POSTED 26/11/11


CARNIVAL ISLAND

Sony
PS3/Move

Only two things scare us, and one of them is nuclear war. What's the other? Carnies. Circus folk. Nomads, you know? Smell like cabbage. Small hands...

Hang on, we're purloining Austin Powers' phobias.

Still, if you share the latter one with Mr Shagadelic then you'll likely wish to steer clearer of this than a summer's sky made of glass whilst bells ring out – which would be a shame really, 'cos this is the kind of game that the Move was created to be waggled about at for to be stuff and whatnot huh yeah.

Plump for ‘story mode’ and enter a decidedly Studio Ghibliesque world involving a rundown flying carnival seemingly sustained by a Ferris wheel propulsion system. Within four zones you partake of numerous typical carnival alley games. So, that’s ring toss, basketball chucking, that weird uphill bowling kinda thing, shooting gallery, hurling baseballs, tossing coins, faffing with ‘magic’ mirrors and a thing call ‘frog bog’, which, perhaps appropriately, is shit – vaguely reminiscent of Whac-a-Mole, but broken.

Each minigame has several variations, and completing a certain amount of challenges within each unlocks an ever-burgeoning cheer squad of animalia, featuring most every beastie with a human name ever save for Ethel the Aardvark (who’s likely still busy quantity surveying). These range from a cupcake-worshipping panda to a fox that sounds like Kenneth Williams reincarnated. Infamy! Infamy! They've all got it in for me!

As you knock over – usually literally - more levels, you restore the carnival to former glories. You can also spend tickets earned on bawoons, ice cweam and other paraphernalia such places generally fleece you with, but being virtual it’s a bit easier to swallow. Gulp.

Carnival Island is a kids/family game that’s overflowing with fahrvergnügen for up to four partakerers. Just be careful not to break Hitler’s limo...

CLICK THIS!



CLICK THIS!