Monster House

GameZone (8 out of 10) (80%)

A must-play for anyone who loves the movie. The Resident Evil-style gameplay – where everything is slower and stiffer – is likely to feel weird and clunky at first. But give it time and you’ll see that this control style only adds to what is already a creepy experience. It makes every move you make that much more important. In Monster House, you are not able to react as fast as you can when playing as Link, Mario, or Lara Croft.

eToychest (75 out of 100) (75%)

Monster House looks good and sounds good, and combined with THQ’s attention to the film, the game has atmosphere in spades. That’s the real selling point of the title. Older gamers will enjoy it for at least a little while, but the younger set, which the game is aimed at, should eat it up, especially if they’re fans of the film.

411mania.com (7.1 out of 10) (71%)

The next generation of gamers has to get their skills somewhere, right? Why not from Monster House then? Take your little brother/sister out to see the movie (I still haven’t seen it but its Spielberg so I doubt it isn’t child proof) and pick up the game while you’re at it. Train the kiddies now so they will be able to pop zombie headshots later. If anything, it’s a good way to show the ol’ geezers in the kitchen just how far games have come. It’s a quick play, but it’s worth coming back to for the mini-game. And besides, that mini-game is worth the price of the game alone. THOU ART DEAD.

IGN (6.8 out of 10) (68%)

Monster House is one of those titles that's a nice introductory adventure for young kids. It's nothing spectacular and it's not one of those things that will keep them busy for an extremely long period of time, but it's a fine game that happens to be a tie-in with a kid's movie. It would've been great to have a bit more variety in monsters or more replayability, but for what it's worth, it's a fun experience for younger gamers looking for a title in the slower summer months.

Worth Playing (6.5 out of 10) (65%)

In the end, Monster House could just as easily have been called My First Resident Evil. While less violent and more family-friendly, many of the same aspects are there and will make Monster House feel strangely familiar, from battling monsters to solving illogical puzzles. Sadly, the low difficulty level and cartoony feel make this title a poor purchase for any but the youngest of fans.

Jolt (UK) (6 out of 10) (60%)

Even with these limitations, the game feels a little on the short side. Don’t expect to get more than a day or two’s play out of it. If you prefer to rent games before deciding whether or not to buy them, you’ll probably end up completely done with it before you’ve had a chance to decide. Overall, and to pretty much nobody’s surprise whatsoever, Monster House is just another wasted opportunity that’ll likely be forgotten about before the movie it’s based on even reaches DVD.

Cheat Code Central (2.8 out of 5) (56%)

Monster House is quite short, but it is very well paced, keeping the action moving quite well throughout. Normally, licensed games are packed to the gills with unlockable features. Here, the only extras are the photo gallery and a throwback 2-D platform game called "Thou Art Dead." When I noticed this game in the menu, I realized that this could actually be a game that people would play on Xbox Live and compete for highest score or something. Gamers of any age should easily complete this game in seven or eight hours, making this an easy weekend rental but a tough purchase decision. Monster House is a breezy summer title for the kids that will keep them busy for a while, but it doesn't take full advantage of its impressive source material and leaves its players wishing for better.

videogamer.com (5 out of 10) (50%)

Monster House can't be classed as a great game for adults, but for younger players who want a hassle-free video game version of the movie, there's very little wrong with it.

Sydney Morning Herald (2.5 out of 5) (50%)

Good harmless fun, but there are more creative and better-value children's games available. Enter at your own risk.

GamesRadar ( ) (50%)

Ultimately, the game ends up being like most summer movie releases - a bit fun, but ultimately forgettable. Monster House isn't offensive, but at the same time it doesn't have anything to make it stand out from other action-adventure games. It's a very average title that will seem above-average to kids and fans of the movie.

Yahoo! Games ( ) (50%)

Monster House holds some amusing moments, but they're few and far between. At one point, young DJ and Jenny are trapped on other sides of a locked grate. When DJ yanks on it, Jenny smarmily notes that she tried pushing, but hadn't thought to try pulling. More moments like these would have made the game a gem to play, but as it is, it's just one extended chair wrecking, box-shoving session. And that's a house of pain, to be sure.

Game Shark (C) (50%)

In the end we can't really recommend this game to adults, but if you have kids that enjoyed the film this game is -- at the very least -- worth a rental. A purchase may be in order for those kids who want to extend the experience of the film from the comfort of their living room TV.

Wham! gaming (4.9 out of 10) (49%)

Your best bet here is to wait until the Monster House movie is released on DVD. With extras, it’ll probably be about as long as the game and you and your kids won’t have to put up with design problems or frustrating controls.

GameSpot (4.7 out of 10) (47%)

Ultimately, it all boils down to whether or not someone wants to spend the money to rent or purchase a tedious and flawed game that hardly lasts longer than the movie it's based on. Common sense would suggest not.

GameSpy ( ) (40%)

The game isn't a total monstrosity. After all, it's difficult to hate such a good-natured title, even if it doesn't try that hard. Knowing THQ could have done worse isn't a glowing compliment though, and at forty bucks and four hours, the little side-scrolling mini-game included (played by spending tokens you find in the main game) and lame unlockables add no real value. Even if you or your kids loved the movie, it's hard to imagine getting much enjoyment out of Monster House.