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Ratatouille (video game)
Encyclopedia
Ratatouille is a video game based on the Pixar
film, Ratatouille
(2007). It was developed at Heavy Iron Studios
and released by THQ
, Nintendo
(Gamecube only) and SCEA
(PS2 and PS3 only) on June 26, 2007, two days before the first theatrical release in Russia
. Ratatouille was initially released on twelve systems—Wii
, Nintendo DS
, PlayStation 3
, PlayStation 2
, PSP
, Xbox 360
, Xbox
, Nintendo GameCube
, Game Boy Advance
, Windows
, Mac OS X
, and Mobile
—making it the most comprehensive simultaneous cross-platform launch in THQ's history.
Several of the actors from the film voice their characters in the game.
, and "flyers" such as bats and crows, and also bosses like Skinner, a giant sewer turtle and giant crows, who try without delay to stop him.
In this version, Remy cannot sniff (though he can skitter and look around by pressing the up button of the d-pad), run on a ball (though he can jump on a balloon or jump from bouncy surfaces), distract enemies by throwing them explosives, and use an umbrella to glide. However, he can swim, and he can buy the skill of diving from Pierre the Merchant (who also sells upgrades).
, the multiple versions of the game generally scored in the mid-to-low 60s, indicating "mixed or average reviews." The Game Boy Advance
version received the highest score at Metacritic
, with an average of 65 out of 100 based on 4 reviews. The Xbox 360
version received the lowest score at Metacritic
, with an average score of 56 out of 100 based on 9 reviews. The Wii version was considered the worst among the releases due to unresponsive Wii controls, outdated graphics, and a few glitches. No score was given for the PlayStation 3
, Xbox
, Mobile and Windows
versions of the game at Metacritic
because not enough reviews had been tabulated.
Alex Navarro of GameSpot
gave the game a score of 60 and called it "a sufficient, if unfulfilling, platformer." Navarro wrote, "There's little difference to speak of between any of the older console, PC, or Wii versions of Ratatouille. The PC version predictably looks the sharpest, and the PS2 version looks the dullest, though the differences are minor all around" and said "The PC version requires a decent gamepad to play properly, and the Wii version dabbles in motion controls." Navarro said the gameplay is fine for younger players but too simplistic for older players. He said the film's cast gives solid voice work but that the missions are a bit dull and repetitive. Navarro wrote "if your kid is desperate to relive Remy's adventures for him or herself, Ratatouille isn't a bad game to rent" and also wrote "it's the sort of game that will satisfy a younger fan of the film for a few lazy afternoon hours, and then be forgotten about immediately afterward."
Justin Davis of Modojo.com gave the mobile phone version of the game by THQ Wireless a rating of 3 stars out of 5. Davis said the game appears like the game Diner Dash
, but it's set in the kitchen instead of the dining area and instead of serving drinks, the player is dropping meat onto a stove, and Linguini's hands are controlled independently. Davis said the game was a "pleasant surprise" but that it was a little too short, with not enough depth. Louis Bedigian of GameZone
gave the mobile phone version a score of 7.7.
The video game won the award for the "Best Animated Video Game" award at the Annies in 2008.
Pixar
Pixar Animation Studios, pronounced , is an American computer animation film studio based in Emeryville, California. The studio has earned 26 Academy Awards, seven Golden Globes, and three Grammy Awards, among many other awards and acknowledgments. Its films have made over $6.3 billion worldwide...
film, Ratatouille
Ratatouille (film)
Ratatouille is a 2007 American computer-animated comedy film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Pictures. It is the eighth film produced by Pixar, and was directed by Brad Bird, who took over from Jan Pinkava in 2005...
(2007). It was developed at Heavy Iron Studios
Heavy Iron Studios
Heavy Iron Studios is an American video game developer, based in Los Angeles, California. They were a wholly owned subsidiary of THQ until being spun off as an independent company in May 2009 as part of a cost-cutting move....
and released by THQ
THQ
THQ Inc. is an American developer and publisher of video games. Founded in 1989 in the United States, the company develops products for video game consoles, handheld game systems, as well as for personal computers and wireless devices...
, Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
(Gamecube only) and SCEA
Sony Computer Entertainment
Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc. is a major video game company specializing in a variety of areas in the video game industry, and is a wholly owned subsidiary and part of the Consumer Products & Services Group of Sony...
(PS2 and PS3 only) on June 26, 2007, two days before the first theatrical release in Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. Ratatouille was initially released on twelve systems—Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
, Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
, PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
, PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
, PSP
PlayStation Portable
The is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...
, Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
, Xbox
Xbox
The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
, Nintendo GameCube
Nintendo GameCube
The , officially abbreviated to NGC in Japan and GCN in other regions, is a sixth generation video game console released by Nintendo on September 15, 2001 in Japan, November 18, 2001 in North America, May 3, 2002 in Europe, and May 17, 2002 in Australia...
, Game Boy Advance
Game Boy Advance
The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...
, Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
, Mac OS X
Mac OS X
Mac OS X is a series of Unix-based operating systems and graphical user interfaces developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc. Since 2002, has been included with all new Macintosh computer systems...
, and Mobile
Mobile game
A mobile game is a video game played on a mobile phone, smartphone, PDA, tablet computer or portable media player. This does not include games played on handheld video game systems such as Nintendo DS or PlayStation Portable....
