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Let’s face it, movie to game adaptations aren’t met with the most enthusiasm upon announcement. I, personally, tend to not care when I get a press release in my inbox about a new upcoming game based on yet another movie license. Why? Because they’re often boring, badly put together, or somehow just plain uninteresting in some way, shape or form. Thankfully, <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 />Madagascar isn’t all too bad, and will even provide some fun for those interested in its subject matter.

Obviously, being based off the Dreamworks kids movie of the same name, Madagascar is geared toward a younger audience. That means that you shouldn’t expect super deep gameplay, or much more than a quick, fun romp through the same locales you come across in the animated feature. The game shares the same charm and humor of the movie, and does a good job capturing the feel of the movie.

The story of Madagascar goes something like this: Marty, a restless Zebra at the Central Park Zoo, decides he’s had enough of living at the zoo, and wants to roam free. When he disappears from his pen on the night of his birthday, his friends Alex the Lion, Gloria the hippo and Melman the giraffe head out to find him. They do, but then, so does the entire New York police force. They get thrown on a cargo ship and end up in the middle of the wild.

The game is ten levels long and span the entirety of the movies story, starting in Central Park Zoo and ending in Madagascar. The levels are all divided up using different styles of gameplay. One level in Madagascar can feature a healthy handful of gameplay styles, keeping the game from getting repetitive. There are some shooting sequences, races, platforming, and even some light stealth thrown in for good measure. It keeps things fresh for the short six hour romp.

Level designs are decent, though nothing spectacular, and the gameplay itself is standard. Nothing ever goes beyond the call of duty, but what’s there gets the job done fairly well. The camera is a bit fussy about getting stuck on things during some of the levels, and at times it moves too slowly for the action on-screen, but it usually behalves.

As far as visuals are concerned, Madagascar is a far cry from raising the bar, but it sits nicely near it. The game does a good job of recreating the movies characters and locations with the in-game engine, and the environments themselves look pretty good. Animation is smooth, but the character models feature some boring textures.

There are some cool extras you can unlock during your time with the game, and fans of the title would be well advised to do so. The mini-games and extras you can get are worth the effort, and even expand the time you’ll enjoy the game. Again, though, this game is clearly meant for the younger crowd, and as such, you likely won’t want to consider it for your next buy, but if you have kiddies at home, it could make for a nice rent, and some good times with the family.