Alice in Wonderland can be played by one –player, or with two-players cooperatively, using the Wii-mote and nunchuck.   You’ll move your character around using the joystick on the nunhcuk, and also use the “trigger” buttons on both the Wii-mote and nunchuk to perform on screen actions.  For certain attacks, you’ll also find yourself twisting and turning the Wii-mote.  Overall, it’s a control scheme that will likely overwhelm infrequent game players, but those that are used to this type of platform game should be able to pick it up fairly quickly.  If your kids or family can control any of the “Lego” games (Star Wars, Batman, etc.), then they should be able to control this.

The game’s plot and art style closely follow those of the Tim Burton re-imagining of the Alice in Wonderland story.  As in the book, there are some wildly creative ideas being conveyed, with just a hint of dark humor, so it’s likely to appeal more to older kids and tweens.  You’ll need to decide if your kids are ready for this type of entertainment.

Although the game offers the ability to play as two players cooperatively, there are some issues with the camera system which make it sometimes difficult unless you can make sure you are always able to stay on the same screen.   For that reason, it’s possible that gamers of different skill levels may want to enjoy “over-the-shoulder” style gameplay as opposed to the on-screen cooperative option.

Alice in Wonderland for Wii does a wonderful job of transporting players to the magical world of Tim Burton’s re-imagining of the classic tale.  Families who can get past the game’s tricky camera system will enjoy playing together on-screen, while others might prefer to stick the game’s single-player mode.  We recommend this game as storybook adventure that families can experience together.