WALLACE & GROMIT IN PROJECT ZOO Review
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Review WALLACE & GROMIT IN PROJECT ZOO
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Twitch: I’ve always been a big fan of clay animation: Davey & Goliath, Gumby & Pokey and especially Wallace & Gromit.
Spaz: I much prefer Clay Aiken myself.
Twitch: What?! He’s not made of clay.
Spaz: Dude, have you ever seen his hair! Nobody’s hair could look like that unless it was molded from clay.
Twitch: Alright, don’t get started.
Spaz: And another thing – how come these clay animations are always either men or animals? I want to see some clay breasts!
Twitch: You know what I’ll take over from here. For those of you unfamiliar with the wacky world of Wallace & Gromit, they’re a popular U. K. based clay duo who have starred in several half-hour animated films that have won two Oscars and currently have a feature-length movie slated for release in 2005.
Wallace is a dumpy, sweater wearing, middle-aged Rube Goldberg wannabee. Gromit is his faithful and beleaguered dog. In the animated shorts, Gromit is always saving his master from his outrageous inventions, but the tables are turned in Project Zoo as Gromit leads the way, aided by Wallace’s wacky gadgets and droll humor.
The local zoo has been taken hostage by the maniacal Feathers McGraw, a dastardly penguin who will stop at nothing to achieve his dream of dominating the world diamond market. Now Gromit, with the help of Wallace, must rescue the zoo animals as he runs, jumps, climbs, swings and solves puzzles through six areas of the zoo.
Even though Project Zoo is tagged as a platform game, it is actually anything but. Sure there are some jumping puzzles, but this is much more an adventure game with arcade elements as Gromit must collect the objects Wallace needs to create gadgets and weapons that can then be used to solve puzzles within each level. Necessary items are scattered around each level and the search for these inventory items serves to familiarize the player with the level so that sometimes actually completing an area can be easier than figuring out what to do next at the beginning of the level.
The weapons run the gamut from Porridge Gun and Coal Flinger to a Banana Launcher and Knitting Machine. Contraptions that Wallace can build once the parts are found include Springy Boots a Toboggan and a really cool Gyrocopter. As you can see, the operative word here is wacky.
The levels are creative and also offer some humorous movie references, overshadowing the sometimes mundane settings you would expect in a game set inside the animal houses of a zoo. Still, much of the appeal of Wallace & Gromit is that its characters live in a recognizable world that just happens to be inhabited by intelligent animals, so while a futuristic sci-fi or fantasy setting may have been more fun, it also would have been most inappropriate to the spirit of the characters.
A large part of the fun can be attributed to Gromit’s expressively animated movements. As he can’t express himself in words, his body language speaks volumes as does the entire cast of characters from Archie the polar bear to Feathers McGraw. Toss in some Clockwork Cyber Penguin and monkeys jonesing for bananas But Gromit especially is a joy to behold as he back flips, somersaults and break dances (with your help of course!) through levels.
Complaints about Project Zoo are few, but occasionally threaten to squash the fun flatter than splattered Play Dough. Sometimes the biggest obstacle on a level is figuring out exactly what to do next. Levels are huge and sometimes confusing. Some jumps are unforgiving and the frustration level can quickly boil over and bring the frivolity to a screeching halt, which should be a no-no in a game featuring such great characters. There is literally, at times, too much going on in this game and how often have you ever heard that complaint? There are supposedly 24 hidden levels, but we missed at least half of them – and it is apparently not necessary to visit them to complete the game.
Still, give Frontier Developments credit for bringing the charismatic humor and inventiveness of Wallace & Gromit to a gaming universe overpopulated with emotionally devoid mascots. There is just a ‘feel’ about this game that the developers were having a great time during the development process and cared more that their creations be perceived in the correct light rather than taking short cuts to add more coins to their coffers. For those who have yet to enjoy the award-winning shorts, scenes from the ‘The Wrong Trousers’ and ‘The Snoozatron’ are unlocked when the player achieves milestones in the game and these alone were impetus enough to continue through the more difficult areas of Wallace & Gromit in Project Zoo.
Spaz: Can I talk now? You’ve been boring us forever with your big words and over-analyzing.
Twitch: Sure, what insights would you like to add to the review?
Spaz: First of all, let’s return to that clay breasts suggestion….
Twitch: Okay! Well, that’s all the time we have for now – see you soon!
Final Grade: B
There is a great Project Zoo trailer here and this is one game we would love to have some wallpaper and screensavers for!
