Penguins of Madagascar

It's usually the case for some films that the comic relief character eventually becomes the face of an entire franchise. That's the reason why we have a standalone Penguins of Madagascar game – and even more surprisingly – one that is really not as bad as some of the typical licensed games tend to be.

While it won't revolutionize gaming, Penguins of Madagascar is a great entry point for younger players to get accustomed to the stealth genre. Instead of diving right into the intense action of a Metal Gear Solid game, kids can enjoy seeing the characters they love getting into all sorts of situations from the animated film.

Just Like the Movie

Perhaps the most impressive aspect of the game has to do with its visuals. Most characters retain the same charm they had in the movie, and that includes the expressive animations and over-the-top cartoony movements. However, for some reason, there's no voice acting.

Even though I've praised some of the game's animations, I can't help but feel like there's a certain lack of thought put into some of the game's gameplay animations. Controlling the Penguins feels stiff and unresponsive – made even worse by the characters' unimpressive movements.

As if that wasn't frustrating enough, the game only saves once you've reached the end of a level. This is something that even the first Madagascar game handled better, and it's a shame to see that it seems to have been ignored by the developers of this title.

Elite Penguin Team

Much like in the movies, each penguin has a special talent that differentiates them from the rest. After a brief tutorial explaining the game's basic controls, the player is left to play around and figure out each penguin's talents on their own. For a kids' game, the lack of a proper tutorial at every step of the way is both refreshing, and probably terrifying for younger players.

Skipper, the leader, can slap his enemies; Private can use an improved stealth technique; Kowalski can glide for short distances, and Rico can slide and damage foes. It's a pretty basic ability system that's easy to grasp and works well.

Besides their core abilities, each penguin can access different puzzles. I call them "puzzles," but they're more like short minigames that will never pose any real difficulty to most players, no matter their age.

The game is quite short, with an average playthrough lasting around five hours. The lack of any meaningful extras means that there's little incentive to even touch the game again once you've beaten it. Still, there might be some enjoyment to be had here for die-hard fans of the Madagascar franchise. That, or very, very young players.

Pros

• Includes some scenes from the movie
• The Penguin gang is as charming as ever
• Can be beaten easily by players of any skill level

Cons

• Short campaign
• No voice acting
• Clunky controls and punishing checkpoints