Platform: PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube,  GameBoy Advance, Nintendo DS, PC CD-ROM,

Genre: Action

Number of Players: 1 or 2

Humanity has been encroaching on animals turf for a number of years. Sometimes they are relocated to more suitable environments and other times, they simply adapt and learn to live with humans. We’ve seen this idea taken to some more comical extremes and the popular Over the Hedge comic strip from Michael Fry and T. Lewis has gone from the newsstand to the big screen, but that’s not where these adventures stop. The computer animated film is the perfect candidate for a tie-in game, and now you can join in the action, fun and laughter of Over the Hedge.

The furry (and hard shelled) characters from the comic and film are coming straight into your living room . . . or someone’s living room. RJ (a raccoon) has taken his friends from the woods and into Rancho Camelot Estates and the critters have found that they can in fact co-exist with humans. Well, not co-exist so much as steal a few things here and there, and the animals have found a love of human gadgets and food. Now you’re in control of the animals as you take them into homes in search of shiny electronics and food, but thievery isn’t easy. You’ll need to be on the lookout for human traps, exterminators, other animals that are ready to make your visit to the Estates an unpleasant one, and you may have to rescue some of your friends as well and this journey over the hedge is fraught with danger and laughs.

Over the Hedge is definitely aimed at a younger audience, but to be honest, that doesn’t mean that it isn’t fun for the older crowd as well. There are plenty of inventive things found in this game, and many of the familiar characters are found in the game. The game is set up in a mission design and you’ll have a team of two characters to play as. The selectable characters include RJ, Stella (the skunk), Verne (a turtle) or Hammy (a squirrel that I believe may be an animal poster child for ADD.) The missions involve a number of different things, but it always comes down to grabbing goods from humans.

The stages themselves are very straight forward, and you’ll have primary objectives as well as some bonus ones, but it’s not always an easy trek. Stages are filled with traps, such as lasers, motion sensors, and even automated contraptions that are certain to make these animals visit very unhappy, and short if you’re not careful. There are also moles and rats fixed with electronic helmets who want to stop you, and the deadly Sniffer, an exterminator who has it out for all of you. No one said life in suburbia was going to be easy.

The game plays like many 3D platform titles, so you can run, jump, and attack, though there is a bit more than just that. You have a variety of attacks, so if you charge up, you can launch a powerful golf ball attack (a golf club is your primary weapon) or use a ranged attack to hit enemies at a distance. You also have an energy attack which will unleash some impressive damage, but variety is the spice of life, and you’ll find other weapons to use such as your ice or ping pong ball launcher, but use of these weapons is limited. You are also allowed to change between characters, though I did see much difference between how they play, but it’s not a bad idea if you’re running low on energy.

The two-character action might sound a bit difficult, but it really isn’t. Once you’ve changed character, the other will catch up to you, and the game doesn’t limit you to only moving with your partner onscreen. You also will collect a number of things in the game. DVD’s will unlock bonus content while things like nacho chips and candy will give you back your energy. Collecting 20 cans of chips will permanently get you more health while 20 boxes of cookies will increase your energy, so it’s always good to be on the lookout for these items. On top of that, you’ll also have mini-games that are unlockable to be found throughout the game, but never fear if you can’t manage to accomplish all of your goals the first time through the stage. Over the Hedge not only allows you to play new missions as they become available, you can replay previous ones and try and accomplish everything.

One of the best parts in my opinion however is that there are plenty of things to destroy. You can take out planters, vases, lamps, and just about any precious human material item that you can think of. This is all part of how you’ll find some of these important collectible items. At times, this aspect even becomes part of the mission, but there are still a few other things going on. You may find yourself having to avoid traffic or racing against the clock to collect food. RJ and the gang will even come up with some interesting ways to enter homes, make their way safely into other places, and when there are armed traps nearby, a visit from Hammy will render them useless.

For all the good aspects of the game however, there are some that I didn’t care for. There are some that are minor, like the heavily repetitive comments during gameplay, but the missions at times can be a pain. Probably one of the worst is trying to accomplish one of those treacherous “don’t active any traps” goals and just when you’re about to finally be home free, your partner manages to trip an alarm or starts fighting and moves right into a laser beam. Well, I guess that’s where replay can come in handy, but it can be frustrating. The game also doesn’t use the voice cast from the film, though I suppose there are good and bad parts to that, but having “the real deal” would make for a better game in some regards.

The game itself looks fairly close to the film and the level design and look is actually extremely well done. All those little details are there, such as nicely cut grass with the criss-crossing designs. The cut scenes also add a great aspect into the game, so you will get some time for a breather as you enjoy moments with the characters, complete with dialog and some good jokes (and some rather bad ones as well.) You’ll also eventually find yourself making a trip outside of the estates to some other locations that are designed just as well and provide new challenges as well as plenty more to take in.

Over the Hedge might be for younger games, but it really isn’t a bad game and can be just as easily enjoyed by older players. This might just be the type of game that will allow mom or dad to sit down with their kids and play right along with them instead of simply letting the kids have all the fun. The downfall for older players is that it’s probably going to be a bit on the short end as far as length, but this is one of the few children’s titles that really can entertain just about everyone, and fooling human’s doesn’t get much better that it does here.

 -mike-