Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (video game)
Encyclopedia
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is a video game game based on the television special
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (TV special)
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is a Christmas television special produced in stop motion animation by Rankin/Bass. It first aired Sunday, December 6, 1964, on the NBC television network in the USA, and was sponsored by General Electric under the umbrella title of The General Electric Fantasy Hour...

 of the same name. The game was released by Red Wagon Games for both Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...

 and Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...

 on November 9, 2010. However, the developers of the two versions differ: the Wii game was developed by High Voltage Software
High Voltage Software
High Voltage Software is an independent game development company located at Illinois' Hoffman Estates. Established in 1993, it now employs approximately 95 staff members. Red Eye Studios, a motion capture facility, is a wholly owned subsidiary of HVS...

, while the developer of the DS version is Glyphic Entertainment. In this game, the players compete in four different minigames, with each game having its own motion controls. Each minigame has a time limit. Once the time limit is up, the minigame is finished. Up to two players can participate at a time. The game has faced generally negative reviews from sites such as IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...

 and sold 57,067 copies in North America as of January 4, 2011. As a promotinal giveaway, whenever you purchased either the Wii or DS version of the game in December 2010 in the Electronics Department at Wal-Mart, you received a tiny plush toy of Rudolph.

Gameplay

In this game, players compete in four different minigames, with each game having its own motion control
Motion control
Motion control is a sub-field of automation, in which the position or velocity of machines are controlled using some type of device such as a hydraulic pump, linear actuator, or an electric motor, generally a servo...

s. Each minigame has a time limit. Once the time limit is up, the minigame is finished. Up to two players can participate at a time. In the first three minigames, up to 5 characters may be selected. In the final minigame, an elf
Christmas elf
A Christmas elf is a diminutive creature that lives with Santa Claus in the North Pole and acts as his helper. Christmas elves are often depicted as green or red clad with pointy ears, long noses, and pointy hats. Santa's elves are often to make the toys in Santa's workshop and take care of...

 may be chosen. Every time a minigame is completed, a different character may be selected. Once all four minigames have been completed, the game is over. Any of the minigames may be replayed once the story is completed.

Minigames

In the first minigame, Holiday Helper, the player bounces presents under the tree, lights and stockings onto the tree, and dolls and toys into Santa's Bag. In the second minigame, titled Toy Maker, the player paints toys. The third game, Cookie Cooking, involves the player baking cookies for Mrs. Claus
Mrs. Claus
Mrs. Claus is the wife of Santa Claus, the Christmas gift-bringer in North American Christmas tradition.While Santa Claus himself emerged from the 1820s from a number of traditions of European folklore, Mrs...

. In the fourth and final minigame, Saving Christmas, the player delivers toys by dropping them onto houses.

Critical Response

The game has faced generally negative reviews. In its review by IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...

 it was rated 1.5/10, and was criticized for its lack of gameplay and its grainy visual effects. IGN summed up their review by stating, "We love these classic claymation movies, so it’s really sad to see such a blat[a]nt cash-in on the Rudolph
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer is a fictional reindeer with a glowing red nose. He is popularly known as "Santa's 9th Reindeer" and, when depicted, is the lead reindeer pulling Santa's sleigh on Christmas Eve. The luminosity of his nose is so great that it illuminates the team's path through...

name. Do yourself a favor and purchase something else for the family to enjoy over the holidays, because these reindeer games are a disaster."
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