Up!
© 2009 THQ, Inc.
Beautiful, challenging and fun for either one or two players, this one or two player cooperative game takes you inside the Disney/Pixar film Up! Our testers enjoyed the creative twists and found plenty to do among the chapters of this game. The game follows the movie, where an old man and young boy partner on a journey to Paradise Falls in a floating house. Designed in chapters, the game cleverly weaves the movie's flying theme with fighting anacondas, canoeing past crocodiles and sneaking past man-eating plants. There's a lot of steering and strategy, with minimal reading. We especially liked the drop in, drop out game play (in the Wii and Xbox editions) making it easy for a little brother or parent to pick up a controller at any time and join the game. Other activities include gliding down water slides to collect coins and flying airplanes to shoot down enemies. Each player has specific attributes needed to make it through the level. Some of the monsters (like the snake) will be scary to younger players, but don't go too far. There is no other worrisome content. All in all, this game is a fun adventure that any member of the family can enjoy. Note that the PC version uses the keyboard controls, which can be tricky to learn. Visit www.upvideogame.com. This title should not be confused with a teaser iPhone app that is nothing more than a balloon popping game.
$30, Wii, Windows, Xbox 360, iPhone
Teaches: cooperation, logic, problem solving
CTR Rating: 95%