Grease the Game might as well be called “fun in a box” because it is packed with so many different ways for families with tweens and above to have a hilariously fun time playing Wii together.
The game consists of ten different mini-games based on different parts of the movie, such as the carnival scene, the race through the LA river and even Frenchy’s hairdressing dreams. Each game controls a bit differently, so even though many ask you to dance along with the music, every mini-game feels like a fun, new challenging game that can stand its own and isn’t just a re-presentation of an earlier level.
Families can jump right into the multiplayer action (which supports up to 8 players), or play through the game’s story mode. This is definitely one where parents should heed the ESRB E 10+ rating. Although the mini-games aren’t overly difficult, they all do require a good deal of coordination. The game is definitely too difficult for younger kids, so even though some of the suggestive lyrics and sexual themes might go over their heads, they still might not be able to successfully complete tasks.
The Story mode takes players chronologically through the major plot points of the movie. After completing a mini-game, you’re presented with a brief video clip from the actual movie and plot explanation, which advances the story along to the next mini-game.
The multiplayer mode of Grease the Game is a blast, and offers many different ways for family members to participate. At any time, you can add a USB microphone and somebody can sing along, karaoke-style, with the words onscreen. Although not necessary, someone singing along will help you achieve a higher score.
Players can also go head-to-head, or split into teams to play any of the game’s levels against each other. And once more the option to sing along is there.
There were many highlights of Grease the Game for us, but we particularly enjoyed how during the dance numbers, there were opportunities for specific dance moves. But we also liked the non-dancing mini-games, such as repairing the car, running a race around the track and playing the carnival games.
The menu system feels very polished and responsive, and includes nice touches such as notes from the Grease theme playing whenever you highlight something.
Overall, we highly recommend Grease the Video Game for families with tweens and up. We had trouble wiping the smiles from our faces as we played through the movie’s key plot points and danced along to the catchy Grease soundtrack. With the option to sing along and for players to team up or play to head, Grease the Game is a perfect way for families to enjoy some fun video game time “together, shooby doo wop, doo wop.”
*FamilyFriendlyVideoGames.com Favorite* - This was one of our favorite family-friendly video games we saw at the E3 video game trade show in Los Angeles in June. Here's what we had to say after playing it then.
Grease the Game is designed to be a party in the box that can be enjoyed by folks from ages 6 to 70. The game consists of re-creations of key movie moments, such as the drag race or the carnival, and includes the movie’s catchy and memorable soundtrack.
There are 12 total mini-games which can be played by two players, and if you have a microphone, a third player can join in sing the lyrics. Although the singing is not necessary, if the third players does a good job singing, it will increase the overall score.
At the E3 video game trade show in Los Angeles, we saw a few examples of Grease the Game gameplay, which included a driving game as well as a dancing game, which involved timing directional movements with a flick of the Wii-mote.
Our impressions are that the games seemed a bit on the longish side, and we were reminded that some of the Grease songs even had some highly suggestible lyrics (even though they are ****ed out on the screen, you know what they are saying). But, if you’re okay with Grease songs for your kids, than this is a fun trip down memory lane for the family, and a game that was definitely one of our favorite family-friendly games we saw at E3.
INFORMATION FROM COMPANY FACT SHEET
Grease: The Game for Nintendo Wii is loaded with mini-games that let players sing the movie’s iconic songs, dance the hand jive hop, race down Thunder Road, fight for Sandy’s affections and have fun at the fair with Frenchy, Kenickie, Rizzo and the rest of the Greasers. Compatible with a Wii Balance Board and up to two USB microphones, up to eight players can compete in two teams for musical domination at Rydell High in party mode.
This multi-player game allows up to two USB Nintendo compatible microphones and the Wii Balance Board™, for up to eight players to compete in two teams for musical domination at Rydell High in Party Mode. Grease: The Game is loaded with fun mini-games that let players sing the movie's iconic songs, dance the hand jive hop, race down Thunder Road and have fun at the Rydell Graduation carnival with Frenchie, Kenickie, Rizzo and the rest of the T-Birds and Pink Ladies. In Story Mode, players can fix up Greased Lightnin' or try to win Sandy's affections with their funky dance moves. The game features 16 memorable song compositions from the movie that include "Summer Nights," "You're the One That I Want" and "Greased Lightnin'."
For DS and DSi players, Grease: The Game lets players dance their way through much loved movie moments, following Sandy and Danny on their high school journey. It offers a chronological story mode featuring 16 memorable song compositions and choreographed dance steps from the movie. Players can also use the camera function of the Nintendo DSi™ to get in the game by uploading their face to their favorite character. Unlockable items in the DS and DSi game include iconic costumes, songs and locations from the movie. Grease: The Game on DS/DSi also has multi-cart functionality and DSi download play.