Guinness World Records: The Videogame

I remember a time when games were made for one kind of person: gamers. Nowadays we have all sorts of other games; Nintendo is the boss in this field. But I wonder who Telltale Games and Warner Bros had in mind when they set out to make Guinness World Records: The Videogame. Gamers? Casual gamers? Children? Guinness fans (not the drink)? Because World Records caters for all of these sub-groups but in doing so the game has become much like butter spread over too much bread.

World Records opts for the ever increasingly popular book method of holding the DS (see Hotel Dusk and Ninja Gaiden). You start off in a global hub, where you get the usual cartoon avatar customisation features - and the ability to buy various other collectibles as you go - to create your character and then it's off around the world, continent by continent to play mini-games based on actual Guinness World Records. There are 36 in total, although 12 are initially locked, so you’ll understand why we’ve given this such a low Value score. All the mini-games can be played by up to four players.

Examples include stupid or wacky activities such as the Fastest Time to Crush Watermelons with Your Head, Fastest Time to Pop 100 Balloons and the Longest Human Cannonball, and are generally played out using repetitive Track & Field-style stylus mashing actions. Yes, it's all very frantic.

There really isn’t anything special about World Records but it isn’t a bad game. It’s designed well and does what it’s meant to efficiently. If I didn’t have to review it I’d find it difficult to want to keep playing, even if the Amazing Fact Cards you unlock are rather interesting. Did you know that Grant Denyer of Australia pulled on 19 underpants in a minute on Sunrise TV? Fascinating stuff.

If you’re a young casual gamer whom is interested in Guinness World Records then this one is for you, if you’re not, then don’t worry, you’re not missing much.

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