Well now, show me a tie-in video game to a movie and I’ll show you a piece of ad marketing just to make money off of the film.
So when I received my copy of the game Kung Fu Panda, I was thinking to myself, “Ok, I hope it doesn’t suck too much.” Not only was I wrong on this assumption, the game turns out to be a very good example of level design and production values in a video game.
The storyline is about a Panda named Po and his dream to become a Kung Fu master. I know, it doesn’t make any sense, but hey, millions of people have paid to see the movie, so why not a Kung Fu panda in a video game? The dialogue, special moves, and enemies will delight you, as long as you’re not too cynical or above playing a “kid’s game.”
If you look past the cutesy characters and the likable panda Po, beneath the skin of this game is a pretty decent fighter and adventure title. You don’t just smash and clash with the enemies; you’ll encounter deadly obstacle courses, use weapons, operate giant crossbow machines, and fight some really cool boss battles.
Panda Po can do quite a lot in the game. He can fight jump, climb, and roll like a ball to bowl over enemies, operate devices, and more. Some elements of KFP will remind you of Sonic, Mario, Soul Calibur and old Bruce Lee movies. That’s quite a spectrum of different styles but KFP pulls it off with good success.
Fighting moves, admittedly, aren’t that difficult to master, but for a button masher, it holds its own pretty well. Since a lot of kids will be playing this game, the difficulty levels are set up so even a small child can enjoy the action while seasoned gamers can ramp up the difficulty to make the game more challenging.
What is also cool about KFP is that it combines a nice storyline with lots of action and interesting things to do. You not only need to defeat the bad guys, natch, but you’ll also have to use objects to complete or move the missions forward.
The game is fun but I also found myself wanting to continue the game just to see what sort of surprises were in store for me next. The game designers have done a good job in varying the levels within each mission and this means you’ll not only play the character of Po, but others too.
The graphics and artwork are done very well and has nice eye candy all through the game. The detail is quite good and colorful while the voice acting and music add just the right touch to round out the game.
Kung Fu Panda is a surprise in the tie-in game category and shows imaginative game design, fun fighting action, and lots of good humor. If you’d like to take a break from “serious” games or want something that is just plain fun, check out KFP.
Or if you’re too embarrassed to buy it, just say it’s for your little brother or little sister. But if they play it first, you’ll probably be waiting a long time before you get it back.
