Sesame Street: Once Upon a Monster
Score: 90% ESRB: Everyone Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment Developer: Double Fine Studios Media: DVD/1 Players: 1 - 2 Genre: Edutainment/ Family/ Mini-Games
Graphics & Sound: I'm not sure what this says about me personally, but I enjoyed Sesame Street: Once Upon a Monster way more than I probably should have. As far as I know, I don't have any kids - or at least there are none running around my house - so I missed out on an extensive chance to see the game in action with its target market, yet that really didn't matter. I'm a massive Muppet fan, so by extension, that means I'm a Sesame Street fan. I grew up on the show, sometimes watching all three broadcasts (morning, noon and afternoon), so I'm not ashamed to admit that my face absolutely lit up the moment I saw digital versions of Elmo, Cookie Monster, Grover and other well-known Sesame Street characters pop up on my screen. I thought it was neat, the kids I played with thought it was amazing... so what more do you need? Double Fine did a great job at translating the furry puppets into digital models. There is some noticeable matting to the fur, but enough of it stands out that from a distance, some of the monsters look like puppets. The effect is pushed even further with animation. Characters move like puppets rather than digital figures. The walking looks off, though that is because we rarely see Muppets from the waist down. The most impressive of the bunch is Grover, who has just the slightest of shake after all his movements, nearly mimicking his real-life movements to the letter. Once Upon A Monster is packed with voiceovers from the cast. Characters always address players directly, which is a lot of fun. Dialogue is in tune with normal Sesame Street skits, so there's something for kids as well as a few in-jokes just for the parents.
Gameplay: Sesame Street: Once Upon a Monster feels like an interactive version of the TV show. The game is split into six chapters, each running approximately 20 minutes, each with its own unique story. Although you'll see numerous monsters from the show during the game, it's really the Cookie Monster and Elmo show as they jump from chapter to chapter to help their new monster friends solve their problems. For example, in the first chapter the two monsters meet Marco, a lonely monster celebrating his birthday. After making friends with the monster, Cookie Monster and Elmo go their separate ways to try and make sure Marco has the best party ever. This involves a series of simple mini-games, such as a monster dress-up game where you have to spin a rack and match outfits to a picture or color. There's also a movement-heavy game where you jump, dodge and duck as Marco takes Elmo on his shoulders and the two try to snag streamers from the forest. Meanwhile, Cookie Monster and Elmo flap their arms to fly to the top of a tree to collect food for the party. Like the show, the game's stories are geared towards teaching lessons in friendship and generosity alongside some basic problem-solving exercises. Like the show, everything is cleverly tied into the story, so players are never beaten over the head with the "+1 Club of Obvious Learning." The game also takes care to not patronize players, which is a big plus in my book. In a manner of speaking, Sesame Street: Once Upon a Monster is likely one of the best examples of what Kinect is supposed to mean for games. The mini-games are simple fun and designed to immediately pull any player into the action without much fuss. I was also pretty impressed by the design of some mini-games. Although some are just reinterpretations of well-worn Kinect game concepts, most have a crisp, fresh feel. I was able to barrel through most games with no issues, but will admit to returning to one or two games just to play them again.
Difficulty: Sesame Street: Once Upon a Monster is extremely easy, which is sort of the point. None of the mini-games are exceptionally challenging, though most require some basic problem-solving and motor skills. The Kinect sensor is incredibly generous with how it detects movements, though it may cause problems for really young kids (3 or younger) who have problems following on-screen instructions. Parents can, and will, find a way to have fun even with the youngest of players, so this isn't an issue. Success is rewarded with stars, though they mean very little in the overall scheme of things. Stars are mostly around as a way to encourage replay, though having fun with Elmo and the gang seemed to do just as good a job. The game is also good about letting kids mess up. Their monster might trip or befall some other minor calamity, but the game just keeps going. This is great, especially since the Kinect sensor will sometimes drop the ball on picking up certain actions.
Game Mechanics: As Kinect games go, Sesame Street: Once Upon a Monster is one of the better games in the add-ons stockpile. The sensor isn't incredibly picky about how movements are performed, sometimes accepting the most erratic of movements as the required input. You are asked to perform all sorts of motions, many of which are culled directly from other Kinect games. You'll toss garbage into Oscar's can, flap your arms like a bird and even match dance poses similar to Dance Central. At the same time, it's not as spot-on as it could be. The worst offender is jumping, which is something I'm fairly certain no Kinect game has managed to nail just yet. You don't have to jump often, and the consequences of missing a jump are never worse than wet fur, but it can be a little frustrating when you jump and nothing happens. Your best bet is to jump before reaching the obstacle, not when you reach it (which is when you would want to jump in real life). The throwing game also comes with its own problems, but again this has been a problem with several Kinect games using the same mechanic. Even with a few hiccups, Once Upon a Monster still does a great job at detecting two players. Anyone can drop-in/ drop-out of a game at any time, just by stepping in front of or away from the Kinect. The sensor does a really good job at keeping up with both players' actions. This is great for parents who want to give their kids a hand, though I suspect a few might want to jump in and have a little fun. It is hard to not recommend Sesame Street: Once Upon a Monster to parents looking for a game for their kids. The games are incredibly fun and, best of all, will gets kids working on their problem-solving skills and keep them active. Kids will have fun, but if my experience is any indication, parents will want to play along as well.
-Starscream, GameVortex Communications AKA Ricky Tucker
Related Links: Buy Sesame Street: Once Upon a Monster at Amazon
Thor: God of Thunder Go Vacation