Game : Hail to the Chimp

Release Date: 06/24/2008
ESRB Rating: Teen
Genre: Party
Publisher: Gamecock Media Group
Developer: Wideload Games

After all the votes have been counted, Hail to the Chimp at least deserves to be in the running for a portion of many gamers' 360 budget. While it's not necessarily the most qualified candidate on the ticket, it's got a solid platform and is entertaining enough to maintain a respectable number of party game delegates. Besides, it definitely more fun than the current real-life political circus.

Review By: David Chapman

It wasn't that long ago that the developers at Wideload Games made a name for themselves by injecting a warped sense of humor into the FPS genre in the cult Xbox classic, Stubbs the Zombie. Now, the Wideload crew is using that same offbeat sense of humor and bringing a new meaning to the term "political party" with Hail to the Chimp, a highly competitive party game that's got its tongue planted firmly in cheek.

In Hail to the Chimp, the animal kingdom finds the Law of the Jungle getting a major overhaul after the Lion is removed from office after getting caught up in a major scandal. It's decided by the citizens that the old monarch system should give way to a more democratic process. As a result, all manner of species are now taking to the campaign trail for a bid at the throne. And in order to do so, they'll have to compete against each other for the support of the largest, least appreciated, and most easily manipulated voting bloc in the jungle: the clams.

Always be ready for a photo op.

The main gameplay in Hail to the Chimp pits candidates against three of their rivals in a series of different "Primary" rounds. Primaries are action packed battles that force competitors to race around a stage collecting randomly appearing clams, punching other candidates to steal away their clams, and completing and one of a series of special goals set forth at the beginning of each round. These goals may include destroying electronic voting machines as they fall from the sky, collecting bags of cash from "fat cat" politicos to fund your campaign, spreading bad press about your opponents, and dodging explosives dropped in a literal political minefield.

One of the more interesting aspects of the game gives players the opportunity to team up with rivals to help take out the competition. By pressing the B button, a player can call out for a team up to the closest player, who answers the call by pressing the same button. The two players then join up for a short amount of time, gaining a unique special attack that varies depending on the characters used. Once the team up ends, the two players automatically split any clams earned equally between each other. Team ups are interesting for two reasons. First off, since there's really not a large margin of difference between the first place and second place scores and since the winner is determined based on a high score after the end of all the Primaries, there are plenty of reasons to team with others, even if they are the current frontrunner. On the flip side of the equation, you can sabotage another player by teaming up and then intentionally screwing them over by pushing them off a cliff, stalling their movement, etc. This sort of backstabbing might not be looked kindly upon in other games, but all's fair in love and politics in the world of Hail to the Chimp

While the game presents a unique take on the party game formula, Hail to the Chimp is actually at its funniest when you're not even playing. The main menu of the game is presented as a news broadcast from the GRR News Network. From the deadpan delivery of news anchor Woodchuck Chumley to the hilarious commercials and PSAs, you'll find yourself watching the game more than actually playing it. A personal favorite has to be the Spot-On commercial, which ends with a lemur getting knocked cold after multiple applications of the product "directly to the scent gland". Anyone who's seen those annoying "Head-On" commercials will be hard pressed not to get a laugh out of this.

As much fun as this all sounds, there are still a few rough spots in this campaign that keep the game from leading in the exit polls. For starters, the controls aren't very responsive. Moving around during each Primary feels sluggish, like you're moving through molasses. Jumps also don't seem to work too well either, particularly when you find yourself having to jump from a sinking ship or out of the way of rising lava. Whether you're playing a monkey, an octopus, a jellyfish, or a walrus, you'll find yourself moving like a turtle on Valium. Another issue with the game comes in the single player campaign. Solo play takes place all across the animal kingdom in campaign stops made up of increasing number of Primaries. The game comes across as pick up and play, but in later solo stages, you have to play through upwards of seven round battles for votes. This forces players to tough it out through long matches with the very real possibility of losing at the last minute and having to restart the entire campaign stop over again. Finally, as much fun as it is to watch the broadcasts between matches, the actual gameplay graphics lose a lot when in action. Because there's so much happening on the screen at once, it's too easy to lose track of your character.

Time to do a little shrimpin'.

Hail to the Chimp is designed to be played with others, and whether you play online or offline, four player matches are a lot of fun. Playing against flesh and blood opponents in heated competition adds a whole new level of excitement to the experience. Between ganging up on your buddies or stabbing allies in the back, you never know what to expect and you'll love every minute of it. Thankfully, the game plays just as well online or offline, though there's something about having your buddy sitting with you when you push him into a vat of toxic chemicals.

After all the votes have been counted, Hail to the Chimp at least deserves to be in the running for a portion of many gamers' 360 budget. While it's not necessarily the most qualified candidate on the ticket, it's got a solid platform and is entertaining enough to maintain a respectable number of party game delegates. Besides, it definitely more fun than the current real-life political circus.

Taken From : http://reviews.teamxbox.com