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The Tale of Despereaux Activities and Games

Universal Productions adapted the book "The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup, and a Spool of Thread" to the big screen in 2008 under the shortened name "The Tale of Despereaux." Both the book and the film tell the story of a peculiar but brave mouse who is on a mission to rescue a captured princess. Fans of the book and film have a variety of games and toys to add to their collections.

Official Univsersal Studios Games
- Fans of the film "The Tale of Despereaux" can take advantage of the multiple Flash-based activities on the official Universal Studios website for the film. Website visitors can create a storybook adventure based on characters and plot points in the movie. The website also features five Flash games including the "Mousecapult" and the "Catiator." The "Deluxe Diversions" feature offers printable activities for smaller children and for kids who want to play "Despereaux" games offline.
Console Games
- In December 2008, Brash Entertainment released a console game to accompany the upcoming film. This game was ported to the Nintendo Wii, Nintendo DS and PlayStation 2 consoles, and to the PC. This fantasy shooter featured an "E10+" ESRB rating, and IGN's Aaron Thornton calls it "a charming little platformer that's ideal for younger gamers." The game presents the story told in the movie in an interactive medium, making it ideal for fans of the movie who wish to delve deeper into the story.
Framestore Flash Game
- Visual effects company Framestore developed and published an online browser game that shares titles with the film. In this PC game, players must use their keyboards to control the titular mouse. The game challenges players to use the arrow keys to control Despereaux's locket to collect cheese and remove obstacles from their paths. Players can replay the game infinitely and compete for the high score. The publisher of the game, Framestore, provided assistance and studio space for the production of the film.
Toys
- In conjunction with the movie release, a number of licensed products appeared on the market in 2008 and 2009. Toy makers Nanco released plush dolls shaped like characters from the film. Fast food chains Hardee's and Carl's Jr. carried a line of "The Tale of Despereaux" toys in their Cool Kids Combo meals from April to June of 2009. These toys included a door hanger, a mouse trap game, a handheld maze game and miniature book entitled "Despereaux's Reading Adventure."

Childrens Toys