Kung Zhu is a DS game in which players move their Kung Zhus from left to right across the screen, jumping on platforms and collecting little glass balls (called Chi Orbs) along the way.  Kung Zhus are basically an older version of Zhu Zhu Pets, and need to be equipped with armor and weapons for battle.

Throughout the levels, players will need to fight off enemies with swords, guns, rocket launchers and more as the work to reach the level’s end goal.  It’s not necessary to collect all the Chi Orbs scattered throughout the level, so players can try and progress quickly or methodically collect everything they can.

The controls are very simple, with one button providing the ability to jump (and double jump), and  another button performing actions like attacks.

Kung Zhu is definitely an easy-to-play DS games, and will appeal to boys in the kid age range who will love the cartoony, aggressive behavior.  Unfortunately, the game is rated E10+ due to the violent nature of attacking enemies constantly, and the heavy use of weapons.  So, if your kid is younger than 10 and you’re okay with the aggressive play, then Kung Zhu’s actually a pretty fun and easy-to-play game that should keep them occupied for awhile as they work to unlock all the different Kung Zhus and their armor.  But ultimately, Kung Zhu is tough to recommend because it seems that the age range it most appeals to is younger than what it’s rated for.

INFORMATION FROM COMPANY ANNOUNCEMENT PRESS RELEASE

MINNEAPOLIS, MN – AUGUST 6, 2010 – Activision Publishing (Nasdaq: ATVI) and GameMill Publishing, Inc., in association with Cepia, LLC, announced today that Kung Zhu™ is coming to Nintendo DS™ this fall. Based on the smash hit toys, Kung Zhu™ lets players choose adorable hamsters, train them into ultimate warrior fighting machines, and take them to battle!

An exclusive, rough-and-tumble Kung Zhu™ hamster, named Tull, will come packaged as a Collector’s Edition with the initial release of Kung Zhu™ for Nintendo DS™. Tull sports a never seen before color scheme and will be available for $34.99 MSRP.

 “Kung Zhu™ is packed with pets that are cute but become ultra-cool and tough, so it’s a lot of fun seeing that transformation in a videogame,” said David Oxford at Activision. Gary Miller, President, GameMill Publishing, stated, “We are thrilled to be able to bring Cepia’s hottest new line of toys to videogames in light-hearted, family friendly battle style.”

Kung Zhu™ takes players on a high-action journey with the action-packed hamsters of the Special Forces and Ninja Warriors tribes. Play along with the fierce Special Forces hamsters: Stonewall, Sergeant Serge, Rock'O and Rivet, or with the stealth Ninja Warriors hamsters: Yama, Azer, Drayko and Thorn. Fans might even run into a few surprise soldiers from different tribes along the way! Developed specifically for Nintendo DS™, Kung Zhu™ gives players the ability to outfit their pets with battle gear and unleash them to rumble in 35 levels with authentic sounds and motions.

“Kung Zhu™ is on a trajectory to achieve the same level of incredible acclaim and success as the original ZhuZhu Pets™,” said Natalie Hornsby, Vice President of Marketing, Cepia, LLC. “We’re seeing this new property create new fans, and this videogame just adds fuel to the fire through its employment of the brand’s core elements.”

Kung Zhu™ can currently be seen on the Zhu-niverse Tour, stopping in cities all over the country. Tour attendees will be among the first to get their hands on Kung Zhu™ for Nintendo DS™. Please visit www.thezhuniversetour.com for more information.

Kung Zhu™ is available this Fall on Nintendo DS™. This game is not yet rated by the ESRB. For more information visit www.activision.com or www.gamemillpublishing.com.