Before I move things into specifics I should start by mentioning that this game will appeal mostly to those who saw the famous cartoon. If you walk up to one of today’s youth and ask them if they know who Rocky and Bullwinkle are, they will most likely give you a puzzled look before going on about Ben 10 or Hannah Montana. Does this mean that those who are out of the loop with these characters should avoid this game? Not in the least.

The mini-game collection games have grown continuously over the last couple of years through the releases of various WarioWare titles, and it was clearly the influence for this game. The developers over at Zen Studios crafted this game with various little nods to the cartoon which it is based off of. From the outset you get a sense that this game is something unique, even the menus that take you to the action are stylized to look like the exterior/interior of a movie theater. The menus here put others to shame, without a doubt.

As you enter the movie theater you are given three paths to take; the Reruns, the Boxtop Shop, and the Select a Show. The Rerun option allows you to create your own level of mini-games, much like splicing film together. (They even display film reels here in the menu) This option in the game allows for you to either make the easiest or most incredibly punishing level that you want, its all up to you. The second option is the Boxtop Shop, where you spend the points you earn from playing the various mini-games. Items for sale in the shop range from score bonuses to extra time and lives that will aid you in completing levels. Having these items at your disposal can make the game exponentially easier, or even harder if you choose not to use them. The third and final option in the single player is the Select a Show.

The Select a Show is the main attraction of the game, this is where you will spend most of your time. You enter a darkened theater where you initially have the option to play the Rocky and Bullwinkle Shows. These shows are themed after the individual characters and each part of the level has a certain objective to complete with only seconds to achieve it. With over a hundred different games to try out you will have a lot on your plate. As you progress farther into the game harder character themed levels appear to test your skills. Almost everything you can think of from the show is here to entertain you again. You’ve got Rocky and Bullwinkle, The Two No-Goodnicks, The Fractured Fairytales, The Peabody Show, The Dudley Show, and The Aesop and Son Show. Gameplay ranges from simple button-pressing to the pulling of triggers and rotation of the joysticks. Sounds easy right? Wrong. This game will punish you if you even look away for a slight moment as you need to time things correctly while using great hand-eye coordination. Certain mini-games will require more work than others, and you can easily figure out which ones are your favorite.

That’s not to say that this game is without flaws, oh no. There are times where you are certain that you pressed a button, or tapped a trigger when the game doesn’t pick up on it. Often this can lead to failure. The games themselves are very fun to play but there is a certain degree of recycling that is done between all seven of the shows and that kinda brings the entire game down. Beyond that the game offers some decent entertainment from which you can spend an afternoon just having some simple fun.

Pros

-Excellent presentation, colors pop out from HD sets, the mini-games are clever and fairly well executed, and the varying modes allow for some more fun after the main shows are completed.

Cons

-The soundtrack is extremely basic, this may be caused from the limitation that Microsoft places on XBLA games but it was tiring nonetheless. There is some slight regurgitation of game play with different skins slapped on them, but it doesn’t get too old. The option for online play would have been excellent, but it is missing from the final version.

Final Words

Rocky and Bullwinkle is definitely worth a look if you are into mini-games and you remember the show from your childhood. The games themselves vary enough to keep things fresh and the characters are used in clever ways within each level. Presentation and colors pop off the screen and the animation is as good as it can get for a game of this type. If you really enjoy the cartoon series or you happen to have 800 MS points around, give this game a shot. It’s not mind-blowing but it will give you some entertainment on a rainy afternoon.

4 out of 5

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Matt can be found in the Milwaukee area going to college. He'd much rather be playing on his Xbox 360 or reading his weekly comic purchases, and as we all know, all work and no play makes Matt a dull boy.
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