Futurama

Futurama ist im Grunde genommen nichts mehr als ein gutes Jump’n’Run, gäbe es da nicht den Kult-Bonus. Ganz klar, Futurama hat den Witz der vielen Spielen auf dem Markt fehlt oder könnt ihr ein aktuelles Spiel nennen, bei dem ihr teilweise vor Lachen das Spielen unterbrechen müsst? Die Entwickler haben es verstanden die Thematik, technisch fast optimal für die Playstation 2 umzusetzen, was jedoch nicht ganz darüber hinwegschauen lässt, dass man spielerisch vergeblich nach Innovationen sucht.

For those of you who are fans of the recently cancelled FOX television cartoon series Futurama, this is your last hurrah away from reruns as you play through 22 third person viewed levels as the abrasive robot Bender, the flakey Fry and the always serious one-eyed Leela. The game captures the true essence of the television show and delivers it straight into your PlayStation 2. The now 3d cartoon characters have the same voices and the same quirky personalities as their controllable counterparts and make you feel as though you are actually playing the television show.

This game is a must for fans, and worth a rent for others. A bit of an acquired taste.

Let's get one thing out in the open, Futurama was treated like crap by the Fox Network. It was shifted around to various timeslots, eventually dropped into the post football time of Sunday at 7 PM. The show never really had a chance to gain ground as it was constantly pre-empted (in my area) by the sorry Dallas Cowboys. The fact that I live in New York and the local Fox affiliate was showing the Cowboys is a rant for another time. My current rant is the fact that for all it's brilliance, Futurama was unjustly given the axe last summer. And strangely fitting, this new Futurama game was released the week after the final show aired.

Futurama is a game better than most licensed titles, but still lacks the elements of a classic that is able to stand up as a game in its own right, not just because it is associated with a familiar name.

An amusing, well-packaged licence that will appeal to players' love of the show but less to their love of games.

In the end, fans of the show will love the game, even with the frustration factor as high as it is, though new-comers may find it a bit uninteresting. In actuality, the game is one entire episode of the show, so fans will definitely want to play the game. However, the game's flawed controls will leave a bitter taste in some people's mouths, which is a shame considering the quality of the overall presentation. It's a good game, with some of the best writing and voice acting to date... but it's plain to see that it was a game created for the fans of Futurama.

Even though Futurama debuts much stronger than any of the initial Simpsons games it is still marred with technical glitches that will annoy a lot of gamers. If you are looking for the next best platform game then you will likely want to skip this one or possibly rent it if your curiosity gets the best of you. Diehard fans of the show will turn a blind eye to these issues and simply enjoy the game for what it is – an interactive episode. If you are the type of person who collects the season box sets and is planted in front of your TV every Sunday night then this will become a favorite addition to your gaming library.

The Futurama game is full of Witty remarks and an amusing story line which had me gripped to the seat and hands glued to the controller. Maybe its because I’m a fan that it really appealed to me but it can make fans out of those who never even saw the show before the game, its an upstanding show of what Futurama was and could be. Those who are fans of the show will enjoy the story line and jokes, and those who aren’t… WHY AREN’T YOU?!

It's a shame that the generic nature of the game lets it down, because the writers have nailed the feel of the TV series perfectly; cut-scenes are wonderfully created, looking and sounding just like an episode of the real thing, whilst the fact that they've thought about a storyline which ties to a videogame is commendable. As a platformer it's certainly not the worst we've seen, in general the camera does a good job although it is prone to get stuck behind walls on a number of occasions, whilst the controls are responsive if a little shallow in terms of depth to the combat system. Thankfully the game does a good job of including checkpoints that help to keep the frustration low as the levels are considerably large and would involve a lot of backtracking.

When Simpsons creator Matt Groening’s show Futurama hit the airwaves, it immediately gained a cult following with its unique blend of sci-fi kitsch and snappy dialogue. However, the show failed to achieve mainstream success and was cancelled, much to the dismay of the droves of loyal Futurama fans. Well, it seems as though they could be getting their second chance with the Futurama gang as Futurama is hitting the PS2. While the gameplay may leave something to be desired, much of the talent from the TV show, be it voice, writing or otherwise, has ported over to work on the game, giving the game all the wit, humor and feel of the fantastic TV show. Futurama fans rejoice; your game is here and it’s not half bad.

