Ages: Everyone
People who buy games made from movies are hoping to extend the movie experience they enjoyed. Some platforms accomplish this better that others - some developers have different views on how to bring the movie ethos into the game.
Briefly, the movie is a story of Wall-E, a Waste Allocation Load Lifter - Earth-class - a garbage compactor, doing his job for 700 years after the Earths inhabitants have left to live on the space cruiser Axiom. All changes with the arrival of EVE, Extraterrestrial Vegetation Evaluator, sent out to find if Earth can support life. She finds life in the form of a little green sprout. But once the two droids LED's lock on - romance ensues. Wall-E follows EVA to Axiom where they fight against those forces who do not want to return to Earth.
Most gamers do not have the opportunity to play a single game on multiple platforms as do reviewers. Regardless of which platform you choose - here is a brief overview of what's being offered.
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
Wall-E Xbox 360 and Wall-E PS3 utilize their system's graphic strength
and Heavy Iron's development team to take the game beyond the movie experience.
Don't expect to bond with the trusty, rusty garbage compactor or feel the romance between Wall-E and EVE.
What you get instead is lots of 3D platforming, easy targeting, laser shooting, flying and racing.
The games are filled with clever mechanical lifts, and many amusing vending machines,
good BnL voice-overs and adverts.
Three very different playing modes keep interest up - the Wall-E workaday earth, EVE 's flying and shooting
and the EVE and Wall-E combo aboard the space cruiser Axiom.
Wall-E Wii could make you pull out your hair with the awkward
controls and insultingly poor instructions.
Once my favorite platform - I now place the Wii last because of it's arrogant avoidance of player needs.
Mostly I play other platforms first so I can get some understanding of what I am expected to do in the game.
Every other platform shows an image of the controls with explanations of button use.
The Wii - with its relative newness and complication of the two controllers doesn't bother,
and to add insult to injury, instructions for their use are poorly done (in light grey on white):
Enuf said!
Wall-E PS2 and Wall-E PSP are similar,
with the big exception that the big screen for the PS2 version helps a
lot to pick out the ramps and pipes and especially Wall-Es expressions.
In both these games, shooting lasers comes early in the game as do exploding cubes.
Strangely, there is more back story with scenes of armies of Wall-Es cleaning up the enormous wastes.
The PS2 was our best pick for kids.
Good and visible screen instruction (white on black background),
a tutorial that is done like a check-up,
and the most appealing Wall-E who, with his hands on his head can express both wonder and consternation.
Wall-E DS is a disappointment.
Done by Helix instead of Heavy Iron - it is Wall-E in name only.
The color palette is completely different, landscape - referred to as "rooms",
is rendered in bleak stretches of angled surfaces interspersed with conveyor belts,
pits and enclosed by edges where falling off means starting again.
The EVE part is simply racing against the clock.
It might be more enjoyable if it were renamed "Beat the Edge".
Fun Factor: In all instances - the movie was more fun.
Female Factor: EVE does OK
Player Friendly: Mostly OK except for the dreadful user instructions for the Wii
Reviewed by: Editor - 07/08