Universal Studios Park Adventure (GameCube)

GameSpot editors' review

• CNET editors' rating: 1.5 stars Poor
  Detailed editors' rating
  Overall score: 3.5 (1.5 stars)

• Reviewed by:
  Brad Shoemaker
• Reviewed on: 01/10/2002
• Updated on: 05/17/2006
• Released on: 12/18/2001
• Originally published on GameSpot: Universal Studios Park Adventure (GameCube) Review

Nintendo has always projected a kid-oriented image, and with games like Universal Studios Theme Park Adventure being released for its systems, it's not hard to see why. Universal Studios casts you in the role of a nameless, childish protagonist and sets you off at the gates of the famous theme park for a day of exploration. Unfortunately, the game is too frustrating and convoluted for kids to have any fun with it, and all but the most desperate adult GameCube fans will find it tedious and unentertaining as well.

Universal Studios is an odd game; in fact, it's really a mishmash of various minigames that extend from a hub, which is the park itself. Each minigame is based on one of the more conspicuous rides at the real-life park, such as Back to the Future, Jurassic Park, and Jaws. You guide your character through the park, seeking each ride so you can play the minigame based on it. Upon reaching a ride, however, you'll discover the game's first disappointing "feature"--the lines at the rides are so long that you can't get in. You would expect an amusement park video game to circumvent the inconveniences of a real amusement park, such as long lines, but not here.

Once you discover the inaccessibility of the rides, you're confronted with the next of the game's annoyances, the point system. Gather points around the park by completing various menial tasks, and you'll eventually be able to buy a number of bonus hats that let you access the rides. These tasks include shaking hands with park mascots and picking up garbage and depositing it in trash cans. After you've bought some hats, successfully completing each minigame also earns you points, and after you've bought all the hats, there are a couple of extra items that you can continue to work toward. Additionally, completing each minigame earns you a stamp on your stamp card, and when you've collected all eight stamps you can view a bland FMV "magic show," and then, presto, you've finished the game.

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