Madagascar 3: The Video Game

Madagascar 3: The Video Game is based on "Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted", the third franchise movie. Dreamworks has been diligent with the constant influx of Madagascar games: by the time of the third movie’s release, there have already been more than 6 different Madagascar games. A compilation of fun mini-games tied together by the movie’s plot, there’s not much to see in this game for older players. Younger ones, however, will find lots of things to do as they explore Europe with their favorite animated characters.

Mini-games for Days

Unlike other Dreamworks games like Kung Fu Panda: Showdown of Legendary Legends, gameplay in Madagascar 3: The Video Game is much more straightforward. This isn’t your usual adventure game: the game combines some light platforming elements with varied mini-games.

Usually, the game’s divided into two sections: exploring the streets of Italy to gather objects, followed by a section where you have to sell tickets for people to go see your circus performance. The performances are when the mini-games quick in, as each circus act is presented in the form of a QTE mini-game.

Capturing the Madagascar Style

When it comes to capturing the magic of a movie with a tie-in game (especially for animated movies), graphics play an integral role in the process. Luckily for fans of Madagascar, Dreamworks has a spectacular track record when it comes to portraying their animated films in video game consoles. Just take a look at the latest Trollhunters: Defenders of Arcadia to see a sample of how dedicated they are when adapting one of their animated franchises.

Madagascar 3: The Video Game captures the visual style of the movie to a T. Character models look great, and so do the beautiful European locations. A nice-looking bloom effect adds a lot of personality to the game’s textures: some cities look straight out of a triple-A game. Like we’ve seen in many other movie tie-in games, Madagascar 3: The Video Game uses a soundalike cast for its characters. These voice actors do a good job imitating the voices of the movie and capture the movie’s humor perfectly.

Go Undercover

As you probably might have guessed, a troupe of circus animals isn’t something that usually roams the streets of Europe. To avoid the inspectors that aim to put you in a cage, the Madagascar gang can put on disguises. This camouflage comes in the form of sunglasses, as seen in the film.

There’s a downside to using the sunglasses, though: your mobility will be greatly reduced when wearing them. They might be used as a last resort when the inspectors are very close to you. For any other situation, the labyrinthian streets of Italy will become your best friend to avoid any potential pursuers.

Sadly, this continuous process of gathering stuff, selling tickets, and avoid the inspectors quickly becomes dull and repetitive. The fact that the mini-games are also way too easy doesn’t do the game any wonders.

Pros:

• Excellent visuals make the game feel like the animated film
• There’s a decent number of mini-games to play
• The movie’s humor translates well into the game

Cons:

• Gameplay can get repetitive real quick
• Obnoxious stealth mechanics
• Sluggish movement speeds make the game feel longer than it is