The Polar Express

"A weak movies based game but decent for it's target age group."

I have never read the book "Polar Express" and to be honest I found the movie to be lackluster. However, one day at work I stumbled upon this game for a whole $1. Figured I'd get it for that price. I'm sure I could sell it on EBay or something and make some sort of profit. Anyway, is the game any good, or is it just made for little kids?

The Polar Express tells the story of a boy who gets a ticket that allows him to board the Polar Express, a training heading to the North Pole. Help the boy make friends and save the day. Not a grand story but it does work. Sadly, a lot of stuff in this game makes no sense, like the boss fights but a lot of the stages and mini games feel like they belong in the plot.

Graphic wise the game isn't too bad. Kind of generic level designs but the character models match those in the movie and the CGI scenes look rather good for a Gamecube title. I think they might be actual scenes from the movie but I don't know for sure.

Sound wise I found the game to be hit or miss. Voice work seemed to be done by the real actors which are fitting. The music is perhaps the best thing about this game. Sadly the sound effects are rather generic and don't always fit what is happening on the screen.

Control feels a bit tedious at times. It's slow in chunky at times and at others it's a bit too loose. I guess they just weren't sure how to go about things for the different types of situations. A problem I do have is that the game never informs you of what some things mean so the player has to guess or maybe it was just me...

Game Play wise it's best to think of this game as a title geared towards 5 year olds and those who enjoy tedious mini games. It's not that the mini games are bad, they aren't. Some are actually half way decent. I found the skiing one to be enjoyable if not a bit long and repetitive.

Perhaps that a word that describes this game perfectly. The thing is, each stage feels like the same 3 sections repeated over and over. Heck the entire end of the second act, or was it the beginning of the third, felt like feels like the entire first act. That's just silly and to make it worse, it even has the same boss! Actually, the game only has 2 bosses and they are the same guy...

I also found the rhythm mini game amusing in a Parappa The Rapper kind of way. The entire game isn't mini games but more like tasks. Push blocks to make a path for a girl, throw mice out before the time ends. Guide a plane through an annoyingly tight area and because the plane is so big you can't make out your path... Oh wait, that one wasn't fun and was one of the most annoying moments in the game.

The game has toy parts hidden in the levels. Collect them all to unlock some secrets. A nice bonus geared for the little guys. Not bad and since the game is a whole 2 hours long, it needs whatever it can get.

Is the game worth owning? Maybe if you have a little one who liked the movie or if you find it cheap enough. Adults won't like the game because of how sloppy the control and how repetitive everything is. Kids on the other hand should enjoy the simple nature of the title and the fact that so many little mini games, which aren't hard to get the hang of, are spread through out.

Story - 7/10
Graphics - 5/10
Sound - 5/10
Control - 4/10
Game Play - 5/10
Replay Value - 2/10

Final Score - 4/10

Reviewer's Score: 4/10, Originally Posted: 01/18/07