Madagascar Kartz is a racing video game based on DreamWorks Animation's Madagascar. It was released on October 27, 2009 and is the second game in the Madagascar franchise. A spiritual pseudo-sequel, DreamWorks Super Star Kartz, would release in 2011.
Gameplay[]
The game is a basic kart racer, and the player can perform jumps, flips, rolls. There are many different stages from scenes of the franchise, with two tracks are from different DreamWorks franchises- Shrek's Swamp from Shrek, and Gallaxhar's Spaceship from Monsters vs. Aliens. Playable characters include Alex, Marty, Gloria, Melman, King Julien, Mason and Phil, all four of the penguins, and two characters from other DreamWorks movies- Shrek from the franchise of the same name, and B.O.B. from Monsters vs. Aliens. The Madagascar Kartz Wheel is bundled with the Wii version of the game. This wheel is purely optional, and is different from that of the Wii Wheel from Mario Kart Wii.
References to Shrek[]
Shrek himself is an unlockable racer. He is unlocked by completing all tracks on 150cc. His vehicle is a makeshift go-kart made with a barrel as a frame. It is also powered by gun powder, provided by a smaller barrel on the back bumper. Being a heavyweight character, he has top speed but has limited turning and acceleration. His special item is his "ogre gas," which references his lethal farts in both the films and Shrek video games.
His home, the Swamp, is one of the tracks available in the game. Within the track are small references to the world of Shrek. One of these is a closed path reading "Road to Far Far Away: CLOSED." Near the finish line, Shrek's home and outhouse are seen as forks in the road. Various signage from the films, including the famous "Beware Ogres!" sign with Shrek and Fiona, surround the home. Also within this section of the track, a wanted poster with the illustration of Shrek's face can be seen on a tree.
A selection of Shrek's lines involve mentions of other characters. Examples include one of his victory lines, "I can't wait to tell Fiona!" Another is when he gets struck by an item exclaiming, "If I wanted to be hit, I'd have stayed home with the kids!" When he passes by Alex, Shrek would sometimes say, "Oh look, a little kitty cat," loosely referencing Puss in Boots. One of Shrek's other lines is "Come on, it's just like slaying a dragon!"
Specific releases of the game in 2010 also came with a free DVD of Shrek Forever After.
Playable characters[]
- Alex
- Marty
- Gloria
- Melman
- King Julien
- The Penguins (Skipper, Kowalski, Rico and Private)
- The Chimps (Phil and Mason)
- Shrek (from the franchise of the same name)
- B.O.B. (from Monsters vs. Aliens)
Non-playable characters[]
Music[]
- I Like To Move It (the main menu theme; sung by Reel 2 Real)
Voice Cast[]
- Wally Wingert as Alex
- Phil LaMarr as Marty / Maurice
- Bettina Bush as Gloria
- Stephen Stanton as Melman
- Danny Jacobs as King Julien
- Conrad Vernon as Mason
- Tom McGrath as Skipper
- Michael J. Gough as Shrek
- Dave B. Mitchell as B.O.B.
Trivia[]
- This is the first time Shrek crossed over with another DreamWorks Animation franchise.