Platform: Nintendo DS
Rating: G
Genre: Adventure
Number of Players: 1
Developer: Disney Interactive Studios
Release Date: September 21, 2009 (AUS)

RENT

For those who are fans of the TV show, the Nintendo DS game “Wizards of Waverly Place” is most likely to be one you’ll add to your collection. This is also under the assumption that you are younger than the star of the series, Selena Gomez, otherwise it’s really not much of a challenge.

You play as Alex (played by Selena on the show) who gets herself some trouble thanks to the bling she purchases online – a bracelet that is meant to be for adult wizards only, and because she’s ‘almost’ an adult she thinks she has the all clear. How wrong she is.

This begins a chain of magical mishaps, however it is unknown to everyone that the bracelet is the cause. From cloning her brother Justin into 3 people to be in 3 places at once, to saving her mother who has been frozen in time, Alex has a whole lot of rectifying to do!

When Professor Crumb realises what’s happened, Alex must collect all of the gems from her bracelet because they have been scattered across the different places that Alex has visited. Once they are all collected, Professor Crumb takes care of it and Waverly Place returns to normal.

There are little mini-games to play throughout the game, some of which would be easier to play if you have some knowledge of the TV show. However, it can be easy enough to guess some of the answers on your own anyway.

The game uses the stylus for a lot of the gameplay, including moving from one place to another – but this can also be done using the direction pad if you prefer. You must use the stylus to talk to people, use your magic, pick up and find items, and play the mini-games as there aren’t any assigned buttons.

Your L and R buttons allow you to see your current objectives, while the X and Y buttons allow you to switch between Alex, Justin and their younger brother Max at one point – but you’ll mainly play as Alex and there isn’t any difference between them anyway.

All in all, I enjoyed playing it even though I haven’t seen enough of the show to know what some of the references in the game were. Having said that, if you (or a family member) are a fan of Selena Gomez or the Disney show, then you will be happy to add this to your collection. If not, it’s a way to kill a few hours if you wish to do so, but I’d save your pennies for something you are more interested in.

Review product was provided by Madman Entertainment, and does not affect the outcome of this review.

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