PlayStation 2

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.