Customer Reviews

Alice In Wonderland

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Typically when movie tie-in games come out they usually lack any appeal or actual playability, however this one truly stands out! Let me just start off by saying that this game would have been fine as a single release on it's own, without the help of the blockbuster film about to be released in theaters!

When nintendo releases games on DS as well as the Wii, i tend to go to the Wii version simply because I find that the DS versions of a game are a watered down version of the Wii game. Thankfully, Disney had taken another approach and made this game completely different from the Wii version in terms of graphics, which is why i chose to buy this one instead of the Wii version. (I have not played the Wii version so I'm not authorized to comment on what the Wii version looks like or the actual gameplay, but judging from the case it looks like it uses the movie graphics.) The graphics you see on the case, is exactly what you see in the game! A sort of cartoon, comic book disarray makes this game quite a spectacle to see! I LOVE the graphics and sounds. THe black and white images in a surreal world with colors thrown in to complement characters and their abilities! You switch between characters according to colors! Isn't that genious???

I just bought this game earlier today, and i had to take a break from playing about three hours straight! Then i jumped straight on here and decided to write a decent review for this GREAT game, urging you to definitely check it out!

The game uses the stylus to move and fight, and the buttons to control powers. In terms of comfort, i havent had any problems yet with controls, so that shouldn't be a problem. You even get to use the microphone and camera a few times.

Bottom line: i LOVE this game. it's definitely something that I'm happy to add to my collection. I like the playability with the puzzles thrown in to get alice and your character, whoever it is you're controlling at the time to "get to the other side." and above all, i just LOVE the graphics and music, which create such an ominous atmosphere that is sort of creepy, but incredibly accurate as to what alice in wonderland really is.

AWESOME! I just got this game today, after seeing the movie (Which is awesome too), and this game is something special, I tell ya! The background music, characters, the overall design of the game is just so... What's the word for it? Wonderlandy!!! It is just really cute(and spooky!)! The background music is the nice, spooky song from the movie, and sets you in just the right mood for playing and traveling through the dark sets of Wonderland. You travel throughout wonderland climbing, fighting off creepy creatures and Card Soldiers, and collecting puzzle pieces of wonderland, that the red queen has torn apart! It kinda sounds like you just keep moving forward, not anything exciting, blah blah blah, but it's REALLY exciting once you start playing! It's nice because practically ALL ds and dsi games are more 3-D, and more interactive. But this is more 2-D; kind of like an old Mario game, but at the same time it still has the 3-D look to it, which ends up looking really cool. It is also a lot like the movie, which is really nice. The only control problem is when you are activating the characters powers, and have to hold down any button with your right hand, then touch the screen, but you can solve that easily by tapping the screen with your left hand finger while holding down a button with your right, instead of trying to move the stylis to your left hand, while still holding down the button, then getting finger-tied. Overall, this game is really super AWESOME!

First off, I haven't seen the Tim Burton movie and this is not the type of game I usually play. I'm sure my relative inexperience shows as I've played--I can only marvel at the reviewer who said he beat this in 1 day! But even though I struggle with it at times, the game remains extremely enjoyable.

The characters are, as expected, whimsical and extremely appealing. The sounds Alice makes bring a grin to my face every time she gets pouty about being left behind for a moment. Overall dialogue and sound are great, in keeping with the high appeal factor from the graphics.

You start out as the White Rabbit accompanying Alice in her quest to save Underland. Additional characters (Caterpillar, Cheshire Cat and Mad Hatter) join your merry band along the way. Each has a particularly beneficial move which is described during gameplay and signaled for during the gameplay by icon and or color clues. Changing from one character to another is quick & simple and doesn't interrupt game flow. Each of Alice's helpers also has an advanced power that is described once, but then, as far as I can tell, you are on your own about when/how to employ it. I agree with one of the other reviewers that having onscreen tips/info or the included manual review the advanced moves would be helpful.

Another reviewer expressed a concern about gameplay requiring both stylus and button-pressing from the same hand. That's not required. I'm right-handed and use the L shoulder button (pressed with my left hand) in combination with the stylus in my right hand when that's required. Lefties could use the R shoulder button in combination with the stylus in the left hand. Actually, you don't have to restrict yourself to the R & L buttons. The manual indicates that ANY button will do--the L button just seems to work very smoothly with the way I hold my DS.

Speaking of my DS--the game does have DSi features, but as I don't have a DSi, I can't comment on those. If you do have a DSi though, be aware that there are supposed to be bonus unlockables for DSi.

The Disney site does provide a walkthrough for those (like me!) who need it. It also includes a PDF of a more complete manual that includes the description/details of the advanced moves.

I'm only in the midst of chapter 3 (of 5) and I am beginning to find the battles more tedious than fun. But the enjoyment of the rest of the game so far outweighs that for me. And I imagine that most gamers would be more familiar with battling moves/tactics than I am and not be bothered. To be clear--there's no bloodshed. You are battling card soldiers. So still, I would think, suitable for any age. There are also plenty of opportunities to save your progress and lots of opportunities to restore your character to full life/health. And when you do encounter a "game over" you pick right up from your last save point with no problem. (Okay--if you are good at battles maybe you won't ever get a game over. But I've lost count of the number I have!)

