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I used to hate games for kids. Their inclusion in the world of video games gave others the opportunity to look at my passion as some sort of juvenile pastime with no real redeeming qualities. However, now that I've got a child of my own, I'm going to need to make space in a collection heavily weighted on Grand Theft Autos, Brothers in Armss, and Scarface s with some nicer, happier fare. I'll need to pay a lot more attention to games designed for the younger set to find some that are actually good.
So it was with no small hope that I put Ratatouille into my venerable PS2. The movie starred an oh-so-cute rodent named Remy in a beautifully animated quest to become a chef in France. Sure, licensed games are generally pap for the uninformed moms and dads of the world to blindly purchase for their kids, but every once in awhile a gem can be forged from such initiatives. Lo and behold, Ratatouille turns out to be a capable kid-friendly platformer that'll be sure to delight Junior. It may drive his old man crazy, but every parent has to make sacrifices.
Ratatouille is a harmless and fairly enjoyable short-term diversion that'll keep the kids quiet for a few hours.
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Our hero Remy is a savant living in a rat colony who'd rather be serving fine cuisine to the jet set of Paris. After a debacle involving his desperate attempt to get a cookbook from his favorite chef Gusteau, he and his clan are forced to relocate, setting up a series of missions. Turns out that the ghost of Gusteau is a bit ticked off that his former restaurant has lost a star from its five-star rating, and he tasks Remy with helping his café regain its former glory.
Gameplay-wise, Ratatouille is a straight-up platformer with minigames thrown in for good measure. Many of the main story missions involve collecting, smashing, or otherwise retrieving a particular object while also grabbing as many stars, darts, and other assorted objects in the fairly large levels. This invites a bit of exploration, although between the boxes, wires, pipes, and other accoutrements, it all does feel more than a little linear. Standard platforming fare is the order of the day, with jumps, double jumps, climbs, and ledge-hugging all done with the press of a button. In case you get lost, Remy's powerful olefactory senses will always point you in the right direction with a simple click of the L2 button.
There are also a host of mini-games to conquer. These might be a little fun for the kids on a rainy Saturday afternoon, but it won't be very long before the little ones have cooked, slid, and explored their way through the game and will be looking for more elaborate action.
I'll give the production values some credit, as the musical score, voice acting, and story cut-scenes are all well done. Patton Oswalt (who will always be Spence from The King of Queens to me) doesn't mail it in as the voice of Remy, even though he easily could have. While the visuals are not exactly jaw-dropping, the cartoony graphics mix well with the overall presentation and won't offend anyone's eye sockets.
Overall, Ratatouille is a harmless and fairly enjoyable short-term diversion that'll keep the kids quiet for a few hours. While it's likely not worth the full price of admission for anyone except the biggest fans on the block, rental money will get the children out of your hair. While we've seen better licensed games, there've also been much, much worse. That in and of itself is about the highest compliment I can offer.
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