Monster House

Like many movie games, it lacks the shiny coat of polish that major game productions bring to the table, but for its intended audience, Monster House rises above much of its competition to deliver a fun game that is faithful in every way to its license.

Monstrous creations that are just scary enough for third-graders make this a good substitute for grotesque grown-up survival horror. [Oct. 2006, p.88]

It would've been great to have a bit more variety in monsters or more replayability, but for what it's worth, it's a fun experience for younger gamers looking for a title in the slower summer months.

Monster House draws inspiration from the myriad array of Mature rated survival horror games all while keeping it rated E10+. It’s a fun, scary romp that’s perfect for fans of the movie and tykes that like goosebumps.

On the scale of CGI movie licenses, this is up there with "Madagascar." Average, then. [Oct 2006, p.70]

Overall, and to pretty much nobody’s surprise whatsoever, Monster House is just another wasted opportunity that’ll likely be forgotten about before the movie it’s based on even reaches DVD.

This one should keep the kids occupied for a weekend or two but will not be a game that holds a players interest a long time.

An upbeat adventure that, while simple, throws up enough laughs and chlid-friendly horror thrills to entertain its inteded early teens audience. [Oct 2006, p.105]

Monster House is a breezy summer title for the kids that will keep them busy for a while, but it doesn't take full advantage of its impressive source material and leaves its players wishing for better.

You're repeatedly fighting the same old bad buys and backtracking through the same old areas, which gets old quickly. [Oct 2006, p.85]

Initially it's OK, but as the variety of ghouls dries up and the camera becomes more of an issue Monster House slides into the type of mediocrity that games publishers believe that young kids deserve. [Oct 2006, p.87]

It's just one extended chair wrecking, box-shoving session. And that's a house of pain, to be sure.

Unfortunately, the entire look of the game is marred by choppy graphics.

One of the good things about the game is that it targets both boys and girls with its characters from the film -- and let's face it - you don't see too many fat kids getting leading roles in films animated or otherwise.

It's easy to pick up and play, has generally tip-top production values, has a moreish appeal and only a couple of bits where parents might have to help out the little ones. Sadly, grown-ups needn't feel like they're missing out, for as much as it contains most of the ingredients that should make it interesting to everyone, Monster House quickly becomes too repetitive and shallow to deliver on its early promise.