Worthplaying:
The TV shows and movies on The Disney Channel have struck ratings gold over the past few years. Animated series like "Kim Possible," movies like "Camp Rock," and shows like "That's So Raven" have been winners for the channel, sometimes scoring wins over broadcast shows for the time period. While the shows have brought fans joy, the games inspired by these shows have not had the same impact on those same fans. The games, developed by various studios and covering different genres and consoles, have ranged from acceptable fare for fans to complete messes that are suitable for no one in particular. Their latest series, "Wizards of Waverly Place," has followed a similar trend. It's a ratings winner for the channel, especially with the movie beating out everyone else on both cable and broadcast television for the week. The game may not be as spectacular, but fans of the series will find this title on the Nintendo DS to be better than most of the material they've been offered recently.
Game Vortex: "Although gameplay leaves something to be desired, Wizards of Waverly Place: Spellbound "gets it." There's no way to actually verify my suspicions, but I'm fairly certain a little more research went into the actual show beyond a quick glance at the Wikipedia page and Google search."
If you're a huge fan of the series, Wizards of Waverly Place might be worth a look. Even so, don't go in expecting any real story or clever dialogue. This game has very little to do with the series, and is simply banking on its name to sell an otherwise lackluster game.
Black Lantern Studios failed to capture the spunky spirit of the show and the length and storyline leave a lot to be desired. A mere four and a half hours into the experience and IGN's dreams of reenacting more Wizards madness were shattered. Add that disappointment to the hit-or-miss mini-games and you've got one underwhelming game.
Presentation - 7.0
Graphics - 7.5
Sound - 7.0
Gameplay - 5.0
Lasting Appeal - 4.0
Overall -
