Reviewed by Paul Stuart

Every now and then, a videogame comes my way accompanied by near-unprecedented hype. By ‘hype,’ I’m referring to the type of pomp and circumstance reserved for a select few titles, ones where game reviewers await street dates with salivating anticipation.

‘The Golden Compass’ (TGC) fits that bill…but unfortunately for the wrong reason. Many have labeled the multi-console title as the worst videogame adaptation of a popular movie to date, criticism so damning that major retailers discounted TGC 25% almost immediately upon release.

Now excuse me while I rant.

The more I review games for Collider (almost three dozen to date) – and combined with 20 years of gaming experience – the more apparent it becomes that many mainstream gaming sites: a) are devoid of having a clue, b) don’t actually play the games thoroughly, c) possess no historical perspective on gaming, and/or d) are in the pockets of certain developers (see: Gamespot’s firing of its recent Editor in Chief following a bad review of  ‘Kane and Lynch.’).

If you’re a loyal Collider reader (insert shameless site plug here), you’ll notice the site’s reviewers and columnists pride themselves on not adhering to any of the four foibles above (in the extended context of movies, TV shows, DVD’s, music, etc.). We don’t always win brownie points by doing so, but we do tell the truth. Case in point: Collider’s review of ‘Kane and Lynch’ echoed the honest vein which cost Jeff Gerstmann his job.

Thus, let me shout this from the rooftops so there’s no possible misinterpretation: ‘The Golden Compass’ for the Wii is a good game. In fact, it’s a very good game for kids, notably the slew of adolescent girls flocking to the Wii gaming phenomena.

I state this above paragraph with two needed disclaimers. The first: I’ve not seen the much-maligned ‘Golden Compass’ film. Second: I’m not an adolescent girl. Except maybe on Halloween and after too much sake.

Still, any seasoned gamer should be able to discern a quality use of a license, even one intended for a different target audience. TGC fits both those criteria.

There’s much to like about this kid-friendly, Wii title. Graphics are sharp, the soundtrack a surprisingly good orchestral number, voice-overs (especially Iorek the Bear) outstanding. TGC’s controls are a bit twitchy at times, but rarely unfair. Lyra (the main protagonist), Iorek and Pan’s (Lyra’s shape-shifting daemon) abilities are all easy and intuitive to manipulate via the Wii-mote and nunchuk. Let’s just say this was not the second coming of Godzilla Unleashed.

Being a kids’ game, difficulty is turned down a bit toward the easy-moderate level. Moreover, visual cues go a long way in ensuring wandering aimlessly and/or excessive path deviations are kept at a minimum. Finally, puzzles are kept challenging but logical. TGC doesn’t punish gamers for failing at them, rather provides subtle nudges to keep things on track.

While it’s fun to kick ass with Iorek, my favorite part of TGC lies in Lyra’s manipulation conversations. A wickedly clever minigame system backed by nifty powerups determines Lyra’s success at these dialogs. Complete a minigame, influence the flow of conversation. The in-game journal updates accordingly, and the story continues to unfold. I was hooked for hours; kids should have a blast with this.

The biggest test to a movie-licensed game, however, is arguably feel. Does ‘The Golden Compass’ eschew a storyline, characters, and plot that capture its main screen counterpart? Again and in all fairness, I haven’t yet seen the latter. Although after playing this game, I’m inclined to catch a matinee of Nicole Kidman and Co. The smartly placed, actual film clips interspersed throughout the Wii version only second this notion.

Shiny Entertainment – best known for its awesome ‘Earthworm Jim’ series on the original Sega Genesis – crafted another winner here.

Final Thoughts

Perhaps this review will stand alone as a sole voice of support in the gaming wilderness, but ‘The Golden Compass’ for the Nintendo Wii is a terrific title for a girl gamer and/or adolescent fan of the film. Girl-friendly titles that don’t make one projectile vomit (see: Barbie, Bratz or horse-inspired licenses) are a rarity in mainstream gaming, and this is a good one at that.

Pick this one up on discount for your favorite daughter, niece or sister.

CONCLUSION: 8 [TALKING IOREKS] OUT OF 10.