History VideoGame / Madagascar

* SimonSaysMiniGame: In Jungle Banquet, Alex must complete a variation of this. In a cave, there are four giant mushrooms which each play a different sound when bounced on. The player must memorize the order and bounce on them in that order to repeat the tune.

** Marty can kick people outside the enclosures in King of New York, which causes them to run away in terror. You can also do this by roaring at them as Alex during his section of the level. Marty can also kick the ostriches that Gloria races against in her section.

** Additionally, and what might be most cruel, is in the level Penguin Mutiny, there are a couple points where you must eliminate sailors by using the ship's crane to drop them into an cage, trapping them. However, you could instead drop them '''overboard the ship''' to '''''drown them'''''. In the second crane segment, in addition to having to get rid of sailors you also need to pick up and drop large crates that are in the way. You could kill two birds with one stone by dropping the crates ''onto'' the sailors which leaves them collapsed on the ground, all but explicitly dead.

** Additionally, and what might be most cruel, is in the level Penguin Mutiny, there are a couple points where you must eliminate sailors by using the ship's crane to drop them into an cage, trapping them. However, you could instead drop them '''overboard the ship''' to '''drown them'''''. In the second crane segment, in addition to having to get rid of sailors you also need to pick up and drop large crates that are in the way. You could kill two birds with one stone by dropping the crates ''onto'' the sailors which leaves them collapsed on the ground, all but explicitly dead.

* MakeMeWannaShout: In all games, Alex’s primary attack is to roar at his enemies, which scares some larger enemies (like other lions) away and kills smaller critters, [[WildMassGuessing apparently]] by causing heart attacks in them.

** Additionally in the level Penguin Mutiny, there are a couple points where you must eliminate the sailors by grabbing them with the ship's crane to trap them in a cage. However, you could also eliminate them by ''throwing them overboard the ship to '''drown them'''''. You could alternatively eliminate them by dropping large crates on top of them in the second crane segment, which leaves them collapsed on the ground, all but explicitly dead.

--> '''Melman''': Ahhhhh, mud!\\

** Marty can kick people outside the enclosures in King of New York, which causes them to run away in terror. You can also do this by roaring at them as Alex during his section of the level.

* ADayInTheLife: The first level, King of NY, shows a typical day in the NYC Zoo from Marty's perspective as he interacts with Alex, Gloria, Melman, and the penguins.

** Skipper too; the original game gave him a single level featuring him as a playable character, while here his role is taken by Private and he is relegated to an NPC. The DS version brings him back to prominence in the exclusive Penguin levels.

** Additionally in the level Penguin Mutiny, there are a couple points where you must eliminate the sailors by grabbing them with the ship's crane to trap them in a cage. However, you could also eliminate them by ''throwing them overboard the ship to '''drown them'''''. You could alternatively eliminate them by dropping large crates on top of them in the second crane segment, which all but explicitly kills them.

A series of three tie-in games set in the world of [[Creator/{{DreamWorksAnimation}} Dreamworks]]' ''WesternAnimation/{{Madagascar}}''. Unlike the VideoGame/{{Shrek}} tie-ins , which had several spin-offs in different game genres, this was restricted to the ActionAdventure games with modest connections to the plot of the films. A notable feature was the extensive focus on various minigames (''Escape 2 Africa'' had around two dozen for instance, which were rarely repeated) and the ability to control a large number of characters. Besides the four protagonists of the films, Escape to Africa had sequences giving player control of the penguins, The first game had attained mildly positive reviews due to these features, but as the gameplay has failed to [[{{Sequelitis}} significantly improve]] over time, the review scores went down, and ''Madagascar 3: The Video Game'' had received largely negative reviews.

* NotQuiteFlight: In all games (except for the GBA and DS versions of the first game and the DS version of the third game), if he jumps off a high enough spot, Melman can temporarily drift by spinning his legs like a helicopter.

* RollingAttack: This is Gloria's main attack. The GBA and DS versions instead have her stomping the ground.

* RollingAttack: This is Gloria's main attack.

