Shrek Superslam : Games : Web Wombat

Shrek doesn't bring the happiest memories or thoughts to mind for me, but the game is out and ready to be played - so I took up the PS2 disc and booted up the snot-coloured freakshow.

To begin with, it's more than coincidence that Superslam sounds a bit like 'Super Smash'. We all remember Mario Super Smash Bros, right? Well, this is the Shrek version!

Jumping, smashing, throwing, shooting and pounding basically sums it up.

There is a lot more behind this basic 're-make' of another popular game aimed at the younger players: there is a lot of interaction, wide open spaces and even a touch of innovation in this new game, and although the story mode is a very short one and best left for gaming novices, there is quite a lot more to it than just acting out a bedtime story.

Shrek is a fair dinkum kid's game, and even though it almost got me hooked like a Ugandan chimp to bootlegged beer, it's still for kids.

The game is all about Shrek, a mythical character from the movies 'Shrek' and 'Shrek 2', who must save his friends and loved ones from evil bedtime story characters (the Big Bad Wolf, Donald Rumsfeld etc.).

Shrek Superslam is an arena staged game where characters including Donkey, Princess, Red Riding Hood and about 20 others must jump around smashing each other with fists, hooves, and weapons to win the game. Of course you can 'Slam' your opponent by filling up a bar at the bottom of the screen and then releasing a special move on your foe, which can be quite an exciting occurrence, and useful too.

I think that the game is definitely for young children and older gamers who like being nostalgic about their past (as the present is too unbearable), mainly because of its sheer stupidity. Examples: the Gingerbread man is a gangster and one map is a scene straight from 'The Iron Chef”, a popular T.V. show on SBS.

If the kids playing this game aren't already confused with the modern world, they'll be bamboozled by some of the places to go and see here. But hey, if you like that stuff, you should take a peek at this gameroo. Oh, and the music is also for younger children, with sweet lullabies being played in the background. Getting... Sleepy...

The graphics are quite good for such a low profile game aimed at the younger gamers out there. They don't need to be super detailed for the sort of gameplay involved, where it's sometimes hard to see yourself among the scenery and other players, but it's better than average. The surroundings and maps are well thought out, built for young minds just waiting to be crammed with useless psychedelic interaction. Some maps, such as the stairwell or castle, seem to stir the imagination quite a bit, and appealed to my sense of design and style.

The game is not just a one off story either, because the story mode is reasonably small there are more missions and arenas to conquer:

Training mode, where you learn to fight.
Melee mode, where you can fight characters of your choice in a two minute battle (they can be on different teams and have alliances too).
Mega Challenge mode, where you try and complete an entire map of the lands, beating up all foes that stand in your way. You can compete in tournaments too, where you must go through different stages to win and unlock prizes, characters and more.
Trophy mode, where you can view and pick up trophies available and which you have won.

For something so seemingly cute and obnoxious, Shrek Superslam is a pretty tidy game. The only thing wrong with it are the annoying sound effects. Some of the music is truly unbelievable, and although some of it is good, it's much too over the top with violins in some scenes and heavy metal guitars in the other.

Shrek will never be my favourite character, and quite frankly, neither will this title. But the action-packed gaming style had my 11-year-old brother hooked for hours on end, bragging that he was better than me and that he had unlocked more stuff. 'Nuff said.

Game: Shrek Superslam
System: PS2
Players: 1-4
Online: No
Developer: Shaba Games
Distributor: Activision

Rating: 70%

(Ratings Key/Explanation)

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