Monsters vs. Aliens

When my son first got into video games, Monsters vs. Aliens was one of the first games that he got very excited about. As a result, this is a game that I have a lot of fond memories of. Yes, this is a licensed game, based on the hit DreamWorks movie of the same name. However, before you go off running to the hills, this is actually a great deal of fun and one of the better “family” games to be based on a movie in my opinion.

Based On The Movie

If you have seen the movie, you pretty much know what to expect. Aliens have landed on Earth and they have a giant robot and a bunch of other forces and they are up to no good. General Monger has enlisted the help of a series of monsters to fight off the aliens and if they do, he will grant them their freedom from the government facility they are being kept in. It is fun stuff and follows the plot of the movie really well.

Every Monster Has Their Day

A huge part of the appeal of the Monsters vs. Aliens movie was that it had such a diverse cast of characters. There is B.O.B, Ginormica (Susan), The Missing Link, and Dr. Cockroach. You can play as each of these characters and they each have a unique kind of gameplay style. Oh, the Nintendo DS version of the game also lets you play as Insectasaurus, but he is missing from the console versions.

Missing Link plays very quickly and is like a platforming hack and slash kind of character. B.O.B’s sections of the game are slower-paced and based more on puzzles. Susan is a giant and she can wear cars on her shoes and use these like skates as well as being very powerful. Dr. Cockroach is a bit of a jack of all trades and especially good for multiplayer. He is also the dude who hooks you up with upgrades and unlockable items. The game plays well enough, it is basic and on the easy side, but this was made with kids in mind.

Bringing The Movie Home

The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions of Monsters vs. Aliens look great. They capture the look and feel of the movie very well and some characters, B.O.B especially look near perfect. The Nintendo Wii and PS2 versions of the game are not quite as impressive, but they still do a great job of capturing the zany style of the movie. As this is a DreamWorks production, they were able to get many of the voice actors from the movie to reprise their roles for this game. Reese Weatherspoon, Will Arnett, Seth Rogan, and Rainn Wilson all deliver great performances and help add a bit of credibility to the game.

Pros:

• The game looks great
• They managed to get many of the voice actors from the movie
• It is great how each monster has their own style of gameplay
• This is a fantastic game to play if you have kids or younger siblings

Cons:

• Some of the voice cast from the movie did not return for the game
• The game is rather easy, even for kids