Full Review
by admin (04/07/2008)
Font size Who doesn't love penguins? They're cute, walk funny and look like they're wearing tiny tuxedos. Heck, they've even taken over Hollywood, be it staring in the March of the Penguins, Madagascar or in Eight Below.
Well, now you can have some fun helping out these hapless waddlers in an upcoming casual game from Wild Tangent -- and Gamezebo scored a sneak peek for you. It's all here in black and white (sorry, couldn't resist).
In Penguins!, you get to spend your time in eight different parts of a zoo - such as Panda Gardens, Gator Swamp, Lion Fields, Elephant Village or Dolphin Arena - and help dozens of little penguins safely find their way out of each of the 80+ levels.
These colorful 2-D worlds are littered with ledges, chasms, traps and other obstacles that make it difficult for these wandering penguins to reach the exit tube. In fact, you don't control these waddling penguins directly, so your job is to guide them by strategically placing gadgets throughout the level.
For example, you may find one level has multiple platforms that cannot be accessed by the penguins unless they're propelled into the air to reach higher ground. Therefore, you are responsible for placing mini cannons in their path so they can reach the exit tube, placed somewhere on the screen. There may be some trial and error involved, such as trying to gauge where the little guys will land on their tush so that you can best position the next gadget.
Sometimes gadgets must be manipulated by the player before the penguins reach it, such as a trampoline that lets you control the direction (e.g. facing left or right) and even tweak its trajectory. Other times you must guide the penguins to hit special switches to unlock other parts of the level. As you advance through each of the zoo areas - each of which enjoys its own unique background graphics -- new gadgets will become accessible to the player such as fans, bubble machines, jetpacks, springs, and so on.
Once you see that all your gadgets are properly lined up and the penguins are making their way to the exit tube, players may choose to speed up the game in order to save time; a small dial is placed near the bottom of the screen.
The cute visuals (watching penguins fly through the air and land on top of another!), coupled with silly sound effects and music, is all impossible to resist for kids and kids at heart. But don't be fooled by its quirky premise - Penguins! can get pretty tough after a short while...
But to reward players, each level features a handful of coins you can pick up (think Mario Bros.) and can be spent however you like in the Zoo Gift Shop. You may choose to "buy" bonus levels, extra music tracks, new costumes for your penguins or link to a Web site for special coloring books and postcards you can email to friends.
Penguins! is a refreshing change from other casual games available today by combining an addictive strategic element and visual style - think Lemmings or Lode Runner - but with an amusing premise, lots of unlockables and tons of game-play to keep you clicking for hours on end.
