Monsters vs. Aliens
© 2009 Activision, Inc.
Fast-paced and full of smashing, shooting, running and jumping, this 3D game is based on the DreamWorks Animation film of the same name. You play as characters from the film, including The Missing Link, B.O.B., Ginormica, and Insectosaurus -- each with strengths, sizes and abilities for you to use to battle giant alien robots. The co-op multiplayer mode allows friends to join in at any time, to help shoot items on the screen, in the same fashion as Super Mario Galaxy. In other words, the second player plays along more as a helper, represented as a pair of cross hairs on the screen -- a feature that may be better suited for a younger brother or sister rather than a co-player. The PS3 version has great graphics, and lets you unlock movie clips as rewards. Strengths include embedded instructions that provide new moves when you need them, and a variety of moves. While it is a fun game, the game is more similar than different to many movie games -- it is a good one to borrow for a weekend. Our testers, Daniel (9) and Nick (13), did not like the two-player mode -- both wanted to be represented by a main character. While B.O.B. could walk around and attack the robots, all Daniel's character could do was shoot them. They soon lost interest and moved on to a more enjoyable two-player game. Created by Beenox; published by Activision.
$50, PlayStation 3, Wii, Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, Nintendo DS, Windows
Teaches: logic, timing, fine motor coordination
CTR Rating: 84%