It was the weirdest era of licensed games. Seriously. You remember the early 2010s, right? Developers were just throwing everything at the wall to see if motion controls or touchscreens could make a TV tie-in actually fun. Among the sea of forgettable shovelware, The Penguins of Madagascar Dr. Blowhole’s Revenge actually managed to be... good? It’s kind of a fever dream to look back on now. Released in 2011, this thing hit the Nintendo DS, Wii, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360, but it wasn’t just a carbon copy across platforms. Depending on where you played it, you were either doing rhythm games on a uDraw tablet or navigating 3D platforming puzzles that felt way more polished than they had any right to be.
The plot is basically an extended episode of the Nickelodeon show. Dr. Blowhole, the dolphin with a prosthetic eye and a massive ego, is back with a "Mind-Unmuddler" and a bunch of lobster minions. He’s voiced by Neil Patrick Harris, which is still one of the best casting choices in animation history. Harris brings this theatrical, over-the-top energy that makes Blowhole feel like a genuine threat, even if he is just a dolphin in a Segway-like hover tank.
What Actually Happens in The Penguins of Madagascar Dr. Blowhole’s Revenge
Most people remember the game for its structure. It’s split into several "operations." You aren't just playing as Skipper; you’re constantly swapping between the whole squad. Rico handles the explosives. Kowalski builds the gadgets. Private... well, Private is small and fits into tight spaces. The synergy is the point.
Honestly, the level design is surprisingly dense. Take the "Central Park Zoo" levels. You’d think it would be a linear walk in the park, but THQ (the original publisher) baked in these environmental puzzles that required you to actually think about the physics of the world. It wasn't Portal, but for a kid's game, it was ambitious. You’re redirecting steam pipes, hacking terminals through Kowalski’s mini-games, and using Rico’s regurgitation skills to blow up obstacles. It felt like a tactical stealth-action game for ten-year-olds.
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The uDraw Factor and Hardware Gimmicks
We have to talk about the uDraw GameTablet. It was a spectacular failure for THQ in the long run, but for The Penguins of Madagascar Dr. Blowhole’s Revenge, it was the primary gimmick on the Wii and PS3 versions. You used a stylus to draw paths for the penguins or solve puzzles. On the Xbox 360, they actually used Kinect. Imagine standing in your living room, flapping your arms like a flightless bird to dodge Dr. Blowhole’s chrome-plated traps. It was exhausting. It was clunky. But it was also uniquely "2011."
If you played it on the DS, you got a completely different experience. That version was a side-scrolling platformer. It felt tighter, more like a traditional handheld game. It’s fascinating how different the "same" game felt depending on the plastic peripheral you were tethered to.
Why Dr. Blowhole is the GOAT Villain
Let’s be real: the Penguins are great, but the game belongs to Blowhole. The writing captured the show’s snarky, fast-paced humor. There’s a specific vibe to the dialogue—lots of military jargon mixed with absolute absurdity.
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The "revenge" part of the title isn't just flavor text. Blowhole is genuinely bitter about his past defeats. The game spends a lot of time letting him monologue. If you listen to the idle dialogue or the cutscenes, the writers clearly had a blast leaning into the Bond-villain tropes.
- The Lobster Minions: These guys are everywhere. They’re basically the "Goombas" of this universe, but with more attitude.
- The Diabolical Traps: Lasers, moving platforms, and bottomless pits. Standard stuff, but themed around Blowhole’s aquatic-meets-high-tech aesthetic.
- The Music: It’s that surf-rock meets mission-impossible score that defined the series. It keeps the energy high even when the platforming gets repetitive.
The Technical Reality of 2011 Gaming
Look, I’m not saying this is The Last of Us. The textures on the Wii version are muddy. The Kinect tracking on the 360 version can make you want to throw your controller (or your shoe) at the sensor. But there’s a soul here.
Most licensed games today are mobile gacha cash-ins or low-effort 3D brawlers. The Penguins of Madagascar Dr. Blowhole’s Revenge came from a time when developers like Griptonite Games and Pipeworks Studio were trying to make "real" games out of cartoons. They built custom engines. They recorded original voice lines with the TV cast. They tried to translate the "teamwork" mechanic of the show into actual gameplay loops.
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How to Play It Now
If you’re feeling nostalgic, getting your hands on a copy isn't too hard, but you need the right hardware.
- The Wii/PS3 versions: You specifically need the uDraw tablet. Without it, the game won't even start. These tablets are dirt cheap at thrift stores now, usually around five bucks.
- The DS version: This is the most "playable" today. It’s a standard cartridge. No weird stylus pads or cameras required. It works on 2DS and 3DS systems too.
- The Xbox 360 version: You need the Kinect sensor. Make sure you have enough floor space, because the hit detection for the "action" sequences is notoriously picky about how much room you have.
The graphics haven't aged gracefully. On a modern 4K TV, the Wii version looks like a jagged mess of pixels. But the charm is still there. The banter between Skipper and King Julien (who obviously shows up to cause chaos) is still funny.
The Legacy of the Penguin Commando
Is The Penguins of Madagascar Dr. Blowhole’s Revenge a masterpiece? No. But it represents a very specific moment in gaming history where creativity was forced through the lens of weird hardware. It’s a snapshot of when Nickelodeon was dominant, and THQ was still a powerhouse of licensed content.
The game reminds us that you don't need a massive open world to have fun. Sometimes you just need a tactical squad of birds, a singing dolphin, and a bunch of ridiculous gadgets. It’s short, it’s chaotic, and it doesn't take itself seriously for even a second. In an era of 100-hour RPGs, there’s something genuinely refreshing about a game you can beat in a weekend that just wants to make you laugh.
Actionable Takeaways for Collectors and Fans
- Check the Hardware: If you're buying the Wii or PS3 version online, double-check that the uDraw tablet is included. Many eBay sellers list the disc alone, which is useless without the peripheral.
- Go for the DS version for Gameplay: If you actually want a solid platformer without the "motion control" headache, the DS version is objectively the most balanced experience.
- Enjoy the Voice Acting: Don't skip the cutscenes. The interaction between Neil Patrick Harris and Tom McGrath (Skipper) is the highlight of the entire project.
- Look for Easter Eggs: The game is packed with nods to specific episodes of the TV show. Fans of the series will find plenty of "blink and you'll miss it" references in the background of the zoo levels.
Whether you're a speedrunner looking for a weird challenge or just someone who misses the Saturday morning cartoon vibes, this game holds a strange, clunky, but lovable place in the history of the Madagascar franchise.