Wallace & Gromit in Project Zoo

In ‘Wallace & Gromit in Project Zoo’, the beloved duo from the Academy Award-winning Claymation shorts embark on a rescue mission when their friend Archie the polar bear is kidnapped by the villainous penguin Feathers McGraw. Set in a closed-down zoo, players control Gromit as he navigates through six levels filled with puzzles, platforming challenges, and side quests to free trapped baby animals and unlock new areas. Along the way, players can collect coins to unlock bonus content, including video clips from the animated shorts.

Wallace & Gromit in Project Zoo: A Whimsical Yet Flawed Adventure

Introduction

Wallace & Gromit in Project Zoo is a 2003 platformer that brings the beloved Aardman Animations duo into the world of video games. Developed by Frontier Developments and published by BAM! Entertainment, the game is a charming yet technically flawed adaptation of the iconic characters. While it captures the humor and inventiveness of the original shorts, its gameplay mechanics and technical limitations hold it back from greatness. This review will delve into the game’s development, narrative, gameplay, and legacy, providing a comprehensive analysis of its place in gaming history.

Development History & Context

Wallace & Gromit in Project Zoo was announced in May 2002, marking the first console adaptation of the Wallace & Gromit characters. Frontier Developments, known for titles like Elite 2: Frontier, handled the technical production, employing standard polygons and textures alongside real-time lighting to construct large 3D levels. The game was developed in close collaboration with Aardman Animations, ensuring that the visual fidelity and humor of the original shorts were preserved.

The game was released in October 2003 for the GameCube, PlayStation 2, Xbox, and Microsoft Windows. It was published by BAM! Entertainment, which handled distribution in North America and Europe. The game’s marketing highlighted its family-friendly adventure gameplay, capitalizing on the established Aardman Animations brand and the beloved characters’ whimsical inventions.

Narrative & Thematic Deep Dive

The game’s story begins with Wallace and Gromit visiting the local zoo to celebrate the birthday of Archie, the polar bear cub they have adopted and sponsored. Upon arrival, they discover the zoo has been seized by the villainous penguin Feathers McGraw, who has kidnapped Archie along with the other baby animals to coerce the adult animals into laboring in an underground diamond mine as part of his smuggling operation.

To infiltrate the fortified zoo, Wallace invents a giant wooden penguin disguised as a Trojan horse, allowing Gromit to sneak inside and embark on a rescue mission across the zoo’s themed enclosures and hidden facilities. The narrative unfolds via humorous cutscenes that highlight themes of inventive problem-solving, unwavering loyalty between the duo, and lighthearted comedy characteristic of the franchise.

Gameplay Mechanics & Systems

Wallace & Gromit in Project Zoo is a single-player 3D platformer in which the player exclusively controls Gromit, Wallace’s loyal dog, throughout the adventure. Gromit navigates expansive, multi-tiered levels using a variety of agile movements designed for both exploration and combat, including backflips for reaching higher platforms, somersaults to roll through tight spaces, karate-style kicks and punches for melee attacks, and break-dancing spins to deflect projectiles or stun nearby enemies.

The core objectives revolve around collection and restoration tasks to progress through the game. Players must gather scattered nuts and bolts, the most common items, along with rarer tools, to activate repair stations where Wallace assembles contraptions essential for advancing. Additionally, each world requires rescuing three imprisoned baby animals—from cages guarded by robotic foes, integrating rescue mechanics with platforming challenges.

Combat is primarily handled through Wallace’s inventions, such as the banana gun for slipping enemies, the porridge gun for ranged crowd control, and the turnip launcher for explosive attacks, all aimed at defeating Feathers McGraw’s mechanical minions and bosses. Puzzle-solving elements, like activating switches or rerouting power, are woven into these encounters to unlock paths or facilitate rescues.

World-Building, Art & Sound

The game is structured around six main worlds, each featuring inter-linked sub-levels and culminating in boss fights: Jungle House and Temple, Mines, Warehouse, Polar Exhibit, Volcano, and Diamond Factory. Players control Gromit to explore these environments, which incorporate platforming, puzzle-solving, and combat against robotic enemies and henchmen. Progression requires collecting baby animals and contraption parts, which unlock new paths and allow Wallace to repair broken machines essential for advancing through the worlds.

Key inventions crafted by Wallace provide unique abilities tailored to world challenges. The Porridge Gun serves as a primary ranged weapon, firing sticky projectiles to immobilize enemies or coat surfaces for traversal. The Gyrocopter enables flight sections, allowing Gromit to navigate vertical or airborne obstacles in later worlds like the Polar Exhibit and Volcano. The Banana Launcher propels slippery bananas to create slides over icy or rough terrain and to activate distant switches. Additionally, the Trojan Horse penguin gadget facilitates infiltration sequences, disguising Gromit to bypass guarded areas in the Warehouse and initial zoo entry.

Reception & Legacy

Wallace & Gromit in Project Zoo received mixed or average reviews upon release, with critics appreciating its faithful adaptation of the source material while critiquing its technical shortcomings as a platformer. The game holds a Metacritic score of 67 out of 100 based on 15 critic reviews for the PlayStation 2 version, reflecting a general consensus of mediocrity across platforms including GameCube and Xbox, where scores ranged from 63 to 67.

Reviewers praised the game’s charming embodiment of Aardman Animations’ humor and style, noting its family-friendly appeal and accurate portrayals of Wallace and Gromit. IGN highlighted the authentic world-building and solid dialogue that captured the duo’s inventive spirit, making it enjoyable for fans and children despite its simplicity. GameSpot commended the character models and animations for closely mimicking the stop-motion films, with Peter Sallis’s voice work as Wallace adding authenticity and warmth.

Criticisms centered on clunky controls, dated graphics, repetitive combat, and camera problems that hindered gameplay in expansive levels. IGN awarded the game a 6.7 out of 10, describing it as a “shoddy platformer” with average execution despite strong dialogue, particularly faulting the imprecise jumping and combat mechanics. GameSpot gave it a 6.5 out of 10, criticizing the unresponsive controls and frustrating camera angles during platforming sections and boss battles, which made navigation feel outdated and reminiscent of late PlayStation 1 titles.

Conclusion

Wallace & Gromit in Project Zoo is a delightful and engaging platformer that captures the charm, humor, and inventive spirit of the beloved Aardman Animations characters. With its varied levels, clever puzzles, and memorable cast, the game provides a thoroughly entertaining experience for fans of Wallace and Gromit and platforming enthusiasts alike. While it is not without its flaws, the game’s faithful adaptation of the source material and its family-friendly appeal make it a worthwhile addition to any gaming library. Whether you’re a long-time fan of the duo or a newcomer to their wacky world, Project Zoo is an adventure that is sure to leave you smiling.