The problem with most videogames that are based on movies is that they don’t do anything innovative or memorable. Most of these games merely copy a highly successful game and dumb down the formula in order to make as much money off the film as possible, while spending as little as possible on developing the game. Unfortunately, Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs (CWACOM) follows that pattern.

For those who aren’t familiar with the film, CWACOM is an animated film about Flint Lockwood, an inventor whose massive ambition is only matched by his massive failure as an inventor. His breakthrough invention is a machine that turns water into food, and when it accidentally gets launched into the sky, it causes food to rain all over the town of Swallow Falls. While this is initially well-received by the townspeople, it becomes a disaster when the machine (after being overworked) makes giant food rain all over the world, causing severe damage. It’s up to Flint to stop his machine and repair the damage it has caused.

Note to self: do not get this guys interior decorator.

This is the basic premise that the game follows. Playing as Flint, you must travel through the stages cleaning up dangerous food and killing food-themed enemies such as living ice cream snowmen. This means that the game boils down to running around, smashing objects/enemies and collecting the hydrons that fall out (which are used to upgrade the gadgets). After a while, it feels very similar to the LEGO series of games (Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and Batman), which also involve running around and smashing objects for currency.

The problem is that the LEGO games, while fun, are already quite simple, so simplifying the formula even further doesn’t result in very compelling gameplay. The stages in CWACOM are extremely linear as well as being sparsely populated. Food and enemies are quite rare, and most of the time it feels like you’re just running in a straight line doing nothing. Any puzzles you encounter are extremely easy and are solved in no time at all. It gets pretty boring pretty quickly.

Flint has a variety of different gadgets to use, but they all feel very similar. Sure, there’s a fork gadget that can pick up and move platforms, and a vacuum gadget that sucks up liquids which can then be fired at enemies or obstacles, but the gameplay just doesn’t feel very different between them. Regardless of which special ability the gadget has, you’re still walking through a stage smashing giant pieces of food, killing enemies and occasionally jumping on platforms. The gadgets just aren’t different enough to add any variety… then again, that may have more to do with the lack of variety in the level design, and the fact that the objective is the same in each one.

I'm trying really hard not make some terrible innuendo in this caption.

The controls for this game are quite simple, with only three buttons and the analogue stick being used. Despite this, the game claims that ‘you need a nunchuck to play’, even though the controls could have worked well on a sideways Wiimote (if you’re willing to use the D-Pad to move around). The only ‘motion control’ in this game is the ability to waggle the Wiimote to use an item, which you’ll never use because the B button does the exact same thing. It’s a shame that they made no real attempt to use the motion controls (even if it was just for navigating the menu), and it really does feel like the game was only released on Wii to increase sales, not to take advantage of the console’s unique features.

The game certainly isn’t helped by its sub-par presentation. Sporting dull textures and low polygon counts, the stages look like they could have been rendered on a Nintendo 64. The voice acting is also quite boring and repetitive, but the sound effects are good so it’s not all bad.

Overall, Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs is the kind of game that really has no reason to exist. Yes, it’s simple and easy to play and it’s no doubt aimed at kids, but then again, the same can be said of the LEGO series of games. The difference is that the LEGO games are simple enough for kids to enjoy while also containing enough content and variety to be fun for adults, whereas this game removes the content and variety and ends up being so dull that even kids may get bored of it. If you’re obsessed with the film and must have every piece of related merchandise then you’ll probably want this game, but if all you want is a game aimed at kids, there are far better choices out there.

By Mark Vellios

Graphics: D-

Poor, even by Wii standards.

Sound: C-

Solid, but nothing special.

Gameplay: E-

A dull, lifeless knock-off of LEGO Star Wars.

Overall: E-

Cloudy with little chance of fun.