Piglet is in a pickle well, actually,
not so much Piglet as others in the 100 Acre Wood. You see, Rabbit is making
a super soup for all the characters of the forest, but lacks the ingredients
to complete it. Owl, Tigger, Pooh, Eeyore were supposed to bring the fixings,
but have other troubles.
Owl is locked out of his home; Pooh has
built a trap to protect his home but is stuck on the other side of it;
poor Eeyore is painting pictures but can’t decide which colors to use.
That is where the skinny, nervous, self-doubting
Piglet comes into play. He must put aside all his qualms and help collect
the ingredients from Rabbit.
Piglet’s Big Game is a PC release from
Disney Interactive and Hulabee Entertainment, and is targeted for ages
4 and up. It is a simple, side-scrolling puzzle game that is graphically
sound, though it does enjoy its share of load times between game maps.
The target age group could likely be dropped
to 3, and children above the age of 7 may delight in the images, but will
not be challenged by the easy puzzles the game holds. The game also boasts
a variety of games and other activities for children. The game itself it
not really linear, because the maze puzzles will change with each visit.
The game utilizes a point-and-click mouse
control system, and the interface is kept simple for the younger players.
The graphics, though two-dimensional, are
bright and colorful. Clicking around a screen will reveal hidden delights,
such as birds popping out of a hole in the tree to serenade the player,
or flowers that drop their petals, only to bloom again in a new color.
One of the truly nice aspects of this game
comes in the audio tracks. Voices from the animated featured are here in
this game, giving the program a nice consistent feel while allowing the
gameplayer to immerse himself or herself in the world more deeply.
It is wonderful to hear Pooh pontificate
about his trap, or his honey jars, while Tigger bounces about gleefully,
or Eeyore’s sad voice laments his shortcomings from a decidedly less-than-confident
perspective.
The program teaches as well as entertains.
Piglet may remark about how carrots will help his eyesight, or that parsnips
look like carrots that haven’t gotten enough sunshine, but are still tasty.
Piglet’s Big Game is a nice little romp
with familiar friends in a safe environment. It may not be overtly challenging,
but the game will teach some fundamental recognition and reasoning skills.
This game is rated for Everyone.
Gameplay: 7
There is some lag between loads and the
mapboards are small. Each map refreshes after each visit, with objects
moving around.
Graphics: 8.2
The game is two-dimensional and the sound
doesn’t always seem to link appropriately with the animations, but the
game does look very good. It is bright and colorful.
Sound: 8
The voices from the animated films really
give this game a solid foundation. The audio portion of the game is very
well done.
Difficulty: Easy
Players in the targeted age group should
have little difficulty with this game.
Concepts: 7
If anything, the game may be too simplistic,
but it is nicely designed. The player interface has been set up for ease-of-use
and the controls are a little slow in responsiveness, but simply done as
well.
Overall: 7.4
Piglet is the star of this game but any
fan of the characters of the 100 Acre Wood will likely find some charm
in this game. Those over 6-7 years of age will likely not experience much
of a challenge, but for younger ones, this game is a nice introduction
to reasoning and puzzle solving.
