Play Madagascar (E)(Rising Sun) Online

Game Overview

Madagascar on the Game Boy Advance is way more fun than it has any right to be for a movie tie-in. You start off bouncing between the main crew—Alex’s clumsy lion swipes feel totally different from Marty’s speedy zebra dashes, and the game actually makes you use their weird quirks to get past obstacles. The first level throws you right into that jungle escape from the movie, complete with suspiciously cheerful background music while you’re getting chased by foosa.

What surprised me was how much personality they squeezed into those tiny sprites. King Julien’s ridiculous dance animations are spot-on, and the penguins keep hijacking the plot in between levels. There’s even this weirdly addictive lemur rhythm mini-game I didn’t expect. It’s short, sure, but the platforming controls are tight enough that replaying levels to find hidden fruit (don’t ask why a lion cares about collecting mangoes) stays fun. If you’ve got a soft spot for mid-2000s cartoon chaos, this cartridge holds up better than most.