Kung Fu Panda

What’s this? No sooner have we given Hulk a shoeing than another film-based game arrives. Kung Fu Panda seems to have escaped complete badness, probably in spite of itself. The premise is much the same as any of these recent Dreamworks animation fests: lazy talking beast overcomes obstacles to become reluctant but an ultimately charming  hero. Here he’s a dumpy panda – and guess what he’s good at? The clue’s in the name.

He’s called Po and is a learner in the fine arts of fight, but when the Furious Five masters get kidnapped, he has to rescue them, learn their skills and save the neighbourhood. The gameplay is simple and easy to pick up, the characters are cute and occasionally funny, and the scenery is lush beyond usual tie-in standards. They’ve put a spot of thought into this one, and although at times it becomes a bit of a random button masher and stylus thrasher, its sweetness keeps it just the right side of average.
 

Jul 2, 2008