Over the Hedge

Over the Hedge is a platform video game with stealth elements developed by Vicarious Visions and published by Activision for the Nintendo DS handheld video game console. It was first released in North America, and was later released in Europe. The game is set immediately after the events of the DreamWorks movie Over the Hedge, just like its adaptations on consoles. Gameplay involves guiding three playable woodland creatures through suburban houses to collect items and return them to their forest. House inhabitants and traps must be avoided or neutralized to succeed. The game's plot concerns Gladys Sharp's attempt to turn what is left of the animals' forest into a swimming pool; the animals try to prevent this by luring endangered species to the forest, making the forest a protected habitat. Over the Hedge received positive and average reviews from the gaming press, as well as gaming website IGN's 'Best Game No One Played' award for 2006. The game was praised for the technical achievement of displaying full 3D on both of the Nintendo DS' screens, but some reviewers found the gameplay repetitive. Gameplay In Over the Hedge, the player controls one of three animals, who attempt to steal items and destroy construction materials from suburban homes. The player must explore three-dimensional households in order to complete these objectives, while avoiding the residents and their pets. If the player is spotted, they must escape from the enemy's line of sight, otherwise the player will fail the level. Each level requires several trips to be completed. Security systems must be avoided or deactivated in order to progress through each level.