Classic Games Database
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March of the Penguins

Review
Also known as
Die Reise der Pinguine La Marche de l'Empereur

Guide a colony through puzzles to breed and survive the Antarctic journey.

March of the Penguins for Game Boy Advance was released in 2006 by Destination Software, based on the 2005 documentary film; no earlier platform version of this exact game exists.

About March of the Penguins

March of the Penguins for the Game Boy Advance adapts the documentary's narrative into a game structured across twelve chapters. The core objective involves guiding a group of emperor penguins through their annual breeding cycle, from finding a mate to eventually returning with their young.

Gameplay mechanics are varied, drawing inspiration from the puzzle game Lemmings. Players use tools like trampolines and bridges to direct the penguins' path, melt obstacles, and collect required snowflakes. The penguins are not permanently lost; falling simply resets them to the level's start, with success depending on shepherding the entire group to the goal.

Other stages shift the pace, featuring sliding sequences, underwater sections for avoiding predators while gathering food, and maze navigation. Later chapters introduce a challenging egg-guarding mechanic where dropped eggs must be retrieved quickly and warmed before time expires to prevent them from freezing.

Interspersed with the action are educational segments that provide facts about penguin migration and behavior, aligning the game with its documentary source material.

March of the Penguins Screenshots

10 images
Title screen
Main menu
The story
Chapter one goal
First level
Building an ice bridge
The penguins climb the stairs we've placed.
Pause screen
Game over