Since its founding in 1923, The Walt Disney Company has become the largest media conglomerate in the world. The company gave birth to countless films, musicals, television shows, and theme parks. Many of Disney's characters, introduced through animation or film, have found new life in tie-in video games that give fans the opportunity to interact with beloved worlds and story lines.
THQ and Disney Interactive Studios released "Finding Nemo" for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube, Game Boy Advance, and PC in 2003. Based off the Pixar movie of the same name, in which a dad travels the ocean to find his son, gamers play as Marlin, Nemo, or Dory, and must complete different levels that progress in tandem with the film's plot. The game includes cutscenes between levels that come directly from the movie, as well as many of the voice-actors from the original film.
While the movie "Finding Nemo" received excellent reviews from critics and audiences and became a box office success, "Finding Nemo" the game received mixed reviews. Reviewers enjoyed its mini games and adventures, but found the graphics underdeveloped. Douglass C. Perry of IGN wrote that the game is "intelligent, good-looking, and challenging," and that "If you like the movie and have a kid, this is an entirely recommended game to play."
Like many other video games released for promotional purposes, "Finding Nemo" succeeded in giving players the opportunity to expand their movie experience, and in providing merchandise for film producers. Along with the video game, Pixar and Disney released "Finding Nemo" toys, clothes, books, and stuffed animals. THQ released a sequel to the game entitled "Finding Nemo: The Continuing Adventures" in 2004, and Pixar will release a sequel to the original movie entitled "Finding Dory" in summer 2016.