Disney Bolt

 DS
Metascore
48

Generally unfavorable reviews - based on 7 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 0 out of 7
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 7
  3. Negative: 5 out of 7
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  1. Cheat Code Central
    66
    As a single adventure, Bolt DS is mediocre. It’s not a terrible game, but it greatly lacks focus and the mechanics are too loose to offer even mindless, button-mashing pleasure.
  2. IGN
    45
    Bolt barely uses his super powers, and Penny is not presented as a particularly interesting character.
  3. Game Revolution
    42
    You know that complicated "some assembly required" toy the grown-ups have to set up, and twenty minutes later the kids are having more fun with the box than their actual gift? This is that toy... just a smaller box.
  5. GameSpot
    45
    Bolt's superpowers can't save anyone from a poor camera and dull gameplay.
  6. GameZone
    40
    Repetitive, short, and dirt simple, Bolt won’t likely be very fun for anyone.
  7. Worth Playing
    40
    Bolt for the Nintendo DS hardly does enough to keep itself interesting, even through the short amount of time it'll take to see everything that the game has to offer.
  8. Cynamite
    60
    The Disney license doesn't save this slightly humorous game and its boring fighting system.

Awards & Rankings

75
#75 Most Shared DS Game of 2008

User Reviews

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User Score
6.3

Mixed or average reviews- based on 4 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 4
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 4
  3. Negative: 2 out of 4
  1. BeckTheWolf
    Sep 9, 2021
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click full review link to view. To be perfectly real, I loved the movie Bolt when I was younger, hence why I even own this to begin with. However, I will try to be as subjective as possible.

    1. Graphics: 5/10
    They're...fine? The DS wasn't a powerhouse to begin with, and this game uses them...alright, I guess. Though I am a little annoyed they had to replace the cutscenes from the console versions with static images. I mean, I understand, there's only so much space you can put on a cartridge (I'm speaking from the viewpoint of 2008, it's 2021 and we can put as much on a cartridge we can want now) so you're going to have to cut corners. But couldn't something at least a little creative be done with them?

    2. Story: 5/10
    I mean, again, it's fine? Though it feels more like a fan fic than something the writers of the movie, or even the writers of the show in the movie would come up with especially when...spoiler alert, Calico figures out how to strip Bolt of his powers, which should be a really powerful moment. But afterwards, not only does Penny easily escape her capture by the Doctor, but Bolt manages to escape a cage he's been locked up in with his...super strength? And then it gets even more ridiculous when Bolt...jumps into an electrified nuclear reactor to restore his powers. Maybe I'm remembering this wrong, it has been awhile since I played the game but...Jesus, that's just stupid. And also it has a cliffhanger ending. Because of course it would.

    3. Gameplay: 3/10
    This is where the game confuses me. Instead of giving Penny some high tech gear, she's portrayed more of a gymnast. And the hacking exercises she is given are pitifully easy. Like "count to 1, 2, 3!" Or "match the shapes together!" Also they gave her an athleticism bar? Something like that? It's like someone looked at her scooter from the movie (which isn't in the game, by the way) and smashed into a million pieces. Then they took what was left of it and decided "there, use that." She's not a gymnast, why would she need a glorified balance bar? Am I getting too passionate about this? I think I am, I'll move on.

    Bolt's superpowers are the biggest "what" in this entire game. Not only do they give him abilities that he never had in the movie (such as invincibility) they also neuter other ones. Instead of a super bark, he has a "sonic bark" which is made by blowing into the microphone. To activate his laser vision, you have to do stupid line puzzles. Now that I say all this out loud, I realize that this is barely even a Bolt video game. It feels like a dumb fan game made by someone who saw the movie once and decided they knew everything they needed to.

    4. Music/sound design: 3/10
    The music in this game is absolutely the most disappointing thing. Ever. I mean that, it's a bunch of cheap MIDI tracks plucking away in the background. I'm not even exaggerating when I say it's only a few steps above the soundtrack to Sonic Chronicles. It doesn't even sound like it would belong in the movie, it's just...lazy. So lazy. And there's no voice acting. At all. I'm pretty sure the enemies don't even make a sound when they die.

    FuuUU---

    5. Everything Else: 4/10
    The Rhino levels are just a Super Monkey Ball knock off, but without the challenge or charm of those games. The multiplayer--one of the modes is just more of that stupid hacking challenge. But, um...at least the level design in the main game is kind of interesting?

    So overall, I went a lot harder into this game than I was expecting. It just doesn't bring anything new or exciting to the table. Do yourself a favor and watch the movie instead, don't waste your money on this unless you REALLY like the film.    … Full Review »
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