Ratatouille is the Perfect Recipe for a Game

Published June 20, 2007

Around our house, Pixar movies are anticipated with a level of excitement comparable only to how I feel about the release of Halo® 3. We have loved every one of the Pixar films, and watch them over and over again on DVD. We've been excited about Ratatouille ever since the first teaser trailer appeared with the movie Cars, and now we not only get to go to the movie, but we can play the game as well!

Four-footed Gameplay
The game places you in the role of Remy from the movie, a rat who wants to be a great chef. The game follows the storyline of the movie for the most part, moving from location to location as Remy travels from the French countryside to Paris, into the sewers and even into the kitchen. The first thing I noticed about the game, perhaps due to its source material, was that it looks great. From the fur on the rats to the look of the dingy back alley in Paris, everything was visually appealing. And, considering your size, you'll get to see it up close.

Remy taking a decidedly non-rat mode of travel.

Remy is no ordinary rat, and while he does his fair share of scurrying, he also travels in a bunch of cool ways. Connor's personal favorite was probably riding around on a toy ball, especially when you get to squish bugs at the same time. There are also cocktail umbrellas to float down from tall places, jumping from one tiny landing spot to another, and a lot of tightrope walking!

The missions themselves are quite varied, from your standard "collect these four things" to complicated recipe preparation in the kitchen with Linguini. That's Linguini, the hapless garbage boy who Remy helps in the film, not the noodle. Some of the missions are timed, which can be very challenging for a young kid to make it through, but others have no restrictions and are great for some free-roaming fun.

Rat on a Wire
Ratatouille uses a neat feature for whenever Remy needs to balance. Hold down the B button and a special balancing mode is activated, where stick movements act like shifting your weight in various directions. This can take a few tries, especially when you are trying to run across a power line at the same time. Once Connor realized that you had to hold down the button, instead of just pressing it, he was able to make it across most of the challenging areas without too many falls. Falling isn't always fatal, but it hurts enough to motivate you to make it across without too many slips.

Walking the tightrope.

Unlockables and Mini-Games
As you complete missions you collect various charms, with different types available in each of the main locations. You need these items to keep going in the game, as they unlock both new missions and little mini-games along the way. I've found that my son particularly enjoys the collecting feature of most games, especially if it leads to unlocking new features or even just unlocking fun little bonus items.

The mini-games include some multiplayer support (both two player and two to four player), which is always nice in a game for kids. One of the mini-games, Pest Control, is a bit gross (but lots of fun) as you roll around on a toy ball, and squish as many bugs as you can within the time limit.

All the game environments are visually interesting.

Who Should Play Ratatouille?
Ratatouille is rated E (Everyone) and that definitely seems right on the mark for difficulty. For kids who are age six and above, the level of difficulty seems just about right. It's difficult enough that kids have to focus and try it a few times, but not so hard that they give up and have to hand the controller to their Dad. In terms of content, there is nothing about this game that I would even mind my 2-year-old seeing, but actually playing it should be left to kids who are around six years old or higher.

Oh, and one final comment. When you are near a cat, they can cough up hairballs and shoot them at you. Doesn't that sound appealing? Pressing the X button bounces the hairballs back at the cat, but they're quick. If your first return doesn't bonk the cat on the head, then they'll almost immediately cough up another one and send it your way. Needless to say, the hairball coughing cats were a big hit with both of my kids!

Article by Duncan Festive Turkey Mackenzie