When it’s all said and done you’ve got an incredibly fun title, but it isn’t the game that does it. The writing and feel of the series comes through and provides the only real substance of the game. Not to be too hard on the game itself, I’ve played much worse titles. Maybe my personal expectations were too high, but I think this one just didn’t hit the mark it could have.

Futurama is only interesting for fans of the series because for everyone else it is just a very basic jump’n’run game with no distinguishing features. But even these might find the jokes and sketches funny, although as I've already noted the latter are rather seldom. For some people Futurama may be worth their money just to experience the unique new story line by the original authors.

It happens to all us of. We've all come into contact with a TV series we love, adore or cherish, and we crave its byproducts, whatever they may be. I rarely watch TV, but when I do it's an all-Sunday affair, and I do it with my wife and child. I start with the 7 pm showing of Futurama, skip King of the Hill, tune in for The Simpsons and when it was good, we always eyed The X-Files. I'm guilty as charged of being an unabashed Futurama fan.

In the end Futurama does what it is suppose to; provide a user-interactive replica of the cartoon series. For huge fans of the show this game will be a no-brainer, but for those who just want to dabble in the Futurama experience I recommend it as a rental at best. The great presentation and audio is what really keeps the game alive. If only the developers would have taken more time and attention to detail in some of the gameplay physics, level design, or graphics this game could have been a contender. The faulty camera system, unpolished visuals, and very repetitive gameplay, unfortunately, bring it down to the rental category. I guess we can’t hope that every television to video game spin-off will be a success. There are much worse examples out there, but Futurama just does not stand up to what I had hoped it would be. Just remember, Futurama is just a simple adventure game and don’t expect much else. If you follow this advice, you’ll probably come out a happy gamer.

A labor of love for Futurama fans with extreme levels of patience, torturous tedium for everybody else.

It’s a crying shame that Futurama the videogame is the last we’ll see of Matt Groening’s pet project. A show that has miraculously survived through low ratings and critical bashing for as long as it has deserves a better finale than this. That said, Futurama is still worth checking out, if only as a rental, just to bust a gut over the hilarious cut-scenes. Fans of the show will find a lot to like here but those looking for something fun to play will want to look elsewhere.

If you let your children watch the TV show, they won't hear anything out of their experience. If the show is on the no-no list, I'd be careful with this one. There are no real safe spots – it is all through the game. Personally, I'd stick with the rating on this one, if only to help avoid having to hear all that cleverness being parroted back to you over and over and over (or being demonstrated for your Mother). I finally had to start charging for imitations (at $6 a piece) to get mine to stop. As always, I suggest you play the game through before letting them get their hands on it.

While not the best platformer in town, Futurama manages to sidestep the peg-warmer status usually reserved for licensed games with a fun mixture of addictive action, tough obstacle course maneuvering, and actual wit. In the game, you play three characters from the show, each with unique methods for clipping waves of space-age enemies: pizza-delivering poindexter Fry with laser rifles and shotguns, robot rummy Bender with spinning attacks, and cyclopean fist of fury Leela with lip-busting flurries of punches and kicks. Series creator Matt Groening reportedly oversaw the game's production, and barring frame rate stutters, a smooth blend of pseudo hand-drawn and computer animation combined with dead-on vocal work provided by the series' cast makes the game look and sound incredibly like the cartoon.

As a whole, the game just doesn't quite get it right. The story's tight and the presentation is awesome. However, it has rather dull and repetitive gameplay, and many of the levels are just a chore to do in order to see the next cutscene. There's zero replay after beating the game, and the only reason to turn it on again is so you can watch through all of the cutscenes again to gain the illusion of watching an episode. I am really hoping for another Futurama game, though. One that can combine a game that's as good as the story. Right now, I'm going to say what you've no doubt heard already. You will only like this game if you already loved Futurama. If you can, your best bet is to just find a friend who's already finished it and make him show you the cutscenes.

