The Adventures of Tintin is based on the recent movie, which is based on a comic strip, which was published from the 1920s to the 1970s. Tintin is a reporter, and along with his dog Snowy and other champions he traverses the globe looking for adventure. I’ve always been a fan of the graphic novels and the mid 90s animated series. This game pays homage to the movie but its good enough that fans of the books should enjoy it too.

The story, much like the movie, follows Tintin on his quest to find the secrets of the Unicorn. The Unicron is a ship with treasure. This takes him from mainland Europe to Morocco by air and sea. The game is a mix of 2D platforming similar to Prince of Persia or more recently Batman Brave and the Bold. This is combined with simple puzzles and chase sequences and has the makings of a fun game. In some ways the game feels like Indiana Jones or Uncharted, just not as polished. Graphically, the game looks good on the Wii. The voice acting is top-notch. The controls are tight, and the motion controls are basic, as they mostly involve shaking the Wiimote in combat.

The platforming elements are fun. Tintin and the gang can tackle thugs head on, sneak around, and use items to solve puzzles and take down enemies all in the manner of progressing through the game. As you advance through the game the enemies get tougher and players are required to think outside the box once and awhile. Players cannot really “die” in the game and there are a fair amount of checkpoints. Tintin, along with the gruff Captain Haddock, feel as if they were pulled straight from the books, which makes them memorable and enjoyable. There are dogfights, swordplay, and boss fights strewn throughout the game. Overall the memorable adventure clocks in at around 5-6 hours but there is more to come back to.

There is a co-op game which tasks players with going through the Captain’s dream levels that is set in a hub world. Players are tasked with collecting treasure to unlock costumes, and other characters with new abilities. This really felt like Batman Brave and the Bold and you can switch players on the fly with the D-pad. Without the constraints of the story mode this hub world is interesting even if it keeps the game play simple. There are also challenge missions. These have the player trying to take down waves of enemies in swordplay or taking to the skies in aerial dogfights.

In the end the overall game is fun although it has its repetitive moments. If you are a fan of the movie or of the books you may want to pick this up. If anything, it is a fun co-op game to play with a younger audience. The release date was a smart choice as there is almost nothing coming out this month, and if I had to give the game a score, I’d say a 6.5 or 7 out of 10. The game may not be perfect but it’s a lot of fun as it pays homage to a great series.

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