One of the key elements of a party game is for the game to be easy to pick up and play with an easy to understand goal. In Shrek, all you need to do is build up your slam meter by attacking your opponents and then score points by connecting your slam attack to as many people as possible. While you're doing this, you need to avoid slam attacks because they will deduct points from your total. Whoever ends up with the most points, wins. It couldn't be more simple and its simplicity also aids in the fun.

Along with being easy to pick up and play, the game sports a wide assortment of characters play as. You'll find a lot of characters from the Shrek movies such as Shrek, Fiona, Puss in Boots, and the Gingerbread Man, but you'll also be able to unlock all new characters such as Humpty Dumpty, Captain Hook, and Robin Hood who have been designed to fit right into the Shrek universe. The characters offer a great deal of humor during the story mode but are unfortunately voiced by sound alike actors. Each character has their own unique attacks and slam attacks which fits with that character’s personality. Personally, I like playing as the Black Knight and the Gingerbread Man.

To match that assortment of characters is a variety of background levels that you can play on such as right in the middle of a town, to outside the castle which is surrounded by lava. Levels range in design from being everyone on the same floor, to multi level platform areas that the characters can jump on. All the levels are fully interactive as you'll notice that both objects placed within the levels, as well as the environments themself, are destructible. While the destructible objects don't add anything to the gameplay, it does add some visual flair to the chaos as everyone is frantically fighting.

Probably the biggest drawback to Shrek Superslam is the lack of any type of online play, which really could have been a benefit for when you don't have people over to play. While you can always play against the A.I., it doesn't even come close to being as fun as playing with other people. Had there been online play, it could have been one of the key features that would have been an advantage over Super Smash Bros. Melee.

Shrek Superslam is a great game for a group of friends as well as for the younger crowd. Its target audience actually ends up being a great decision because of the easy to pick up and simple gameplay. The challenge lies in having fun with your opponents and not how easily you can pull off complicated moves. Kids should enjoy it a lot as well, along with older gamers. Shrek Superslam also fills the void for those who don't own a GameCube, and want a Super Smash Bros. Melee-like game. On the other hand for GameCube owners, the game doesn't quite reach the level of quality that Smash Bros. did. Shrek Superslam is a solid multiplayer game that has turned out surprisingly well and didn't try to just sell based off its license. So grab three friends, pick up some controllers and prepare to slam the heck out of them.