Shrek Super Party
Score: 80% ESRB: Everyone Publisher: TDK Developer: TDK Media: GCD/1 Players: 1 - 4 Genre: Party
Graphics & Sound: Shrek Super Party delivers audio on par with a rival party game(ahem...Mario Party), but still doesn't deliver anything special by any means. However, you'll be treated to the original voice of Chris Miller, the same actor to bring the Magic Mirror to life in the film, who returns to help move Shrek and company along in the game. When talking about party games, graphics typically aren't all that important either. But when speaking of Shrek Super Party, you'll soon see that the characters look fabulous (despite their ridiculous, enlarged heads). The worlds themselves are actually pretty well rendered too, and don't detract from the main purpose of the game at all...the mini-games!
Gameplay: The Magic Mirror proclaims, 'It's time for an Epic Battle!' Shrek Super Party is all about getting together with your buds and having fun in front of your television set. And for the most part, fun is what you will get. Shrek, Donkey, Lord Farquaad, Princess Fiona and Thelonious will be battling it out in over 30 mini-games. These games range from simple racing and evading games to quirky one-of-a-kind games that will have you throwing rats into sewers and busting a beat with Mix Master P. The main difference between Shrek and other party games is in how you earn 'points' toward your win. The goal is to use the randomly generated bugs that you receive and swap them with other players' bugs, trying to get as much 'bug juice' as possible. But it's not as easy as it seems. In order to earn your swaps, you'll have to do well in the mini-games. The better you do, the more swaps you'll receive...which in turn allows you to try to combine higher-valued bugs up for more bonus points. Unfortunately, the board game part of Shrek Super Party is pretty vague. I like how the board is split into multiple areas within the kingdom, but you never really get a good feeling that you are playing an actual board game. It almost feels like you are wandering aimlessly from spot to spot. In the grand scheme of things, however, it works fairly well and allows for different styles of mini-games. These mini-games offer a nice variety, but also have a few very boring games. However, most are bearable, if not flat out fun.
Difficulty: Shrek Super Party was never meant to be a difficult game by any means. The party games have a bit of a range in difficulty, but that range will probably be different for everyone who plays. It always seems that some people will do well at certain games, while others may be much better at different games. This is what truly makes party games like Shrek fun. In fact, the only time you'll really have to think at all is when swapping bugs for bug juice. And once you learn the strategy behind it, it becomes easy as well.
Game Mechanics: If you're looking for a game that anyone can play, young or old, look no further. Shrek Super Party's controller scheme usually consists of only a single button press, and often only involves moving your character around on screen. This is a great feature of the game that keeps things simple and fun for all. Shrek is pretty fun game, has some very original mini-games and has a basic, yet functional, way about it. Although I wouldn't rank this game as high as Mario Party in terms of overall gameplay and fun factor, if you give Shrek Super Party a chance, you will no doubt be pleasantly surprised.
-Woody, GameVortex Communications AKA Shane Wodele
Jimmy Neutron Boy Genius Gekido