Disney's Emperor's New Groove Action Game

Rating:
Summary: Emperor's New Groove -- doesn't
Review: Be prepared for major disappointment from the user when the sound doesn't work. My system more than meets the requirments but the sound remains untentably garbled even after 4 hours of working on the problem. The manual gives a URL for troubleshooting that has been re-routed and you have to quess which icon leads to customer support. Drivers have been updated, FAQ's read, manual consulted, etc. The result: no Groove and no fun!

Rating:
Summary: Pretty good
Review: Disney Interactive makes an okay line of games based on their movies but the emperors new groove is the best of the bunch. Good graphics and music and easy to use controls makes this game fun for gamers and kids. P.S. SEE THE EMPERORS NEW GROOVE MOVIE ITS HILARIOUS THE BEST MOVIE I'VE EVER SEEN.

Rating:
Summary: Despite problems "Emporer's" is still Groovy
Review: First off, this game is worth it's price! It allows for several hours of amusement (several days for less experienced gamer I'm told) for relatively little cash. The story line is engaging, the commentry is fresh and amusing, and the game play style is varied enough to keep from being boring. There are, however, a few problems. While the backgrounds, animals, and enemies are very well designed the 3-D people are HORRIBLE! The bodies are sharply angled and box like and the faces are rounded without any 3-D detail. This, however, is just an asthetic issue and shouldn't deter buyers. Another problem, however, may deter those gamers who are really into their sound. Be prepared for sound skips during scene changes as well as random repetitions of the same phrase when moving Kuzco (the llama) at high speeds. The only other issue is the camera angle. At times the camera defaults to a view that makes precise jumping rather difficult. While frustrating at the moment this does add a measure of skill to the game. In enjoyability this game rates five stars but the technical issues listed above drop it's total score down to four stars.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent, Fun Game
Review: First, let me say that my sound, and everything else, worked fine, and I even installed this game on an older PC running Windows 2000 Advanced Server, even though it doesn't meet the requirements for it. I've also installed it without a problem on a system that was pretty hip a couple years ago, which means it's pretty dated now, running Windows 98 and with no new drivers.

I'm not a very experienced gamer. On the other hand, I'm in my 30's. I found The Emperor's New Groove challenging and fun. While from a strictly technical standpoint, I can see arguments that the graphics aren't perfect (as mentioned in reviews for versions of the game for other systems), the graphics were absorbing to me. I also loved the music and the funny, sarcastic attitude of the characters.

You control Kuzco, the Emperor, in his transformed, llama state. The game begins high up in the mountains, in Pacha's village, and your goal is to travel back to the royal palace to be transformed back into a human Emperor. The game is a series of levels that take you through the mountains, rivers, catacombs, etc. You have to collect coins and other items, solve puzzles, and make many challenging jumps--in many ways, The Emperor's New Groove can be considered a cross between an adventure/logic, an action and a platform game, just like most other Disney Action Games.

One of the things that makes the game challenging is that you only can take five hits before you lose a life. It is possible to collect extra lives, but it usually isn't easy to find the object you need to get them. Until you've mastered defeating enemies like the "evil" royal guards, you can take those five hits in a matter of seconds. Losing all your lives (I often only had one) means starting over from the beginning of a level. When you're in a level that takes 40 minutes to get through and you have to defeat the guard 20 minutes into it, that can be quite a challenge.

Of course, to experienced gamers, say someone who plays computer/video games an hour or two per day and has been doing so for 10 - 15 years or so, this might not be such a hard game. But as a Disney title, The Emperor's New Groove is directed at kids from 8 and up. For more inexperienced gamers of any age, it may be _too_ challenging. My wife, for instance, who hasn't tried playing computer games before this title (she liked the film so much that she wanted to try it) has given up for the time being, at least until she builds some experience on easier titles. I'm a bit more experienced, but there were levels here, such as the very long one full of huge Venus Flytraps, lava pits, bees, elaborate arrow booby traps, etc. that took me _at least_ 5 or 6 hours of gameplay to get through.

Elsewhere, I've read some complaints about the way the 3D camera automatically scrolls. I agree that when you're in a tight spot, the camera changes can make the game quite difficult. Also, you have to position the camera in order to make many of the jumps, and tight spots, as well as trying to maneuver so you won't miss the jump, can make positioning the camera correctly _extremely_ difficult. But that's part of the challenge, isn't it?

In my opinion, the most recent Disney Action Games I've played--which also includes The two newer Buzz Lightyear games, 102 Dalamatians: Puppies to the Rescue (this is the best one for the most inexperienced gamers, since it's much harder to die) and Donald Duck Goin' Quackers--are not only the best Disney games so far, but are the most fun games I've played yet. Of course it helps that I'm a huge Disney fan, but I enjoy the Disney games more than anything aimed at my demographic.

Rating:
Summary: last groove
Review: I play this game with my 4 year old. She has a tough time moving the characters and the graphics are very disappointing for a Disney game. The manual has minimal instructions and no hints where to look for the extra goodies.

Rating:
Summary: last groove
Review: My son really likes the movie and the game, but it does frustrate him (and me, when he needs me to help). I find it a little difficult to move Kuzco (the llama) around in the game. However, its is a fun game, and once you learn how to navigate the character, its a lot more enjoyable.

Rating:
Summary: A little hard to navigate....
Review: My son really likes the movie and the game, but it does frustrate him (and me, when he needs me to help). I find it a little difficult to move Kuzco (the llama) around in the game. However, its is a fun game, and once you learn how to navigate the character, its a lot more enjoyable.

Rating:
Summary: Fun, fun, fun
Review: This PC game is fantastic and fun. Guiding a llama around is almost natural, and the commentary is hilarious. If you haven't bought, seen, or rented the movie, it is one of the best, and this game will help you relive it a little.