Monsters, Inc: Scare Island (PC)

By PETER ELEY

It was a wet Sunday in Whangarei and the choice of movies was Lethal Death 8 or a Disney for kids called Monsters, Inc.

We hummed and aaahed about going back to the bach and a book but a sudden squall of rain strengthened our resolve and we joined the queue of parents and under-8s.

Two spellbound hours later we came out to bright sunshine and the world seemed a better place.

It's the same with the game of the movie. Monsters, Inc: Scare Island is a sunny, funny game that sadly will be played by very few teenagers or adults.

The game is set on Scare Island, where Monsters, Inc CEO H. J. Waternoose sends his top monsters for orientation.

There are some nice touches of humour here — watch out for total quality management Waternoose-style.

You get to play as Sully — the big, blue bear — or his one-eyed buddy Mike. The aim is to graduate as top "scarer" by learning the pair's 36 scare tactics and using them on robot children called Nerves.

First, though, Mike and Sully must find the Nerves in a series of simulated environments such as a big city, the Arctic or a desert.

Nerves in the early levels scream at little more than a loud Booo! But they get far more cynical later, and have an unnerving habit of laughing at you.

Locate the Nerves, give them a fright, and perhaps fight off a toxic toy and you'll be rewarded with a clip from the movie.

It's all easy, colourful fun which blends seamlessly into the movie. The controls work perfectly, there are no discernible glitches, and it is a breeze to learn.

The only downside is that it is perhaps too easy to hold the interest of anyone over 10 for more than an hour or two.

peter_eley@nzherald.co.nz