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Moana Games: Getting the Movie Right

I like movies and I love games. But games based on movies tend to disappoint. I’ve played thousands of games on the web, many of which feature movie characters. Unfortunately, there tends to be a disconnect between movie makers and game studios. One of the most painful examples is the Harry Potter series. The beloved children’s book and movie series was transformed into an entire collection of pitiful video games. Worst of all, those games were expensive console titles. It’s time to forget about that.

Moana is the latest Disney box-office dominator. If you need a reason to see it, consider the 96% critic / 93% audience ratings on Rotten Tomatoes. Or pay mind to the fact that Dwayne Johnson (a.k.a. The Rock) voices Maui, the movie’s tattoo-covered demigod. Or let’s look at this revelation: the titular character is a Polynesian princess. She’s not an unsettlingly slender Barbie figure that sets unrealistic physical expectations. Instead, Moana resembles a real teen girl from Oceania. Let’s travel 2000 years into the past, and see what else is different—and great.

Cross-platform portal Poki has just about every high-quality web game in existence. Their collections are perpetually updated, so visitors can always enjoy the newest games. One of the most popular growing groups features Moana games. It’s a subcategory of movie games, which you should check out after spending some time with Moana. The titles on Poki are all hand-selected by a team of gaming experts. So, you won’t be wasting any time with subpar content. Every title here, in the Moana category or otherwise, is worth a look.

Princess Moana Waialiki has a signature style. In the movie and in these games, she often wears a red-and-orange crop top with a straw skirt and beige sarong. There are plenty of dress-up games in Poki’s Moana collection, all of which showcase the teen’s memorable fashion sense. In addition, there are other crop tops, blouses, and skirts that can’t be found anywhere else. Most of the clothing items are strongly inspired by Polynesian culture. The unique patterns, handwoven fabrics, and delicate accessories are delightfully fun to mix and match. These clothing items are made for adventures on the Pacific Islands. It’s so refreshing to try on clothes that look nothing like the ball gowns from Disney princesses of yesteryear.

Moana puzzle games are just as authentic as the dress-up games. Those who enjoy jigsaws are destined to spend plenty of time piecing together Moana puzzles. These relaxing jaunts include scrambled pictures from the feature film. You’ll have to determine how pieces of the beach, ocean, and boats fit together. Certain Moana puzzles include Maui and his intricate full-body tattoos. The in-game artwork is directly from the movie, which is an absolute joy to see.

The Moana games on Poki avoid all of the pitfalls of famously failed movie-game conversions. Explore the collection for yourself, and see just how true to the film these titles are. Finally, we can play games that live up to the movie!