Review: DreamWorks Megamind - When Bad Villains Go Good
by Felix Xiao
November 9, 2010
Overview
You've already done what most villains will never consider and changed from kidnapping princesses to saving the world from evil. With the advent of yet another alien invasion, it's up to you, Megamind, to once again stop the forces of evil before it's too late in a side-scrolling adventure.
Features
DreamWorks Megamind takes you through 30 levels with 3 boss villains that appear after every 10 levels. In each mission, your task is to use your gadgets and combos to eliminate a group of aliens. Every level is full of objects that can be destroyed to reveal health pickups and blue energy that fuels your weapons. There are 3 powerups and 3 combos that you can use to your advantage to ensure that the enemies are dispatched as quickly as possible.The Good
There are 2 types of levels in DreamWorks Megamind, most of them being the type where you are required to kill all the aliens in a certain area. Every once in a while, you'll be presented with a time-based mission in which you collect bolts that are scattered around the map before time runs out. This helps to change things up a bit and speed up the gameplay.
The powerups and gadgets make the levels a lot more interactive and allow you to find new ways to kill the menacing aliens. Tapping the attack button allows Megamind to perform spins, twists, and headbangs that prove to be extremely effective. In each level, there are a number of objects that you can choose to destroy for additional points.
The Bad
DreamWorks Megamind feels like it was not thoroughly tested before its release, as there are numerous control issues and gameplay glitches. There is a directional pad and 2 action buttons that are imprecise and unresponsive at times. You're not able to shoot more than 1 shot per second, as Megamind will perform accidental combos if you tap the attack button too quickly. Sometimes the attack button doesn't do anything, and Megamind just stands there taking damage and looking confused. When executing combos, enemies will be hit even if the attack clearly doesn't touch them. Playing the game feels like you're guiding a broken robot rather than a feared and respected superhero.
Besides having the same name, the iPhone game and the popular movie have nothing in common. Megamind rarely ever says anything and the game just progresses silently across the 30 levels. If you liked the movie at all, the game will be a disappointment, as it gets stale quickly and is extremely repetitive. In the bolt levels, the shiny silver objects are often hidden behind other things so that they aren't visible. You can't move past the level until you find all the bolts in a set amount of time, which can make these missions very frustrating.
Another area where DreamWorks Megamind falls short is in its artwork and sound effects. Megamind's animations are atrocious, especially during the middle of a fight, and half the time the enemies will die without even being touched by the attack. There are many stairs in the environment that look identical, but not all of them can be accessed because an invisible barrier blocks them off. The characters in the game look terrible and are truly disappointing in every way. As for sound, just know that the only option in the settings menu lets you turn off the sound in the game.
