Computer games review
Nintendo DS (Doctor Who: Evacuation Earth); Nintendo Wii (Doctor Who: Return to Earth
Release date Out now

Matt Smith and Karen Gillan voice the Doctor and Amy in two new Who adventures for Nintendo consoles…

It’s a wonder it has taken the BBC so long to fully exploit the rich pool of merchandising opportunities that New Who offers. So far this year we’ve seen the mediocre The Adventure Games for the PC, an excellent live Doctor Who arena tour and a recently announced Doctor Who exhibition. So, has this waiting meant they’ve spent all their time crafting two beautiful games, rich in Who-y goodness and epic gameplay? Not quite...

Doctor Who: Evacuation Earth is a game you’ve probably seen before if you’re an avid Nintendo DS player. It’s called Professor Layton. As the Doctor, you navigate through the levels by selecting directional arrows, and then proceed to solve challenges by using items you find along the way. There are a number of mini-games you can play, including a lockpicking game and a sliding puzzle.

It’s a relatively simple game, and though PEGI have rated it as suitable for three year-olds and up, the game is likely to prove too difficult for younger children. An age rating of six would more appropriate. Aside from that, Evacuation Earth is decent enough. There’s some good banter between the Doctor and Amy and the graphics are better than expected. As a package, it’s a nice fit for the DS. It’s just disappointing that it’s been done better elsewhere.

Doctor Who: Return to Earth (recently previewed by Total Sci-Fi) is better than the recent Adventure Games series the BBC put out, but that’s not saying much. Stranded on starship The Lucy Grey, the Doctor and Amy are separated and have to find each other, while avoiding some of the Doctor’s deadliest enemies. The problem is, the enemies just don’t seem all that deadly.

To get around the levels, players have to aim the Doctor’s sonic screwdriver at floating orbs and blast them using power crystals. Essentially, the Doctor’s screwdriver has become a weapon. You half expect something to flash on the screen announcing “Head Shot! +5 points!” This is probably the reason for the 12 rating from PEGI, although the game should be geared towards younger players. The gameplay is fiddly and repetitive and the graphics feel like they belong in a game from 10 years ago. Again, there’s some good dialogue, but even the most ardent eight-year old Doctor Who fan is probably growing tired of returning to Earth, and would far prefer to happily sit around in space.

Having said that, the release of these games has meant that gamers can get their hands on the Doctor’s Sonic Screwdriver as a stylus for the DS and as a remote for the Wii. The Wii Sonic Screwdriver is fantastic. It is rechargeable once you hook it up to the Wii (so there’s no need for batteries) and it works with any Nintendo Wii game.

I understand both games were made for very little money, but if the BBC cares about the product they’re putting out (and what young Doctor Who fan isn’t going to want a product with the Doctor’s face emblazoned all over it for Christmas?) then they really need to invest more time and energy into gaming projects such as these. Unlike tours and exhibitions, video games are for life, not just for Christmas. Thomas Cooper

VERDICT
Doctor Who: Evacuation Earth: 6/10
Doctor Who: Return to Earth 4/10
Nintendo Wii Remote Sonic Screwdriver: 9/10