PSX Extreme writes: "Those 3D movies just keep hitting theaters at a frequent rate and the kids and families just keep buying those tickets. In fact, these animated films are often huge box office successes, and for good reason: they're often fairly entertaining. We wish we could say the same thing about the video games based on these movies, and although we've seen glimpses of greatness from the likes of Kung Fu Panda and The Bourne Conspiracy in the past, the widely accepted stereotype amongst gaming journalists remains solidly intact. The bottom line is that when a game releases that's inspired by a big-screen adventure, we immediately get all suspicious and skeptical. However, with the right team who actually decides to put some effort into the experience, we always have a chance at ending up with a fun, worthwhile adventure that appeals to its target audience (fans of the film, of course). So the question is: does the PS2 version of Monsters vs. Aliens represent a good budget option for parents? Well, it does, provided your kids don't mind doing the same thing, over and over and over."
Chris B. of TGF writes:
"By now most gamers are immune to being sucked in to purchasing a video game that is based off a movie. For the most part the games aren’t based off the movie itself, and are usually a side story created using loose parts of the movie to tell it. Developer Beenox and Amaze Entertainment, with publisher Activision decided to throw their hats into the ring and take on the project of creating the home based console and handheld versions of the movie by DreamWorks Monster vs. Aliens."
Movie-tie-ins are almost always universally panned by critics and are seen by the majority of the industry as an opportunity to cash in on something big at the box office. Usually criticism levelled at said productions is due to poor game play elements resulting from a short development time and a rush to release the game on a tight schedule, unfortunately for Activision Monster vs. Aliens fits this trend to a tee.
PGNx writes: "Monsters and Aliens battle it out in Activision's latest title. The game, based on the upcoming Monsters vs. Aliens feature film, is developed by Amaze Entertainment for the Nintendo DS. The general plot and gameplay is fairly similar to its console cousins though the game was obviously adapted for the handheld."
