Disney Pixar's Ratatouille
Score: 80% ESRB: Everyone 10+ Publisher: THQ Developer: LocoMotive Games Media: UMD/1 Players: 1 - 2 (Ad Hoc) Genre: Action/ Platformer (3D)
Graphics & Sound: Disney Pixar's Ratatouille for the PSP isn't the same game as the console versions, but what is here is still pretty fun, if not somewhat repetitive. Visuals are pretty key to any movie-tie in and Ratatouille does a fairly good job considering the PSP's capabilities. Both levels and in-game characters are a bit angular, but are by no means bad. Having played the 360 version of the same game (well not the same game, but the same license), it is kind of hard not to notice how much better the non-handheld version looks; but like I said, Remy, Gusteau and the other rats still look pretty good. Sound isn't bad at all. Background music tends to be a very soothing, French influenced violin tune while the different sound effects get the job done. The voices aren't all that bad either. The two more vocal characters in the game, Remy and Gusteau (who acts as the game's hints system), both come through loud and clear.
Gameplay: Where the console version of Disney Pixar's Ratatouille takes you through the events of the film, the PSP version starts you off with Remy, Linguini and Colette getting ready to start their new restaurant and helping Linguini move. The game starts off with the trio collecting all of their new recipes and having them promptly stolen by some malicious chef. Now it is up to Remy and the rest of the rat colony to track down the thief and retrieve all of the missing recipes. The game is broken up into five different locations, including the old apartment (filled with boxes and stacks of books since Linguini is moving) to the sewers of Paris and the Market Place. Between levels, you venture into the Rat Colony, where you can trade cheese that you've collected for various upgrades like the ability to dive under water or hit harder. This hub world also lets you travel between the different locations and lets you replay old levels or start up ones that you haven't beaten yet. Levels feel large, but tend not to be. At first, I was afraid that the game would be more of a series of scavenger hunts since that is what the intro tutorial level was all about, but that is less the case and it is much more of your standard platformer. Though there is still a good bit of doubling back and collecting items in order to progress in the levels, it could have easily been a lot worse.
Difficulty: Disney Pixar's Ratatouille is pretty straightforward and never gets too complicated to stand. Check points are pretty frequent, so even if you somehow die from the enemies that are running around (which is possible since the game follows the "three hits and you're down" principle), you never get so far away from where you were to be frustrated. While enemies are easy to tackle, some require a little thinking, but only the first time you encounter them. For instance, spiders can either take two hits with the tail-swipe or one punch, but you can't hit worms with your punch (because they are so low). Instead, just one hit with your tail does them in.
Game Mechanics: Disney Pixar's Ratatouille seems to avoid many of the pitfalls that 3D games for the PSP have. For one thing, since you don't have a second analog stick to control your camera, the game uses the shoulder buttons to rotate your view. On top of that, you can hit (Up) on the D-pad to go into first-person view and use the stick to look around. This being one of the biggest hurdles with the system, I was impressed by how well and smoothly Ratatouille handles it. Attacks are performed with the (Square) and (Triangle), while Jumping is with the (X). If you tap (Circle), Remy gets low and will run faster in case you are tired with his hind-leg slow walking. Since there are times when you will need to walk across a tightrope or run up poles, these items sparkle and you need only jump and tap the (Circle) button to grab the item and work your way across it. Ratatouille isn't bad by any means. It doesn't do anything to make itself really stand out in the platforming genre, but it is a fun experience. Fans of the movie will probably like playing this title, especially since it isn't just a recap of the film.
-J.R. Nip, GameVortex Communications AKA Chris Meyer
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