THQ hoisted aboard the Little Mermaid license on the tides of the direct-to-video sequel, and they could have done anything with it, really. People don't really tend to pay much attention or voice too many complaints about games made for girls, I suppose. But THQ and Disney Interactive gave it a go with some gusto, bringing aboard the same company behind the clever Chicken Gear Solid gameplay of Chicken Run and welcoming back all the cast of the two Little Mermaid Disney films for a colorful kids game. Here's how her voice came out.
Gameplay
If your kids (or yourself, or whomever else you are buying this for) are worried that those favorite classic scenes from the original Little Mermaid have been scuttled for the smaller sequel, the game has a surprise for you ¿ both tales are told in THQ's The Little Mermaid II, and some of the best portions of the game naturally come from your favorite scenes of the first film. The harrowing shark encounter aboard a haunted sunken ship is now a full-fledged spooky fright as it comes alive in gameplay, the shark chomping at your tail as you swim quickly away. Not that the second film didn't have its moments -- in fact, the platforming sequences with Ariel's human daughter Melody are a good break and different challenge from the easier swimming scenes.
Although its slow, the gameplay in The Little Mermaid II is simple enough for the little hands that would enjoy it. Blitz again has gone for a more unique style of gameplay, as opposed to all the 3D platformers made of children's games that offer more confusion than fun. Here, the game is a 2.5D game on rails like Crash Bandicoot -- giving young gamers enough room to explore a stage without ever feeling lost or overwhelmed.
Ariel's swimming is smooth and natural, even more so with analog control. So that players never have to bother with the manual, the controls pop up in portions of the game to remind young gamers which of those eight buttons does what (the gameplay is simple and easy on the buttons, but some kids get confused by all those buttons on the DualShock ¿ some grown-ups too). It's a little difficult to maneuver the mermaid in tight spots -- and since she's so long in the tail when swimming, she takes some hits from enemies and objects that are more due to clumsy control than the player's fault -- but the game is very forgiving in terms of how much life is given and what your chances of making it through should be. Unless a player demands to explore every nook and cranny of the game world -- and they're welcome to, since items are hidden throughout the levels and each stage or bonus-game can be returned to later for more pick-ups -- they'll be safe enough under the sea.
Graphics
Another charming game from Blitz after Chicken Run, and another to perfectly capture the spirit of the film. The rails-based engine doesn't over-complicate itself with a huge world, just what you see and what you need to see. Ariel and her underwater companions are drawn lifelike and animated -- nothing above the call of duty for a Disney game, but still good. The game's world is just as vibrant and colorful as the movie -- little flourishes of pastels are drawn here and there just to make evil scenes more colorful and Disney-esque. The Little Mermaid II isn't quite flashy in its effects, but there are more flashes and tricks put in than your average children's game -- fires churn and volcanoes spew with easy but pleasing effects in the action sequences, such as the showdown Ursula's shrewish sister Morgana as she fires beams from the King's Trident at you.
Sound & Story
One thing Disney's known for is getting its voice-over stars to stay with Disney forever as their character. That's translated into some great voice production from Disney Interactive, and here the entire cast of The Little Mermaid has returned for lines in the game. For the cynical, this gives the game cred, but more importantly, it makes playing it a LOT more fun. I couldn't imagine anybody else as The Little Mermaid besides Jodi Benson, with her gee-whiz voice always excited for the next adventure, and who could replace the voice of Sebastian or the mighty Ursula? They're all here, and the character voices are top-notch performances -- always excited or passionate or frightened, always emotional.
The one thing that's clunky about The Little Mermaid II is, strangely enough, its handling of the story. Segments are chopped up so badly that they make no sense ¿ for fans of the film and otherwise. How the game leaps from Ariel rescuing Prince Eric heroically in the first chapter to suddenly crying trapped in Ursula's domain seconds later makes no sense -- sure, that's the next scene of the gameplay, but how about a bridge to tie the story together? Instead, the game leaps from intense gameplay to a hastily edited movie clip without rhyme or reason. The cruddy FMV editing and wonky story-telling was the same problem I had with their other unique effort, Chicken Run -- the choppy sequences hold up the game just as it gets moving. With such charming characters and electrifying films to take scenes from, why not make those scenes sing along with the game? Blitz, you make some big fun games here ¿ hire somebody to finish them up!