* NotQuiteFlight: In all games, if he jumps off a high enough spot, Melman can temporarily drift by spinning his legs like a helicopter.

** While still a playable character, Marty is much less important than he was in the first game. In the first game he had two levels to himself and was the most used of the main four, while here he's only relevant for two races using his only new ability, a carrot-fueled sprint, and has lost several abilities he used to have. In particular, his kick ability only appears in select circumstances where he has to aim items.
** Skipper too; the original game gave him a single level featuring him as a playable character, while here his role is taken by Private and he is relegated to an NPC.

* ImprobableWeaponUser: When underwater, Gloria attacks by blowing bubbles. On land, Alex is the only character possessing a ranged attack due to his most hand-like paws. Instead of, say, rocks, he throws mangoes, which turn up surprisingly often as a result.

* JokeCharacter: Mort. Whereas other characters have two to four abilities, he can only perform a weak roll. He can’t even attack normally with it: in order to defeat the lizards and the croc, he is forced to knock the poison mushrooms into their maws with it.
* OxygenMeter: Gloria has one when she’s underwater. Much like Sonic, she can refill it by breathing in bubbles.

* SuperNotDrowningSkills: Zig-zagged. Gloria still needs to get air on occasion underwater, similar to a real hippo (though real hippos do not need to get air as frequently as the game portrays), but she and Moto Moto are somehow able to talk underwater, which the game [[LampshadeHanging lampshades]] to point out how it shouldn't be possible.

A series of three tie-in games set in the world of Creator/{{Dreamworks}} ''WesternAnimation/{{Madagascar}}''. Unlike the VideoGame/{{Shrek}} tie-ins , which had several spin-offs in different game genres, this was restricted to the ActionAdventure games with modest connections to the plot of the films. A notable feature was the extensive focus on various minigames (''Escape 2 Africa'' had around two dozen for instance, which were rarely repeated) and the ability to control a large number of characters. Besides the four protagonists of the films, Escape to Africa had sequences giving player control of the penguins, The first game had attained mildly positive reviews due to these features, but as the gameplay has failed to [[{{Sequelitis}} significantly improve]] over time, the review scores went down, and ''Madagascar 3: The Video Game'' had received largely negative reviews.

* ConvenientItemPlacement: Mangoes happen to be Alex’s ranged weapon, and they just so happen to be on the ground everywhere in the wild. Same happens with jalapenos, which Gloria needs to perform her charges. Both also apply in the sequel.

** The final segment of Save the Lemurs tasks Alex with escorting a group of lemurs down [[IronicName The Perfectly Safe Path]] while protecting them from the attacking fossa. Letting too many lemurs get taken away results in King Julian scolding Alex and forcing you to redo the segment again. The level can actually be completed if only a small number of lemurs get taken, however.

* NonStandardGameOver: Touching the lower ground or colliding with Alex in Coming of Age results in the now-feral lion stealing Mort from Melman and running off to eat him.

** Marty can kick people outside the enclosures in King of New York, which causes them to run away in terror.

** During the butterfly catching segment in the first level, Alex can choose to catch King Julien in his net instead of the butterflies he's supposed to be catching.

* YouHaveResearchedBreathing: Several of the power cards allow the characters to learn abilities they should logically already know how to do, like kicking for Marty.

* YouHaveResearchedBreathing: Several of the power cards allow the characters to learn abilities they should logically already know how to do, like roaring for Alex and kicking for Marty.

* DevelopersForesight: At one point in NY Street Chase, Gloria has to collect power cards to unlock her butt bounce ability and defeat the cops that try to force her to the ground. Normally, you're expected to get all of them as you go along the road, but if you skip the two cards before the right turn by rolling and jumping past the obstacles, then those two cards will reappear alongside the third one after the turn.

* EleventhHourSuperpower: Alex's claw attack (which allows him to fight the Fossa one-on-one) can only be unlocked in the final level (which fittingly is the eleventh level) of the console versions, and as such, it only sees use during the final battle.

** King Fossa's vulture henchmen sometimes attack Alex with durians in the final battle.

'''Melman''': I'll catch leptospirosis in there!