This single player Kinect game plays out like an episode of the popular Nickelodeon series Penguins of Madagascar.

The basic play mechanic in The Penguins of Madagascar – Dr. Blowhole Returns (Again!) for Kinect involves your penguin running automatically.  It’s up to you to lean left or right, jump up and more in order to collect items and avoid obstacles.  Players can also punch, kick, throw projectiles and more, and overall there’s a good variety of control options for a game in which you’re automatically moving forward.

We love how the story unfolds with highly detailed animation and great voice acting that makes it seem like an extension of the show.  And if the videos are too much for you, they can easily be skipped.

Even though kids as young as 4 and 5 can do the basic gameplay mechanics of running and jumping, there are times when reading is required, such as in trivia questions.  There are also a few instances which troubled our youngest testers, too, such as the matching mode in which players must hold out their arms like hands on a clock to point of object.  Because of this, we recommend this for ages 6 and up.

The Penguins of Madagascar – Dr. Blowhole Returns is a single player experience, but it is the type of game that is fun to watch others play.  Fans of the series will love seeing their favorite characters, and kids of all ages will be able to easily control them. Kids older than 6 will likely have the most success though.  We think this is a great game for the whole family to watch, especially fans of the Penguins of Madagascar series.