Game: Disney’s Up
Publisher/Developer: THQ
Genre: Family platformer
Price: $29.99
Verdict: Great fun for younger gamers, but lacks enough depth to make it appeal to adults.
Pros: Nice co-op mechanics which encourage teamwork
Cons: Friendly AI when playing solo is irritating at times
It’s unfortunate that Disney’s Up both begins and ends with a poorly implemented flying game, because the rest of the title really isn’t bad at all for a title squarely aimed at a younger demographic. As you would expect from a Disney title, this is not something that will appeal to those of you who prefer your action more mature and violent, but it certainly has something about it that make it worth a look, if you want a game to play alongside your younger gaming protégé.
As you would expect, Disney’s Up is based on the film of the same name. Unfortunately I haven’t been able to see the film due to it only just being released in Europe; however from what I know of the story, the game remains quite faithful to it. You play both 78 year old Carl and 8 year old Russell on the adventure of a lifetime to South America, traveling on a flying house, thanks to being covered in helium balloons. Yup, it’s the kind of tale that only Disney could make work!
The game is a simple platformer with basic puzzle elements. It might not be the most original of genres, but it works well for this style of game. Playing as Carl and Russell felt quite reminiscent of the Lego series of games. Both characters have their own unique skill that the other doesn’t, meaning that when playing with a friend teamwork is essential. Carl can climb up platforms that Russell can’t, while Russell can chop down vines to jump across large ravines. It is a relatively simple concept, but for children it’s quite well pitched.
Everything about the game is infinitely more fun with two players, especially if one of them is a younger sibling or child, rather than a teenager who would prefer to be blowing things up. Unfortunately, when playing in one player mode, the game’s AI is a little irritating. It suffers from a similar flaw to the Lego series in that at times, the friendly AI simply doesn’t do what you want it to do. For example, if you’re trying to perform a co-op move to cross an obstacle, at times, the friendly AI will simply stand there doing nothing. This means you have to sometimes switch characters to complete the move. Sure it’s just a simple tap of the right bumper, but it would have been nice to have responsive AI once in a while. Not to mention, I can see it annoying those with low levels of patience, namely the younger gamer.
The game only took me around 3-4 hours to complete, but this seems a quite appropriate length of time when you bear in mind the game’s target audience. Due to the final level being based around flying, I did find it disproportionally harder than previous levels. I have a sneaking suspecion that this would cause great frustration for some inexperienced gamers. It’s a shame that it had to end on such a sour note, because the platforming elements are much more enjoyable and the final level felt like a slight discredit to the rest of the game.
In order to extend the length of Disney’s Up, there are also numerous bugs to collect that are laden across levels. These bugs help to unlock the various multiplayer levels available, to those wanting a bit more longevity. These multiplayer levels range from dogfighting in planes to popping more balloons than your opponent within a given time limit. Again, it’s all fairly simplistic, but something that I’m sure would eke out a few extra minutes of play time for young gamers.
It’s probably quite obvious by now that while Disney’s Up is a perfectly adequate platformer, it is aimed at a specific market. I’m not saying that you have to be a child to enjoy this, because I enjoyed my time with it and I’m in my mid 20s. However, to get the most out of it, it would help to be in the under 12 age bracket. Disney’s Up is the perfect title for those of you with children who are looking for something that you can both play together while you wait for Lego Indiana Jones 2 to come out.
Popularity: unranked [?]
