The Hobbit

 GameCube
User Score
8.2

Generally favorable reviews- based on 17 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 13 out of 17
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 17
  3. Negative: 1 out of 17
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  1. Helmore
    Apr 5, 2012
    10
    An all around fun game with great music. Sneaking, action, puzzles the game has it all. Graphics aren't amazing but the art style is great, the gameplay is fun and refreshing. A must have in my books.
  2. kevinhooks
    Jan 20, 2013
    8
    The video game based on the novel by J.R.R. Tolkien really captures the world he imagined. The graphics (I would say) are very stylized, which works in a fantasy game such as this. Sure, the game uses a lot of elements from "The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time", but these mechanics actually work to it's advantage. This a very underrated game, in my opinion, and should have at leastThe video game based on the novel by J.R.R. Tolkien really captures the world he imagined. The graphics (I would say) are very stylized, which works in a fantasy game such as this. Sure, the game uses a lot of elements from "The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time", but these mechanics actually work to it's advantage. This a very underrated game, in my opinion, and should have at least another look by gamers (and critics).… Expand
  3. KameYojimbo
    Apr 20, 2021
    9
    "The Hobbit" (for GameCube) is, in my estimation, the best game adaption of any of Tolkien's works. I enjoyed "Shadow of Mordor" the EA hack and slash games, the Lego adaptions and several games in-between but if, like me, you feel that the adventure genre most faithfully captures the spirit of Tolkien's Middle Earth stories than I feel you will agree that this game by developer"The Hobbit" (for GameCube) is, in my estimation, the best game adaption of any of Tolkien's works. I enjoyed "Shadow of Mordor" the EA hack and slash games, the Lego adaptions and several games in-between but if, like me, you feel that the adventure genre most faithfully captures the spirit of Tolkien's Middle Earth stories than I feel you will agree that this game by developer "Inevitable Entertainment" is the best interactive window into the author's mythos that has yet been created.

    The game draws most heavily from Nintendo's "The Legend of Zelda" and "Super Mario Bros." series for inspiration in it's gameplay while remaining appropriately faithful to the story presented in the 1937 Novel of the same name. Exploration and platforming are combined in good measure with puzzle solving and stealth as well as a hefty dose of swashbuckling hack and slash action to complete the concoction. The resulting mix of gameplay elements does a good job keeping the game entertaining from start to finish but it's the faithfulness to the story combined with the immersive music and smartly crafted level design which combine to push this game into truly memorable territory.

    Ultimately the best compliment that I can award to "The Hobbit" on GameCube is that after seeing the story through to the end it is now a game that I would like to keep in order to replay at some point. The art style, which may seem off-putting to some at the start, helps to convey the whimsical nature of Middle Earth and is likely to grow on most players by the end. And it is at the end that I think a true appreciation is formed for this underappreciated game. Those familiar with Tolkien will get a game that truly works to transport them to Middle Earth to experience that fantastical world through the interactive medium of video games and those unfamiliar will be introduced to one of the most wonderful fantasy world's ever created in a way that does enough justice to the source material to encourage a look at the books. If either kind of player is at all like the author of this review, they will find a gem of a game worth revisiting.    … Expand
  4. Juanchesco
    Dec 1, 2003
    9
    Para todos los jugones de habla hispana, desde españa, decir que este juego es soberbio, una aventura muy entretenida y unos gráficos coloristas y bellísimos, indispensable para todo fan de tolkien que se precie.
  5. g
    Oct 25, 2017
    9
    This video-game bought back so many memories. This is why the old days is so much better than today because then, we use to get almost every single game and play them. Old games hold more memories than today. I love nostalgia and I do respect it a lot. I love the way this video-game version of Tolkien's original novel holds on because it is full of puzzles, the soundtrack suits well forThis video-game bought back so many memories. This is why the old days is so much better than today because then, we use to get almost every single game and play them. Old games hold more memories than today. I love nostalgia and I do respect it a lot. I love the way this video-game version of Tolkien's original novel holds on because it is full of puzzles, the soundtrack suits well for its time and almost everything about memories and why I still play it today. I just love looking back when I played this. The character designs are pretty good but not great, it sort of follows on with the book because all chapters are named after the chapters from the book. It is a very nostalgic game for any fantasy or Tolkien fan, I really recommend this for the video-games from 2003.

    Love it!!    … Expand
  6. PsychopathicTim
    May 21, 2021
    9
    A lot of people have lotted this game unfairly as one of the worst Lord of the Rings Video games. I disagree. It's certainly unpolished, and has a lot of flaws - like no autosave feature, the, at times, rigid dialogue, and the blocky character models - but it's still pretty damn fun to play.

