''Zathura'' is an

action-adventure game An action-adventure game is a video game hybrid genre that combines core elements from both the action game and adventure game genres. Definition An action adventure game can be defined as a game with a mix of elements from an action ...

developed by

High Voltage Software High Voltage Software, Inc. (HVS) is an American video game developer based in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. Founded in April 1993 by Kerry J. Ganofsky, the company is best known for developing '' Lego Racers'' (1999), '' Hunter: The Reckoning'' ( ...

and published by 2K for

PlayStation 2 The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October, in Europe on 24 Novembe ...

and

Xbox Xbox is a video gaming brand that consists of four main home video game console lines, as well as application software, applications (games), the streaming media, streaming service Xbox Cloud Gaming, and online services such as the Xbox networ ...

in 2005. The game is based on the 2005 film '' Zathura: A Space Adventure'', which, in turn, is an adaptation of the 2002 children's book ''

Zathura ''Zathura'' is a 2002 science fiction children's picture book written and illustrated by American author Chris Van Allsburg. In the story, implied to be set in the 1950s, two brothers; Danny and Walter Budwing are drawn into an intergalactic ...

'' by

Chris Van Allsburg Chris Van Allsburg (born June 18, 1949) is an American writer and illustrator of children's books. He has won two Caldecott Medals for U.S. picture book illustration, for ''Jumanji'' (1981) and '' The Polar Express'' (1985), both of which he al ...

. The game was released on November 3, 2005, in the United States to coincide with the then-upcoming film's release on November 11. A

Game Boy Advance The (GBA) is a 32-bit handheld game console, manufactured by Nintendo, which was released in Japan on March 21, 2001, and to international markets that June. It was later released in mainland China in 2004, under the name iQue Game Boy Advanc ...

version was planned, but was later canceled.

Gameplay

Zathura is a third-person action-adventure game. You play as brothers Danny and Walter as they navigate through space themed levels, battling enemies and solving puzzles to complete the Zathura board game and get back home. The game is a mix of platforming and combat. You can switch between Danny and Walter, each with their own abilities. Walter is bigger and can move heavy objects, Danny is smaller and can fit in tight spaces. Zathura is designed for younger players with simple controls and easy difficulty but some platforming sections and camera issues can be tricky. You can complete the game in 2–3 hours.

Reception

The game received "unfavorable" reviews on both platforms according to the

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website

Metacritic Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...

References

External links

* 2005 video games 2K games 3D platformers Action-adventure games Cancelled Game Boy Advance games High Voltage Software games Jumanji PlayStation 2 games Science fiction video games Single-player video games Sony Pictures video games Take-Two Interactive games Video games based on films Video games developed in the United States Xbox games {{action-adventure-videogame-stub