Curious George

"Cute game from a cute movie. Rent, don't buy!"

Curious George is one of the most beloved children's literature characters of all time and he has now become a movie and video game "star." The game "Curious George" is almost word-for-word from the movie of the same name. It follows the adventures of the curious little monkey as he makes his way from the jungles of Africa to New York City with the Man in the Yellow Hat.

Gameplay: 6/10

You control George from a 3rd person perspective as he runs, crawls, jumps, and swings his way through 12 levels. It's a very quick play that can easily be finished in one or two sittings. The levels are monotonous in that each features George having to make his way to the end of the level while collecting as many bananas as you can and getting as many "Curious Points" throughout the level. The game plays like an average plat-former, but it lacks the ability to attack or break anything in the world. You can't even slap at people on the street. This is truly a game that is deserving of its E rating. There is no violence whatsoever. There are mini-games in which you have to press buttons in a timed rhythm, like Parrapa the Rapper, but much slower.

Audio: 8/10

This is where the game is pretty well done. The voice acting, while it's not the stars from the movie (Will Ferrel or Drew Barrymore) is well done. There is a sound-alike for Will Ferrel's Man in the Yellow Hat that is surprisingly well done. And Frank Welker does an outstanding job as Curious Georges voice. There are also many movie clips in which the original voice actors are included.

Replay: 2/10

This is where the game really lacks. After spending maybe 3-4 hours completing the game once it offers itself to little merit to playing it again. The only bonus it gives you is that by collecting the "Curious Points" throughout the levels you can buy different hats for George to wear when you play the game later on. Otherwise it's the same levels over and over.

So this game is good play if, like me you were a fan of the books when you were little, or you're under the age of 6. It's fun to a point, but to most gamers it will be just another forgettable game made about a forgettable movie. The only thing that I would recommend is if you want to play it, rent it. It is not worth the $40 dollar price tag, so rent or wait for a price drop, which should occur in a few weeks.

Reviewer's Score: 6/10, Originally Posted: 02/22/06