Ratatouille is a 3D platform game based on the same-named Pixar animated film. The PSP game, unlike other versions for other platforms, does not follow the plot of the film but instead presents its own story set after the film’s climax, with the voice actors from the film reprising their roles for the game. As they open their new restaurant, Skinner, Linguini, and Collete’s disgruntled ex-employer steal their recipes. It is up to gourmet rat Remy to bring the recipes back in time for the new restaurant to open. Remy must progress through five worlds with six to seven levels each, accessible from the rat colony hub world. Linguini’s apartment, the sewers, the marketplace, Paris rooftops, and the restaurant are among the planets. Remy’s goal in most levels is to collect the recipe hidden somewhere in a difficult-to-reach location. Still, other groups consist only of races or boss fights; the formula is awarded upon winning.
Remy can jump and double-jump, pull himself up ledges, crouch and run on all fours to get into tight spaces, climb vertical and horizontal poles, and swim and dive to get around. Some enemies, such as spiders, caterpillars, and bats, try to stop Remy on his quest, but he can defeat them by punching them or hitting them with his tail. Small puzzles must be solved to overcome some obstacles, usually involving discovering a specific object to be used in the proper location. Remy’s fellow rats occasionally offer helpful advice, and the ghost of Chef Gusteau usually provides hints on what to do next. Lying about the levels are various collectibles. Apples and cupcakes help you regain your health. Pieces of cheese serve as currency and can be exchanged for upgrades such as increasing Remy’s health bar, adding more combat moves, increasing his swimming speed, and more with the merchant rat in the rat colony. Star keys can be found on almost every level. These can open chests in the rat colony containing recipes unavailable in the regular classes. Recipes discovered in the game can be viewed in the game menu and contain cooking instructions for various dishes. The game also has two multiplayer modes: a race and a cheese-collecting game. The race allows for the optional placement of chili peppers on the track, the consumption of which increases speed. There are several variations in the cheese collecting game. The player who collects the most cheese within the time limit wins the regular variant. The ‘weighted’ variant causes the player to slow down when collecting cheese. Returning the cheese to a designated drop area restores average speed. In the ‘chef hat’ variant, hats appear after collecting five pieces of cheese, with the winner being the player who contains the required number of hats or the most hats after the time limit expires.
