Happy Feet
Happy Feet on the Game Boy Advance is the handheld version of the game based on the 2006 animated film about Mumble, an emperor penguin who cannot sing but can tap dance. It was developed by Artificial Mind and Movement and published by Midway in November 2006. Instead of the dance and fishing modes of the home console versions, the GBA game is a 2D platformer with rhythm sections set to songs from the film and short minigames such as sledding and diving for fish.
Controls
What Happy Feet is
The film follows Mumble, a young penguin whose tap dancing makes him an outsider in a colony where everyone finds a partner through song. The Game Boy Advance version follows him through levels set around the Antarctic, where he usually has a task to complete for one of the characters he meets.
The same studio made every version of Happy Feet, but the handheld release was designed quite differently from the PlayStation 2, GameCube and Wii games, which were built around separate dancing, fishing and belly-sliding modes. On the GBA those ideas are folded into a single adventure. Reviews at the time were modest, but the GBA version scored a little better on average than the console releases.
How it plays in your browser
Most of the game is side-on platforming: moving across ice, jumping gaps and finding what a character has asked for. Many levels include rhythm sections that use tracks from the film's soundtrack, where timing your button presses to the music is what counts.
Between regular stages you will meet minigames such as sledding downhill or diving for fish. These are required to progress, so it is worth learning their controls rather than rushing through. The GBA emulator on this page keeps the original sound, which matters for the rhythm parts, so play with audio on if you can.
Arrow keys move Mumble, Z and X are the main A and B buttons for jumping and actions, and Enter opens the pause menu.
Tips worth knowing
- Keep the sound on. The rhythm sections are much easier when you follow the beat instead of the on-screen prompts alone.
- Talk to the characters in each level so you know exactly what task Mumble needs to finish.
- In sledding sections, small steering corrections work better than holding a direction for long.
- If a minigame is giving you trouble, replay it a couple of times to learn the layout. The patterns do not change much between attempts.
- Explore the edges of each level before moving on, since task items are sometimes placed off the main path.
Frequently asked questions
Is the GBA version the same as the console Happy Feet game?
No. The console versions focused on separate dancing, fishing and sledding modes, while the Game Boy Advance game is a 2D platformer with rhythm sections and minigames.
Who developed Happy Feet on Game Boy Advance?
Artificial Mind and Movement developed it, and Midway published it in November 2006.
Does the game use songs from the film?
Yes. The rhythm parts of the levels use music from the Happy Feet soundtrack, arranged for the Game Boy Advance sound chip.
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