Wizards of Waverly Place is a hit TV show, kind of like Disney’s answer to Harry Potter or a revamped version of Sabrina the Teenage Witch.
Now young fans can get in on the magical action themselves thanks to the new Ninetendo DS game based on the programme.
The show focuses on the three Russo siblings, who are all wizards. The main character is Alex, played by Selena Gomez.
Alex isn’t supposed to use magic unsupervised but she does anyway, leading to various capers that land her in trouble and often require older brother Justin to come to her rescue. Along the way, in typical Disney style, she learns various life lessons.
In the Wizards of Waverly Place game, from Disney Interactive Studios, fans can play as the spirited young spell-caster as she explores various locations from the show such as the sandwich shop, home and school.
The game is essentially a collection of quests and mini-games. Sometimes you’ll be completing tasks like finding certain items and other times you’ll be playing games which range from sandwich making to a memory test. The various challenges in the game are all fairly basic and brief, which should suit young players.
During the game Alex gets to interact with other characters from the show and learn new spells such as move, freeze and levitate. Spells are cast by using the stylus to trace shapes on the screen.
The controls work well and kids shouldn’t have any trouble using magic.
Another aspect of the game which junior wizards will enjoy is being able to collect coins and trinkets to unlock accessories and clothes that can be used to customise Alex’s wardrobe. I imagine girls in particular will enjoy playing around with this fashion element of the game.
Graphics certainly don’t set any new standards of excellence, but they are alright. The characters are more cartoony than lifelike but they are recognisable from pictures of the show I've seen, and there is plenty of colour and vibrancy to the overall presentation.
Audio in the game has both good and bad points. The sound effects are quite nice but the music gets repetitive. The text dialogue between characters works well enough but disappointingly there are no voices in the game which would have given it more personality.
Like most people over the age of 10, I’ve never watched Wizards of Waverly Place so I can’t judge how close to the show the game is.
What I can say is the game is decent enough overall and provides enough content that it should cast a spell over young gamers and fans of the programme, keeping them happy for a good while.
Verdict: 7 out of 10 – While grown-ups and hardcore gamers alike will turn their noses up at this one, it provides a magical experience for kids who want to be apprentice wizard Alex Russo.
Watch a trailer of the game:
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