some time since a developer has ditched any notion of 3D on the DS and kept the design a much more manageable 2D, but that's just what WayForward have done. It works too and the various creatures and backgrounds look like they have been lifted from the book. The animation isn't as fluid as you'd have expected from the developers who brought us Shantae but it's still passable.

Sound

A wonderful 'jungle' inspired soundtrack plays thought the game which perfectly suits the on-screen action.

Dual screen

Other than selecting the 'wild thing' the touch-screen is surprisingly underused. The developers haven't forgotten about the DS's unique capabilities altogether though and one rather neat feature is the ability to record your own roar, which can then be heard throughout the game.

Final comments

While this DS version is far superior to the various console versions it's not without significant drawbacks. The most obvious of these is the game's repetitive design making most levels feel the same with very similar objectives. There are some puzzle elements but the pace is far too pedestrian for the game to ever become truly engaging. It still looks the part and the ability to add your own roar is a great feature it's just a shame it's not more fun.

Pro: Nice Visuals, Recording Your Own Roar.
Con: Very Simple and Repetitive Gameplay
Final score: 6.7

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