There are many games like Kung Fu Panda: Legendary Warriors. So many, in fact, that there’s no need tell you about its beat-‘em-up mechanics that replace button-mashing with non-stop Wii remote shaking. Most players are already aware that when an attack-heavy, fight-an-enemy-every-second action game is introduced – and a license is attached, as there is here – a certain amount of repetition can be expected. The world surely knows that attack-driven power-ups – those earned by pummeling an unspecified number of enemies – will always make an appearance.

That is precisely why the bulk of this review will be dedicated to the few areas where Kung Fu Panda becomes its own game within its own license. Granted, you’ll have to look hard to see it, and being a huge fan of the Jack Black comedy couldn’t hurt. But if you enjoy beat-‘em-ups, if you want something to bash (or in this case, a reason to flail your hands in front of the television) or know an eight-year-old who might, read on – we’re about to see if these warriors are truly legendary.

Characterization

If a game is going to make us perform the same mechanic over and over (aimless Wii remote shaking), the least it could do is provide a bunch of unique and/or charming animations that make the visual aspect less boring. In that area, Legendary Warriors delivers a fair selection of movie-inspired animations that bring the essence of these characters to this Nintendo Wii brawler.

Among swift and poetic cat-like movements, few can argue that Tigress is the leader of the pack. With expert bo fighting skills, Monkey is the first to hit, the first to evade, and the last one to go down. Shifu is a bit simpler with mechanics that are physically the same as the others (all four characters control the same) but visually different.

Po’s weight is a major factor in how he performs. His round figure (some might say plump) sways with every move. When leaping into the air, you almost have to ask yourself, “How’d he muster the strength to jump that high?” On his way down, Po can spin-kick for multiple hits to one enemy or slam down – belly first – for a multi-enemy attack. The body slam is generally more effective, as it can eliminate the threat of being overwhelmed with too many enemies (this isn’t a hard game but that can still happen).

Interestingly, the developers were smart enough to realize that, if we were allowed to jump and slam our way through the whole game, it’d be over faster than the movie it’s based on. Technically you can do just that – but not if an enemy jumps up and attacks you before the move is fully executed. This not only differs from the average brawler, but is reminiscent of fighting games that emphasize aerial attacking (Mortal Kombat instantly came to mind). It would have been cool to see the developers head further in this direction, with other inspired elements that break up the repetition. But this is all you get.

“Are you actually trying to fight us?”

It seems that Legendary Warriors doesn’t want us to forget its movie heritage. After every mission, a minimum of two story sequences will follow: one in real-time (with the same character models you see on screen), the other with basic drawings and what could be described as a Flash animation presentation (with fewer animations). The latter features intriguing commentary from Jack Black; the former is mostly comprised of lame villains and allies talking about how much they’d like to take over the world or how they’re desperately trying to save it. These boring moments were hardly welcomed, so whenever they arrived, it felt like a good time to grab a drink, go to the bathroom or write down some thoughts for this review.

Upon returning after one of those times, I was worried to see that the sequence had ended and the next level had begun. (The real-time sequences cannot be skipped, hence my eagerness to leave.) But there was nothing to worry about: though a small amount of health had been reduced, the enemies weren’t attacking much. One of them was mumbling, “Are you actually trying to fight us?” even though there were five of them, only one of me, and they could have easily finished the job before I came back into the room. Definitely not the smartest case of AI development.

Legendary For Some

Like any brawler, beat-‘em-up, or any other term used to describe a game that is little more than an enemy-bashing free-for-all, Kung Fu Panda: Legendary Warriors won’t be loved by all Kung Fu Panda fans. It speaks to a certain audience – primarily the 6 to 12 crowd – and will mainly appeal to gamers who enjoy a good button-masher, even though most of the mashing has been replaced by excessive hand-flailing.

Gameplay: 7.0
Simple and straightforward beat-'em-up gameplay.

Graphics: 6.0
The animations are terrific but the rest is very weak.

Sound: 6.0
Jack Black is good, but who invited the D-list actors voicing the other characters? Someone wake me when the cut scenes are over.

Difficulty: Easy
Shake-based simplicity.

Concept: 5.0
The lead characters are great but they came from the film. The game itself comes straight from the early 90s without much new to form a lasting memory.

Multiplayer: 6.0
Two-player co-op and four-player versus.

Overall: 7.0
There aren't any distractions outside of a few mini-games (which involve little more than hectic remote-shaking); no environments to explore, no ridiculous puzzles to solve. It's just one big game of wave-the-remote-defeat-the-enemy. Fun for fans of this kind of experience – boring for anyone else.