GameSpot editors' review
-
CNET editors' rating:
stars
Good
Detailed editors' rating
- Reviewed on: 12/09/2008
- Released on: 06/03/2008
- Originally published on GameSpot: Kung Fu Panda (DS) Review
Kung Fu Panda on the DS is a competent handheld beat-'em-up. While it captures the fun and humour of the cinematic release with its attractive visuals and quality audio both of which elevatating it above its competition in the genre, its lack of multiplayer support, occasionally clumsy controls, and cakewalk difficulty mean it stumbles on the way to the finish line.
Like its film namesake, this game follows the adventures of Po, a bumbling fool turned hero as he makes the transition from mild-mannered noodle slinger to Dragon Warrior panda-ninja. There's a surprisingly large amount of backstory here for a side-scrolling beat-'em-up, and for the most part it remains based on the source material. You'll attempt to rescue your father and fellow Furious Five members with a final showdown against Tai Lung to return peace to the village.
Once rescued, each member of the Furious Five will teach you a special move. Leaping Monkey is the first one you'll learn. It lets you latch onto items or enemies in midair and use them to leapfrog to platforms or to collect items. When you use it alongside the basic aerial attack, you can grab enemies, toss them upwards, and then smack them before they hit the ground. You're never required to perform this move, but it's still satisfying to use because it shows off the robust physics system. Mantis Fury allows Po to throw objects at high speeds, turning regular barrels into impromptu projectiles that are capable of knocking down destructible doors and clearing a path through adversaries. Viper Crush is performed by clicking enemies to grab them and then tapping the screen a second time to squeeze the targets right out of their armour, which causes a stun effect so you can deal the killing blow. Spinning Feather Blossom is a hybrid gliding and attack move that's useful for clearing long cavernous gaps in the platforming landscape, while Iron Claw transforms Po into Tigress briefly, as she unleashes a flurry of Wolverine-style Berserker swipes with her long claws.
Both the D pad and the face buttons (the latter for left-handed stylus grippers) have the same movement functions: left and right control movement, up performs a jump, and down curls Po into a panda ball to help him travel faster and roll into inaccessible gaps. There's no option to remap the controls, but they're easy to use and the inclusion of a lefty mode is handy for southpaws.
Combat in Kung Fu Panda is confined to the DS's touch screen and sees you upgrading your skills periodically while learning new stylus gestures to perform the moves. Initially you're limited to basic swipe attacks, which are performed by touching the screen with the stylus and then dragging the stylus in the direction you want to attack. Once you've made contact with the screen, the game enters a paused state that gives you time to adjust your angles as required or to ensure you're properly squared up on your target. Po's attack reach is limited, and while the temptation is to draw longer lines on screen to damage enemies further away, doing so won't affect your distance travelled.
Continue reading
Kung Fu Panda (DS):
%20DS%20Game%20reviews%20-%20CNET%20Reviews&srcUrl=http://reviews.cnet.com/ds-games/kung-fu-panda-ds/4505-10068_7-32865539.html){kind=small}