Video Games, Handheld Devices, Reviews
'Napoleon Dynamite' Video Game is Portable, Sweet, but Tart
At this past summers Electronics Entertainment Expo, we took a quick look at a video game based on the film 'Napoleon Dynamite,' the oddball hit that showed how even outcasts in snow boots can bust some moves. That game is out, so now you, too, can bust some moves on either your Nintendo DS or Sony PSP. But, while the movie is consistently good from beginning to end, this game doesn't quite match that consistency.'Napoleon Dynamite' is a bag full of mini-games -- some good, some bad. The mini-games ask you to do all sorts of tasks from the movie. You'll be flinging lasagna at Tina the (fat lard) laama while dodging the spit she shoots at you. You'll get into a football throwing contest with Uncle Rico, then drag an action figure by a string behind your school bus and try to avoid it getting caught by dogs. And, of course, there's a 'Dance Dance Revolution'-style game where you get to bust a move on the stage and impress your friends.
There are 20 games on the DS version and 30 on the PSP, but sadly less than half of those are worth your time. It's a constant up and down ride from good game to bad, all the while unlocking silly little prizes like costumes for Napoleon to wear. Graphically the game is solid, with each character depicted as paper-doll cutouts with giant, oversized heads, and each menu and loading screen is covered with sketches of "ligers" and such.
So, it definitely looks and feels like the film, and fans of that film will have fun with this one. Plus, at $20 for the PSP version, it's certainly priced right. But, with so many of the mini-games feeling like a chore more than a gas, it's hard to recommend to anyone but those who are still wearing a VOTE FOR PEDRO shirt.
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