But whatever the developer's intentions (and we're willing to bet, given their obvious love for the show, that they weren't the ones who picked a platform template), this is still a cynical and at times deeply boring game to play. As a platformer, it won't have Naughty Dog barking [groan] or keep Insomniac up all night [make that a double -Ed] - rather it's like humans in general according to Douglas Adams: mostly harmless. If you're convinced, by all means take the plunge. We'd rather buy the third season box set.

That being said, if you're a huge fan of the series who simply can't get enough of Bender and Fry, Futurama is at least worth renting and struggling through just to experience the great story. Otherwise, it's best not to be tempted by yet another franchise-based game that falls flat where it counts most in a video game--the gameplay.

For any gamer who has logged plenty of hours behind the console or keyboard, it probably comes as no surprise that the bulk of games developed today that are based on existing television or film properties rarely end up being amazing, must-own games. Futurama, sadly, is no exception to the rule. While a Herculean effort was put into staying as true to the source material as possible, the game itself doesn't play well. Unless you're a rabid fan who simply has to be in contact with all things Futurama, this game is playable enough to warrant a rental but little else.

Quel dommage ! C'est certain, le titre ne pourra brancher que les fans collectionneurs et ceux qui souhaiteraient profiter des bonus sympas. L'humour et l'esprit de Futurama sont là, mais en tant que jeu il ne vaut rien ou presque et ne sera qu'une source d'agacement pour tous.

Quel dommage ! C'est certain, le titre ne pourra brancher que les fans collectionneurs et ceux qui souhaiteraient profiter des bonus sympas. L'humour et l'esprit de Futurama sont là, mais en tant que jeu il ne vaut rien ou presque et ne sera qu'une source d'agacement pour tous.

For die-hard fans of the series, I’d suggest renting Futurama if you feel the urge to see your favorite characters in new situations. For the rest of the gaming audience, a suicide booth might be a bit more fun than putting up with this tedious game. Instead of getting the entire cast back together to make this weak piece of software, they should have made a few more episodes of the cartoon itself.

Futurama est une petite déception. Bien qu'indéniablement doté de l'humour qui fait la force de la série, le jeu souffre hélas de lacunes ludiques trop flagrantes pour espérer séduire les joueurs les plus exigeants. Naturellement, les fans les plus endurcis et autres collectionneurs pourront toujours se procurer le DVD pour sa dose de bonne humeur qu'il doit avant tout à ses cinématiques et ses divers bonus... Reste que ceux qui cherchaient simplement un bon jeu d'action 3D feraient mieux de passer leur chemin, à juste titre.

The cutscenes, though, shouldn't be the best part of the game, and unfortunately, that's the case here. If you're a diehard Futurama fan who's willing to stick it out through some ponderous gaming just to watch an all-new episode of the show, you might want to check out the game. For everyone else, there are better things to do in life.

Every once in a while you read about some whacked-out set of parents that attach an exercise bike to the family TV and force their kids to keep pedaling if they want to watch their favorite shows. Being raised by a relatively sane couple, I never had to "feel the burn" just to check out my nine daily hours of cartoons and reruns. For the past couple of days, though, I've known just how those less fortunate kids felt. Vivendi Universal's Futurama gives gamers an entire all-new episode of Matt Groening's "other" cartoon. The only problem is what you have to go through to see it all.

Even if you're a hardcore Futurama fan, you're better off waiting for someone to rip the game's FMV sequences and upload them somewhere. The episode is pretty good (with a clever, yet unsatisfying ending) but all the trouble you have to endure to watch the damn thing is just not worth it. There's absolutely no replay, either, as everything you can unlock, you already saw by progressing through the game. As a gaming experience, or as a purchase, there is just no reason to ever bother with this. The sum of this game is so much less than its parts. FMVs, writing, and audio aside, I can't bring myself to score this game above a 3.