WALL-E can also be injured by falling from high platforms, and if you happen to fall off the level into deep gaps, he will plummet to a frivolous demise and the game will restart you from your last checkpoint. Building up health isn’t difficult with so many crates filled with health charges. WALL-E can also regain health by sunbathing in various beams of light scattered throughout the levels with a humorous animation of him pulling out a silver reflective board to soak in the rays. The environments in this game are often sunny and bright lit, and the cheery music is festive and complimentary to the type of lightheartedness this game has.

Intended for children, WALL-E never gets too complicated as far as the tasks you will have to achieve, and there is never any confusion as to what you are actually supposed to be doing or where you’re supposed to go. All challenges are properly explained by text pop-ups so you always know what to do, and there are never any situations where you’re stuck in a level struggling to move on. You will have to beat time challenges in many levels that require you to build up speed and jump gaps, which is a strong focus of this game and may have you repeating some tasks a few times. Maneuvering WALL-E at high speeds can be a bit tricky, especially with the PSP’s analog. You will also get to play as EVE at some points in the game and use her to beat timed races as well.

As you travel through environments, you can collect one artifact per level that comes with a funny animation you can unlock and watch again in the Bonuses area. The artifacts are now-common objects on Earth, which WALL-E discovers by scanning the area with his first-person view. The Bonuses section also has various images, concept art, and bonus videos that include the theatrical trailer and an animation where WALL-E interacts with the little Pixar lamp. Other unlockables include cheats and fun mini-games such as the Spaceship Shootout and Heavy Traffic. As such, there is definitely enough incentive to complete the story mode.

Graphically, WALL-E is flawless on the PSP. Even amidst the fastest action in the game, there is no slowdown or skipping of any sort. Because WALL-E can travel at such high speeds, environments whiz by in somewhat of a blurred motion, though it is nothing more than to accentuate how fast he is actually traveling. With 18 levels in total, there is lots of variety in all the cool sights to check out and Savage Entertainment has done an excellent job of providing an amazing atmosphere to this game. In all, it’s hard to think of anything negative to say about this great children’s film adaptation.

Though I have yet to see the movie, the game version of WALL-E has definitely gotten me interested in this fun little robot that may be intended to appeal to children but is someone that people of all ages can definitely relate to. With elements of science fiction, comedy, awesome graphics, and entertaining animations throughout the game, WALL-E is definitely a fun experience for anyone who enjoys the odd carefree children’s title.

By Pete Richards
CCC Freelance Writer