7.0

Carnival Island

Carnival Island is another one of Sony's holiday games that is a collection of mini-games (around 35) that work in conjunction with the PlayStation Move controller. Although mini-games range from bad to mediocre and good, most generally fall in the mediocre range.

Interestingly enough, Carnival Island actually falls into the good category but bare in mind, this game is targeted to the casual and younger gamer. Those hardcore gamers looking for something more substantial may need to get your gaming food from another source because Carnival Island is not that game.

Carnival Island even contains a "story" that serves as the backdrop of the game. The role of the gamer is to help free the denizens of the carnival who have been trapped in balloons.

Unfortunately for the creatures in this magical carnival, they have not had human visitors for years and by completing mini-games, you will help free them and restore the island to its former glory.

Best of all, the graphics and the cinematics do help in creating a great carnival type experience with its stylised graphics that work well with the gameplay and the story that is used as the glue to keep it all together. I must admit that the animation is pretty damn impressive and it looks like some made for TV cartoon.

In the game, you control a young boy who has access to a map of the carnival. By choosing certain areas in the map, it will open up the area for a mini-game to completed. Each of the different areas that you visit has its own themes and each game has around 9 challenges to complete that does expand the traditional mini-game experience.

By unlocking all the mini-games in the Carnival Island, it will not only free the creatures trapped but also allow the island to be visited again. You are also awarded tickets by completing the mini-games which can then be used to purchase all sorts of "carnie" items.

Add in other games like Mini Bowl (similar to bowling) and Snake in the Grass which requires you to roll balls into their holes and a game similar to whack a mole, all the titles have this real carnival atmosphere to them. What I do like about the game is how slick the games look and it doesn't look like a rushed title at all. Some actual thought has gone into its creation.

Even though the game supports single-player, where is does shine is through multiplayer which makes the title quite fun to play. Sharing plays a key element in the game as the mini-games are all turn based but it does open up the title for some healthy competition, especially when all the family is involved. It may not be the most original game of the year but the developers have attempted to do something slightly different from the stock standard collection of mini-games.

Graphics / Audio

As mentioned the game is quite stylised with its graphics and is very colourful, albeit a little simplistic at times. However this simplicity suits the premise well and all the environments are well designed and the mini-games look half decent.

It's definitely aimed at the younger gamer due to its colourful nature and over the top special effects. The voice acting is quite professional, although some characters are a little forced and contrived. Sound effects are good and the musical score goes well with the gameplay.

Final Level

In the end, this is one of the better mini-game collections for the PlayStation Move and if you're playing it solo, most gamers will easily be able to finish the title in a few hours. While fun in single-player, multiplayer is where the magic is to be found, especially when younger gamers have their friends or family involved. If you're looking for a non-violent and fun PlayStation Move game, than Carnival Island definitely fits this bill. Check it out!