Shrek The Third :: Nintendo DS Game Review

Save the day in Far Far Away with Shrek, Puss in Boots and Prince Arthur! We review the new Nintendo DS game.

Courtesy of Activision

Ogre alert! Big green Shrek is teaming up with Donkey, Puss-in-Boots and Artie to save the magic kingdom of Far Far Away from Prince Charming. But he needs your help to collect magic fairies 'cuz Donkey turned Merlin into a delicious parfait and they need to turn him back! Gary twiddled his thumbs at the Nintendo DS version of the Shrek The Third video game, based on the upcoming Shrek The Third animated movie, and here's his game review.

DS Teamwork!

This new game puts you in charge of a three-person fantasy team with Donkey providing some magic mojo to help out. Shrek smashes stuff, Artie goes all Captain America with his magic shield and Puss-in-Boots is part ninja! You swap from hero to hero, using their abilities to run, jump, solve puzzles and bash monsters as you collect coins and fairies through 16 levels of mayhem. Plus there's a team-up multiplayer mode for up to three players. What's weird is that you control everything, except moving around, with the touch screen and the stylus!

Rockin' the Fantasy Kingdom

The coolest thing about this game is that ,the whole time you're playing, Donkey is chillin' on some sort of magic radio - tossing advice and jokes at you as you bust up the bad guys. He's hilarious! The levels are fun to play too; they're like puzzles full of movie preview images. What's also sweet is that you can let a friend download a demo from you, or team up with them and play the levels with up to two friends. As an added bonus, coins/fairies you find in multiplayer mode are added to your single-player score!

Not So Charming

Once you get used to the touch-screen-only controls, the biggest problem with Shrek The Third is that the game can slow down if too much stuff is going on. The giant bosses are a bummer too - Artie can clobber them way too easily!

Is Far Far Away Worth the Trip?

This adventure in the magic land of Far Far Away is very cool. It takes a while to get used to the controls, but the heroes are fun. Donkey kicks serious butt, and the multiplayer mode - where you can team up with your friends - is solid. Plus, you can find preview pictures from the Shrek The Third movie!

Thumbs Up:

Donkey. His jokes and comments rock!

Puss-in-Boots = part ninja, part cat, all awesome.

Share a demo with your friends.

Team up with your friends in multiplayer.

Thumbs Down:

Controlling three characters takes some practice.

The giant bosses are wusses!

Too much action slows the game down.

Game Rating: