- Release Date: 1997
- Genre: Puzzle
- Style: Action Puzzle
Game Description
Anastasia must overcome obstacles and the demonic servitors of Rasputin in an attempt to escape from Russia and find her parents. As Pooka, her dog, you assist her while eluding Bartok's traps, solving puzzles and gathering information that Bartok, the irascible talking bat, lets slip as he cheers on the minions who are trying to catch you.The five locations in the adventure include St. Petersburg, a palace, a train, a ship and Paris. In each place, Pooka has a specific task that will help Anya reach her goal, ranging from contacts with Dmitri to creating passports and helping a Prima Ballerina find her lucky ballet slippers. Throughout the journey, you must also avoid Rasputin's minions who will zap Pooka into the underworld and make him play deadly games to escape.
While underground, Pooka is challenged to several games including Doggy Dodge (dodge rocks), Minion Mosh (a jumping game similar to Fox and Geese), Skull Toss (bowling-like game using Rasputin's denizens as targets) and Hidden Maze. In the latter, you see a maze for a short time and then try and guide Pooka safely through to the other side.
Between locations, you hear entries from Anya's diary and after the game is completed, you're rewarded with screenshots from the movie. Anastasia's voiceover features actress Meg Ryan who had the same role in the animated movie. Can you help Anya find out who her parents are and escape the clutches of Rasputin? Find out, in Anastasia: Adventures with Pooka and Bartok.
~ Lisa Karen Savignano, All Game Guide
Review: Overall
Anastasia: Adventures with Pooka and Bartok may be intended for young children but, due to frustrating gameplay, the designers may well have missed the mark. Finding locations is often a problem as is the ease in which objects can be overlooked. Furthermore, the manual is not much help in providing instructions on how to play the game.As a typical example of the problems encountered, during the first part of the game you must find Dmitri's location in St. Petersburg. You discover a fortuneteller who can provide the information easily enough but, in order to get it, you must get something from a clothier for the seer. Finding the clothes seller's stall is a very long and hard process with no discernible clues or hints provided -- stumbling on his location is more accidental than not after spending an hour or so of traversing back and forth across St. Petersburg.
The problem in finding locations is not an isolated incident. Navigating through the pictures can be extremely confusing due to the requirement to position the cursor in an exact location on the screen to find specific exits. The overall effect is one of tiring the player out rather than providing an enjoyable adventure, which may lead to intense frustration, especially for the targeted audience.
Another disappointment is the lack of interaction with any of the characters from the movie. In each instance, Pooka is on his own along with commentary from Bartok). Although Meg Ryan does the voiceover for Anya's diary entries, you never see the character other than in pictures within the book. The one time Dmitri makes an appearance he's asleep and, after waking him up, the game switches immediately back to the diary.
Children who hope to relive some of the better moments of the movie through the game will be sorely disappointed. Nearly everything of importance occurs off screen via the diary. The only active character who appears regularly other than Bartok is Pooka and after wandering through the environments trying to stumble across exits and being subjected to the same comments repeatedly, even his presence becomes tedious despite the voiceover by Hank Azaria.
In short, the game is not up to usual Disney standards and should be avoided as a tie-in to the movie. On its own, it's simply not satisfying and the mini-games are not interesting enough to justify repeated playing. Overall, Anastasia: Adventures with Pooka and Bartok seems more like an exercise in frustration and boredom than a fun adventure.
~ Lisa Karen Savignano, All Game Guide
Review: Enjoyment
The lack of clear paths through the adventure makes it frustrating and slow and children are likely to give up before the game is completed.~ Lisa Karen Savignano, All Game Guide
Review: Graphics
The graphics are very nice -- clean, clear and colorful.~ Lisa Karen Savignano, All Game Guide
Review: Sound
The voiceovers are clear and easy to understand and the background sound is nice but not particularly noteworthy.~ Lisa Karen Savignano, All Game Guide
Review: Replay Value
Nothing ever changes, not even {%Bartok}'s snide comments. Even the mini-games don't warrant replay.~ Lisa Karen Savignano, All Game Guide
Review: Documentation
The manual provides hints and instructs you on how to play but the hints are meaningless if you can't find certain locations easily (or at all).~ Lisa Karen Savignano, All Game Guide
