Dr. Seuss' The Cat in the Hat - Xbox

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Dr. Seuss' The Cat in the Hat (Xbox)
Also for: PC, PS2
Viewed: 3D Third-person, floating camera Genre:
Adventure
Media: DVD Arcade origin:No
Developer: Magenta Soft. Co.: Coktel
Publishers: Vivendi (GB)
Released: 19 Mar 2004 (GB)
Ratings: PEGI 3+
Accessories: Memory Unit

Summary

This latest platformer from Vivendi is a somewhat belated tie-in to 2003's Hollywood adaptation of the famous Dr. Seuss children's book. Like the film, and indeed the book from where it draws its inspiration, The Cat in the Hat on Xbox is aimed at a fairly young audience, offering a fun adventure, full of all the bizarre imagery and other craziness synonymous with the 20th Century illustrator-cum-author.

The game tells the story of Conrad, a young boy who has been tricked by his neighbour, Mr. Quinn, into opening the Cat's big red box of Seussian magic and allowing it to escape into the real world. Subsequently, the titular feline arrives and must help Conrad and his sister, Sally, return the Seussian magic to the box and retrieve all three pieces of the "Crab Lock" in order to lock it for good.

Gameplay in Cat in the Hat sees players given the unique chance to explore a world beyond the film, as they navigate through rooms of the house that are not seen in the movie. A host of original enemies created specifically for the game populate the game world, and you also get to interact with classic Seuss characters such as the rambunctious Thing 1 and Thing 2, as well as the pessimistic Fish.

As you work your way through the game, progressing through each of the bizarre environments, a key element to success can be found in making best use of the Cat's umbrella. This rather handy tool can be used to carry out such manoeuvres as floating across chasms, shielding from attacks, and capturing enemies - the latter which then turns the umbrella into a weapon, enabling you to target other enemies, open doors and break through walls.

As mentioned before, The Cat in the Hat is an ideal game for the kids, offering simple, layered gameplay, amidst a non-violent setting, that's fairly easy to pick up. Which was more or less the general essence of the original Seuss books.