WTP writes: "Overall, the game wisely uses the Smithsonian setting to keep things from falling into the basic run-and-jump trap side-scrolling quests sometimes fall into. In the Air and Space Museum, players get to jump from plane to plane in midair while avoiding cannon blasts, while in the Paleontology area Larry rides on the back of a giant dinosaur. And like in a real museum, there are placards dotted throughout each level giving players facts about the exhibits, be it a brief explanation on Amelia's Earhart's fame or information on how a dinosaur was named, adding a slight educational touch".
It feels like the game version of "Battle of the Smithsonian" was developed not only without the assistance of anyone involved in the production of the feature film but only with the most distant awareness of what it was about. What's ironic is that the movie plays a lot like a child's game and could have easily been tied to a handheld experience.
GameZone writes: "Like any proper game adaptation of a children's film, Night at the Museum's sequel film has given us this rather bland piece of merchandise in the form of Battle of the Smithsonian for the Nintendo DS. For this sequel title, the gameplay is appropriately yet predictably simple. The player character is sent jumping, running, and fighting his way through an enormous museum that has apparently come to life."
Night at the Museum could also be labeled an educational game, since info boxes relay historical facts about the exhibit. And when it comes to educational games this is definitely one of the better ones, so let's stick it in that category, instead of comparing it to the tons of better platformers. What this game doesn't do is add anything to the film, or really even make itself relevant to it. But if your kids aren't scared of mutant Ben Stiller face it could be worth a rental.
Presentation - 5.0
Graphics - 6.5
Sound - 7.0
Gameplay - 6.0
Lasting Appeal - 7.0
Overall -
