Guinness World Records: The Videogame (DS) Review
Pretty much anything and everything will either be turned into a videogame or has already been made into one. When it was first announced that the Guinness World Records series of books would be getting the videogame treatment, I wasnt so much surprised, but more wondering how it could work. When I got a chance to have some time with the DS version,
I wasnt exactly impressed, but I wasnt absolutely repulsed either. For those not in the know, the Guinness Book of Records is an annual book that lists amazing feats performed by people from around the world. These range from simple things, like the worlds tallest building, to the more bizarre things like the longest fingernails or largest tumour. The book definitely covers a lot of strange and out-there records, and there ws even a Gamers Edition released. So what better time to get into the world record breaking mood than now? The first thing I noticed about Guinness World Records is the graphics and the presentation overall are very well executed.
The character models are very nicely crafted, and while some cuts have been made in the realism department, it does make for a good and very aesthetically pleasing design. The graphics throughout the whole game are of a pretty high quality, with some really nice texturing on the set pieces during the games. Overall, Guinness World Records has a very nicely put together design, which is pleasing to the eye and very neat too. For those expecting an interesting and unique experience from Guinness World Records, youll probaby be in for a bit of a shock.
Guinness World Records is yet another mini-game collection for the Nintendo DS, but its not completely lifeless. Players choose a character from four children, and can then customise their character to lachieve a unique look. The customisation system itself is nice, but some could see it as being a little superfluous. Once a character is created, players can walk across a globe, stopping at each landmark to compete for a record. For example, walking over Australia allows players to visit Ayers Rock, where three records are taking place. Each record takes the form of a simple mini-game, such as sheep shearing. The mini-games themselves are kind of fun to play, but overall they feel a little bit more like chores than games. Guinness World Records places a high level of emphasis on scoring and rankings.
With several different scores, ranging from the obvious world record to local records and console records, there are several benchmarks in play here that will keep scoreboard junkies playing for quite a while. One of the more interesting things about Guinness World Records is that players can actually connect to the Nintendo WiFi Connection to download the latest high scores for each record, and beat the world record in the game. The addition of this online component is quite seamless, and an excellent touch. The audio in the game isnt really anything miraculous though.
There are some nice tunes, but on the whole they really dont match up with the gameplay or enhance the experience in any way. Though, to be honest, they dont really detract from it either. Players will get as much out of Guinness World Records as they put into it. Its very easy to blast through the game and complete all the records, and then just leave it. But its real replayability comes from the different benchmarks the game sets for players, as well as the bragging rights of having beaten a Guinness World Record. Guinness World Records is a pretty average experience that wont appeal at all to older gamers, but may get the bragging types interested.
The presentation of the game itself is one of the best Ive seen in a third party Nintendo DS game for quite some time, with the animations and models looking top- notch. The gameplay itself is decent enough, but might not hold the attention of most gamers for prolonged periods. Those who enjoy bragging about their accomplishments will find solace in the online rankings, but for now, if you cant be bothered breaking a world record in real life, Guinness World Records: The Videogame is the closest youll get.
