Play Madagascar (J) Online

I picked up Madagascar for the Nintendo DS back in 2005, a game published by Activision that was part of that wave of movie tie-ins flooding the handheld around that time. It wasn't trying to be a system seller, just a straightforward adaptation that let you jump into the world of the film without a lot of fuss, which was pretty common for licensed games on the DS in its early years.

You control Alex the lion, Marty the zebra, Gloria the hippo, and Melman the giraffe, switching between them to tackle specific obstacles in each level. The main goal is to escape the zoo and eventually find your way back home from Madagascar, which involves a lot of running, jumping, and simple combat against foes like fossa or confused humans. Signature mechanics include character-specific abilities, like using Alex's roar to stun enemies or Marty's kick to break objects, and a variety of touch screen mini-games, some involving the mischievous penguins, that break up the platforming action. The pacing is generally brisk, though the difficulty can spike in certain sections, especially during some of the more frustrating mini-game sequences. It feels like a light, occasionally silly adventure that captures the movie's humor without demanding too much from the player.