Reviewed: June 4, 2008
Reviewed by: Mark Smith
Publisher
Activision
Developer
Vicarious Visions
Released: June 3, 2008
Genre: Action
Players: 1
9
9
9
6
8.6
Supported Features:
It wouldn’t be summer without a DreamWorks Animation title headed to theaters, and this Friday brings Kung Fu Panda to the big screen while Activision slips their video game vision of the film into stores a few days prior. If Kung Fu Panda, the video game, is any indication of the humor and quality of the film, the theaters should be packed this weekend.
In the Kung Fu Panda video game, players embark on an epic, action-packed adventure as they master the specialized Kung Fu fighting styles of Po the Panda, the unlikely hero, his teacher Shifu, and the legendary Kung Fu masters, the Furious Five: Monkey, Tigress, Viper, Mantis and Crane.
I have to admit I don’t play my DS as much as I used to, and it was less than a month ago that I just came off a weeklong run of playing Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword, which totally renewed my affections for the DS. Now, Vicarious Visions and Activision bring more martial arts madness to the handheld with highly entertaining and challenging gameplay, intuitive controls, and loads of humor.
Having played both console and DS versions of Kung Fu Panda I was impressed with how much the DS version managed to incorporate in both story and gameplay. Obviously, the DS is a smaller scale version so it tells a slightly abbreviated story, but you still have all the key plot points in place.
Kung Fu Panda uses a combination of stylus input and D-pad controls to move Po around traditional side-scrolling levels while you quite literally draw your jumps, body slams, and a growing number of kung fu moves. The game slowly eases you into the action by adding a new move to your arsenal then reinforcing what you have learned by creating environmental and enemy challenges appropriate for your new abilities. Later in the game you’ll need to combine everything you have learned to execute powerful combos or travel across some sinister environmental puzzle screens.
The top screen is used to map out your progress, with each “scene” of a particular level being represented with a box. When you leave that scene your panda icon will move to the next box. It’s a great system to keep track of where you are, where you are going, and how much is left. On some occasions a particular scene will have multiple exits, but this is not to be confused with branching gameplay or story arcs. These alternate exits are scripted into the story and the gameplay.
The level designs are much larger than you’d think. Some of those boxes on the top map translate into multiple horizontal and vertical screens you must traverse and most screens have at least a few enemies or some trap or puzzle you must solve.
There are jumping puzzles, timer puzzles, and combinations of the two. One particularly challenging level has you trigger a spear that will slowly fly across several screens toward a door switch on the other side. You must keep up with the spear by making a series of difficult leaps and get to the door before (or as) it opens.
Early in the game Po breaks an urn containing the souls of 100 fallen warriors, which are scattered about the entire game. You'll need to collect these souls as you explore each level in great detail and often return to previous locations after you have acquired new abilities.
Unlike the console versions of Kung Fu Panda where you actually get to play as various members of Furious Five, the DS version allows you to learn a primary ability from your friends. You can use Monkey’s ability to grab and launch objects or even yourself. Double-tap on an armored enemy to activate Viper Crush and squeeze the enemy right out of their armor or quadruple your jumping distance with Crane’s flying ability.
Each of these moves are awarded once you have rescued the appropriate member from their captor, the evil Tai Lung, who is bent on obtaining the Dragon Scroll and becoming the ultimate warrior, and you'll need the combined forces of all these powers to defeat Tai Lung in the final battle.
Visually, Kung Fu Panda is full of rich and wonderful colors and some surprisingly authentic (or perhaps stereotypical) Chinese architecture. The characters are delightfully designed and animated. The side-scrolling nature of the gameplay allows for a view distance that favors larger-than-expected character sizes so you can really appreciate the detail in the design and the animation.
There are a lot of nice special effects and subtle details that the designers have worked into the overal presentation and gameplay. I loved the curving chi meter, and the dragon sword emblem on the pause screen. There are cute idle animations for Po and all sorts of environmental details that really bring this game alive.
What surprised me the most about Kung Fu Panda on the DS was that every line of dialogue was spoken. I was trying to think of the last DS game that had an entirely spoken script and I think this may be the first, and it certainly doesn’t go unnoticed or unappreciated. And kudos to the guy who does the voice of Po…you really have your Jack Black impersonation (even the timing and inflections) down to a science.
The sound effects were fun and surprisingly effective and there is even some authentic Chinese flavor music thrown into the mix. Great stuff!
Kung Fu Panda took me approximately 6-7 hours to finish and about an hour of that was with the incredibly challenging final boss fight. It wasn't so much the actual fight as the leap of faith blind jumping ledge puzzle leading to the fight. Younger kids can probably add a few more hours to the overall time estimate. There are no mini-games or linked multiplayer modes so your extended gameplay may be somewhat limited.
The quest for all 100 souls might encourage perfectionists to replay the game. At 92/100, I'm only missing 8, but sadly, I have no idea where they are hiding or where to go to find them.
I can’t recommend Kung Fu Panda for the DS highly enough, especially for the younger kids, perhaps those that wanted to play Ninja Gaiden and weren't allowed. Kung Fu Panda is the perfect family-friendly action game that will appeal to young and old alike. It has all the action and moves as a console game, and puts it all in the palm of your hand.
