Action & Adventure Video Games

Based on the Pixar film three-quel and produced by Disney Interactive Studios, Toy Story 3 is a 3D adventure that sets high-spirited action and mini-games in the world of the film series. The game's "Adventure Mode" follows the story of the movie, with players guiding Woody, Buzz, Jessie, and their gang to meet new toy friends and explore new places, as they embark on a long and challenging journey back home to Andy's room. Also central to the play of the game is an open-world "Toy Box" mode, in which players can mix and match parts and pieces from different toy sets, to create their own characters and stories. Players can assemble cowboys, space rangers, dinosaurs, and other dolls and action figures, into new adventures through an interactive playroom. ~ T.J. Deci, All Game Guide

Dora's Big Birthday Adventure for PlayStation 2 is based directly on the special prime-time television episode of the same title, which concludes the cartoon series' "Magic Storybook Trilogy" and follows Dora and Boots on their adventure back home from Wizzle World. Players guide the brave young explorer and her red rubber-shod monkey companion through simple running and jumping platform challenges, and gamers can take control of Boots to get access to small areas in which Dora cannot fit. The game is designed for play by preschool fans of the television show, to offer an engaging challenge but avoid frustrating young gamers. ~ T.J. Deci, All Game Guide

Ben 10: Ultimate Alien -- Cosmic Destruction is a third-person action-adventure, featuring 3D platform puzzles and plenty of combat against a host of extraterrestrial enemies. Challenging boss fights define the end of each level, with cut-scenes moving the story forward between the action sequences. As the adventure progresses through famous international locations such as Paris, Tokyo, and Rome, players earn upgrades that can be applied to their favorite alien powers. The game is the first to be based on the third incarnation of the animated sci-fi TV series, Ultimate Alien, in which a 16-year-old Ben Tennyson learns about the powers, limitations, and dangers of using his newly acquired Ultramatrix.

Similar to the Omnimatrix featured in the earlier editions of the Ben 10, the Ultramatrix is a high-tech device that allows its user to transform into various alien creatures, each with a different set of special abilities. Unlike the Omnimatrix, the Ultramatrix also allows Ben to assume the more powerful "ultimate" forms of the aliens in his repertoire, and to transform into never-before-playable creatures including Ampfibian, Armodrillo, NRG, Terraspin, and Waterhazard. At different points in the adventure, each alien character's special abilities may be crucial to overcoming a progress-stopping obstacle or defeating an especially tenacious enemy. ~ T.J. Deci, All Game Guide

The Lord of the Rings: Aragorn's Quest is an action role-playing game set in a colorful rendition of Middle-earth. From a third-person perspective, players take the role of the great hero, in his adventures as Strider, the Ranger of the North, through his defining moments as King in the final battle for Gondor. The hero faces Sauron's evil minions and monsters, on horseback and on foot, winning treasures and ability-boosting artifacts as he levels up. The game also features an arena mode, which allows players to test their battle skills against challenging enemies in small battlefields set around Middle-earth, with a chance to win special items that can be used in the main story mode. From mission to mission, the game's plot unfolds in the recollections of the hobbit Samwise Gamgee, who recalls the great adventures of Aragorn and the War of the Ring for his family in a campfire story. ~ T.J. Deci, All Game Guide

Scooby-Doo! and the Spooky Swamp is an open-world action-adventure game for fans of the long-running franchise, starring the whole Mystery Inc. gang. "Those meddling kids" will need to work together to make it through the game's most difficult challenges. Gamers can play as Scooby, Shaggy, Velma, Daphne, or Fred, swapping on-the-fly to make use of each character's special abilities when they're most needed, and a second player can join the action at almost any time, to help overcome obstacles through teamwork. The game plays out in three themed worlds that players are free to explore as they wish, but they'll need to solve platform puzzles and conquer powerful boss characters in order to progress through the spooky storyline. The gang explores the mystery behind a strange girl who lives in a spooky swamp. They'll also find adventure in a snowy Alpine village and a Southwestern ghost town. Along the way, special gadgets can be obtained, to help uncover clues and solve tricky puzzles. As they overcome challenges, players earn new clothing and accessories that can be used to customize the look of the Mystery Inc. characters. ~ T.J. Deci, All Game Guide

Based on the summer 2010 computer-animated feature film from Universal Pictures, D3Publisher's Despicable Me puts players in the role of Gru, maniacal mastermind and -- until recently -- the world's number one supervillain. The game involves platform puzzle solving with an evil genius theme. Players take command of obedient but quirky minions and use deviously designed gadgets to overcome obstacles and reach in-game goals. Other sequences have players running and jumping through set-piece sequences in free-flowing platform action. The interactive storyline is written to give players a sense of mischief and misbehavior, as they guide Gru through his self-assigned dastardly duties and (with a bit of help from some unexpected allies) on to a realization of a higher purpose. ~ T.J. Deci, All Game Guide

Konami's Silent Hill survival horror series returns to its roots in this re-imagined version of the 1999 original. The storyline and setting are the same as in the PlayStation game, which has you controlling a distraught Harry Mason as he desperately searches for his missing daughter, Cheryl. New to the game are characters that respond differently according to how you approach them. Also included are psychological twists on the original plot; a mobile phone that functions as a GPS device and connects you with characters you've encountered; and a new soundtrack by composer Akira Yamaoka. Throughout his journey, Mason must be prepared to confront ghastly, misshapen creatures and other horrors in nightmare sequences that can trigger at any time. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide

Based on the computer-animated television series airing on the Cartoon Network, Republic Heroes has you engaged in a war between a battle droid army and the Jedi. Set between seasons one and two of the series, the game has you tracking down a bounty hunter named Cad Bane and the villainous Kul Teska across more than 30 missions. Playable characters include Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Commander Cody, Captain Rex, Mace Windu, Kit Fisto, and Ahsoka Tano. Fight as either a Jedi or a clone trooper across 3D environments overflowing with enemies to shoot, slice, and shatter. Lightsaber-equipped Jedis can use Force powers and perform acrobatic maneuvers, while clone troopers use jetpacks and wield high-powered weapons like rocket launchers and thermal detonators. Team up with a friend at any point with the game's drop-in cooperative system. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide

Based on the computer-animated movie starring the voices of Ray Romano and John Leguizamo, Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs is a 3D platform game that has you controlling multiple prehistoric protagonists across more than 15 levels of lighthearted action. Help Manny, Sid, Diego, Scrat, and friends navigate their way through the lush jungles of a world lurking underneath the ice: a tropical world inhabited by dinosaurs. Master each character's distinct moves while exploring caves, riding a pterodactyl, avoiding a rampaging Tyrannosaurus rex, running atop a ball of ice, and more. Those having difficulty during certain sequences can receive tips from woolly mammoth Ellie as well as possums Crash and Eddie. In addition to the single-player campaign, Ice Age 2 offers eight competitive mini-games supporting up to four players. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide

Players can once again choose from a cast of noble Autobots or evil Decepticons and battle to determine the fate of Earth as Hasbro's "robots in disguise" return for their second feature film, and second movie-based game, in Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. The single-player campaign gives gamers a glimpse of the action from both perspectives of the ongoing war, with players taking control of Bumblebee or Optimis Prime in one mission, then commanding Starscream or Megatron in another. The action primarily involves combat-heavy platforming, but certain levels also involve flying or driving, allowing gamers to transform from vehicle to robot on the fly and engage in temporary slow-motion attacks. The entire campaign can be played in co-op mode, where the second player takes the form of an indestructible flying robot, and two players can also team up to tackle waves of encroaching enemies in the "Arena" mode. ~ Christopher Brown, All Game Guide