Ice Age 2: The Meltdown (video game)

From Qualitipedia
Jump to navigation Jump to search
Ice Age 2: The Meltdown (video game)
Protagonist(s): Scrat
Genre(s): Platformer
Action-adventure
Platform(s): Nintendo GameCube
Xbox
PlayStation 2
Game Boy Advance
Microsoft Windows
Nintendo DS
Nintendo Wii
Release Date: Game Boy Advance
Nintendo DS
Xbox
Microsoft Windows
Nintendo GameCube
PlayStation 2:

NA: March 14, 2006
EU: March 31, 2006
JP: October 6, 2006
Wii:
NA: December 6, 2006
EU: December 8, 2006
AU: February 15, 2007

Engine: EngineX
Developer(s): Eurocom (Consoles and PC)
Amaze Entertainment (DS and GBA)
Publisher(s): Vivendi Games
Country: United States
United Kingdom
Series: Ice Age
Predecessor: Ice Age
Successor: Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs

Ice Age 2: The Meltdown (also known as Ice Age 2 in Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS versions) is a 2006 platformer, action-adventure video game published by Vivendi Universal Games. It is based on the film of the same name. Unlike its Game Boy Advance-exclusive predecessor, Ice Age, Meltdown was a multiplatform release, available on Microsoft Windows, all major sixth-generation platforms and both seventh-generation Nintendo platforms, with the Wii port being a launch title in Europe.

Why It's Gonna Live

Overall

  1. Most of the cast from the movie surprisingly returns in this game, including Ray Romano, Chris Wedge, John Leguizamo and Denis Leary, and they do an amazing job, although there are some exceptions like Ellie, but even her replacement, Debra Wilson, does a good job.
    • The supporting characters in the game are played by iconic voice actors aswell, like Grey DeLisle, Tara Strong and Jess Harnell.
  2. Great OSTs in both, with Jim Croft composing the console soundtrack, who would later produce the soundtrack for the next Ice Age game, and was the audio director for Jurassic World Evolution, and Ian Stocker composed the handheld soundtrack, who composed the Sims and Harry Potter handheld soundtracks.

Console/PC versions

  1. The graphics are great for 2006 sixth-generation standards, especially the PS2, XBOX and PC versions, while the GameCube and Wii's are as close to being good.
    • The Wii also runs at 60fps compared to the 30fps on other versions, you can also get the PC version to be locked at 60fps by using Cheat Engine
    • The environments are also very pleasant, with them being colorful and varied in design for the most part.
  2. Incredible level design, with things starting off in the glacier, but would warm up as things begin to Meltdown.
    • The levels also feel like an open world map with a big amount of space to explore.
  3. The controls are simple and easy to understand.
    • The motion controls on the Wii version are mostly decent
  4. The game does feel like you are playing from the perspective of Scrat from the movie, creating some sort of side-plot.
  5. Fleshed out animations, specifically Scrat's animations, riding zip-lines, squeezing through cracked walls, swimming, sniffing and combat moves like kicking, spinning, rolling and throwing rocks.
  6. The game also has FMV cutscenes with Manny voicing over them (besides the ones featuring Scrat), similar to the cutscenes from the Robots and Madagascar 2 games, which is a very unique and interesting take rather than just using regular clips from the movie with the original audio.
    • There are also cutscenes with stunning artwork in them aswell.
  7. There are some nice details in the game specifically Scrat's HUD, where he changes expressions whether he's sniffing, zip-lining, digging, carrying an object or if there is a useful object nearby.
  8. If you gain a certain amount of acorns in each level, you can unlock interviews with the voice actors from the game, which is pretty cool.
  9. There are some relatively fun minigames aswell, such as Penguin Bowling, Whack-a-Possum, Diego's Cave, The Eviscerator and the list goes on.
  10. There are some funny dialogue in the game too, like when you interact with characters, specifically Manny.

Handheld versions

  1. The sprites on the GBA versions are impressive and are definitely a step up from the previous Ice Age game on the GBA, with the sprites similar to other GBA games like Madagascar.
  2. The environments and dialogue on the DS version are more faithful to the movie.
  3. Unlike the other versions, you can play as Sid, Diego and Manny in levels on the DS version.

Bad Qualities

Console/PC versions

  1. The boss fights (if you can even call it that) are quite disappointing, with you having to save Sid the Sloth instead of fighting a character.
  2. The game is also quite easy, as you can beat the game in 5 hours at average if you focus on the main tasks.
  3. In some occasions, If you interact with a character, they will not have a talking animation, mainly in the overworld, which can be pretty weird at times.
  4. There is one level where you are inside a literal big fish, which is disgusting.
  5. Some minigames are REALLY boring, especially the Mudbog Memory minigame,
  6. The Ground Pounding move is ridiculously strong, and can down almost all enemies in the game, which can ruin the point of special moves.

Handheld versions

  1. Bad graphics on the DS version that barely qualifies for a PS1 game, let alone a DS game, although there are some exceptions like Scrat and Sid the Sloth.
  2. Speaking of the DS version, it is a terrible port.
  3. The voices on the DS version are garbled, even the GBA version has understandable voice lines.

Reception

The game received "mixed or average" reviews from critics. Metacritic gave the Wii version of the game a mixed or average score of 66 out of 100, based on nine reviews. The PlayStation 2 version received a score of 68 out of 100, based on nineteen reviews. The GameCube version received a score of 67 out of 100, based on nine reviews. The Xbox version received a score of 68 out of 100, based on sixteen reviews.

GameSpot gave the Wii version a 7 out of 10 saying that the game is a fun engaging platformer that ought to appeal to multiple audiences but criticizing it for its brevity saying that it takes no more than a few hours to complete, while the GameCube and Xbox versions received a 7.3 out of 10, writing, "A kid-friendly platformer with more heart than your average film-to-game marketing tie-in, Ice Age: The Meltdown can be quite fun—for as long as it lasts".

Videos

Load video
YouTube
Load video
YouTube
Load video
YouTube
Load video
YouTube

Comments

Loading comments...
Retrieved from "https://newqualitipedia.telepedia.net/index.php?title=Ice_Age_2:_The_Meltdown_(video_game)&oldid=193131"