All in all, a great looking, great sounding, very fun game. Recommended!

The pros: fun, cute graphics and easy-to-learn gameplay. It's a pleasant distraction.

The cons: The game is too short. I had it beaten within two days of occasional play. It's also extremely linear and the puzzles are not much to speak of. It also gets a bit repetitive after the first ten times you fight a bunch of card knights.

Overall, I'd say the game is worth renting and playing through, but not really worth buying.

I had so much fun playing this game it left me wanting more. And that is the problem, it is indeed too short (I finished it in about one sitting). For some games, brevity is not so much a problem. But because the game is so attractive, clever and comical, you are left feeling as if you had a taste of a really great dish but are not satisfied. I couldn't help but give this game 5 stars because I believe we are to keep in mind that it is rated as E for everyone so assuming that kids were to play this game, making it longer and harder would have not been appropriate, and I believe it would have taken away from the serious yet playful attitude of the game. So other than the annoying red soldiers (which rather add to the integrity of the game but I just personally did not like them much) and the fact that days after playing the game I wish I still was, this is a 5-Star game.

The Good:
-Beautiful art direction. Very cute, unique and appropriate. It took the general idea for the style from the Tim Burton movie, and made it MUCH better.
-Fun gameplay. I really enjoyed playing as 4 different characters, and guiding Alice through Underland.
-Controls. I'm right-handed, so I held the DS with my left hand, with my index finger over the L button. It made it really easy to activate the special moves.

The Bad:
-It was too easy. Maybe I'm a little outside of the demographic, but the puzzles were extremely simplistic. I'm a 20-something casual-gamer girl. The puzzled felt like they were aimed at children.
-Too short. I put maybe 5 hours into it. I'll even go as far as to say it feels unfinished. There are a lot of pieces of the map that are filled in, but inaccessible (at least on the DS Lite. Maybe there's more on the DSi?)
-The story was very minimal. The script was cute and funny at times, but the overall story was weak. If you haven't seen the movie, or at least know the general premise, you might get very confused.

Overall:
I had fun with it while it lasted. It's a really cute game for die-hard Alice in Wonderland fans, and if you can pick it up for cheap, I'd recommend it.

Great game that is fun and challenging for all ages (even adults!!). The game is a little short, but it makes up for it with unique graphics and game play. Highly recommended!

I am a HUGE Alice fan. I own both the Wii and DS games, and I love how they are different from one another. I've owned this one since it came out, and just beat it last night. It has just the right amount of gameplay, and wasn't super easy. I admit I did have to check some walkthroughs when I got lost! Being able to be four different characters was really fun too, and I loved the look of the characters. Highly recommend!

I bought the game just a few days ago after reading positive reviews on the net. Was pleasantly surprised. The game is a movie tie-in but the developer did a great job creating a game that stands on its own. Even the art style is unique, which is great, if they ever wanted to do a TV series based on Alice, this art style would look great. Game is not hard, but puzzles are clever and each of the characters you can play have their unique abilities. Liked the map as well (puzzle pieces) and even the menus have nice little animations. The unlockable art gallery is a good one for people who like to finish 100% of their games. Docked 1 start for the colored chests, I have a DSi, so not a big deal, but I wonder how people with DS and DS Lites would do it. Also, not sure if it's the fault of the camera, but you need very good light to make it work. Overall a great game and I'm going to keep an eye out for this developer in the future.

Like some other reviewers have said, finding a movie tie game that actually plays well is a rare thing. I bought Alice in Wonderland DS on the basis of the four reviewers before me and so far, I'm not disappointed. Like others have said, it didn't even need a movie to create interest for it...the animations, while simple are charming and smooth. The dialogue is fine - not overly cute, not overly annoying. Some of the characters abilities are very creative and the puzzles created around them are really fun. I'm only on Chapter 2 of the game - so far the puzzles are 'just hard enough' for me, a casual gamer. I'll update my review later if that changes.

The game is almost entirely controlled by the stylus and in some cases, ingeniously so. This is a great display of the stylus interface of DS. However, as we all know, the stylus can sometimes be finickier than just plain old buttons. Once you get hang of it though, you'll be zooming along in Underland.

Graphically, this is a thing of beauty. It's got lighthearted elements, but an undertone of darkness that's perfect for a Tim Burton tie in, and perfect for Wonderland itself.

Downsides - the instruction booklet is really just a list of basic moves. If you are taught an advanced move, there seems to be no place to review the actual button strokes to perform that move. There's a chart that shows you a list of moves you can DO in the game...but not a review of HOW. Sometimes I think I'm not doing things quite as effectively as I could in the game.

Another thing to be aware of, and they do list it on the box - you have to have a decent reading ability to appreciate this game, learn the moves, and follow the story, etc.