Santa Claus is Comin to Town

SCORE: 84

There are few things during this time of year that capture the imagination of children more than Santa Claus. Capitalizing on the popularity of Santa's image and wanting to build a successful game for kids to enjoy, Red Wagon Games brings the successful TV special Santa Claus is Comin' to Town to the Nintendo DS. The game follows the source material pretty closely and puts the player right into the story. Santa Claus is Comin' to Town follows Kris Kringle as he delivers toys to Sombertown and obstacles he must overcome to do so. Was Red Wagon Games able to successfully bring Santa to town? Is Santa Claus is Comin' to Town just another sub-par holiday title.

For the most part, Santa Claus is Comin' to Town is a fine title that the younger gamers will find enjoyable. Levels are repetitive and gameplay lacks refinement. Gamers will work through 3 story levels to complete the game. Once the levels are completed then the mini games are then available for quick play. The mini games are short games that kids will enjoy - such as gathering, word searches, pac-man style gaming and more. There are more than 20 mini games available. Some of the game modes look great and represent the source material really well. Where as other modes look like games from the original Atari game system. The mail man gathering game, for example, looks like an old pac-man style game where the gamer taps the screen to driver the mail truck through a maze to pick up the mail that is floating around the maze.

The graphics and sound are both solid - minus those old school looking game modes. Both transfer well to the DS system. Each character and environment are easily identifiable from the TV special. Speaking of characters, the gamer will have the opportunity to play as the Winter Warlock and cast spells. This may not be what some parent would encourage their kids to play. It is something that should be considered when thinking of a purchase of Santa Claus is Comin' to Town. In a title as Santa Claus is Comin' to Town, parents can discuss Christmas and all themes involved in the Holiday Season.

It is refreshing to see a game developer put such effort into a game that can be enjoyed by the entire family. Please note that the mini games are playable for younger kids, but parents will need to read the instructions and help them learn the gameplay techniques. There is a lot of reading involved in the game. Santa Claus is Comin' to Town is a solid title and should be successful on the DS platform. I look forward to what Red Wagon games brings to the table in the future for family gaming.
- Alan

Graphics: 80%
Sound: 88%
Replay/Extras: 92%
Gameplay: 78%
Family Friendly Factor: 82%
System: Nintendo DS
Publisher: Red Wagon Games
Rating: ‘E’ - Everyone

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