Meet the Robinsons

Disney doesn't just market its movies. It surrounds them with an army of "accessories." Any times one of its animated films hits theaters and then re-premieres on DVD, you practically need hip boots to wade through the dozens of tie-in products that flood store shelves and fast food drive-thrus. Picture books. Sticker books. Beanie dolls. Action figures. Party napkins. And video games. So it's no surprise that Meet the Robinsons isn't just playing on minivan seatback DVD players everywhere. It's also happily traveling through time on PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, Wii, GameCube, Xbox 360, Xbox, PlayStation Portable, Nintendo DS, Game Boy Advance and the venerable PC. Whew!

So, is this good clean fun, or just another quick movie knockoff that gets tossed to the back of the game closet after the novelty wears off? Let's strap on our memory scanners, wing our way to Todayland and see...

Like the movie, the storyline focuses on Wilbur's attempts to set things right after his actions allow the dastardly Bowler Hat Guy and his robotic super-hat, Doris, to steal the Robinsons' time machine and change history. Instead of teleporting gamers into the same script as the movie, though, the game weaves in and around the big-screen plot to show what else goes on behind the scenes.

The Sincerest Form of Flattery
Robinsons borrows from a number of popular action/puzzle titles such as Tomb Raider and Zelda. Players make their way through a given area by pushing blocks, climbing ladders, jumping over bottomless pits and sidling along tiny ledges in an effort to solve puzzles, outsmart foes and reach goals. Unlike those other games though, here players go spelunking through cavernous—and sparkling—science labs rather than dark, dank tombs. And they face non-threatening robots instead of skeletal zombies.

Five basic environments make up the scope of exploration, including an ancient Egyptian pyramid, the futuristic, multi-level Robinson mansion and a science fair in gadget-wizard Lewis' school, way back in the year 2007. And speaking of gadgets, Wilbur has a host of space-age gizmos that help him move around, solve problems and fend off adversaries. For example, the disassembler raygun breaks down machines and furniture into spare parts that can be made into any number of useful things: special keys, tools, outfits, power-ups, etc. The chargeball glove lets you toss balls of electricity to power things and blow away 'bots. The scanner backpack is used, of course, to scan a room for clues and secret items.

The Gang's All Here
The game does a good job of re-creating the movie's comically quirky look and flair, but you really don't have to have seen the animated flick to understand what's going on. The characters stand on their own as fun performances are delivered by the original voice actors, including Tom Selleck, Adam West and Harlan Williams. And the dialogue can sometimes surprise you. (But it won't ever make you blush.)

Game controls are easy to jump right into for the most part, but they're still the one part of the game that could frustrate some younger players. The targeting lock-on system can be awkward to switch in and out of (requiring multiple button hits), and unless the camera angle is constantly adjusted in some areas, players can find themselves taken out by a random robot or rising pool of water.

More significant to this review is the fact that Wilbur lies to his father, disobeys the rules and steals a time machine, actions which cause all the over-exaggerated chaos. And then the time-skipping child breaks more rules to cover his original blunders. Fortunately, though, the game doesn't excuse his bad choices. He ends up fixing his mistakes and apologizing.

Time to Play?
Meet the Robinsons doesn't break any new ground and some of the mechanics are a little glitchy. But it's not dark, scary or complicated. And its puzzles and adventures are just interesting enough to prevent parents from being forced to flee the room after 10 minutes of play. Compared to the often mediocre merchandise designed to pick kids' pockets after they've seen the DVD 16 times, this game is—ahem—ahead of its time.