    I love the combat mechanics on the Gamecube! It's super fun to switch between enemy targeting    A lot of people have lotted this game unfairly as one of the worst Lord of the Rings Video games. I disagree. It's certainly unpolished, and has a lot of flaws - like no autosave feature, the, at times, rigid dialogue, and the blocky character models - but it's still pretty damn fun to play.

    I love the combat mechanics on the Gamecube! It's super fun to switch between enemy targeting and free camera combat styles. I've played this game multiple times over the years, and each time I get more use to the controls. I love roaming around middle earth in linear styled open world levels, inspired by the Legend of Zelda no less. I never grew up on Zelda, so I never had experience with those games, so when I actually got to playing Ocarina Of Time and Majora's Mask, I was taken aback by how much I enjoyed aspects of The Hobbit more than those two games. Don't get me wrong, I really enjoyed Zelda, but there are game mechanics that The Hobbit, at times, excels at over those games. Auto targeting makes it easy to attack enemies with stones to spare yourself from close quarters combat, and they temper this feeling by making your inventory limited (starting with inventory space for 10 stones which you can upgrade to 30 later on.) Combat is surprisingly fun. The gripe that most people will put is that it's too simple, where you can spam A B simultaneously to exploit maximum damage output. The issue with doing that is that you sacrifice defense completely, leaving yourself open to attack. Goblins, ESPECIALLY, will be a real threat to you when they're introduced later in the game. these enemies can block your spam chains and attack you right on the spot. The same can be said about most other enemies in the game. If you rely on this style of combat too much later on in the game, you will die. A lot. To remedy this, the game encourages different combat styles and uses for items. The walking stick can do a critical strike at a slightly greater distance than Sting (Bilbo's Sword), Which is great for keeping your distance, use that on wolves. Throwing stones is effective for all enemies, but using them on ware-worms is especially useful, you can also put special properties on them like fire and stun, which are especially helpful against giant spiders. For Goblins, toggling between targeting and free camera combat is the most effective way to deal with them without dying.

    (Tip: to defend, auto target (Y) and walk backwards. Annoying, I know, but it helps.)

    Basically, the combat is much more complex than what people give it credit for.

    The criticism of this game is that it's simple, but it's a much shorter game than Zelda, and it's source material is in and of itself a simple story. One would definitely want more from this game, but what is there is of a substantial quality. It's a fun, comfort fiction, pulp-filled adventure thats short enough to pass the time on the weekend, it's also one of my favorite games.

    I will say now though, as far as gripes, the last two levels are pretty weak, the second to last one especially. There's nothing wrong with a few puzzles sprinkled throughout, but this one is almost exclusively puzzles, and not the good kind...

    Another thing that might've served this game well is a tutorial of the combat styles. I found myself not even knowing there was an auto targeting feature, or that to defend you need to auto target and walk backwards, until I fiddled around with the controls a bit. But that's in a long list of things this game could've done better.

    Still, I can't deny I had, and still have, a lot of fun with this game to this day. Yes, I've played better games now these days, it is no where NEAR perfect, but I found myself enjoying this game more and more with time. Even after playing Games like God Of War, Horizon Zero Dawn, Breath Of The Wild, and Mario Odyssey, I find myself coming back to this odd piece of video game history, and just sitting an afternoon and playing it through. Stranger still is that I've probably played this game more times than any other game I've played over the years.

    Watchmojo said "if you were eight when you played it, you probably enjoyed it.", and yes that is true. But their are elements of this game that are enjoyable to adults as well. Even as an adult, in college, I still find myself playing this game every now and again as a pass time. Case and point, It's NOT a bad game, it's no masterpiece.... But It's still pretty damn fun to play.
    ---
    I love this game, so if you're looking for it, buy the Gamecube version. The controls feel at home on that console, vs the PS2's small controller and how that feel's in the hands. They also have cinema subtitles when a cutscene appears vs the PC version which just has the straight text at the bottom, which I appreciate. It really does feel at home on the gamecube so If you're in the mood for a quick fantasy adventure romp from the 2000's, I highly recommend it.    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

91
#91 Best GameCube Game of 2003
58
#58 Most Discussed GameCube Game of 2003
55
#55 Most Shared GameCube Game of 2003

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
61

Mixed or average reviews - based on 17 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 17
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 17
  3. Negative: 3 out of 17
  1. Xbox Nation Magazine
    50
    You realize that Bilbo Baggins' dash maneuver (a sort of pole-vault jump) is faster than running, so you go through the whole game pole-vaulting like a ninny. [Mar 2004, p.98]
  2. Eurogamer
    50
    What we're left with really is a Saturday morning cartoon retelling of the tale, with none of the memorable dialogue, very little actual exposition, too much brainless padding and key events reshaped to fit the brief.
    Read full review
  3. GMR Magazine
    30
    If you play only one game set in Middle-earth this year, don't make it this one.
    Read full review
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