Score
Gameplay:	8
Graphics:	8
Sound:	8
FunFactor:	8
PlasmaFactor:	8
Overall:	8

Kung Fu Panda Review
June 10, 2008 by Jereme Puik

 

With Kung Fu Panda hitting the big screen this past week, you don’t have to look far to see the video game adaptation of the movie to follow along with it. Po the Panda dreams of becoming the ultimate kung fu master, but awakens to find that it is only a dream with him only holding his dear broom as he is brought back into reality in which he is working at his father's local Chinese noodle restaurant. But, is this game just another quick cash-in as we've seen before in other movie-based titles? The answer may not be as obvious as you think, as Activision shows some effort with this entry and it pays off as you will find yourself enjoying the light-hearted story and amusing kung-fu-antics.

Fear the awesomeness of the Panda!

Immediately upon beginning Kung Fu Panda, you will notice that it is a hybrid of platforming and fighting, so you can expect that there will be some button mashing involved. If you aren't familiar with the game and didn't get a chance to download the demo, you shouldn't have too much of a problem getting used to the mechanics of the game. There are basic button attacks for special moves along with blocking and dodging, and these controls are about as easy as they come.

Kung Fu Panda bridges together platforming and fighting quite well. You will be faced with waves of enemies during the game’s challenging 13 levels, but the game starts you off with the basic techniques that can easily get you through the first couple of levels until Po is claimed to be the ultimate Dragon Master. As the story continues, there are a couple of levels that you might find a bit irritating and maybe even complicated. For example, during one stage you will find yourself defending the great palace as constant waves of invaders fly in to try and rob the treasures of the palace. You must defeat as many enemies as you can while keeping these boars from taking all of the precious treasures because if they take all of them, the game ends. However, most of the game’s levels will make you forget about the irritating ones.

There are coins spread throughout the levels that will help you unlock various items after the level is completed that will earn you upgrades. These upgrades range from increased health, costume outfits, improved fighting moves, and more. It is wise of course to spend to your liking and how you would like to upgrade your character. Checkpoints and coin placements, are varied well and aren't much of a nuisance when completing each level and getting to the next save point. Depending on the difficulty, you could find that enemies are fun and easy to combat with or they are annoying and frustrating to get past.

During the progression of play in Kung Fu Panda, you will be given the opportunity to play as the cast of the Furious Five, but only for a limited time. These characters each have their own unique fighting style and will prove useful for the level or two you are able to play as the other kung fu masters. You will be able to upgrade these characters as well, but it won't make much use as you wind up jumping straight back into playing as Po. Each character is spot on in terms of controlling them and using their fighting abilities. Speaking of these abilities, each character has their own energy bar, which bases itself on the amount of energy you can use to perform special attacks. Each character has a maximum of 3 special attacks that are controlled through the Y button. You also learn combo attacks, although those don't really mix things up much as they don't extend beyond using the X and Y buttons.

Although you will have plenty of time to explore the game's 3D environments and the various odds and ends of the levels, there will be times when you will be flowing through a different part of the game. You might be flying through the clouds trying to avoid vultures in your wake or using Po to tumble down in a rail-like fashion to speed through certain levels. There are several of these and the railing gets a few moments to get used to but, is one of the more bothersome techniques.

To expand upon the game's replayability, Kung Fu Panda offers a four-player multiplayer area. Here, there are party games to give you that competitive edge that lets you use all characters from the movie in various mini-games and matches that should give you enough to chew on, at least for a little while.

Sound

Kung Fu Panda gives you the sounds that you would expect from the movie. Voice acting is done quite well, despite a noticeable lack of Jack Black, and is easily transitioned through the characters as you can see emotion from the various characters you interact with. You might find yourself actually giving some credit to the guy who was giving the Jack Black impressions as it’s pretty darn close. Sometimes you might not even notice a difference (of course that’s stretching it a bit), but that's how good the voice acting was. Each member of the Furious Five are also very well voiced and each have their own unique parts throughout the game. The game's soundtrack is mastered well and presents you the mood as you progress through each level and follow along in the story. Sound effects are a big part of the title and everything seems to be created faithfully to the movie’s design.

Graphics

With rich colorful detail provided through every level of the game, Kung Fu Panda gives itself a sharp presentation and makes you think that this should be the kind of effort we see in future movie-to-game adaptations. Characters are surprisingly detailed and easily match their movie counterparts. There are strong lighting effects outfitted for the entire game as various levels are all shaded nicely and thanks to the engine, are realistically shadowed. Level design is just the tip of the iceberg with the amount of detail shown throughout this game. You might find yourself taking a step back and looking around the level to appreciate the amount of work taken in the artistry, as it is quite close to the movie.

Plasma Factor

With its colorful characters and level design, you could easily find yourself breezing through each level of Kung Fu Panda. One of the game's highlights is its ease of character use. You don't have to be a fighting or platformer veteran to pick up and play this. Everyone can have fun and follow the story of Po the Panda. With a pretty close Jack Black facsimile, you might even be immersed in the movie tie-in, albeit for the short 13 levels you will be playing the game. Depending on the difficulty, gamers should have no problem unlocking the game's 32 achievements; some of which are a bit challenging-- but not overly hard-- to unlock. Each level provides its own challenges and it takes about 7-10 hours total to complete the whole game. The only thing you might find a bit frustrating is the in-game menu text that consumes the whole game, as you will find yourself straining your eyes a bit to try and read everything.

Conclusion

Kung Fu Panda shows that with this kind of effort, you can easily put out a great game adaptation of a big-budget movie. We’ve seen many instances where game companies attempt to pump out a quick cash-in on movie titles, but not here. While the story is something out of the ordinary, you'll find that it’s fresh and exciting. The characters are entertaining and will give you that chuckle you might need if you’re to take a break from the serious games you see on the market today. You can easily do worse than Kung Fu Panda, but not too much better when it comes to movie tie-ins… it provides all the fun that you can ask for from a video game adaptation.