Do I hate it? Not really. The use of mini-games as a way of stringing together bits of the story from the second film isn't entirely without merit, and for the most part they tend to be a little bit inventive, at least more so than a lot of the non-Wario mini-game compilations I've seen on systems lately. When the game begins, for instance, you're tasked with small games that are designed to get you used to the controls of the game, and they're all pretty simple and definitely geared towards the younger crowd. You'll take control of the four main animals from the film, all of which have a certain set of skills, like the roar the lion can do to scare off the birds trying to snatch up eggs, or the butt-stomp the hippo uses to securely latch her overflowing luggage. This isn't high science on display, but it also manages to be mindlessly entertaining in small bursts.

The game is strung together with cutscenes that I'm assuming are straight out of the second film, but the voice acting in between definitely takes a hit. I'm not sure who is back to reprise their film roles for the game, but you can tell the difference between voices in some of the characters when you're watching the in-game scenes as opposed to the stuff cut from the new film. It's pretty distracting really, and if you happen to be playing the game because you're a fan of the movie, it could even bring you out of it more than it did for me.

The platforming elements pop up now and again, usually in stages with some type of simple collecting mechanic in place that also acts as a sort of breadcrumb device to point you from point A to point B. Once again, these are pretty easy to figure out and finish, but obviously the entire game is skewed towards a younger demographic than the 20 something gamer that's reviewing it, so at least the controls and camera work well enough that I never had to fight against the game to finish a section.

Still, it's a ridiculously easy game, and doesn't take a whole lot of time to finish off the single player mode. While I do appreciate that the mini-games are somewhat fresh and definitely varied, they're hardly going to keep anyone's attention for very long, even the younger players that this might appeal to. There is multiplayer support for up to 4 players in something called Tournament Mode, which is a point based competition using the various mini-game activities found in the main story, and for families with small children this will add a bit more to the replay value than it does for older gamers just wanting to check the game out.

However, there are far better kid's themed games out there, even with popular movie licenses attached, and Madagascar 2 just feels like more of the same junk that gets turned out for every post summer release down the line. The mini-games are different, and there's plenty of the story for the second film revealed, but outside of that there isn't much reason to check out the game. I'd say you could definitely pass on this one; there are other games with similar mechanics and play styles that work far better.