The Grinch (video game)

The Grinch
North American cover art for PlayStation
Developer(s) Artificial Mind & Movement (PS & DC)
Konami Computer Entertainment Nagoya (GBC)
Konami (PC)
Publisher(s) Konami
Platform(s) PlayStation, Dreamcast, Game Boy Color, Microsoft Windows
Release PlayStation
  • NA: November 10, 2000
  • EU: December 8, 2000
Dreamcast
  • NA: November 22, 2000
  • EU: December 15, 2000
Game Boy Color
  • EU: November 24, 2000
  • NA: November 2000
Windows
  • NA: December 4, 2000
  • EU: December 15, 2000
Genre(s) Platformer
Stealth (GBC)
Mode(s) Single-player

The Grinch is a 2000 platform video game loosely based on the film How the Grinch Stole Christmas. The game was released in the following month of the film—December 2000. George Lowe does uncredited work as the narrator of the game. The Game Boy Color version was released prior, ported to Japan for release on November 22, 2000.

Gameplay

As the Grinch, the player can jump, ground pound, and use his smelly breath to guide his way through various obstacles in the game. As the game progresses different gadgets are unlocked which are used to complete different tasks. Various characters from the book and film appear as well, usually as an obstacle for the Grinch to bypass.

Plot

The Grinch stares down at Whoville through his telescope from Mount Crumpit, planning to take the Whos' presents using his gadgets. He goes in his cave, and looks through his blueprints deciding which gadget to make first. However, the Grinch accidentally falls off his mountain of boxes and his blueprints fly away down to Whoville and various parts of Wholand. The Grinch visits Whoville, the Whoforest, Whoville Municipal Dump, and Wholake, destroying Christmas presents, playing pranks on the Whos and recovering pieces of his blueprints in the process so he can steal Christmas.

Reception

The Dreamcast, PC, and PlayStation versions received "mixed" reviews according to the review aggregation website Metacritic. John Gaudiosi of NextGen for the latter console version had positive comments on controls and graphics, but called the gameplay dull and not challenging and recommended the game only for Grinch fans.

The Game Boy Color version was a runner-up for the "Action Game of 2000" award in Editors' Choice at IGN's Best of 2000 Awards for Game Boy Color.]

See also