Piglet's Big Game  screenshots   The Final Say! Gameplay 7.0 Graphics 9.0 Sound 8.0 Value 7.0 Piglet's Big Game  -  reviewed by Alex Cuming  Review Date: 1 August 2003 Review Score 8/10  Distributed By: Take2 Interactive

Piglet’s Big Game based on the characters from the show is presented in simple format where violence is replaced with poking faces at the enemy to make them disappear.  With moral overtones this admirable effort by Disney Interactive is full of story magic and just about everything that made the TV show a hit amongst children and at times can make older gamers smile as well.  There are many positive things about the game, which will later be discussed in detail but to briefly point out some is the graphics and attention to detail also in the aural side, makes this title magical.  The story is majority about Piglet and at times other characters become playable as the story progresses.  All the characters are off with the pixies and it is up to piglet to go into their dreamland and rescue his friends from nightmares. Piglet stresses to Christopher Robin that his small stature is no formidable force against much larger foes.  It is up to Piglet and the player to discover ways of getting the upper hand when faced by large Heffalumps, wolves, woozels (Intentional spelling) and flying bee-Heffalump just to name a few.  This is done by acquiring various brave faces to chastise the enemy.  Button combinations are pressed and the longer it takes the player to press the buttons the closer the monster gets and eventual defeat ensues.  So it pays to be as far away as possible before going into battle mode, scare mode or whatever you want to call it.  The environments look terrific and the camera pans at different angles to insinuate different effects and emotions in the player. Colours are vibrant and it is all in the name of helping your mates. Pooh bear is stuck in caramel and the puzzle is to get him out is easy enough that even the youngest gamers can enjoy.  With no subtitles and a narrator both adding story and guidance to the player ensures that the game is interesting and enjoyable for the whole family.  By far the most interesting dream to take part in is Eeyore, which is more nightmarish than the other (gaudy but excellent in their own regard) dreams.  This dream takes place in a forest and the atmosphere is great.  There is a giant tree, which looks great and every success brings about more secrets and intrigue to the story.    Simply what was done so well in the game was the variety and story with every discovery such as attaching a bell to a hook revealing secret entrances speaking friends.  The cut-scenes look terrific also with a certain polish to add to the quality in presentation.  There are also a few cartoons to see which can be viewed through the projector at the start of the game.  These cartoons are quite amusing with the gang who are looking for Piglet ask Owl:

“Have you seen Piglet?”  

“Yeah I have seen him plenty of times hes about this tall big ears” 

“We mean have you seen him this morning?” 

“He couldn’t have changed that much has he?”  

The sound too is excellent with plenty of great voice acting the little tackers will recognise from the show.  Pacing of the game is good too but there are some thoughts on the flaws of the title.  Collecting the cookies are a little repetitive doing this all the time gets old real fast and children would tire of this quickly. It would not matter so much if it was not important but since this is an imperative task to acquire new brave faces can become tiresome.  Also the act of doing so means the player has to kick the object where cookies come bouncing out and running around frantically to get them before they go back into the prop.  An annoying factor but if wanting to dismiss this, the rest is a good experience.  

Other flaws would include linearity although choice of any mission to start with, will do fine.  Also there is too much backtracking and running around, as Piglet due to his size is a slow process.  In the level where you must rescue Roo involves too much of this.  Of course the backdrops look great and the whole surreal effect is great but it seems that the producers have done this to make players appreciate the design a bit more.  In effect this extra exploration is more a hindrance in parts.  Having not enough cookies where you have to kick fifty props to get enough to buy a new brave face all done in different parts of the map, can be annoying.  The load times between environments not helping either. 

I might also add that the fact that this is all played in the dream world is an interesting concept. How many players out there have dreamt about taking part of and being in a land of utter fantasy eg Willy Wonkas Chocolate factory. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang etc. And in a dream world where the only limits to it is your imagination.  Kids will love it plain and simple. Recommended to the young and the young at heart.

- Alex Cuming