—making it the most comprehensive simultaneous cross-platform launch in THQ's history.
History
Disney announced on November 6, 2006 that they planned a Ratatouille video game release, which would coincide with the movie's.Several of the actors from the film voice their characters in the game.
Plot
Similar to the plot of the movie, Remy begins in the farm setting in which the film starts as well. Remy goes off with his brother Emile to retrieve apple cores for his father and one the trek he is taught the basic skills he will need to know so he can accomplish what he faces later on. After the task, the old lady living in the farm catches Remy and Emile, alerting the colony, thus forcing them to escape. After Remy successfully escapes the shotgun-wielding woman, he is caught in the rapids of the sewers and he wakes up in front of Gusteau's restaurant, where a small ghost of Gusteau guides Remy to the top of the restaurant, were the rat witnesses the garbage boy, Linguini attempts to fix the soup he accidentally spilt by scrambling in a bunch of random ingredients. Remy drops in and fixes the soup, however Linguini witnesses him, thus beginning a chase outside with Linguini on pursuit. After that Remy joins Linguini and helps him what he is forced to do for Skinner, the chef. The next day Remy helps Linguini cook the food for the customers while he helps his colony, which he reunites with, in the meantime. Skinner catches Remy and another chase is on. Later, Remy helps his colony steal prized foods at the market. After that, the grim eater also known as Anton Ego has arrived at Gusteaus for a review, a review that will be very important to the cooks; however they all leave after finding out about Remy, and now it is up to Remy, Linguini and Colette to cook for many people, even the critic Ego. Can Remy and they do it?PSP version
The PSP version's plot is after the events that occurred before. About to open their new restaurant Le Ratatouille, Remy's recipes are stolen and he, with the help of his colony (including one teen rat who always wants to challenge him to race with him) must find the recipes by exploring Linguini's Apartment, the Sewers, a nearby Marketplace, the Rooftops, and (Skinner's) Kitchen. Enemies include many insects, amphibians, rodentsGround squirrel
The ground squirrels are members of the squirrel family of rodents which generally live on or in the ground, rather than trees. The term is most often used for the medium-sized ground squirrels, as the larger ones are more commonly known as marmots or prairie dogs, while the smaller and less...
, and "flyers" such as bats and crows, and also bosses like Skinner, a giant sewer turtle and giant crows, who try without delay to stop him.
In this version, Remy cannot sniff (though he can skitter and look around by pressing the up button of the d-pad), run on a ball (though he can jump on a balloon or jump from bouncy surfaces), distract enemies by throwing them explosives, and use an umbrella to glide. However, he can swim, and he can buy the skill of diving from Pierre the Merchant (who also sells upgrades).
Xbox version
Originally Ratatouille was not planned for release on the original Xbox, due to the system's software sales dropping weekly. However, a deal with GameStop struck and the game was officially announced for the Xbox. The Xbox version was manufactured in a limited amount, and is being sold exclusively at GameStop.Reception
On MetacriticMetacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
, the multiple versions of the game generally scored in the mid-to-low 60s, indicating "mixed or average reviews." The Game Boy Advance
Game Boy Advance
The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...
version received the highest score at Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
, with an average of 65 out of 100 based on 4 reviews. The Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
version received the lowest score at Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
, with an average score of 56 out of 100 based on 9 reviews. The Wii version was considered the worst among the releases due to unresponsive Wii controls, outdated graphics, and a few glitches. No score was given for the PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
, Xbox
Xbox
The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
, Mobile and Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
versions of the game at Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
because not enough reviews had been tabulated.
Alex Navarro of GameSpot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
gave the game a score of 60 and called it "a sufficient, if unfulfilling, platformer." Navarro wrote, "There's little difference to speak of between any of the older console, PC, or Wii versions of Ratatouille. The PC version predictably looks the sharpest, and the PS2 version looks the dullest, though the differences are minor all around" and said "The PC version requires a decent gamepad to play properly, and the Wii version dabbles in motion controls." Navarro said the gameplay is fine for younger players but too simplistic for older players. He said the film's cast gives solid voice work but that the missions are a bit dull and repetitive. Navarro wrote "if your kid is desperate to relive Remy's adventures for him or herself, Ratatouille isn't a bad game to rent" and also wrote "it's the sort of game that will satisfy a younger fan of the film for a few lazy afternoon hours, and then be forgotten about immediately afterward."
Justin Davis of Modojo.com gave the mobile phone version of the game by THQ Wireless a rating of 3 stars out of 5. Davis said the game appears like the game Diner Dash
Diner Dash
Diner Dash is a strategy video game and time management game initially developed by New York City-based American game development studio GameLab and published by San Francisco-based PlayFirst. It is now owned and published by PlayFirst...
, but it's set in the kitchen instead of the dining area and instead of serving drinks, the player is dropping meat onto a stove, and Linguini's hands are controlled independently. Davis said the game was a "pleasant surprise" but that it was a little too short, with not enough depth. Louis Bedigian of GameZone
GameZone
GameZone is an American multiplatform video game website. GameZone's daily coverage includes reviews, previews, news, hints & cheats, and editorials. Additionally, GameZone offers downloads, a child-targeted website and in association with GameStop, hosts GZGameShop, an online retailer...
gave the mobile phone version a score of 7.7.
The video game won the award for the "Best Animated Video Game" award at the Annies in 2008.