Rather than following the plot of the computer animated movie, the Wii version of the Bolt video game is all about the fictional TV show. The TV Bolt fan hamster has just hunkered down on the couch with a hamster ball full of popcorn, ready for a DVD marathon of the Bolt series. Play as super spy Penny and her super dog Bolt as they foil evil in 25 action packed missions.

In the Bolt movie, Bolt is a TV dog star who thinks he’s a superhero, but really isn’t. However, in the game you play as TV star Bolt, and have access to all his super powered moves. Perform melee attacks against the droves of henchmen and use Bolt’s powers like his superbark to defeat stronger foes and break down barriers. Most of Bolt’s actions use the buttons only, but sometimes you must move the remote and nunchuck to execute other moves like Bolt’s ground pound or bark. Play control is usually pretty responsive, but sometimes motion controls don’t pull through as well with some tricky jumps or tough enemies.

Penny’s missions are more stealthy and sneaky. Instead of melee attacks, she must creep behind a baddie before performing a sneak attack. Penny also has this nifty bar with wheels on each end that she can use to climb and shimmy across pipes as well as attack foes. And she has a wide array of other spy gadgets as well.

Bolt on the Wii is a pretty generic 3-D platform jumping romp, but young fans of the movie may still enjoy Penny and Bolt’s continued TV adventures anyway.

Kid Factor:
Bolt is rated E-10 for Everyone 10 and Up with an ESRB descriptor of Cartoon Violence. Bolt uses his super strength to ram into bad guys and toss them around, but it’s all very cartoony and they just disappear when defeated. No more violent than other Disney CG moves like The Incredibles, and if you’re OK with your kids watching the Bolt movie, they’ll be OK with the game, too. Reading skill is helpful for the text instructions, but most actions in the game have picture cues of the buttons you press as well. Younger kids may need a little help with some of the tougher obstacles and enemies, but most of the game is easy enough for everyone.

Tags: Game Reviews