Xbox

Wallace & Gromit in Project Zoo

At the end of the day Wallace & Gromit just doesn’t bring anything new to the platform table, but then again, there is a significant lack of quality platform games available for the Xbox. Most recently, Voodoo Vince stole our hearts (or at least poked at them with tiny needles). In the Xbox world where platform games are a rare find, gamers may be a bit more tolerant of this particular game.

Frontier has done an excellent job of creating a platformer that's authentic and true to the world of Wallace and Gromit, but it's done a rather shoddy job at creating a good platformer. Based on the classic 3D formula set out by Nintendo's Super Mario 64, Wallace and Gromit adds a few touches of ingenuity here and there, but falters in several departments, whether it's technical or tuning, or camera problems or irregular and poor framerates (though I guess framerates are technically a department). Wallace and Gromit is a good thing for kids.

Wallace & Gromit in Project Zoo is a game that could prove entertaining for fans of Nick Park's peculiar pair, but, as a 3D platformer, it's simply not that impressive. When you add the game's relatively short length (of around six hours) to the overall lack of polish, Project Zoo isn't a terribly attractive purchase, but it can make a decent rental.

Kids will love the charming characters and story, and rescuing those baby animals is a very rewarding experience. There's hardly any violence in the game, as all the characters you fight are robots. No animals were harmed in the making of Project Zoo. Unfortunately, at some points kids will probably get frustrated with the sluggish controls and camera angles. It's sad, too, since the production values of the story clips and visuals are so great. It may be best to try and find the DVD or videos of the animated Wallace and Gromit specials for your children instead.