Wilbur Robinson has really stepped in it this time. A teen from the far-off future, he should have known better than to mess with his dad’s time machine. Didn’t he learn anything from the misadventures of Marty McFly and Dr. Emmett Brown?
Oh, right, right. Wrong movie. That one was actually worth watching over and over again. Duh. Anybody home? Think, McFly. Think!
Based on the Disney animated movie of the same name, ‘Meet The Robinsons’ for the Xbox 360 isn’t a colossal waste of time. Like the film, it certainly does have its moments. They just aren’t enough of them and what you end up with is an experience you can take or leave without hesitation or regret. Controlling that young scamp Wilbur, you bounce around from one quirky family member to another as they give you one task after another to complete as a Snidley Whiplash inspired villain makes off with your pa’s time machine. The tasks are many and fleeting. The environments are so expansive that you can squander a great deal of time just wandering around trying to get to where you need to be. Kids though are sure to get a kick out of the massive virtual play set that Disney Interactive has put together with its secret passageways and special surprises.
As you clock more miles than marathon runner, you will inherit countless gizmos and gadgets designed by your vacationing dad. For kids, Wilbur morphing into James Bond is the best part of the game. You have a scanner to find clues, a future version of a Power Glove to blast your foes to smithereens, mining tools and the “Robinson Disassembler”, a device that breaks down components so you can build new devices on your own. Nifty, eh?
Since ‘Robinsons’ is a kid’s title, you know there are going to be some minigames tossed in to amuse the little folk. There is a roll-around-a-maze-in-a-sphere game, an ultramodern version of Pong called ‘Chargeball’, a protect-the-mansion-from-intruders shooting game and some puzzle quests. Disney did the smart thing and made all of them optional so the minigames are tolerable and have more replay value.
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Both the “Meet The Robinsons’ game and animated film typify what’s wrong with The Walt Disney Company nowadays. It is not that they are doing anything atrociously bad. It is just that spark that makes Disney…well…Disney…is not burning as brightly as it should except in those pirate movies starring Johnny Depp or any film with the word “Pixar” in the credits. As it stands, ‘Meet The Robinsons’ the game is a rewarding short-lived diversion but as the exceptional ‘Chicken Little’ and ‘Kim Possible’ Disney Interactive game franchises prove, it could have been and should have been so much more.
WHAM! Rating: |
6.5 out of 10 |
ESRB Rating: |
E10+ (Everyone 10+) |
Official Web Site: |
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